Brain Stimulation Can Prompt People To Behave Less Selfishly, Experiment Shows

What does it take to make others behave less selfishly and put others’ needs before their own?

Electrical zaps to the brain can do the trick, a new study shows.

Stimulating two brain areas increased people’s ability to behave altruistically, researchers reported Feb. 10 in the journal PLOS Biology.

Specific...

Obesity Linked To 1 In 4 Infectious Disease Deaths In U.S.

Obesity contributes to about 1 in every 4 infectious disease deaths in the United States, the most among wealthy countries, a major new study estimates.

People with obesity have a higher risk of hospitalization or death from infectious diseases ranging from influenza and COVID-19 to stomach flu and urinary tract infections, researchers rep...

Dr. Oz Urges Measles Shots as Outbreaks Grow

As measles outbreaks spread across the United States, a top Trump administration health official is urging families to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.

“Take the vaccine, please,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said during an interview on CNN’s State of th...

Brain-Training Game Linked To Lower Dementia Risk Decades Later

Imagine you’re driving down the street when, out of nowhere, a skateboarder rolls into your path.

You’re looking straight ahead, but can your brain spot the movement in your side vision fast enough for you to hit the brakes?

That split-second moment depends on something called visual processing speed, or how quickly your ...

Can Diet Cure Schizophrenia? RFK Jr. Said Yes — Experts Say No

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that the ketogenic, or keto, diet could cure schizophrenia.

But experts say the claim goes far beyond what science supports.

Speaking at the Tennessee State Capitol, Kennedy told a crowd that diet plays a major role in mental illness. 

He said a Harvard doctor had ...

Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic Comeback Ends in Crash and Broken Leg

Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable attempt to win an Olympic medal against the odds came to a sudden and painful end Sunday, when she crashed just seconds into the women’s downhill race and broke her left leg.

Vonn, 40, was skiing in a knee brace only nine days after tearing the ACL in her left knee. She was hoping to make history at th...

Apple Watch's High Blood Pressure Alert Has Gaps Regarding Seniors, Study Warns

A new feature of the Apple Watch allows the device to passively track blood flow and notify users they might have high blood pressure.

However, folks who don’t receive such a warning from their smartwatch should not assume their blood pressure is healthy, a new study says.

There are critical gaps in Apple Watch high blood press...

Coffee And Tea Help Protect Brain Health

A few cups of coffee or tea each day can help your brain age more gracefully, a new study says.

About two to three cups of caffeinated joe — or one to two cups of tea — reduced dementia risk and slowed brain aging, researchers reported Feb. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

However, don’...

Outdated Medicare Rule Keeps Seniors In Hospital Longer Than Necessary

An outdated Medicare policy is keeping seniors in hospitals longer than necessary, wasting their time, hospital resources and federal health funding, a new study says.

Established in 1965, the “three-day rule” was intended to justify the expense of sending a patient to a skilled nursing facility.

The rule requires patient...

Food Allergies Aren't Entirely Driven By Genetics, Review Finds

Genes aren’t the only factor at play in determining which children will develop a food allergy, a new evidence review says.

Antibiotic use, the presence of other immune system diseases, and delayed introduction of allergenic foods all also can play a role in the start of childhood food allergies, researchers reported Feb. 9 in JA...