The Guardian Health

US health officials exclude measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from counts

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing themTop US health officials and government agencies are currently not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in their counts.“This is highly unusual,” said Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She noted that this did not happen with the three deaths reported from measles in Texas and New Mexico

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

Caregiver creep: how helping elderly relatives can snowball into a full-time job

Assisting an ageing loved one can start with small tasks but may lead to full-time caregiving that requires more supportHelping an ageing parent or loved one often begins with easy-to-field requests: Pick up a prescription. Drive them to a doctor’s appointment. Grab groceries.However, light tasks – just “helping out” here and there – may eventually snowball into the avalanche of full-time caregiving, a phenomenon becoming known as “caregiver creep”. Like “caregiver burnout”, it’s not a formal te

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

A pediatrician is running for Senate. Can doctors change the political debate over health and science?

After Lindsey Graham’s death, Democrat Annie Andrews finds herself in a closely watched race as she seeks to flip his Republican seatAnnie Andrews was a dark horse Democrat challenging a five-term Republican in the US Senate when 314 Action, a political action fund devoted to electing scientists and doctors, first backed her.Now, after the unexpected death of Senator Lindsey Graham, Andrews finds herself in a closely watched race. Donald Trump persuaded South Carolina voters last week to select

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘Who knows what they’re taking?’: people risk the gray market for the newest weight-loss drug

Retatrutide, not yet approved by the FDA, is the latest wonder drug to shed pounds despite warnings from doctorsAbout two years ago, Henry, who is 6ft 3in, weighed 210lb, which meant he was only slightly overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body mass index.Still, the thirtysomething who lives in the Pacific north-west had hypertension, sleep apnea and body image issues, so he started taking the weight-loss drug Ozempic. While he dropped pounds, he experienced c

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

Sweden ends aid to Liberia in a hammer blow to women’s rights and healthcare

Sexual and reproductive services face an uncertain future as the country’s second-largest donor halts support worth hundreds of millions of poundsThe Swedish flag is still flying above the pale blue building overlooking the Atlantic in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, but the doors of the embassy are now closed to visitors. On 31 August, the Swedish embassy in Liberia ends a presence in the country that dates back to 1961.The billions of kronor of aid that Sweden pipes into the west African country

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

Do you have a bespoke ‘dirty zone’? | Emma Beddington

Apparently a dedicated mud room will make you less stressed. But I have a very different approachI was excited to learn that the latest interiors essential, according to the Washington Post, is a “dirty zone”. I’m ahead of the curve – I’ve already got a dirty zone by each main door (and also one directly outside the back door, where, rudely, a mystery animal has defecated). The fridge drawers are dirty zones thanks to the windfall apples I thought I would cook, but predictably left to liquefy. T

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

Is it true that … mental health is affected by inflammation?

Studies have found that anti-inflammatory drugs can improve your mood. But what does that mean for conditions such as depression and anxiety?Inflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. If you cut yourself and the area becomes red and swollen, that’s inflammation: immune cells are rushing to fight germs and repair tissue.But inflammation can also occur in the body during illnesses, and a low level of inflammation can arise from obesity or ageing. “A marker of that inflamm

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

Doctors’ AI scribes get names of drugs and diagnoses wrong, NHS watchdog warns

Exclusive: Patients identify errors in consultation transcripts that are missed by GPs, Healthwatch England findsAI technology that listens to and transcribes patients’ consultations with doctors can put them at risk by getting the names of drugs and illnesses wrong, an NHS watchdog has warned.In one case a woman was left badly shaken when the AI scribe’s summary of her conversation wrongly said she had demyelination – serious nerve damage that can lead to multiple sclerosis. Continue reading...

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

NHS to offer free high-street cholesterol tests in England

Checks at pharmacies for people aged 40 to 84 are aimed at identifying those at risk of heart attack or strokeThe NHS in England is to offer free finger-prick blood tests for cholesterol on the high street for the first time under plans to reduce heart disease and stroke deaths by a quarter within the next decade.The seven-minute tests will be available at participating pharmacies as part of a national rollout to spot “ticking timebombs” earlier. Continue reading...

health  Aug 31, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘People should not feel guilty’: weekend lie-in may be good for you, experts say

Previous advice stressed risks of sleeping in but about 90 minutes extra could prevent high blood pressureFor years, experts have stressed the risks of lie-ins, warning that catching up on missed sleep at the weekend can disrupt the body’s internal clock and trigger adverse health effects.Now analysis has produced a heartening caveat to that advice: if you do not overdo it, weekend lie-ins may be good for you, with an ideal benchmark of 1hr 27min extra in bed to protect against high blood pressu

health  Aug 30, 2026

The Guardian Health

I have diarrhea. What should I do?

The discussion about diarrhea has increased lately, especially with the rise of cyclosporiasis. Although unpleasant, it is manageable and can be treated at homeIn the US, people are discussing diarrhea more than usual. As of late August, more than 17,000 people across the US have had cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection often traced to contaminated produce. But tens of millions of diarrhea cases occur in the US every year, caused by lots of other factors.Some causes, such as cyclospora infectio

health  Aug 30, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘There’s no place to go’: providers see more abortions later in pregnancy as bans spread in US

Patients are showing up ‘later and sicker’ for abortion care as more US states adopt bans and significant restrictionsProviders are seeing more patients in need of abortions later in pregnancy as abortion bans and restrictions proliferate in US states, all while access to insurance falls.Those bans and restrictions have also meant that later abortion care access has grown over the past decade in a handful of haven states and cities. Continue reading...

health  Aug 30, 2026

The Guardian Health

Trump EPA is manipulating safety data around a highly toxic flame retardant, advocates allege

Widely used chemical TBBPA may present a danger to US public, and especially children, independent research findsThe Environmental Protection Agency is manipulating safety data around a highly toxic flame retardant deployed across the US economy, public health advocates allege.The chemical, TBBPA, has been found in dust in US homes and in consumer goods at combined levels that independent research has found may present a danger to the public, and especially small children. Continue reading...

health  Aug 30, 2026

The Guardian Health

Statins can reduce dementia risk by up to 15%, long-term study suggests

The cholesterol-busting drugs are more effective the earlier in life they are taken, 15-year research project indicatesStatins can lower the risk of dementia by 15%, and the earlier in life they are taken the higher the chances of avoiding the disease, a 15-year study suggests.The number of people living with dementia globally is forecast to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. But experts believe almost half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed. Continue reading...

health  Aug 30, 2026

The Guardian Health

We tried 15 lotions over three weeks. Here’s which our testers loved – and which left them high and dry

From Jergens and Naturium to CeraVe and Eucerin, there’s a potion on this list that will keep every body soft and moisturizedThe best facial cleansers in the US for every skin type, recommended by dermatologistsSign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better thingsYour skin is the largest organ on the body. Taking care of it can feel like a full-time job, especially if you struggle with anything from dryness and sun damage to psoriasis, not to mention allergies an

health  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian Health

Remaking the biscuit: from Doritos to digestives, why the UK’s snacks are being ‘reformulated’

Healthy eating rules are forcing brands to recook their recipes. Are consumers noticing the difference?Bite into a Ritz cracker today and you’re eating 80% less saturated fat than you would have been just a few years ago. The biscuit looks and snaps the same, and tastes close enough that most buyers have no idea they’re eating a new recipe.One of the biggest changes was swapping palm oil for sunflower oil, but there was much more to it than that. The reformulation took years to perfect in a labo

health  Aug 29, 2026

The Guardian Health

Clive Parkinson obituary

My partner, Clive Parkinson, who has died aged 63, was reader in arts, health and social justice at Manchester Metropolitan University. Working across the NHS, higher education and the voluntary sector, Clive became one of the UK’s leading voices in arts and health.Born in Morecambe, Lancashire, Clive was the son of George, a lorry driver, and Betty (nee Thurlby), a shop worker; both helped nurture the compassion and sense of community that would shape his life. After leaving school at 16 in 197

health  Aug 28, 2026

The Guardian Health

Salmonella cases in UK likely to rise until source of outbreak is found

Experts say imported eggs served in cafes and restaurants may be behind hundreds of infections and one deathSalmonella cases in the UK are expected to rise until the common source is identified, something that is notoriously difficult to establish, experts have warned.There have been 474 confirmed cases and one death linked to the current outbreak, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with the latest investigations suggesting it is associated with eating imported eggs in cafes and

health  Aug 28, 2026

The Guardian Health

UK urged to ban imports of Brazilian meat over health concerns

Brazil failed to prove compliance with EU rules on use of antibiotics in cattle and poultry farmingThe UK’s leading farming organisations and animal health experts have called for an urgent ban on imports of Brazilian meat, in light of concerns over the safety of imports.The National Farmers’ Union in England and its sister organisations in the devolved administrations wrote to the government on Friday warning that public health was at risk. Continue reading...

health  Aug 28, 2026

The Guardian Health

Sweetener used in chewing gum and jam linked to strokes and heart attacks

High blood levels of xylitol associated with higher risk of major cardiovascular events, in largest study of its kindA common sweetener used in products such as chewing gum, toothpaste, jam, yoghurts and ice cream worldwide has been linked to an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks and death.Xylitol is a sugar alcohol present in some natural foods in very low amounts. It is also added – often in amounts 1,000 times higher – to artificially sweeten foods, beverages and oral care products. Con

health  Aug 28, 2026