Doctors and nurses seldom learn in school how to tell a family that their loved one is not going to survive. Yet health care professionals face the immense burden of…
Category: Anthropology
Drinking alcohol before conceiving a child could accelerate their aging – new research in mice
The conditions within a person’s home, family and community affect their ability to stay healthy. Scientists studying these social determinants of health are trying to understand whether nature or nurture…
People with physical and mobility disabilities need to work out, but there are a lot of obstacles in their way
Although wheelchair users, visually impaired people and others with mobility and physical disabilities need consistent exercise, it’s often hard for them to work out. In many cases, they can’t get…
Blood sugar fluctuations after eating play an important role in anxiety and depression
The proverbial “sugar high” that follows the ingestion of a sweet treat is a familiar example of the potentially positive effects of food on mood. On the flip side, feeling…
Why don’t more politicians retire? A medical anthropologist explains how the US could benefit from a mandatory retirement age
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are hardly the only examples of politicians who work well into their golden years. Members of the baby-boom generation – Americans born…
Biden administration’s negotiated price cuts for 10 common prescription drugs likely to save Medicare billions, beginning in 2026
The Biden administration announced on Aug. 16, 2024, the reduced prices of the first 10 drugs it has negotiated with pharmaceutical companies over their Medicare prices. Provisions authorizing these negotiations…
Hard-to-treat traumas and painful memories may be treatable with EMDR – a trauma therapist explains why it is gaining popularity
If you’ve been to a therapist’s office in the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, therapy. Most commonly used…
West Nile virus season returns − a medical epidemiologist explains how it’s transmitted and how you can avoid it
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the continental U.S., with an average of 2,464 reported cases per year. Every August, West Nile season ramps up, primarily…
What is mpox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin
On Aug. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. There have been over 15,600 cases and over 530 deaths reported in the…
