Q: I have a few black plastic kitchen utensils in my drawer, but I’ve read that they’re dangerous. Is that true? Recent headlines have urged people to immediately throw out any black plastic items lying around their homes, warning that they could contain toxic chemicals. A study published in OctoberContinue Reading
Doctors routinely advise that women undergoing screening for cervical cancer receive Pap smears every three years beginning at age 21. Now, beginning at 30, women have a new option. Instead of undergoing a pelvic exam, these patients may go to a doctor’s office and collect their own vaginal sample toContinue Reading
More than 75 Nobel Prize winners have signed a letter urging senators not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The letter, obtained by The New York Times, marks the first time in recent memory that NobelContinue Reading
Women going in for routine mammograms are increasingly being screened with a new type of imaging tool: digital breast tomosynthesis. The new technology, which is sometimes referred to as 3-D mammography or D.B.T., lets doctors look at the breast in greater detail. Some research has shown that it can detectContinue Reading
Want to get better at tennis? Fine-tune your serve. Swimming? Perfect your stroke. But what about running? If you improve your form — from your posture to the way your foot hits the ground — will that make you faster and more efficient? On TikTok and Instagram, plenty of videosContinue Reading
On Sept. 30, 2023, an anxious father brought his 5-year-old son to the hospital in Kamituga, a muddy, bustling town carved out of the thick forest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The boy had a high fever and oozing sores on his torso and face. Nurses diagnosed chickenpox.Continue Reading
Some things you can no longer do with cash: Buy a well-loaded hot dog at any of the five Devil Dawgs eateries in and around Chicago. Order a Vermont Pale Lager from Hill Farmstead Brewery’s taproom in Greensboro Bend, Vt. Attend the annual BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, Calif., orContinue Reading
Every day at dawn, tens of thousands of people begin lining up at Acadia Healthcare’s addiction clinics to get a cup of methadone. The daily dose staves off opioid withdrawal and keeps many from turning to dangerous street drugs like fentanyl. The for-profit chain of 165 methadone clinics — theContinue Reading
Even if you’ve never taken an antidepressant, you’re probably familiar with the criticism and controversy that surrounds these drugs. It’s not uncommon to hear things like: “Those pills are just a placebo.” “You’ll definitely gain weight.” “Once you start, you’ll become dependent on them.” Is any of this true? SomeContinue Reading
When Krystle Dullas’s close friend left their city for an extended cross-country road trip in 2022, they vowed to stay in touch. But as life got busier, their long telephone conversations and video exchanges slowly dissipated, Ms. Dullas said. In January, when she saw on social media that her friendContinue Reading
