Three out of four times, your Facebook friends don’t read past the headline when they share a link to political content. Experts say that’s somewhat surprising — and downright scary. People who share without clicking may be unwittingly aiding hostile adversaries aiming to sow seeds of division and distrust, warned S. Shyam Sundar, a professor… read on > read on >
U.S. health care costs are among the world’s highest, and 1 in 4 adults with health coverage struggle with high out-of-pocket costs, a new survey shows. The survey — by the Commonwealth Fund, a health-care focused think tank — finds that most people have coverage offered by employers, but their policies don’t always provide timely… read on > read on >
If Congress lets healthcare tax credits established during the pandemic expire, 4 million Americans will become uninsured, a new analysis warns. The tax credits, which have significantly lowered out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans, are set to expire at the end of 2025. “Allowing these credits to expire will force families to choose between healthcare… read on > read on >
Women who won’t leave the house without makeup or a spritz of hairspray may want to think twice about those habits when they’re pregnant or breastfeeding. New research links these and other personal care products, including hair dyes, fragrances, lotions, moisturizers and nail polishes to higher levels of so-called PFAS “forever chemicals” that are harmful… read on > read on >
Folks who stress-eat fatty foods like cookies, chips and ice cream might be able to protect their health with a nice cup of cocoa or green tea, a new study says. Drinking cocoa that’s high in healthy flavanols along with a fatty meal can counteract some of the impact of fats on the body, particularly… read on > read on >
A dose of green may be just what school kids with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues need, new research shows. Canadian investigators found that a school program that let 10- to 12-year-olds spend a little time each week in nature paid dividends in improving kids’ mental well-being. “Nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits… read on > read on >
Waning vaccine coverage has fueled a 20% spike in measles cases worldwide, with 10.3 million people struck by the preventable illness in 2023, health officials reported Wednesday. “Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases,” of what was once a common childhood disease, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease… read on > read on >
College students who use dating apps are more likely to engage in risky sex, endangering their health, a new study shows. Those using a dating app were 2.2 times to have had more than one sexual partner over the past year, and 1.4 times more likely to have had sex while under the influence of… read on > read on >
AI can’t yet help doctors improve their ability to diagnose complex conditions, a sobering new study has found. Doctors had about the same diagnostic accuracy whether or not they were using ChatGPT Plus, according to results published recently in the journal JAMA Network Open. However, the AI outperformed doctors when allowed to diagnose on its… read on > read on >
Cases of the autoimmune skin condition eczema appear to rise in areas most plagued by air pollution, new research shows. Since data has long shown that rates of eczema — clinically known as atopic dermatitis — increase along with industrialization, dirty air might be a connecting link, according to the team from Yale University. “Showing… read on > read on >
