WHO releases 7 new dementia risk factors — one affects millions of Americans every night

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a major update to its guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The second edition of the original 2019 report was updated to “reflect the latest evidence and advances in dementia risk reduction.” The following seven additional health conditions and exposures were added to the list. Stroke … Read more

WHO updates dementia guidance: a new risk factor, supplements to avoid and a hearing loss must

WHO updates dementia guidance: a new risk factor, supplements to avoid and a hearing loss must

You’re going to want to remember this. Around the world, more than 57 million people are living with dementia, and nearly 10 million more are diagnosed each year. While there is currently no cure, research suggests that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing modifiable health and lifestyle factors. … Read more

Ebola outbreak spreading to new patients who have no known links to existing carriers of disease

Ebola outbreak spreading to new patients who have no known links to existing carriers of disease

BUNIA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Four out of every five new Ebola ​cases in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo have no known link to existing patients, a ‌senior World Health Organization official said, warning that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data … Read more

American vaccines that transformed public health, prevented millions of illnesses over 250 years

American vaccines that transformed public health, prevented millions of illnesses over 250 years

Before the first successful vaccine was developed in 1796, Americans had little protection against deadly infectious diseases like smallpox, measles and diphtheria. Over the next 250 years, vaccines helped eliminate or dramatically reduce many vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, preventing millions of illnesses, infections and deaths. “There is a reason that vaccines are widely considered to be the greatest … Read more

World Cup ebola risk is ‘extremely low’ — but experts say the US is prepared

World Cup ebola risk is ‘extremely low’ — but experts say the US is prepared

CHICAGO — The risk that a traveler infected with Ebola could arrive in the United States during the 2026 World Cup tournament that kicked off last week is low but not zero, and if that happens, US hospitals are ready to respond, US infectious disease experts say. It wasn’t always so. During the 2014 West African Ebola … Read more

If eating 5 fruits and veggies a day isn’t enough to keep a healthy heart, what’s the solution?

If eating 5 fruits and veggies a day isn’t enough to keep a healthy heart, what’s the solution?

When it comes to eating fruits and vegetables for heart health, the choice of fruits and vegetables may be just as important as how many they eat, new research suggests. Health experts have long recommended the “five a day” guideline, meaning people should eat five servings total of fruits and vegetables. A group of scientists, however, … Read more

Dirty soda drinks might be doing you dirty as doctors warn of health risks: ‘Metabolic disaster’

Dirty soda drinks might be doing you dirty as doctors warn of health risks: ‘Metabolic disaster’

The latest beverage trend is far from clean – and it’s raising red flags with doctors. Known as a “dirty soda,” it’s a soft drink that also includes a combination of added ingredients, such as flavored syrups, creamers, fruit juices, and other garnishes. The result is a sweet beverage that’s a combination of a soda, … Read more

Suspected Ebola cases drop down to 116 after hundreds are ruled out: WHO

Suspected Ebola cases drop down to 116 after hundreds are ruled out: WHO

GENEVA – The World ​Health Organization said there have been 321 confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of ‌Congo outbreak and 116 suspected cases, marking a large drop in the number of suspected cases as hundreds were ruled out after investigation. The agency said on Tuesday there had been 48 deaths and six … Read more

Kenya court suspends US plan to establish Ebola quarantine facility for exposed Americans

Kenya court suspends US plan to establish Ebola quarantine facility for exposed Americans

NAIROBI, Kenya — A court in Kenya on Friday suspended a U.S. plan to establish a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to a rare type of Ebola virus spreading in northeastern Congo, following a backlash by medical workers and activists. A U.S. administration official said on Wednesday that the U.S. was planning to send Americans who are … Read more

Fast-moving Ebola epidemic is likely to get worse: WHO

Fast-moving Ebola epidemic is likely to get worse: WHO

The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, giving the latest number of suspected deaths as 220. Addressing an online meeting of the African Union about the outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a delay … Read more

What is the deadly Ebola Bundibugyo variant — and do Americans need to worry about it coming to the US?

What is the deadly Ebola Bundibugyo variant — and do Americans need to worry about it coming to the US?

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Ituri province has nearly 600 suspected cases and over 100 deaths, with several Americans exposed to the highly contagious disease. One US citizen is confirmed to have contracted the virus and is being treated at a Berlin hospital, although he is not critically ill and his family has tested … Read more

Congo residents set fire to Ebola treatment center as fear, anger grow over outbreak

Congo residents set fire to Ebola treatment center as fear, anger grow over outbreak

BUNIA, Congo — People set fire to an Ebola treatment center in a town at the heart of the outbreak in eastern Congo on Thursday after being stopped from retrieving the body of a local man, a witness and a senior police officer said, as fear and anger grow over a health crisis that doctors are struggling to contain. The … Read more

Should Americans worry about Ebola? What to know about the latest outbreak

Should Americans worry about Ebola? What to know about the latest outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in Congo’s Ituri province has caused 88 deaths and over 300 suspected cases, with at least six Americans exposed to the highly contagious disease. One of these US patients is experiencing symptoms, according to media reports. Global alarm has been building since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern … Read more

Hantavirus survivor shares the illness’s most terrifying symptoms: ‘It was so traumatic’

Hantavirus survivor shares the illness’s most terrifying symptoms: ‘It was so traumatic’

A hantavirus survivor shared how it made her vomit so much that she developed a phobia of it. Shaina Montiel, 38, caught hantavirus – now widely known due to its recent outbreak on a cruise – and is sharing the symptoms she suffered. At the time, the condition was extremely rare, and it took several … Read more

Contagious hantavirus strain may stay in human sperm for six years — and turn into an STI

Contagious hantavirus strain may stay in human sperm for six years — and turn into an STI

Viral load. As health officials continue to monitor the rare and deadly Andes strain of hantavirus that spread across the MV Hondius cruise ship, a disturbing truth about the disease’s long-term transmissibility has emerged. A peer-reviewed study found that hantavirus can survive in human semen for up to six years and can be sexually transmitted … Read more

Travel warning for 16 countries with higher risk of a disease that can cause brain bleeds, bloody vomit

Travel warning for 16 countries with higher risk of a disease that can cause brain bleeds, bloody vomit

Spring breakers and summer vacationers, pack some extra bug spray. The CDC updated warnings for travelers this week, following outbreaks of a mosquito-borne disease that can cause excessive brain bleeding and vomiting. After detecting a higher-than-expected number of cases, a level 1 global travel advisory was issued by the agency. The CDC updated a travel … Read more

Flight attendant reveals ‘dark side’ to globetrotting gig — that leaves her feeling ‘empty’ and ‘lonely’

Flight attendant reveals ‘dark side’ to globetrotting gig — that leaves her feeling ‘empty’ and ‘lonely’

Life can get pretty bumpy when you’re living it at 30,000 feet. To us ground-dwellers, the fast lives of flight attendants, constantly jet-setting off to far away lands and getting paid to take exotic excursions, may seem like a dream.  But one discontented cabin crew member is coming clean with claims that the mile-high post … Read more

This old-timey disease is actually still around — and it’s becoming antibiotic-resistant

This old-timey disease is actually still around — and it’s becoming antibiotic-resistant

No, it’s not a fever dream. A deadly disease that toppled ancient civilizations is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, posing a significant threat in certain parts of the world. “Despite advances in vaccination and treatment strategies, typhoid fever continues to affect millions annually, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality, and there continue to be large-scale … Read more

Dengue fever cases rising in popular spring break locations: CDC

Dengue fever cases rising in popular spring break locations: CDC

As spring breakers this season continue to head south into warmer territory, mosquitoes are posing a health risk that calls for extra attention. Global cases of dengue fever are on the rise, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — and it’s warning of an uptick in U.S. travelers. The agency released a Health Alert Network advisory … Read more

I’m an oncology dietitian — the best pizza toppings to reduce your risk of cancer

I’m an oncology dietitian — the best pizza toppings to reduce your risk of cancer

It turns out you can top pepperoni and sausage as pizza ingredients. Nichole Andrews, a Washington-based oncology dietitian and author, is revealing five ideas for “tasty, wholesome” pizzas to sub for pies with processed meats like pepperoni or pre-cooked sausage. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as “carcinogenic … Read more