When people consider what causes high blood pressure, they often think of lifestyle factors, such as eating salty foods, lack of exercise or smoking. However, an unexpected source of salt…
Category: Anthropology
‘Bouncing back’ is a myth – resilience means integrating hard experiences into your life story, not ignoring them
When Maria looked at herself in the mirror for the first time after her mastectomy, she stood very still. One hand rested on the bathroom counter. The other hovered near…
25 million people lost Medicaid after the COVID-19 pandemic — and state policies shaped who stayed covered
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people covered by Medicaid rose month after month – an unusual pattern for the government’s insurance program for people with low incomes and…
Doctors can refuse to treat LGBTQ+ patients in several states – these religious exemption laws lead to drops in HIV testing
An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal…
What declining vaccination rates mean for families in Allegheny County – where 1 in 3 kindergarten classrooms lack herd immunity for measles
As the risk of measles remains an ongoing concern, herd immunity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is already slipping. According to data obtained via The Washington Post in January 2026, 1…
Tobacco is still one of the world’s top killers – here are the key obstacles to enacting generational smoking bans
Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one’s health. But most people don’t know just how bad it is. More…
Health care sticker shock has become the norm, but talking to your doctor about costs can help you rein it in
As health care costs rise, patients aren’t just shouldering higher bills. They’re bearing more and more responsibility for getting information. Americans are facing a health care affordability crunch on multiple…
Psilocybin mushrooms are going mainstream, but scientific research and regulation lag behind
Amid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging. One study found that rates of…
From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it
Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe. From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has…
Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection
A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products…
