The Guardian Health

In China, talking to AI is normal. Now the government fears it might replace human intimacy

Companion bots are being regulated over worries they foster ‘emotional dependence’ and young people could stop marrying and having familiesWhen law student Zhao Wei heard that her AI boyfriend was going to be switched off, she was “heartbroken”. She had been talking to Wang Ye every day since she created him in January.“I was crying my eyes out – snot and tears everywhere,” the 19-year-old says. Continue reading...

health  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian Health

Ulez has been a breath of fresh air for London | Letters

Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emission zone in London is celebrated by Lorna Henderson, George Coleby and Leonard Neamtu after a study showed its health benefits for childrenIn light of the astonishing results achieved in lowering air pollution by the introduction of the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) in London by Sadiq Khan (Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds, 18 August), should we now not extend this philosophy into every city in the UK to save lives?Surely i

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

People’s bodies are changing in the age of Ozempic. How are we meant to talk about it?

Discussing people’s bodies can be fraught. We asked eating disorder experts how to do so – or not – responsiblyIn the age of Ozempic and people being open about plastic surgery, discussion about people’s bodies is rife. At the same time, nobody seems quite sure how to talk about them, as shown by recent coverage of celebrities like Ariana Grande.It is a fraught topic. We asked eating disorder experts for guidelines to follow when talking about other people’s bodies, and how to do so without doin

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

The ex-gang member breaking the cycle of violence among LA youths

‘A child isn’t born to commit gun violence,’ Francisco Villarruel saysFrancisco Villarruel and Gustavo Galvez sat in a park in Los Angeles reminiscing on their first boxing lesson together. They had gone to a big commercial gym, where they took turns hitting boxing pads and doing footwork exercises. They then started regularly training together.For Villarruel, 40, working out together wasn’t really about boxing. It was about giving Galvez, 19, an opportunity to open up and to mentor someone whos

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

As a doctor, I say this: before we even consider assisted dying, fix how we care for the most vulnerable | Zubir Ahmed

A person’s wish to die can be shaped by whether they have access to proper palliative care – and in England and Wales, too many do notZubir Ahmed is a transplant surgeon and former Labour ministerAs a doctor, I have spent much of my professional life caring for people at some of the most vulnerable moments they will ever face. I have seen the anxiety that surrounds the prospect of dying, and the desperate wish of patients and families to avoid unnecessary suffering.Naturally, we all want people

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

Food has turned into a class war – and it’s ruined my appetite | Zoe Williams

More than half of what Brits eat is ultra-processed. Now we’re a nation of food snobs – with no ingredient safe from judgmentLewis Bassett is a young sociologist and chef who I first encountered through his podcast, The Full English, where he thinks about the cultural meaning of, say, Delia Smith; gazpacho; whelks. This was thinking you didn’t know you needed until you heard it. Now he’s written a book of the same name, asking: why do we eat the way we do in Britain, and why do we think the way

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

NHS England to offer women ‘gamechanging’ free home testing kits for cervical cancer

NHS has target of eliminating the cancer by 2040, but up to 4 million eligible women are not up to date with screeningMillions of women in England who have missed cervical screening appointments will be offered free home testing kits on the NHS.The move comes amid concerns that only two-thirds of women attend in-person cervical screening appointments when asked to do so, leaving as many as 4 million women not up to date. Continue reading...

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

Europe’s heatwaves threaten insurers’ earnings, rating agency S&P says

Rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and illness, especially among older people, could drive up premiumsEurope’s intense heatwaves could hit insurers’ earnings as companies face a rise in claims linked to heat-related deaths and worsening health conditions, the rating agency S&P has said.While a long summer of extreme heat will have increased drought and wildfire-related claims, the rating agency said there would also be fallout for life and health insurers, and for the reinsurers wh

health  Aug 25, 2026

The Guardian Health

Largest review of its kind confirms benefits of tai chi and other Chinese exercises

Analysis finds ‘high certainty evidence’ of their effectiveness for the 1.7bn people worldwide with musculoskeletal conditionsTraditional Chinese exercises such as tai chi can offer wide-ranging benefits for people with musculoskeletal disorders, improving physical function, pain, mental health, sleep quality and bone mineral density, according to the largest review of its kind.More than 1.7bn people have musculoskeletal conditions worldwide. While prevalence varies by age and diagnosis, people

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Alfalfa sprouts linked to food-poisoning outbreak in 15 states, US officials say

Everything Sprouts recalls products after CDC says agency is aware of dozens of food-poisoning cases nationallyUS healthcare officials recently said a food-poisoning outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts and involving multiple germs had sickened people in at least 15 states.Officials announced the outbreak after documenting more than three dozen cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin. On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the agency was aware of at least 55 cases nationall

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

New Mexico to continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after federal cuts

Trump administration finalized rule to end Medicaid support for care including hormones and speech therapyNew Mexico will continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after a federal rule ending Medicaid support for such care goes into effect.On 13 August, the Trump administration finalized a rule – set to go into effect on 13 October – that will end funding for gender-affirming care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip). Continue reading...

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

After 100 days of the deadliest Ebola outbreak, it can be stopped. Here’s how | Jean Kaseya and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Ebola is a disease that spreads through communities, so we need to listen to communities if we want to halt its spreadEach time we travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we go first to listen. In Bunia, we have met dozens of community representatives: survivors, women, young people, local organisations, health workers and leaders from affected areas.Their message was direct: involve us. We know our communities. We know where families seek care, how information moves and why trust

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Social media goes into overdrive with Lindsay Clancy conspiracy theories

Algorithms are responsible for fever pitch content surrounding trial, including misinformation, experts sayAs the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children, starts to wind down, a now international discussion on social media about the case has hit a fever pitch as viewers examine details of the trial and question the state of maternal mental healthcare in the United States.Amateur sleuths and armchair psychologists have been creating content througho

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

New daily diabetes pill that helps with weight loss launches in UK pharmacies

Foundayo will be available on private prescription, with pharmacists warning of counterfeit GLP-1 problemA new daily pill that treats diabetes and helps with weight loss will be available in UK pharmacies from Monday.Pharmacists said the move would be welcome for people who cannot use weight-loss jabs, but also issued a warning over the growing problem of fake, unlicensed or counterfeit versions of GLP-1 tablets. Continue reading...

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘An amazing relief’: implant offers hope for those with refractory angina

Study finds device brings significant fall in chest pain in 75% of patients, but further trials and NHS approval are needed“It’s an amazing relief, both physically and emotionally, to be able to live my life again normally, without feeling that I’m limited all the time in what I can do.”Cristian Jensen is describing the difference that an implant inserted in his chest – to reduce the symptoms of his debilitating angina – has had on his life. Continue reading...

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

Most English secondary schools are breaking healthy food rules, finds report

‘Shocking’ breaches such as sweets and crisps at breakfast uncovered just before expansion of free school mealsThree-quarters of secondary schools in England are breaking the rules on food offered to pupils by serving chips, burgers and hash browns too often – and sweets and crisps at breakfast time, according to a report.“Shocking” breaches of school food standards have been exposed on Monday, in a new analysis of the food provided at almost 400 state secondaries undertaken by Bite Back, a food

health  Aug 24, 2026

The Guardian Health

It’s unwise to end local scrutiny of NHS trusts | Letters

Abolishing the role of statutory governors is ill-advised, says Jean Flanagan. Plus a letter from Jonathan Phillips on the abolition of HealthwatchI wonder how many members of the public are aware that the latest health plan for England, due to be ratified by parliament this autumn, abolishes the role of statutory governors on all of its constituent health trusts?For a number of years I have volunteered to act as a governor at two hospital trusts in Yorkshire. As a former health professional and

health  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

Personal care products are awash in unlabeled toxic chemicals, study finds

Even products labeled ‘eco’, ‘green’ or ‘natural’ can contain dangerous compounds including PfasCommon personal care products widely contain unlabeled toxic chemicals, results from a new peer-reviewed study suggest. The testing of more than 110 items ranging from shampoo to baby lotions found evidence of unlabeled toxic chemicals in about 85%.Many contained multiple ingredients known to be carcinogens or health hazards, and even 26% of products labeled “eco”, “green” or “natural” contained at le

health  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

Ebola day 100: why this outbreak could become the deadliest in history – video explainer

More than 2,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the first case of this epidemic was recorded in May. The Guardian's global health correspondent, Kat Lay, spoke to CDC Africa's Yap Boum II to understand why health teams on the ground are struggling and what is being put in place to try to contain the spreadEbola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo now deadliest in country’s history Continue reading...

health  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Health

London’s low emission zone is working – so why are cities around the world so cautious about clean air?

Similar initiatives have been launched from Barcelona to Bogotá, but they have misinformation, political pressure and vested interests stacked against themTen years ago, Alastair Harper was an advocate for young people’s health sitting in a stuffy meeting room in London planning an air pollution campaign. “My phone started buzzing,” he said. “I took the call, and then told the room I needed to leave immediately.“I had to get to UCLH [one of London’s major hospitals]. My own child was headed ther

health  Aug 23, 2026