One in Seven Dire COVID Cases May Result from a Faulty Immune Response
Two new studies link some severe infections to genetics and an autoimmune reaction that attacks the body’s own defenses
Stories by Claudia Wallis
Deadly Spread of Some Cancers May Be Driven by a Common Mouth Microbe
An ordinary bacterium can trigger changes in some primary tumors that lead to dangerous metastasis
When Politics Distorts Science
Shocking levels of interference at the CDC and HHS threaten public faith in our most reliable public health institutions
How Good a Diet Is Intermittent Fasting?
The popular fasting diet regimen can work well for weight loss, but many other claims about its benefits remain to be proved
Another Tragic Epidemic: Suicide
Suicide rates have been rising for two decades in the U.S. Will the pandemic make things worse?
Why Some People Get Terribly Sick from COVID-19
Beyond factors such as age and sex, underlying aspects of biology and society influence disease severity
How to Boost Your Immunity
Some simple, practical steps can raise your resistance to viruses
The Virtuous Side of Viruses
As drug-resistant superbugs spread, researchers are turning to microbes that kill bacteria
Why Racism, Not Race, Is a Risk Factor for Dying of COVID-19
Public health specialist and physician Camara Phyllis Jones talks about ways that jobs, communities and health care leave Black Americans more exposed and less protected
The Morally Complex Mix of Euthanasia and Organ Donation
Canada’s recent experience with terminally ill patients is instructive
Sleep Apnea Is Different for Women
The risky disorder often follows a different pattern in women that may get overlooked
Life in the Containment Zone
What it’s like in New Rochelle, N.Y., the site of the state’s biggest coronavirus outbreak
It’s Time to Take Delirium Seriously
The most common complication of hospitalization for older patients can often be prevented
The Case for Fewer Heart Procedures
For some of the most common cardiac conditions, medication is a solid alternative
How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Medicine
By channeling a flood of biomedical data, machine learning could transform basic research and clinical practice
How Gut Microbes Shape Our Response to Drugs
The human microbiome activates some medicines, inactivates others and provokes side effects
How to Break the Bonds of Opioids
Many chronic pain patients can be slowly tapered from the drugs without increasing misery
It’s Time to Shift Tactics on Alzheimer’s Disease
After a string of drug failures, researchers are looking beyond amyloid as a target
Are Pricey New Drugs Better Than Old Ones?
Most of the time we don't know if they are better than the old ones
The Cancer-Obesity Time Bomb
Malignancies are on the rise in the most obese generation in history
