Walking or biking to work may lower your risk of getting sick or dying early, British researchers report.

"As large numbers of people begin to return to work as the COVID-19 lockdown eases, it is a good time for everyone to rethink their transport choices," said lead researcher Richard Patterson, from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the U... Full Page

Far from helping them avoid cigarettes, longtime ex-smokers who try vaping are taking a big risk that they'll relapse, a new study finds.

People who've spent a year off smokes are nearly four times more likely to start lighting up again if they experiment with vaping, compared with those who don't, according to findings published June ... Full Page

A letter signed by nearly 1,300 public health professionals, infectious diseases professionals and community stakeholders says fear of COVID-19's spread is no excuse to stop people from joining police brutality protests in cities across America.

Instead, it supports the anti-racist demonstrations and suggests ways that demonstrators ca... Full Page

Nearly two out of five Americans are using bleach and other household cleaners in potentially dangerous ways in an effort to protect themselves against COVID-19 infection, a new survey reveals.

About 20% Americans say they have applied bleach to their fruits and vegetables as a means of disinfection, a practice not recommended by t... Full Page

Knowing how much older adults exercise can predict their odds of developing heart disease or dying early, a new study suggests.

Asking patients during atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) screening about their levels of exercise can help start treatment sooner, researchers say.

"With people now living longer, there is a growi... Full Page

Teens who donate blood are at significant risk for long-term iron deficiency, a new study warns.

The concern comes as 16- to 18-year-olds have emerged as one of the fastest-growing groups of blood donors nationwide. But this study of nearly 31,000 teens who gave blood more than once between 2016 and 2018 found that roughly one in 10 w... Full Page

It's a grim fact: In many U.S. states, the bulk of coronavirus deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, a new study finds.

By the end of May, the proportion of COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts from nursing homes and group homes jumped from 54% to 63%, researchers report.

In other states, the proportion of ... Full Page

Federal data released Friday offered signs of hope on the economic front, as jobless numbers actually fell -- from 14.7 percent in April to 13.3 percent in May.

The economy, hit hard by stay-at-home orders and shuttered businesses tied to the coronavirus crisis, ended up adding 2.5 million job in May, as some Americans warily crept bac... Full Page

COVID-19 is taking a heavy toll on Americans' mental health, a new nationwide survey shows.

Overall, psychological distress more than tripled between 2018 and this spring -- from 4% of U.S. adults in 2018 to 14% in April.

Beth McGinty, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Balt... Full Page

Among patients in China with COVID-19, researchers found that those with high blood pressure had twice the risk of death from the coronavirus compared with patients who didn't have high blood pressure.

And patients with high blood pressure who were not taking drugs to control it were at even higher risk, the findings showed. However, ... Full Page

June is time for people to bond with their pets, the American Heart Association says.

Throughout the month, the AHA encourages people to make pets part of their workday as routines shift during the coronavirus pandemic.

Although your contact with other people may be limited, your pet can provide some of that missing emotio... Full Page

An over-the-counter heartburn remedy is showing some potential as a symptom reliever for COVID-19, a small study finds.

Famotidine, sold under the brand name Pepcid, appeared to improve symptoms in a group of 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, researchers reported online June 4 in the journal Gut.

The patients' self-... Full Page

More than 1 in 5 adults getting dialysis for kidney failure are sorry they started it, a new study finds.

Patients who began treatment to make their doctors or family members happy are least pleased with the decision, researchers reported.

On the other hand, patients who said they'd discussed life expectancy with their docto... Full Page

A wristband that zaps a key nerve may help quell the uncontrollable tics of Tourette syndrome, according to British researchers.

"We think we've come up with a safe and effective piece of technology that we believe is relatively cheap that will give control over tics to people with Tourette syndrome," said lead researcher Stephen Jack... Full Page

Most Americans have winced watching one of those nurse-administered COVID-19 nasal swab tests, where the swab reaches painfully farther up the nose than anyone would want.

Well, the days of "nasopharyngeal" swab tests, administered only by health care workers, may be drawing to a close: A new study finds a much more comfortable swab te... Full Page

Black children appear to be particularly vulnerable to the rare but severe inflammatory syndrome striking kids with COVID-19, a new French study suggests.

The syndrome may be a delayed immune response to the virus that happens several weeks after infection, the researchers said.

Many patients suffer abdominal pain, vomiting a... Full Page

Current federal law requiring restaurants to post calories on their menus would help diners make healthier choices and could ultimately lead to fewer cases of heart disease and diabetes, according to new research.

Between 2018 and 2023, the public's response to the nutritional labels at restaurants could prevent 14,698 cases of cardiovas... Full Page

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become clear that many people with the infection lose their sense of smell and taste. And doctors are concerned that some will never get back to normal.

At this point, it's hard to know how common the symptom is. First, there were anecdotal reports of COVID-19 patients who had lost their a... Full Page

You've watched police brutality protests unfold across America and you want to take part, but you fear that choice could raise your risk of coronavirus infection. Is there a way to express your outrage without endangering your health?

Yes, say doctors who offer tips on safely joining large protests on the streets of cities across the c... Full Page

As the U.S. coronavirus case count eclipsed 1.8 million and the death toll passed 107,000 on Thursday, America's jobless rolls swelled to nearly 43 million. That's close to one-quarter of the country's work force.

The U.S. Labor Department reported 1.9 million more people filed new unemployment claims last week, a sobering reminder of ... Full Page