One morning in late April, a small brick health clinic along the Thurgood Marshall Highway bustled with patients. There was Joshua McCray, 69, a public bus driver who, four years after catching Covid-19, still is too weak to drive. Louvenia McKinney, 77, arrived complaining about shortness of breath. Ponzella McClary brought her 83-year-old mother-in-law, Lula, …
The global ‘spermpocalypse’ proves infertility is no longer just a women’s problem, says male fertility CEO
Across the globe, male sperm count is on the decline—a decades-long drop that has been alternately blamed on pesticides, heavy metals, obesity, and potentially microplastics. More worrying, the decline seems to be speeding up—by the calculations of one male fertility founder, sperm counts have fallen by 50% to 60% over the last four decades. “’Spermpocalypse’ …
The late Dr. Ruth had a final message about fighting loneliness. Her friend is making sure to spread it far and wide
When journalist Allison Gilbert first interviewed Dr. Ruth Westheimer in August 2023, she felt an overwhelming sense of awe. Gilbert, 54, who recalls listening to the famed sex therapist’s talk show growing up, was enamored by “Dr. Ruth’s” wisdom, mindset, and tough love as a then 95-year-old. “Once the reporting was over, we just wanted …
This small mistake is what causes most divorces, reveals celebrity therapist
Orna Guralnik, PsyD, has a front-row seat to couples’ most pressing challenges—both as a clinical psychologist in New York City and the therapist featured in the popular docuseries Couples Therapy, where she coaches partners through communication blunders, unaddressed childhood traumas, and sexual disconnection in real time. She’s been praised for her “ability to perceive the …
Most Americans who want to lose weight don’t want to take GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, new survey says
GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist drugs, are seemingly everywhere. In recent years, this class of weight-loss and Type 2 diabetes medication has become not only a household name but inescapable. Shortages have dominated news headlines, and singsong commercials have taken over airwaves. GLP-1s have gone so far as to disrupt the food, clothing, and, of …
Medical care and prescription costs among top 10 worries of older adults before 2024 election
If Kamala Harris and Donald Trump want to earn the votes of older adults, they better pay attention to health care. A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that health care affordability tops the list of concerns for American voters—ahead of worries about the federal budget, immigration, and gun violence. Adults over 50 made up …
Protecting Medicare a top concern for more than half of Americans in 2024 presidential election
With just five weeks remaining until the election of the 47th U.S. president, more than half of Americans say protecting Medicare and reducing health care costs are among the most important issues influencing their choices at the ballot box, a new survey finds. What’s more, two-thirds of respondents think health care isn’t receiving enough attention …
Some women are turning to menstrual cups after a study found toxic metals in tampons. Here’s what period cups are and how they work
In the wake of news that some tampons have been found to contain toxic metals such as lead and arsenic, many women who menstruate find themselves asking: Now what? After all, between 52% and 85% of people with periods in the United States use tampons, according to the July 12 study, conducted by the University …
Will getting preventative Botox in your 20s and 30s fight wrinkles or make your skin age faster? Here’s what experts say
If you’ve considered getting Botox, chances are you have a lot of opinions to juggle. The modern world has turned personal cosmetic decisions into public discussions—especially for younger folks deciding to seek treatment. So how do you cut through the noise and decide whether Botox is right for you when you’re in your twenties and …
Bright light therapy used for Seasonal Affective Disorder can help treat other depressions too
Bright light therapy, widely understood to be an effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can also be helpful in treating other types of depression, finds a new meta-analysis published on Oct. 2 in JAMA Psychiatry. “Major depressive disorder (MDD) is currently the leading cause of functional disability and one of the most critical mental …