Health News
2/4/2025

5 takeaways from Dr. Anthony Fauci's new memoir



From vaccines to abortion to fluoride, here’s what RFK Jr. said about 6 hot-button health issues during his confirmation hearings



A cheaper weight loss drug, more heat-related deaths and new restrictions on tobacco sales: Here's what happened in health this week



Do you still need to tell people if you have COVID?



A New York doctor was indicted for prescribing an abortion pill in Louisiana. But a shield law could protect her. Here’s how they work.



The benefits of 'body doubling' when you have ADHD, according to experts


'Body doubling' is a strategy people with ADHD can use to accomplish more than they would alone. Here's how to do it.

If you think you can't focus for long, you're right


Your attention span has shrunk by nearly two minutes in the past 20 years, driven in part by technology's hold over your work and home life, experts say. Here's how to stay focused so you can get things done.

What you should know if there's no sexual attraction for your partner, according to a therapist


Why would a person pick a potential life partner without feeling the spark of sexual attraction? And can these relationships survive and thrive? Can sexual attraction be cultivated later? Therapist Ian Kerner shares what he's learned in his practice.

The best coupons at CVS Pharmacy



The planet is getting hotter fast. This is what happens to your body in extreme heat


Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense.

What a medication abortion is like, according to a doctor


An expert in medication abortion describes how mifepristone and misoprostol work and what to expect after using these medications known as the "abortion pill."

How to cool down without AC


No air conditioning? Here are 14 methods for cooling your body and buffering your house from the outside heat.

How long you can use vintage Tupperware


Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that's been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it's vintage.

Why we have nightmares and how to stop them


We leave behind our fears of monsters under the bed as we say goodbye to our childhoods, but one can follow us into adulthood and loom over our heads.

Your guide to finding the right Theragun massage gun for you



8 activewear brands you should add to your workout wardrobe


The increasing popularity of stylish, trendy athletic wear has made über-comfortable clothing something that's not just for the gym. It's infiltrated all corners of culture, from high fashion runways to the offices of Silicon Valley executives — and really, it's appropriate for any occasion when you just want to be comfortable.

Fuzzy first photo of a black hole gets a sharp makeover


The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now.

Paper airplane breaks a world distance record


It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a paper airplane!

This bat fossil could fill in a piece of the evolutionary puzzle


Two 52 million-year-old bat skeletons discovered in an ancient lake bed in Wyoming are the oldest bat fossils ever found — and they reveal a new species.

RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season


The respiratory virus season has started early in kids this year and flooded children's hospitals in many parts of the country -- especially with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low


Higher Covid-19 vaccination rates among US children could prevent thousands of pediatric hospitalizations and millions of missed school days, according to an analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health.

Experimental therapy gantenerumab fails to slow or improve Alzheimer's memory loss in clinical trials


An experimental treatment, gantenerumab, failed to help people at high risk of memory loss from Alzheimer's or those who were in the early phases of the disease, the manufacturer said Monday.

US gets D+ grade for rising preterm birth rates, new report finds


The rate of premature birth in the United States is climbing, according to the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.

Desperate for heart surgery for their baby, a family feels the effects of pediatric hospital shortages


Even before their daughter was born in June, Aaron and Helen Chavez knew she would need heart surgery. Doctors expected her to have an operation around 6 months of age.

How Dame Deborah James helped save a mum's life


A mother-of-three shared her story with Dame Deborah's mother Heather on BBC Breakfast.

Can health secretary name NHS trusts performing well?


Victoria Atkins is challenged to name some health trusts meeting their targets to cut waiting lists.

'I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’


People living with alopecia could have access to treatment on the NHS in Scotland for the first time.

Chris Hoy says men should talk about health issues more


Six-time Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy calls for more openness on health matters

Paris: Grassroots to Glory


The Rugby 7s player has struggled with body image in the past, but says sport has helped

Paris: Grassroots to Glory


The Paralympic Rowing Cox will compete a year after getting the all clear from cancer.

The junior doctors' strikes may be over. But is trouble ahead?


The end of the pay dispute sounded too good to be true. And now some are wondering if it might be.

Why we might never know the truth about ultra-processed foods


Experts can’t agree how exactly they affect us and it’s not clear that science will give us an answer.

Are weight-loss injections the answer to obesity?


The appeal is clear - but should we be turning to appetite-suppressing injections?

What is assisted dying and how could the law change?


MPs backed a proposal to let terminally ill people in England and Wales choose to end their life.

NHS needs better plan around weight loss jabs, warn experts


Experts call for an urgent review of obesity treatment services amid booming demand for weight loss jabs.

How many of us will end up being diagnosed with ADHD?


Experts suggest that the number of people with ADHD is actually going to remain steady.

'My first cervical screening was over before I knew it'


The BBC speaks to six people about their first cervical screening, and what they wish they'd known beforehand.

How are the vaping rules changing?


Marketing rules will be stricter, nicotine vapes will be taxed and disposable vapes will be banned.

Is the system letting down people who were harmed by Covid vaccines?


People affected by rare blood clots say they feel they have been airbrushed out of the pandemic.

How will weight-loss drugs change our relationship with food?


The rise of these treatments has major implications for how we think about obesity, says James Gallagher.

How does the Covid inquiry work?


The inquiry has heard from politicians, civil servants, public health experts and bereaved families.

Covid inquiry: The UK pandemic in numbers


Explore the data on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in the UK.

Assisted dying bill: What is in proposed law?


The proposed law would allow some terminally ill adults to end their own lives. But there are requirements.

High-grade masks evidence weak, Covid inquiry told


UKHSA's Prof Susan Hopkins said respirator masks may have worked no better than thin surgical masks.

Nurses bore the brunt of Covid, ex-chief nurse says


Dame Ruth May tells the Covid inquiry nurses struggled with low staffing levels and difficulties accessing protective equipment.

‘I grieve for the person I was before' - Covid inquiry to begin new phase


The Covid inquiry opens its next set of hearings on Monday, looking at the impact on healthcare and the NHS.

Corruption review finds 'red flags' in more than 130 Covid contracts


An anti-corruption charity finds significant concerns in £15.3bn worth of contracts awarded during the pandemic.

How the UK planned for the wrong pandemic


Over-confidence, wasted opportunities and muddled-thinking left UK sleep-walking into Covid.

Covid ambulance crews faced 'crucial PPE delays'


Crews say they faced crucial delays trying to save dying patients because of the time it took to put on equipment.

Covid was like a daily terror attack, doctor tells inquiry


Covid inquiry hears harrowing testimony from ex-adviser in emergency preparedness at NHS England.

Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea


The UK Health Security Agency argued naming the junior officials could put them at risk of abuse.

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close


Social care providers say the sector is in "unprecedented danger" without more funding.

How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?


The Covid inquiry restarts its live hearings this week, after senior staff in the NHS revealed just how close some hospitals were to collapse

Covid inquiry told of trust do-not-resuscitate rule


Patients' families were “horrified but not surprised” when told the blanket policy had been in place.

We were not treated as parents, Covid inquiry told


Mum of premature twins says rigid restrictions on birthing wards during Covid were traumatic.

NHS hours from PPE running out in Covid - Hancock


Former health secretary tells inquiry some healthcare settings did run out - "and it was awful".

Covid inquiry told Treasury blocked NHS bed request


NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the decision, in July 2020, was very disappointing.

Covid inquiry told top NHS doctor was terrified


Sir Stephen Powis says points-based tool was drawn up should need to prioritise patients have arisen.

Puberty blockers: Can a drug trial solve one of medicine's most controversial debates?


The government has pledged to determine the evidence - and establish whether the benefits outweigh any potential harms of prescribing puberty blockers to children questioning their gender

How do weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy work?


NHS experts report unprecedented demand for the new generation of obesity treatments.

Large UK-wide pandemic preparedness tests planned this year


The stress test will involve thousands of people to help the UK prepare for potential future threats.

Families failed by Covid jabs tell inquiry of pain


They said there was no support after the death and harm suffered by their loved ones.

Weight-loss drugs may boost health in many ways


New weight-loss drugs have broad health benefits but also come with risks, researchers warn.

Obesity label is medically flawed, says global report


There is a risk too many people are being diagnosed as obese, with weight-loss drugs in high demand.

Child mental health crisis: Better resilience is the solution, say experts


The surge in mental health referrals among young people has prompted debate among experts about the cause - and the most effective solution

Treat eating disorders as an emergency, MPs urge


The alarming rise in disorders such as anorexia and bulimia is now an emergency, a cross-party group says.

Ointment appeal for disabled teen on 'last tube'


George Rabbett-Smith's mum criticises online sellers for inflating the discontinued product's price.

'No dignity in this', say staff on stretched A&E


While the number of patients with flu are declining, a cold snap has again placed nurses under extreme stress.

'Pregnancy is a risk I'm willing to take': Why some women are ditching the pill


Some women are opting for fertility tracking apps to avoid mood swings and weight gain on "hormonal" contraception.

Rise of vaccine distrust - why more of us are questioning jabs


Confidence in all types of vaccination has taken a hit. The question is why, and what can be done about it?

'Life-changing' tablet for dust mite allergies


The National Institute for Healthcare and Care Excellence backs a tablet for dust mite allergies.

Hair loss drug finasteride 'biggest mistake of my life'


Some online sites prescribe a potentially risky hair loss drug without consistent safety checks, BBC finds.

NHS to offer 'groundbreaking' sickle cell gene therapy


The gene therapy Casgevy, which will now be offered to some patients in England, could help people live disease-free, experts say.

Top supermarkets running 'prohibited' tobacco ads


Trading Standards says adverts for heated tobacco products are banned, but some supermarkets disagree.

Blow for Reeves as AstraZeneca ditches £450m investment


The drugs giant blames "protracted" talks with the government as well as differences over funding.

Vaping clinic for children begins seeing patients


The service in Alder Hey Childrens' Hospital aims to get 11 to 16-year-olds "nicotine free".

Major breast cancer screening AI trial to begin


Almost 700,000 women to be recruited to study as government fires starting gun on cancer strategy.

Celebrity butt-lift injector who left women with sepsis exposed by BBC


Ricky Sawyer gave out medication illegally and some of his clients needed emergency hospital treatment.

Letby did not murder babies, medical experts claim


Former nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder seven others.

Starmer denies breaking Covid rules with voice coach


Leonie Miller was invited to coach the then-opposition leader on his response to Johnson's Brexit deal.

'Clear failings' found in NHS care of triple killer


Valdo Calocane was given a hospital order for killing Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar in 2023.

Weight-loss jab checks to be tightened by pharmacies


Online pharmacies will no longer be allowed to use customer pictures or questionnaires as evidence.

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