For countless women, the word “menopause” is associated with the phrase “low estrogen.” This is the narrative many have been told, the explanation offered when hot flashes strike, sleep becomes elusive or moods swing unpredictably. Conventional medicine largely operates on this premise, with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) frequently prescribed to replenish what is believed to be lost — estrogen. But what if this long-accepted understanding of menopause isn’t the complete picture? Research is increasingly questioning the singular focus on estrogen deficiency, suggesting instead a more nuanced reality. Studies indicate that estrogen levels in menopausal women aren’t plummeting across the board.…

Mental health workers protest outside the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center on a strip of Sunset Blvd. They are heading into their sixth month of striking over wages, benefits and time in between patients. Katia Riddle / NPR hide caption toggle caption Katia Riddle / NPR In many ways, it was the usual protest scene. Dozens of striking mental health care workers chanted and marched Tuesday outside a Kaiser Permanente medical center on a busy strip of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Passing cars honked in support. People vigorously waved homemade signs. But a few of the striking workers…

Antidepressants are touted as a solution to help improve people’s mental health and ease depression and anxiety. But these “convenient” little pills are more harmful than you think, as they alter your brain chemistry, making your condition worse than ever. Recent research sheds light on the dark side of these commonly prescribed medications, showing that individuals with dementia who took antidepressants had faster cognitive decline. The assumption has been that managing mood disorders in dementia patients would improve their overall condition. But instead of offering relief, it turns out that antidepressants accelerate the very decline they were meant to ease.…

Veterans gathered in Indianapolis and in places across the country on March 14 to protest the Trump administration’s staff and budget cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Panic, fear, uncertainty, and anger. Those are the emotions mental health clinicians who work for the US Department of Veterans Affairs describe as they prepare for the VA’s mandatory return-to-office directive. Some are being summoned to offices as soon as Monday, April 14. Representatives from the VA say they are planning to have the back-to-office effort…

Towana Looney, who received a genetically modified pig kidney in November 2024, had the organ removed after her body rejected it. Joe Carrotta for NYU Langone Health hide caption toggle caption Joe Carrotta for NYU Langone Health The world’s longest-lasting pig organ transplant has failed, doctors announced Friday. Towana Looney, 53, of Gadsden, Ala., had her pig kidney removed on April 4, after her body rejected the genetically modified organ, according to NYU Langone Health in New York. The pig organ transplant, a landmark in the quest to develop alternatives to scarce human organs for transplantation, took place Nov. 25,…

Building a sauna in your backyard sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? A perfect, cozy escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Somewhere you can unwind, relax, and enjoy the healing benefits of heat therapy. At least, that’s what I thought when I decided to take on the project of building my own sauna. I envisioned a quick weekend project, an afternoon of hammering away, and before I knew it, I’d have a beautiful little oasis of warmth and wellness in my backyard. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. Turns out that building a sauna isn’t as simple as…

Anchorage dogs test out masks that their owner acquired to protect their eyes against volcanic ash. Heather Duffy hide caption toggle caption Heather Duffy When scientists announced recently that a volcano outside Anchorage was showing signs of an impending eruption, residents Alliana Salanguit and Jesslin Wooliver went looking for protective gear. They secured what they needed to protect themselves and their belongings from corrosive ashfall, which can irritate eyes and lungs: KN95 masks, window-sealing tape and vehicle air filters. But first, they bought stuff for their dog. Three-year-old Iroh already had booties and a raincoat. To augment, his owners went…

Three years ago, a nationwide infant formula shortage shook America, and before long led to fights at grocery stores1 and stories like this flooding the media: At the time, significant outrage was directed at the FDA since the shortage was due to their inspection triggering a major recall by one of the leading formula manufacturers (along with tight supplies and subsequent panic buying). Furthermore, many could not grasp why the FDA was willing to enact such a strong enforcement action against potentially contaminated infant formula which was linked to two deaths. Still, they had no issue with the large numbers…

Researchers integrated four organoids that represent the four components of the human sensory pathway, along which pain signals are conveyed to the brain. Stimulation of the sensory organoid (top) by substances, such as capsaicin, triggers neuronal activity that is then transmitted throughout the rest of the organoids. Pasca lab/Stanford Medicine hide caption toggle caption Pasca lab/Stanford Medicine Scientists have re-created a pain pathway in the brain by growing four key clusters of human nerve cells in a dish. This laboratory model could be used to help explain certain pain syndromes, and offer a new way to test potential analgesic drugs,…

Over time, sleeping less than five hours a night increases your blood sugar swings by 2.87%. That finding — published in JAMA Network Open — underscores just how much your sleep habits impact your metabolic health.1 Glycemic variability — the technical term for those swings — plays a major role in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. It doesn’t just affect how you feel in the moment. Over time, this rollercoaster of sugar highs and lows contributes to inflammation, mitochondrial damage and long-term metabolic breakdown. In simple terms, if your sleep is off, your blood sugar suffers, and that impact…