Recent Blog Articles
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Your amazing parathyroid glands
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
Will miscarriage care remain available?
Can AI answer medical questions better than your doctor?
COVID-19 Archive
Articles
Could this diet ward off COVID?
In a 2024 study, people who reported eating plant-based diets were 39% less likely to have had COVID-19, compared with people who said they were meat eaters.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes tied to severe COVID-19 outcomes
A 2023 study of 1.5 million people found that those who had uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes prior to getting COVID-19 had increased risks for COVID complications (such as hospitalization or being on a ventilator), compared with people whose high blood pressure or diabetes was well controlled.
Chest pain: Causes other than the heart
Most cases of chest pain don't signal heart problems. While chest discomfort of any kind should never be ignored, many conditions can trigger it. These include gastroesophageal reflux disease, gallstones, asthma, ulcers, anxiety, COVID, esophagus spasms, costochondritis, pulmonary embolism, pleurisy, aortic dissection, and pericarditis. Chest pain is likely to be unrelated to the heart if it's brief, triggered by eating, doesn't worsen with exercise, occurs only with movement, coughing, or breathing deeply, or it's localized to one spot.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is rising
The CDC estimates that 3.3 million Americans have myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, a tricky-to-diagnose illness. Here we share one story about living with that illness from the Health Story Collaborative, which helps people delve into the healing power of narrative.
Warding off germs this winter: What's helpful, what's not
Avoiding germs that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses is especially important during the winter months, when cases are on the rise. Learn which strategies keep you safe.
Do I need any more COVID vaccinations?
Who should get COVID vaccine boosters and when will remain in flux for at least another year. This summer, the FDA instructed the vaccine makers to have the next COVID vaccine target the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant. The CDC will be issuing specific recommendations by October, but infectious disease experts expect the newer vaccine to provide the most benefit for people over 65 and those younger with chronic conditions.
Fall shots: Who's most vulnerable to RSV, COVID, and the flu?
Learn which vaccines can help protect you against serious illness and hospitalization from RSV, COVID, and the flu this fall.
How can I avoid long COVID?
Tens of millions of people who've had COVID-19 suffer with persisting symptoms. The condition is called long COVID. Symptoms, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and disrupted sleep, can seriously impair the ability to function at work and at home. Vaccines and antiviral drugs appear to offer some protection against getting long COVID. But more information is needed. The National Institutes of Health has committed over $1 billion to discover how to better diagnose, effectively treat, and ultimately prevent long COVID.
COVID-19's cardiac legacy: An update
COVID-19 may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, up to a year after the infection. But vaccination appears to lower these risks. Getting just one dose of a COVID vaccine may halve the risk of myocarditis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscle that can arise after viral infections.
Lessons learned from COVID
While the COVID pandemic changed how many people approached their health, the experience offers a teachable moment about how people can maintain new and improved healthy habits. Four areas that were most affected by COVID and enabled people to create positive changes are exercise, diet, medical check-ups, and social connections.
Recent Blog Articles
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Your amazing parathyroid glands
When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?
Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions
Dog bites: How to prevent or treat them
Will miscarriage care remain available?
Can AI answer medical questions better than your doctor?
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