Health

Study suggests obesity drugs could help with alcohol cravings

By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press

A new study suggests that medications that have transformed the treatment of obesity may also help people drink less alcohol.

The possible long-term impact of Trump’s cuts to medical research funding

By Amna Nawaz, Azhar Merchant, Jackson Hudgins

The Trump administration recently announced the National Institutes of Health will make big changes in the way it funds researchers. Scientists say the move will have a huge effect on their work. We hear from medical researchers about the cuts…

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15 cases of measles reported in small West Texas county with high rate of vaccine exemptions

By Sean Murphy, Devi Shastri, Associated Press

Some of the cases appear to be connected to private religious schools in the district, said Holbrooks, who cautioned that the investigation is ongoing.

Nevada dairy worker contracted newer strain of bird flu, CDC says

By Mike Stobbe, JoNel Aleccia, Associated Press

The worker was infected with a type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has been spreading in U.S. herds since last year, federal health officials said Monday.

Endometriosis affects millions, but can take years to diagnose. Here’s what to know

By Ali Rogin, Veronica Vela, Zoie Lambert

Worldwide, 1 in 10 women of reproductive age suffer from a condition known as endometriosis. It’s an illness where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows in places it’s not supposed to be, and can lead to infertility, debilitating pain…

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Are seed oils toxic? The answer is complicated, according to research

By Mary J. Scourboutakos, The Conversation

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to clear the final hurdles in his confirmation as health secretary, has proclaimed that widely used cooking oils such as canola oil and soybean oil are toxic. But research shows that the health…

VA says more than 130 occupations are ineligible for Trump’s deferred resignation plan

By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press

Most nurses, doctors and other staff caring for military veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs are not eligible for the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer, according to an email sent Friday by VA leadership to staff.

U.S. facing most intense flu season in at least 15 years

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010.

Community health centers face funding delays after Trump administration freeze

By Ali Rogin

PBS has confirmed that health centers in Arizona, Virginia, Maine, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, Montana and Minnesota were unable, at least temporarily, to access funds. The Maine and Montana centers are receiving their funding again.

The U.S. dodged a bird flu pandemic nearly 70 years ago. Can we do it again?

By Alexandra M. Lord, The Conversation

By 1957, scientists had a significantly more sophisticated understanding of influenza, worrying them that a pandemic similar to that of 1918 could easily erupt, killing millions again.