New Flu Strain Weakened This Year’s Vaccine Protection, CDC Says

Flu activity in the United States is finally slowing down, but health experts say this year’s flu vaccine didn't offer as much protection as officials hoped.

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the vaccine was only about 25% to 30% effective in preventing illness serious enough to send a...

New EPA Rule Could Loosen Limits on Medical Device Sterilization Gas Emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to loosen limits on emissions of ethylene oxide, a gas used to sterilize many medical devices that is also linked to cancer.

The proposal, announced Friday, would ease pollution rules for about 90 commercial sterilization facilities nationwide.

Ethylene oxide plays an import...

Loneliness, Social Isolation Impact Brain Health Among Women Entering Menopause

Loneliness can impact a woman’s brain health as she begins menopause, a new study says.

Loneliness and social isolation are both linked to the cognitive decline a woman feels as she begins to transition into menopause, researchers recently reported in the journal Menopause.

Further, women experiencing both loneliness a...

Poor Hearing Makes It Harder For Blind Folks To Navigate

Poor hearing can dramatically impact a blind person’s ability to navigate and move around in their daily life, a new study says.

People who’ve gone blind can still use hearing to help them avoid obstacles and reach destinations.

But blind people who also have experienced hearing loss have more difficulty perceiving and lo...

Other People's Opinions Can Shape How You Feel About Pain, Mental Challenges

You’re waiting for a vaccination. The person ahead of you stumbles out, groaning about how painful the shot was.

Could hearing that make your own injection hurt worse?

Yes, a new study says.

What others say about an experience – be it a vaccination, or a job interview, or a college course – can shape how it ac...

Exercise Promotes Release Of Brain-Boosting Protein, Study Shows

It’s long been known that exercise improves a person’s brain health – and researchers now think they better understand at least one of the factors at play.

Just one 15-minute session of aerobic exercise floods the brain with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein known to support the health of new and existin...