Resources & Information

NBC News
May 29, 2025
A new Covid variant that’s gaining momentum globally has landed in the U.S. The World Health Organization announced last week that it was monitoring the variant, NB.1.8.1, following a rise in cases in several parts of the world, including Europe, Southeast Asia and North and South America. The variant appears to be more transmissible than the dominant strain worldwide, LP.8.1, meaning it has the potential to drive up cases this summer. But it does not seem to be much better than LP.8.1 at evading protection from vaccines or a prior infection. And the WHO has found no evidence that it leads to more severe illness, so the agency has determined that it doesn’t pose an added health risk.

Medical News Today
May 28, 2025
A person can self-advocate by gaining knowledge about their healthcare rights and taking action to improve the level of care they receive. Learning to self-advocate can help people understand their rights and actively participate in and receive better care. Some people face challenges and barriers when seeking healthcare, such as discrimination or feeling that doctors dismiss their concerns. This article offers tips for self-advocating at the doctor’s office and discusses a person’s rights. It also discusses a person’s options when they feel a doctor is not listening to their healthcare concerns and offers support and resources.

Medical News Today
May 26, 2025
A study led by researchers from Uppsala University examined how sleeping poorly can affect the body — specifically heart health. In the crossover study, scientists checked the participants’ biomarkers after they underwent sessions of poor sleep and healthy sleep. They found that biomarkers associated with inflammation and heart health increased after just three nights of poor sleep.

STATNews
May 13, 2025
You don’t need to look further than a can of Alani Nu (center stage in the above illustration) to see that the $22 billion energy drink industry has gotten a makeover. Long dominated by labels like Monster and Red Bull that use extreme sports swagger to appeal to young men, the industry is tapping into the aesthetics of health and wellness to reach new demographics and continue its exponential growth.

But it’s not just aesthetics. Many of the newer brands tout “better for you ingredients,” STAT’s Sarah Todd reports, from biotin to lion’s mane mushrooms. Despite the magical powers one might assume “lion’s mane mushrooms” have, many energy drinks still contain supercharged doses of caffeine that are particularly risky for children, teenagers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with underlying heart conditions. Health experts say the new wellness-themed marketing may be worsening consumer confusion over the risks.

WIRED
May 12, 2025
In early May, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would split up the agency’s main arm devoted to scientific research. According to a report from NPR, scientists at the 1,500-person Office of Research and Development were told to apply to roughly 500 new scientific research positions that would be sprinkled into other areas of the agency—and to expect further cuts to their organization in the weeks to come.

This reorganization threatens the existence of a tiny but crucial program housed within this office: the Integrated Risk Information System Program, commonly referred to as IRIS. This program is responsible for providing independent research on the risks of chemicals, helping other offices within the agency set regulations for chemicals and compounds that could pose a danger to human health. The program’s leader departed recently, ahead of the restructuring announcement.

NPR
April 18, 2025
When hit with a headache or fever, people often reach for over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as their first line of defense. Used correctly, these drugs can be safe and effective for pain relief. That means following the instructions on the label and the advice of a health care provider.

“But that’s not how we take these medications in real life,” says Trisha Pasricha, a physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Some people take too much pain medication too quickly, misdiagnose an ailment and take the wrong drug, or unknowingly take multiple pain relievers at the same time.