Science Explains Why You Wince When Watching Another's Pain

Ever wonder why you instinctively wince when you see physical harm come to a TV or movie character on screen?

There’s a scientific explanation for why we flinch when watching painful events, even though we know it’s not real, researchers reported Nov. 26 in the journal Nature.

It turns out that such scenes activa...

FDA Tells Consumers to Toss 19 Cookware Items That May Contain Lead

A growing list of pots and pans is now considered unsafe, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging folks to check their kitchens and get rid of them right away.

In a new alert, the agency said 19 cookware products, all made outside the United States, may release dangerous levels of lead into food.

Most of the items ...

Global Measles Cases Surge as Vaccination Rates Fall, WHO Warns

Between 2000 and 2024, global measles deaths fell by 88%, saving an estimated 58 million lives, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report.

But now the virus is spreading again in places that had once pushed it to the brink: A sign that too many children are now missing their routine vaccines.

Last year, 59 countries r...

FDA Pulls Plan to Require Asbestos Testing in Talc-Based Cosmetics

Talc-based makeup and powders will not go through new asbestos testing requirements after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chose to pull back a proposed rule last week.

The decision surprised health advocates, who have pushed for stronger oversight because asbestos is a dangerous contaminant that can appear in talc and is linked...

CDC Names Ralph Abraham as Second-in-Command Despite Vaccine Controversy

A Louisiana physician who has questioned vaccine safety and halted his state’s vaccination campaigns in the past is now serving in one of the top roles at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former congressman and Louisiana’s surgeon general in 2024, discretely began his position as t...

Tea, Coffee, Nuts, Berries: All Good for Your Heart

Tea, coffee, berries, cocoa, nuts, whole grains, olive oil: They’re all rich in antioxidant compounds called polyphenols, and they’re all good for your heart, a new British study shows.

“This research provides strong evidence that regularly including polyphenol-rich foods in your diet is a simple and effective way to supp...

Tai Chi Might Equal Talk Therapy in Easing Insomnia

Having trouble sleeping? New Chinese research suggests the age-old practice of tai chi might help. 

The study found it equalled talk therapy in helping middle aged people with insomnia regain restful slumber in the long term.

“Our study supports tai chi as an alternative treatment approach for the long term management of c...

Famous Singers Die 4 Years Earlier Than Non-famous, Study Shows

MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2025 (HeathDay News) — Many have heard of the infamous “27 Club” — a list of music icons like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, all of whom passed away too young at age 27. 

Now, new research backs up the notion that fame itself can be a killer. 

Cognitive Decline Can Show Up Early in Driving Patterns

Researchers say changes in folks' driving patterns could be an early signal of cognitive decline.

“We found that using a GPS data tracking device, we could more accurately determine who had developed cognitive issues than looking at just factors such as age, cognitive test scores and whether they had a genetic risk factor related to ...

Brain's 'Waste Disposal' Impaired in Pro Fighters

High-tech neuroimaging of pro boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters is revealing potential damage to a system the brain uses to rid itself of waste. 

“When this system doesn’t work properly, damaging proteins can accumulate, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,” explained st...

Monthly Injection Could Free People With Severe Asthma From Steroids

People with severe asthma often take daily steroid medications to help prevent attacks, yet the drugs can bring about serious side effects. Is there another way?

In a new trial, researchers examined how much an add-on treatment, already approved in the United States and United Kingdom, for severe asthma helped people with their symptoms an...

City Raccoons Showing Signs of Domestication

That resourceful “trash panda” digging through your garbage may be more than just a nuisance — it could be a living example of evolution in progress.

A new study suggests that raccoons living near humans are showing physical changes in line with the earliest stages of domestication, much like the ancestors of dogs and cat...

Mapping the Exposome: Science Broadens Focus to Environmental Disease Triggers

After decades of intense focus on genetics, the biomedical research community is undergoing a major shift, focusing on a new framework called "exposomics."

Similar to the way scientists work to map the human genome, this emerging field aims to map the chemical, physical, social and biological elements a person encounters throughout their l...

One Week Less on Social Media Linked to Better Mental Health

For many young adults, social media is where life happens: Friendships, news, stress, all rolled into a single screen.

But a new study suggests that stepping away, even for just one week, may help ease anxiety, depression and sleep problems.

Researchers tracked 295 young adults ages 18 to 24 who agreed to limit their social media us...

Your Brain Changes in Stages as You Age, Study Finds

From childhood to old age, the human brain doesn’t just slowly fade or steadily grow, it changes in stages.

A new study suggests our brains go through four major turning points that shape how we think, learn and connect.

Researchers said those shifts happen around the ages of 9, 32, 66 and 83.

The findings, published Nov....