By disclosing his cancer, Charles breaks centuries of royal tradition. But he shares only so much

LONDON — In British history, the secrecy of the monarch’s health has always reigned supreme. Buckingham Palace’s disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. On the heels of the shock and well-wishing that followed the official statement Monday came the surprise that the palace had announced anything at … Read more

By disclosing his cancer, Charles breaks centuries of royal tradition. But he shares only so much

LONDON — In British history, the secrecy of the monarch’s health has always reigned supreme. Buckingham Palace’s disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. On the heels of the shock and well-wishing that followed the official statement Monday came the surprise that the palace had announced anything at … Read more

The effect of police violence on Black Americans’ health documented in 2 new studies

The effect of police violence on Black Americans is tracked in two new studies, with one tying police-involved deaths to sleep disturbances and the other finding a racial gap in injuries involving police use of Tasers. The health effects of police violence on Black people “need to be documented as a critical first step to … Read more

As investors pile into psychedelics, idealism gives way to pharma economics

Money is pouring into the fledgling psychedelic medicine industry, with dozens of startup companies vying to be among the first to sell mind-expanding drugs for depression, addiction and other mental health conditions. While psychedelics are still illegal under federal law, companies are jostling to try and patent key ingredients found in magic mushrooms, ayahuasca and … Read more

Science sleuths are using technology to find fakery in published research

Allegations of research fakery at a leading cancer center have turned a spotlight on scientific integrity and the amateur sleuths uncovering image manipulation in published research. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, announced Jan. 22 it’s requesting retractions and corrections of scientific papers after a British blogger flagged problems in early January. The … Read more

Ancient human DNA hints at why multiple sclerosis affects so many northern Europeans today

WASHINGTON — Ancient DNA helps explain why northern Europeans have a higher risk of multiple sclerosis than other ancestries: It’s a genetic legacy of horseback-riding cattle herders who swept into the region about 5,000 years ago. The findings come from a huge project to compare modern DNA with that culled from ancient humans’ teeth and … Read more

People taking Wegovy and Ozempic have lower risk of suicidal thoughts vs. older drugs, study finds

People taking the popular diabetes and obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than those taking other medications to treat the same conditions, a new federal study finds. The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published Friday and comes as European and U.S. regulators look into anecdotal … Read more

Crib videos offer clue to mysterious child deaths, showing seizures sometimes play a role

The last bedtime of 17-month-old Hayden Fell’s life was heartbreakingly normal. Crib video shows the toddler in pajamas playing happily as his parents and sister sang “Wheels on the Bus” with his twin brother. The next morning, Hayden’s dad couldn’t wake him. The tot had become one of several hundred seemingly healthy U.S. toddlers and … Read more

US women stocking up on abortion pills, especially amid news about restrictions

Thousands of women stocked up on abortion pills just in case they needed them, new research shows, with demand peaking in the past couple years at times when it looked like the medications might become harder to get. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S., and typically involves two … Read more

Subscription-based care moves beyond birth control and helping with hair loss

Need help losing weight or handling depression? How about a pill that lowers cholesterol and treats erectile dysfunction? Online subscription services for care have grown far beyond their roots dealing mainly with hair loss, acne or birth control. Companies including Hims & Hers, Ro and Lemonaid Health now provide quick access to specialists and regular … Read more