Health Being good for goodness’ sake — and your own Clea Simon Harvard Correspondent August 30, 2022 4 min read Research finds health benefits in high moral character Being good is good for you, say the authors of research that explored the role of character in physical and mental health. In a study of more than 1,200 U.S. adults, a team of researchers from Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program and the SHINE program at Harvard Chan...

iStock by Getty Images Health Diabetes drugs may reduce cardiovascular deaths BWH Communications August 30, 2022 3 min read Largest trial to date finds new class of drugs improves heart disease outcomes Drugs originally developed for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes may benefit patients with heart failure, according to a new study from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Scientists from BWH, in collaboration with a team from University of Glasgow, presented research from the...

Illustration by Oliver Burston Health Using AI as a pandemic crystal ball MGH, Broad researchers develop Big Data tool that can predict which variants will likely trigger surges Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer August 29, 2022 long read A team of researchers recently developed an artificial intelligence model that can predict which coronavirus variants will likely dominate and cause surges. The work was led by Jacob Lemieux, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical...

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Massachusetts General Hospital reduced operating room capacity to 17 percent of its pre-pandemic level. iStock by Getty Images Health Surgeries fail to return to pre-pandemic levels Tracy Hampton MGH News and Public Affairs August 23, 2022 4 min read Cancer, cardiac, urology, orthopedic — both urgent and elective — among the backlogs Reductions in many types of surgical procedures precipitated by SARS-CoV-2 have not fully...

“If individuals pursue hearing aids over the counter and they’re not meeting their communication needs, it’s important for them to know that it doesn’t mean that more can’t be done for them,” says audiologist Meaghan Reed. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer Health New hope for easing stigma and isolation of hearing loss Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer August 22, 2022 7 min read Audiologist says FDA green light for over-the-counter devices has potential to drive down...

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist is concentrating poliovirus from sewage. The virus was recently detected in New York wastewater. James Gathany/CDC Health Polio is back in the spotlight Claire McCarthy Harvard Health Blog August 22, 2022 3 min read An expert explains the two types and raises concerns over vaccine hesitancy If you don’t know very much about polio, that’s understandable. Thanks to vaccination, there have been no cases of wild polio...

Health Turns out you likely don’t need vitamin D supplements for strong bones Major study run by Med School professor rejects idea large doses needed by otherwise healthy older adults Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer August 16, 2022 5 min read Taking extra vitamin D does not reduce bone fracture risk, according to a major study led by the Medical School’s Meryl LeBoff. Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer Recent findings from a major study of the...

Health Integrity may be good for your health Courtney Leimanis Harvard Chan School Communications August 15, 2022 2 min read Study links ‘strong moral character’ with reduced risk for depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease Researchers from Harvard Chan SHINE and the Human Flourishing Program have published a new paper in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology exploring the role of strengths of moral character (SMC) in physical and mental health. Authors Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska, Matthew T. Lee, Piotr...

Photo by Julia Gerace Health How America’s ageism hurts, shortens lives of elderly Becca Levy ‘92, Ph.D. ’95 examines hidden stereotypes of aging, their insidious effects in excerpt from her new book August 10, 2022 long read Excerpted from “Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live” by Becca Levy Halfway through graduate school, I was lucky to win a National Science Foundation fellowship to live in...

Surveys suggest people take vitamins to stay healthy, feel more energetic, or gain peace of mind. iStock by Getty Images Health Taking second look at daily multivitamins Julie Corliss Harvard Health Blog Contributor August 8, 2022 3 min read Average healthy adult doesn’t really get much benefit, Med School professor says Are you among the one in three Americans who gulps down a multivitamin every morning, probably with a sip of water? The truth about...