All Stories by Aimee Cunningham
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, air pollution was linked to more reports of animal bites
Scientists spent decades tying air pollution to health and behavior problems. Now, there’s more evidence that dirty air influences aggression in animals.
- Health & Medicine
Maternal deaths in the U.S. keep climbing
New U.S. data show that as maternal deaths rise, a large gap between the maternal mortality rate of Black women compared with white women persists.
- Health & Medicine
My mammogram revealed I have dense breasts. What does that mean?
Nearly half of U.S. women have dense breasts. A new FDA rule makes notification of breast density national. Here’s the scoop on why.
- Neuroscience
‘Mommy brain’ doesn’t capture how the brain transforms during pregnancy
During the transition to motherhood, there's more going on than “momnesia,” neuroscientists argue. The brain changes to prep for the job of caregiving
- Health & Medicine
Too much of this bacteria in the nose may worsen allergy symptoms
Hay fever sufferers have an overabundance of Streptococcus salivarius. The mucus-loving bacteria boost inflammation, causing an endlessly runny nose.
- Health & Medicine
HDL ‘good’ cholesterol isn’t always good for heart health
High levels of HDL cholesterol don’t appear to protect against heart disease, while harm from low levels may depend on race, a study reports.
- Health & Medicine
Medical racism didn’t begin or end with the syphilis study at Tuskegee
Racism that fueled the syphilis study still permeates the U.S. health care system, causing disparities in access to medical care and health measures.
- Health & Medicine
How 4 major coronavirus tools impacted the pandemic in 2022
During the third year of the pandemic, young kids got vaccines, a new booster shot came along, the use of at-home tests soared and Paxlovid became widely available.
- Health & Medicine
Brief bursts of activity offer health benefits for people who don’t exercise
Non-exercisers who had brief bouts of vigorous day-to-day activity saw a reduced risk of death comparable to that of people who exercise regularly.
- Health & Medicine
Pollution mucks up the lungs’ immune defenses over time
A study of immune tissue in the lungs reports that particulate matter buildup from air pollution may impair respiratory immunity in older adults.
- Health & Medicine
The U.S.’s alcohol-induced death rate rose sharply in the pandemic’s first year
Studies suggested cases of alcoholic liver disease rose in the first pandemic year, and new data show the death rate from alcohol use climbed too.
- Health & Medicine
A study questioning colonoscopy screening’s benefits has big caveats
The study included a lot of people who were invited to get the procedure but didn’t. That’s one limitation of several.
