US deaths caused by alcohol spiked during pandemic, CDC reports show

Deaths attributed to alcohol were highest for people ages 55 to 64, but rose dramatically for certain other groups, including jumping 42% among women ages 35 to 44.

CDC softens opioid prescribing guidelines for doctors

The nation’s top public health agency on Thursday softened its guidelines for U.S. doctors prescribing oxycodone and other opioid painkillers.

Drinking low amounts of caffeine during pregnancy may impact child's height, study suggests

A new study found that children of women with low caffeine intake during pregnancy were slightly shorter, on average, compared to kids born to women who completely avoided it altogether.

Study: Video games can lead to ‘enhanced cognitive performance in children’

Findings from the study suggest kids who played video games three or more hours a week performed better with intellectual abilities, including working memory.

Pfizer-BioNTech testing combination flu-COVID-19 vaccine

The WHO estimates 290,000 to 650,000 people worldwide die of flu-related causes every year. About 1.1 million people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19.

Synthetic 'magic mushroom' drug may ease depression in hard-to-treat patients, study says

A single dose of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” was found to help some people who previously had gotten little relief from standard antidepressants.

Dry shampoos containing cancer-causing benzene remain on store shelves, study suggests

An independent research group found that 70% of the dry shampoo samples tested showed “quantifiable levels” of benzene, with some containing up to 170 times the FDA limit.

Experimental cat allergy shot may provide longer-lasting relief

Scientists say standard cat allergy shots are impractical and have a new treatment that when combined with regular shots can provide longer-lasting relief.

Visitors to Shanghai Disney locked in park for COVID-19 testing

“Please return and take a tour in the park," an employee in a mask said to guests in a video on social media. "The park’s gates are all closed temporarily, and you cannot leave now.”

Spirit Halloween helps hospitalized kids celebrate the holiday in style

Halloween is about more than just costumes and decorations for one major holiday retailer: It’s also about helping sick children. 

Forcing a smile might put you in a better mood, research suggests

The new research, led by a scientist at Stanford, may tell us “something fundamentally important” about how human emotions work.

Seeing, listening to birds can improve mental health, study finds

In addition to helping people, scientists say they are also advocating for the protection of the environment and wildlife.

RSV surge: Pediatricians seeing more cases among older children (not just babies)

Pediatricians say they usually they see the most cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, among children 2 and under, but now they're seeing a lot more older children getting exposed, too.

Amoxicillin shortage being felt in Minnesota

Just in time for a winter spike in illnesses, three major drug manufacturers are reporting shortages of the popular antibiotic, Amoxicillin.

Clocking in more hours at a stressful job raises risk of depression, study finds

Researchers from the University of Michigan collected data from first-year medical residents and discovered that those who worked longer hours had three times the risk for depression.

Biden gets latest COVID booster, urging more Americans to get theirs

Over 20 million people, including nearly 1 in 5 older people, have gotten the new vaccine, which was formulated to target the coronavirus variants most dominant in the United States.