Matthew Nock (left) and Jordan Smoller are co-directors of the Center for Suicide Research and Prevention. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Seizing the chance to stop a suicide Christy DeSmith Harvard Staff Writer September 18, 2023 5 min read New Harvard-MGH center to provide clinicians with lab-tested tools for identifying, treating those most at risk At least 49,449 Americans took their own lives last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, setting...
Ozempic, one of the drugs developed for Type 2 diabetes, caught the attention of the public and drug makers after it proved to help patients shed pounds. iStock by Getty Images Health Are new weight-loss drugs the answer to America’s obesity problem? Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer July 10, 2023 long read Some doctors call them a godsend, particularly as part of wider treatment plan; others warn against halting research into root causes A new...
Summertime is busy for Rachel Reynolds, interim chief of dermatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, on the clock and off. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer Health The social life of a dermatologist Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer June 27, 2023 6 min read It might be jarring when a complete stranger pulls up his shirt while you’re trying to eat dinner. It’s also an opportunity. “Can I show you something?” comes the overture. Then the...
Health Seem like Lyme disease risk is getting worse? It is. Samantha Laine Perfas Harvard Staff Writer June 26, 2023 6 min read Rheumatologist, epidemiologist discusses growth, spread of deer ticks, which transmit malady, and offers tips for how to avoid parasites The odds of contracting Lyme disease from tick bites during warmer weather months continue to rise. That’s owing to a series of factors, including changes in climate conducive to maintenance of tick populations...
HarperCollins Publishers Health Feeling anxious? Stuck? Problem is psychological avoidance Professor of psychiatry Luana Marques says in new book that too many mistake symptoms for underlying problem June 13, 2023 8 min read Adapted from “Bold Move: A 3-Step Plan to Transform Anxiety Into Power” by Luana Marques, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, founder and director of Community Psychiatry PRIDE at Massachusetts General Hospital. Reprinted with permission from HarperOne, an imprint of...
Health More evidence moderate drinking is good for your heart. Also: a reason. Researchers thought if they could find key mechanism, science might someday unlock benefits minus harm that comes with alcohol. They found it. Brandon Chase MGH Communications June 12, 2023 4 min read A new study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital offers an explanation for why light to moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with lower risk of heart disease. For...
Mladen Zivkovic/iStock via Getty Images Health Your memory might benefit from a multivitamin Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer June 7, 2023 6 min read Researcher details ‘remarkable’ findings, but with a caveat: Healthy lifestyle needs to come first Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School reported last month that a randomized trial of the humble multivitamin found surprisingly potent effects on memory as we age. The COSMOS-Web Study showed that, among 3,500...
Health Birth control for cats? Single dose of hormone prevents ovulation and conception in felines for two years McKenzie Ridings MGB Communications June 6, 2023 4 min read For the first time, researchers have isolated a hormone that can prevent cats from getting pregnant. A single dose of a viral vector containing anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a naturally occurring hormone, prevented ovulation and conception in female cats for at least two years, according to researchers at...
Health ‘Happiness is not a destination … Happiness is the way’ Chan School of Public Health celebrates opening of $25M Thich Nhat Hanh Center for research, approaches to mindfulness Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer April 28, 2023 5 min read Buddhist monk Brother Chân Pháp Hữu practices mindful walking during a break at the “Inaugural Symposium and Launch Celebration: Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health.” Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer A study by...
Health Expanding our understanding of gut feelings BWH Communications April 27, 2023 4 min read Women who suppressed emotions had less diverse microbiomes in study that also found specific bacterial link to happiness A new study of more than 200 women by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health details links between specific gut bacteria and positive emotions like happiness and hopefulness. The results were published in...
