Health Hot yoga potent antidepressant in study MGH Communications October 23, 2023 3 min read Adults in clinical trial experienced 50% reduction in symptoms; 44% considered in remission In a randomized controlled clinical trial of adults with moderate-to-severe depression, those who participated in heated yoga sessions experienced significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms compared with a control group. The results of the trial, which was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, and was published...

Health Worries about depressed men and IVF are unfounded Kira Sampson Brigham and Women’s Communications October 20, 2023 3 min read No evidence that medications interfere with outcomes In-vitro fertilization is a time-intensive and often stress-inducing fertility procedure. How does that stress impact its success? Investigators at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital assessed the effects of anxiety and depression in men on fertility and IVF outcomes. Their findings reveal no correlation between anxiety, regardless of...

Health You think you’re fighting your anxiety, but you’re making it worse Psychologist David H. Rosmarin discusses his new book “Thriving with Anxiety.” Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer October 6, 2023 5 min read We need to alter our response to the condition, says McLean psychologist whose new book explains where to start The U.S. was an anxious nation before COVID and has seen levels rise even more in the past...

Bobbie Collins with flowers for her healthcare teams at different milestones during her treatment and pictured with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center staffers including Ted James (far left top), Kathleen Leahy (far left bottom), Bernard Lee (middle left bottom), and Aarti Asnani (top far right). At bottom far right Collins is shown 12 weeks into treatment before her final chemo-immunotherapy session. Health Gift of tulips: Surviving breast cancer Bobbie Collins Harvard Medical School Communications and...

Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Health How social isolation, loneliness can shorten life Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer October 3, 2023 9 min read Researchers show two are not same thing but can be connected, sometimes in surprising ways Loneliness and social isolation are on the rise in the U.S., but as we take steps to find remedies, a new study reminds us that the two are separate problems, often linked (sometimes in surprising ways) but...

Health Wedding gift from her doctors — the ability to smile again When facial paralysis persisted after tumor removal, surgeons pulled off a risky move Mike Kotsopoulos Mass Eye and Ear Communications October 3, 2023 7 min read Rebecca Grasso and Matthew St. Pierre on their wedding day. Courtesy of Rebecca Grasso Rebecca Grasso had just woken up from surgery when she first met Nate Jowett. His introduction was a surprise; Grasso did not recognize...

Health Tab for liver disease tied to drinking projected to double over 20 years Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer September 22, 2023 5 min read Researchers say planners, policymakers need to be looking to ramp up intervention programs, improve treatment With high-risk drinking on the rise across the nation, experts project the annual cost of treating alcohol-associated liver disease, or ALD, will more than double over the next two decades, increasing from $31 billion in...

Health Is organic better? September 22, 2023 3 min read Not if you follow the evidence, researcher says Part of the Wondering series A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts. Robert Paarlberg is an associate in the Sustainability Science Program at the Kennedy School and the author of several books on agriculture and food, including “Resetting the Table.” We asked him whether eating organic is better for us. Is organic food, grown without...

AP Photo Health Why are ineffective oral decongestants still on store shelves? Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer September 20, 2023 8 min read Drug regulation expert explains how problem was discovered, next steps for FDA, questions it raises about other products, supplements A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel concluded last week that the decongestant phenylephrine, contained in many over-the-counter cold remedies — including some formulations of popular brands like Sudafed, Tylenol, and Nyquil —...

Health Not getting enough sleep? That’s only half the battle. Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer September 19, 2023 9 min read Researchers find regularity also aids physical, emotional health, cognitive performance, and catching up on weekends can help Americans have become increasingly aware of the fact that they just don’t get enough sleep. However it turns out that’s not the whole story. Duration is important but so is regularity. That was one of the conclusions...