Health News

Daily multivitamin may slow biological aging

Health Daily multivitamin may slow biological aging Greatest gains for participants who were biologically older, researchers say Mass General Brigham Communications March 9, 2026 3 min read How quickly our bodies age on a cellular level — our “biological age” — can differ from how old we actually are in years. Using data from a…

Warning signs of alcohol-use disorder relapse

John Kelly. Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Warning signs of alcohol-use disorder relapse New study focuses on those with long history of sobriety Anna Lamb Harvard Staff Writer March 10, 2026 6 min read The road to recovery is a lifelong endeavor for those struggling with alcohol use disorder. People relapse an average of five…

Federal drug price reforms are working, study says

Health Federal drug price reforms are working, study says Medicare beneficiaries skipping fewer medications due to cost Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Communications March 13, 2026 4 min read More than one in four American adults struggle to afford their prescription medications. Those who can’t are left with grim choices — skipping doses, cutting pills…

Can’t wait to listen? You should.

Health Can’t wait to listen? You should. Vishal Patel. Photo by Grace DuVal Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer March 12, 2026 4 min read Research inspired by driving lapse finds link between album drops, road fatalities Researchers seeking to understand the impact of smartphones on driving safety have a warning for music fans: Release day…

Thymus may be critical to adult health

Health Thymus may be critical to adult health Mass General Brigham Communications March 18, 2026 4 min read Research indicates often-overlooked organ can be key predictor in longevity, disease risk, cancer treatment outcomes Two new studies led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute challenge a decades-old assumption that the…

Blood test has potential to detect earliest signals of Alzheimer’s disease

Health Blood test has potential to detect earliest signals of Alzheimer’s disease April 21, 2026 3 min read New study suggests higher levels of pTau217 predict a faster progression, even when initial brain scans appear normal A new study by Harvard-affiliated investigators at Mass General Brigham has found that a blood test for an Alzheimer’s disease biomarker,…

How super-agers keep their brains young

Health ‘Harvard Thinking’: How super-agers keep their brains young Illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Samantha Laine Perfas Harvard Staff Writer April 15, 2026 long read In podcast, experts break down ‘biological contradiction’ of a 65-year-old with the memory of a 25-year-old — and what that means for the rest of us Aging is inevitable. Aging…

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030: Progress on added sugar, protein hype, saturated fat contradictions

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) were released this week with the tagline “eat real food,” and a stronger stance on limiting added sugars and highly processed foods.  But it also brought the return of a pyramid-like graphic—this time flipped on its head, emphasizing foods like steak, full-fat milk, and butter. The visual prominence of such options might have you thinking saturated fat limits were tossed out with the MyPlate graphic, but the actual Guidelines retain the longstanding upper limit of 10% of total daily calories. …

Healthy dietary patterns can help control menopause-related weight gain

Home Food, Nutrition, Diet Healthy dietary patterns can help control menopause-related weight gain By Amy Roeder May 21, 2026 Hide caption Show caption Hleb Usovich / iStock Jump to Section Share Post LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Copy link Weight gain is common in the years surrounding menopause, but certain healthy dietary patterns may help women…

Does it help to screen for major diseases? Experts share pros, cons, and challenges

Home Does it help to screen for major diseases? Experts share pros, cons, and challenges By Karen Feldscher May 21, 2026 Hide caption Show caption Kubra Cavus / iStock Jump to Section Share Post LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Copy link Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) has proven very effective in diagnosing the disease and preventing…

‘No way to go but up’

Health ‘No way to go but up’ Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer March 23, 2026 6 min read From the ER to the highest mountains, sometimes riskier route is right, says wilderness doctor A series exploring how risk shapes our decisions. N. Stuart Harris was 14,000 feet up Mount McKinley, and the conditions weren’t looking…

Rural U.S. bears heaviest burden accessing dental care

Health Rural U.S. bears heaviest burden accessing dental care Heather Denny HSDM Communications April 17, 2026 5 min read Researchers find 24.7 million Americans live in dental deserts, with transportation and specialty care the steepest barriers For millions of Americans living in rural communities, getting specialized dental care can mean driving an hour, or more,…

Want to feel more loved? Forget changing yourself. Change conversation.

Sonja Lyubomirsky ’89 and Harry Reis. Photo (left) by Taea Thale; photo courtesy of Harry Reis Health Want to feel more loved? Forget changing yourself. Change conversation. Two psychologists offer science-backed framework on how to improve relationships March 19, 2026 7 min read Excerpted from “How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You…

New study links more immigrants with lower elderly mortality

Health New study links more immigrants with lower elderly mortality Researchers say among newcomers are medical, long-term care workers who are arriving amid critical U.S. shortage Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer March 20, 2026 5 min read David Grabowski. Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer New research finds the addition of a thousand new immigrants in a…

Why mattering matters

Jennifer Wallace. Photo by Jo Bryan Photography Health Why mattering matters Author of best-seller talks about power of feeling valued, asking for help — and how AI threatens core human need Samantha Laine Perfas Harvard Staff Writer March 23, 2026 5 min read When Jennifer Breheny Wallace ’94 was growing up, her parents held her…

You don’t fight Parkinson’s without ‘raw moments.’ She shared them.

Health You don’t fight Parkinson’s without ‘raw moments.’ She shared them. Sue Goldie. By Kent Dayton Anna Lamb Harvard Staff Writer March 23, 2026 4 min read Chan School’s Sue Goldie felt ‘sheer responsibility’ to let Times journalist tell her story Adjusting to the reality of an incurable disease is hard, never mind talking about…