If you’ve ever had a doctor order a blood test for you, chances are that they ran a complete blood count, or CBC. One of the most common blood tests…
Category: Anthropology
Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today
Modern medicine has enabled citizens of wealthy, industrialized nations to forget that children once routinely died in shocking numbers. Teaching 19th-century English literature, I regularly encounter gutting depictions of losing…
Hypnosis is not just a parlor trick or TV act − science shows it helps with anxiety, depression, pain, PTSD and sleep disorders
We’ve all seen it, typically on television or on stage: A hypnotist selects a few members from the audience, and with what seems to be little more than a steely…
Avian flu virus has been found in raw milk − a reminder of how pasteurization protects health
As the H5N1 avian flu virus continues to spread in poultry flocks and dairy cattle, consumers may worry about whether the U.S. milk supply is safe to drink. According to…
Prenatal supplements largely lack the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent preterm birth − new research
Most prenatal supplements lack the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that could help prevent preterm birth, meaning delivery before 37 weeks’ gestation. This is a key finding of a new…
Water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay – how growing opposition threatens a 70-year-old health practice
Driving through downtown Dallas, you might see a striking banner hanging at the U-turn bridge, near the Walnut Hill exit on Central Expressway (US 75): “Stop Fluoridation!” Below it, other…
Dozens of cyclists and pedestrians are killed each year in Philly − an injury epidemiologist explains how to better protect bike lanes, slow drivers down and reduce collisions
Over 60 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed each year in Philadelphia in recent years. Compared with other big cities, Philadelphia’s death rate for both pedestrians and cyclists is higher…
208 million Americans are classified as obese or overweight, according to new study synthesizing 132 data sources
Nearly half of adolescents and three-quarters of adults in the U.S. were classified as being clinically overweight or obese in 2021. The rates have more than doubled compared with 1990.…
Light exercise can yield significant cognitive benefits, new research shows
Everyday physical activity, like going for a short walk or playing with the kids, may provide short-term benefits for cognitive health, equivalent to reversing four years of cognitive aging. That…
