Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. There are over 6 million people living with dementia in the U.S. and 57 million globally. These figures will only increase…
Category: Anthropology
Why does your doctor seem so rushed and dismissive? That bedside manner may be the result of the health care system
We’ve all been there: You wait 45 minutes in the exam room when the doctor finally walks in. They seem rushed. A few questions, a quick exam, a glance at…
HIV knows no borders, and the Trump administration’s new strategy leave Americans vulnerable – an HIV-prevention expert explains
Protecting public health abroad benefits Americans. In a globalized world, diseases and their social and economic impacts do not stay within national boundaries. Increased rates of untreated HIV in any…
Strict school vaccine mandates work, and parents don’t game the system − new research
When four states between 2015 and 2021 stopped allowing parents to opt their children out of receiving routine vaccines without a medical reason, vaccination rates among kindergartners increased substantially. That’s…
Back pain during pregnancy is often dismissed as a passing discomfort − a nurse explains why it should be taken seriously and treated
About half to three-quarters of expectant mothers experience pain during pregnancy that is largely untreated, contributing to preventable suffering and harm. Many mothers avoid medications and treatments during pregnancy for…
People abused by intimate partners have worse asthma – but researchers are still untangling the reasons behind this surprising link
Asthma is a common, serious and difficult-to-manage chronic health condition. In the U.S., 1 in 7 people are diagnosed with asthma, and that number is rising. Over the years, researchers…
Health headlines can be confusing
Every week of 2025 seems to bring a new health headline, whether it’s about climbing autism rates, changing vaccination recommendations or unexpected cancer risks. For people trying to make informed…
Atorvastatin recall may affect hundreds of thousands of patients – and reflects FDA’s troubles inspecting medicines manufactured overseas
If you take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, you may have noticed a flurry of news coverage since late October 2025 about an extensive recall of thousands of bottles of atorvastatin,…
How autism rates are rising – and why that could lead to more inclusive communities
I can say from personal experience that being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can feel very isolating. Increasingly, however, it’s not unusual. In the U.S., 1 in 31 children are…
Why are 4.7 million Floridians insured through ACA marketplace plans, and what happens if they lose their subsidies?
Significant Figures is a series from The Conversation in which scholars explain an important number in the news. The Conversation, CC BY-ND When the Affordable Care Act, also known as…
