Alternative Medicine, Media, Public Health, Technology

Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here’s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it

Studies show that health misinformation spread on social media results in fewer people getting vaccinated and can also increase the risk of other health dangers such as disordered eating and unsafe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections. Health misinformation has even bled over into animal health, with a 2023 study finding that 53% of dog owners surveyed in a nationally representative sample report being skeptical of pet vaccines.

Child Health, Diet, Nutrition, Women's Health

DOH launchers interactive tool to connect people to Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program

WIC provides monthly food benefits with an emphasis on healthy grocery items like milk, fruits, and vegetables. The program also assists with health screenings and referrals, nutritional education, and breast/chest-feeding support. WIC is for people who are pregnant, recently delivered a baby, who are breast/chest-feeding, and infants and children under 5 years old. Dads, grandparents, foster parents, or other guardians may also apply for WIC for their children.

Aging, Brain and Nervous System, Dementia, Prevention

Lifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk by maintaining brain plasticity — but the time to act is now

There are several new drugs making their way to the market for Alzheimer’s disease (one of the most common forms of dementia). However, they are still far from a cure and are currently only effective for early-stage Alzheimer’s patients. So lifestyle changes may be our best hope of delaying dementia or not developing dementia at all.

Endometriosis, Women's Health

Endometriosis: It’s time to change the pattern of pain, stigma and barriers to diagnosis and treatment

One of the significant challenges faced by people with endometriosis is receiving a diagnosis. Patients experience an average delay of 5.4 years from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. The symptoms are similar to other reproductive health issues (such as polycystic ovary syndrome) or severe period pain, which can be confusing for non-specialist health-care professionals.

Autoimmune Diseases, Blood and Hematology, Immunology, Infectious Disease

Immune health is all about balance – an immunologist explains why both too strong and too weak an immune response can lead to illness

Many social media posts push supplements and other life hacks that “boost your immune system” to keep you healthy and fend off illness. However, these claims are not based on science and what is known about immune function. Healthy immune systems don’t need to be “boosted.” Instead, the immune system works best when it is perfectly balanced.

Doctors, Healthcare Providers, Nurses

The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now

Amid a shortage of doctors and an explosion in the number of nurse practitioners with doctorates, many nursing groups are pushing to expand what nurses can do without physicians’ supervision. Physicians, meanwhile, are pushing to keep nurse practitioners and physician assistants under their oversight, arguing that giving more autonomy to providers with less rigorous training could put patients at risk.