1stHeadlinesBreaking News Headlines
Health · RSS · up to 100 stored headlines · Visit site
Researchers have been chasing the dream of a cancer vaccine for decades. Some recent successes with mRNA technology are garnering excitement from patients, doctors, government and investors.
One patient in a small trial is experiencing the fantasy results so far with an mRNA pancreatic cancer vaccine. She shows no evidence of the cancer that was supposed to kill her years ago.
Many people are swapping out their fluoride dental products for ones made with a mineral called hydroxyapatite. What do dentists say about it?
Sen. Chris Murphy is expected to fully recover from his stroke. The acronym BE FAST can help you remember the symptoms of stroke and what to do when it happens: Call 911 quickly.
It's been just over two years since the rise of Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA. How well is the Trump administration meeting its promises?
The ACA health insurance marketplaces — find yours at HealthCare.gov — open Nov. 1 for 2027 coverage. Getting an early start may be especially important this year.
A family affected by Sanfilippo syndrome raised millions of dollars for research. The Food and Drug Administration just approved a gene therapy the support helped make possible.
The Siena Drone Photo Awards for 2026 offer breathtaking bird's-eye views of our planet, revealing landscapes, livelihoods and human stories often invisible from the ground.
When federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance expired last year, Florida was hit particularly hard. Now, as the election and open enrollment coincide, healthcare is a major issue.
The syndrome can make people feel like a "hibernating bear," says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who published the first research on SAD. He explains how to identify the symptoms and what to do to feel better.
Most kids say they use chatbots for help with homework and when they're stressed, lonely, or anxious. And how they use chatbots is tied to their mental health.
Florida is seeing a record number of dengue fever cases this year as the tropical disease thrives in warming climates.
The penguins that perished lived on the Danger Islands in Antarctica. The prime suspect was avian flu. Researchers were surprised by what they found.
Always busy, but rarely joyful? Allison Aubrey and Juana Summers discuss a tool to spot "high functioning depression."
The campaign to defend access to transgender healthcare for young people in Missouri is taking an unhurried approach to talking with voters about the proposed ban.
Brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease can be detected by a new type of blood test -- and a growing number of patients are asking their doctors about it.
When Congress cut Medicaid benefits for refugees who are in the U.S. legally, most states allowed them to continue for children and pregnant women. Arizona and 10 others did not.
The Department of Health and Human Services will let small compounding pharmacies make six peptides that haven't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It may not be enough to meet demand.
A new study from AARP shows caregivers' out-of-pocket costs rose about 60% in the last five years.
Transplant teams can talk to families about organ donation before they've decided whether to continue life-sustaining medical care for loved ones. Until now, that has been forbidden.
People with alpha-gal syndrome can have allergic reactions to meat from mammals. Many of those affected change their diets to eat other proteins.
The current outbreak, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has now counted 10,000 patients and has spread with great speed. How can it be stopped?
In Nairobi, a city prone to floods, workers in the "Green Army" are making preparations to prevent disaster when El Niño arrives.
What makes special education teaching jobs so hard to fill? NPR set out to find some answers by talking to more than a dozen teachers who do this work every day.
Merck presented its mRNA melanoma vaccine trial data at a European cancer conference this weekend. Results are promising: The vaccine reduces recurrence and death alongside an immunotherapy drug.
People with Alpha-Gal Syndrome can have allergic reactions to meat from mammals. Many of those affected change their diets to eat other proteins.
Pennsylvania is the worst hit state, with at least 1,338 cases of measles confirmed in 44 counties so far this year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Dr. Ann Falsey of the University of Rochester Medical School about flu shots for people aged 50 and older.
The students, many from marginalized communities, learn to conjure up candy, do card tricks — and face the world with a confident, creative and resilient mindset.
The U.S. has no national law for paid parental leave. But in states that do, more dads are using the benefit, sometimes more than moms. The change comes as Americans say having kids is unaffordable.
The U.S. birth rate fell to its lowest level ever recorded, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drop would have been greater, but women over age 30 are having more children.
Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, and for as many as 5 million seniors, it will be important to log on and pick a new plan.
When an outbreak strikes, humans try to avoid germs. (Remember wiping off groceries at the start of the pandemic?) What about ... monkeys?
Nigeria this week recorded its first case of Ebola in the current outbreak, which has spread from the epicenter in Congo to several other African countries.
It's a day to think about all the upcoming appointments and commitments you're dreading — and then decline some of them. Writer Caroline Sylge shares a suggested schedule for the day.
Sitting at a desk all day hurts. And it isn't good for us. Strategies to make it a little more comfortable, from eye muscle exercises to alleviate eye strain to a back pain-fighting body movement.
About 157 million Americans get their health insurance through work. A survey of employers shows a moderate price uptick this year, but workers still say health costs are a top concern.
Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao is fighting for reelection in central California. 6 in 10 residents of his district are covered by Medicaid, which he voted to cut last year.
What can you learn from dreams and how can you remember them and steer them to the topics you wish to dream about. Allison Aubrey and A Martinez discuss the resurgance in dream research and how dreams are a tool for self-discovery.
Lab studies have shown that psychedelics like psilocybin can lower inflammation and may be protective for a range of illnesses. Now, researchers are publishing some of the first data in humans that signals this holds potential for patients with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.
The cost of having a baby is difficult to predict. The amount families pay varies widely. Here are five tips to help you prepare for the often unexpected costs of pregnancy and giving birth.
Actor Christina Applegate revealed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. NPR's A Martínez speaks with neurologist Michael Kornberg about how MS can be misdiagnosed.
The practice known as "free birth" — giving birth at home without a midwife — carries severe risks. But social media influencers are bringing attention and followers to the practice.
Nigeria is the latest country to report an Ebola case as the outbreak spreads across the region. Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month and has since recorded nine infections.
A respected figure in the world of global health, Dr. Kerry takes on a new responsibility. She says it's challenging but not "daunting."
Health workers battling the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo are hindered by lack of data, budget cuts and a fearful community.
Patients travel miles to be treated at public hospitals in Delhi. Those in need get financial aid for their care. But for overnight accommodations, families are often on their own — and on the street.
For the first time since 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its guidelines for the treatment of symptoms commonly associated with menopause.
For StoryCorps, a public health nurse in Minnesota speaks with her college mentor about a moment when she almost gave up on her career aspirations.
Health and science correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Ailsa Chang about her new podcast Your Turn with Allison Aubrey — and they share a survey that can help us identify our most positive character traits.
Kansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.
The Trump administration provided few details about its process for canceling hundreds of thousands of Affordable Care Act enrollments — even as the next stage of the anti-fraud effort is underway.
Cold and flu season is here. Before someone in your household gets hit, make sure you have these essential meds and comfort items in your medicine cabinet.
Medicare open enrollment starts Thursday, Oct. 15. And for several million seniors across the country it will be especially important. That's because some insurers are shutting their Medicare Advantage plans, especially in rural areas.
Factory workers in India are being asked to wear GoPro cameras to record the way they do their jobs. The ultimate goal is to train robots to take over. Will it work?
For years, customers have complained of aggressive sales tactics and charges at mall skincare stores. NPR investigated the business that connects many of them.
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks to Dr. Otis Brawley, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University, about the Pope's lung cancer diagnosis.
Li won a Pulitzer for her memoir about the suicides of her two sons. In her new novel, Music Against the Night , she writes about two young prodigies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Emergency room departments are reporting soaring numbers of pediatric trauma accidents associated with micromobility devices. Experts and advocates agree that the federal government needs to step in.
Leading researchers in heat exposure are coming together to reach a consensus on what we know — and don't — about the health benefits of sauna and its potential for treating and preventing disease.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against measles. For most adults, one shot of the MMR is considered enough protection. But there are certain situations that call for a second dose.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against measles, one of the most contagious diseases known. For most adults, one shot of the MMR is considered enough protection. But there are certain situations that call for getting a second dose.
An antibiotic morning-after pill has been shown to be effective for preventing STIs among gay men, but some doctors worry about antibiotic resistance. This story discusses STIs and their symptoms.
Listeners of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday may already know that host Ayesha Rascoe loves horror. But why do scream queens (and kings) like her like what's frightening? The answer may surprise you.
Her epic ride — carrying her injured dad on her $20 hot pink bicycle — made headlines. Promises were made — financial help, training for a cycling career, even a movie deal. Were any of them kept?
A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices.
Scant data about serious adverse effects makes it harder to answer scientific and legal questions about how often the drugs might cause serious harm like blindness or pancreatitis.
A global treaty signed by 197 countries — including Russia — requires reporting any death that could be a sign of an outbreak to come.
Middle schooler Cora Walsh of Long Island, N.Y., has won the 2026 NPR Student Podcast Challenge with a story about her journey with dyslexia.
A study from Common Sense Media says most safeguards in ChatGPT for Teens failed. The chatbot talks to teens like a friend and doesn't alert parents when users talk about self-harm and suicide.
Why one teen can't let go of the time he ate fries with his great-grandpa.
Heath Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces new steps aimed at identifying and treating complications from vaccines.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has established a new clinic at the National Institutes of Health to study vaccine injuries. It's part of a larger administration effort on vaccine safety.
NPR's Michel Martin hosted a panel conversation about mental health and suicide in the Black community, exploring a difficult subject in deeply personal conversations.
In Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can't pay.
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with radiologist Dr. Lisa Mullen about a new Maryland law requiring that patients be notified if mammogram results show calcium deposits in blood vessels.
Republicans and Democrats, both patients and politicians, seem united in their disdain for the healthcare companies known as pharmacy benefit managers. Tennessee and Arkansas are regulating now them.
The World Health Organization says it wants more information on what caused the death of an employee at a Russian plague research lab. Russia says the woman died of pneumonia of unknown origin.
The ancient disease of plague is back in the headlines after the death this month of a Russian lab worker.
NPR Life Kit provides tips to help you reduce your screentime.
Historically, the CDC relied on state health departments' determination of measles deaths. Now, it's working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to create a clear definition.
As checks from President Trump for health costs hit millions of mailboxes, a poll shows Americans don't trust Republicans on healthcare. Experts doubt it will move the needle and say it is likely illegal.
New research looks at the surprising similarities in the gut microbiomes of hunter-gathers in Tanzania and horticulturalists in Bolivia, and asks: What role do these bacteria play in human health?
It's hard enough being a small-scale farmer. Then the Iran war drove up fertilizer prices. So farmers are using a traditional Asian recipe to make their own. They call it a "labor of love."
The federal Civil Rights Data Collection, for the first time in decades, tells us about the teacher workforce and reminds us racial disparities are still stark in American public schools.
Midterm candidates are talking up Medicare for All, and in a poll 2 out of 3 Americans said they support it. The phrase speaks to a desire for radical change, though many don't really know what it is.
Flu season typically starts in October or November. But it looks like the flu started to pick up in September this year.
Nonprofits fighting HIV used get direct funding from the CDC. Now that money is going to state health departments that may have other priorities.
This year's flu season is unusual. It started early and in the West, instead of the South. A new variant with a mutation that helps the virus evade immunity may be playing a role.
Catherine Sweeney was in the witness room when Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike on Sept. 30. An attempted execution in May had also failed. Here's what Sweeney saw and heard.
The new field of "smoke ecology" examines how wildfire smoke perturbs wild places and animals — and what might be done to prevent its worst mayhem.
While scientists have a decent understanding of how sauna and other forms of heat exposure exercises our cardiovascular system, they know relatively little about its impact on mental health.
Republicans and Democrats, both patients and politicians, seem united in their disdain for the healthcare companies known as pharmacy benefit managers. Tennessee and Arkansas are regulating them now.
Before running the New York City Marathon, NPR's Elissa Nadworny gets a bone scan, blood work and a treadmill test to settle a question from Mom: Is this bad for my body?
Worried about stumbling before a high-stakes event, like a race or a job interview? Psychologist Cindra Kamphoff offers creative strategies to overcome the jitters and build confidence in the moment.
The America First strategy asks for a Memorandum of Understanding as a condition for healthcare and development aid. It's been praised for promoting self-reliance but criticized for its conditions.
Metro Phoenix has so far seen twice as many heat deaths as this time last year. Authorities are trying to understand why and how to intervene.
Starting Oct. 1, refugees and asylum seekers are losing access to Medicaid across the country because of H.R. 1, the Trump administration's major budget bill Republicans passed in summer 2025.
Starting Oct. 1, many immigrants who are here legally lose their Medicaid coverage because of the Republican budget bill passed last year.
The governor of California has signed into law a ban on child marriage. What is the status of other efforts to ban the practice? And do bans prove effective?