No-cost, low-cost, and bigger splurges for climate-conscious gifts

Looking for gifts to give or donate this year? Climate-conscious gifts come in many guises. They may directly support our environment, for example, or aim to reduce fossil fuel use and electronic, textile, and food waste. Or they might offer enjoyable, creative ways to connect, reuse, and recycle — and possibly even regift. “Our purchases […]

Feel like you should be drinking less? Start here

When experts talk about the dangers of excessive drinking, we often assume those warnings apply mostly to people with alcohol use disorder, a health issue sometimes referred to as alcoholism. But people who don’t meet formal criteria for this disorder can still experience toxic effects and suffer other serious harms from alcohol, says Dr. John […]

Court ruling curbs unfounded claims for memory supplement

I must have seen commercials for Prevagen 50 times: story after story from everyday people who describe improvement in memory once they began taking Prevagen. And perhaps you recall older commercials playing off the idea that many people take supplements that boast of gut, joint, and heart health claims. Those commercials memorably asked, “So why […]

Prostate cancer: Short-course radiation as effective as longer-term treatments

It used to be that radiation therapy for prostate cancer involved weeks or months of repeat visits to a clinic for treatment. Today that’s not necessarily true. Instead of giving small doses (called fractions) per session until the full plan is completed, radiation delivery is moving toward high-dose fractions that can be given with fewer […]

Shining light on night blindness

Animals renowned for their outstanding night vision include owls, cats, tarsiers (a tiny primate in Southeast Asia) — and even the dung beetle. But humans? Not so much. Over time, many people suffer from night blindness, also known as nyctalopia. This condition makes seeing in dim or dark settings difficult because your eyes cannot adjust […]

Why all the buzz about inflammation — and just how bad is it?

Quick health quiz: how bad is inflammation for your body? You’re forgiven if you think inflammation is very bad. News sources everywhere will tell you it contributes to the top causes of death worldwide. Heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer all have been linked to chronic inflammation. And that’s just the short list. So, what […]