Whooping cough or pertussis is showing signs of re-emergence around the world, and more so in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently reported that whooping cough levels have returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels and were six times higher in 2024 than in 2023, and the levels in 2025 are also elevated.

Use of plastics has become ubiquitous in our society since their first introduction in the 1950s. At present, it is estimated that only 20% of plastics are recycled or incinerated, leaving the rest as waste in the environment. It is projected that this waste could reach 2.4 billion tons by 2050. Due to slow and incomplete degradation, microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging as harmful pollutants both for human health and the environment.

Three years after the release of the first comprehensive roadmap to address difficulties faced by family caregivers of older adults and people with disabilities, the Trump administration has quietly erased transgender caregivers and caregivers of color from a list of underserved or hard-to-reach populations, The 19th has exclusively learned.

Pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period need not be filled with anxiety; with some preparation it can be one filled with happiness.

Across the United States, research shows that longer work hours and increasingly busy lifestyles are leaving people more socially isolated than ever. While workaholics may appear to be high achievers, their relentless drive often comes at a cost to their health and relationships.

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) due to uncontrolled sugar management that causes damage to eye vessels, leading to blindness. According to a recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology (2023), approximately one-third or 9.6 million people with diabetes had this condition, with 1.8 million having an advanced vision-threatening form of it.

Pancreatic cancer has a very high mortality. Once diagnosed, the 5-year survival is only 13%. Episodes of pancreatitis, family history, smoking, and obesity are some risk factors, but these only explain less than a third of the variance in its incidence. At present, early detection of pancreatic cancer is very difficult, and screening is not recommended for people without symptoms. Typical tests include imaging, detection of tumor markers, and confirmatory biopsy, which are expensive, and the biopsy is invasive.

The World Health Organization reports that by 2050, low back pain will affect more than 843 million people, particularly women, due to aging and poor lifestyle choices.

Diabetes is a complex disease and has two common types: Type 1, in which pancreatic cells are destroyed by the immune system, necessitating the use of insulin, and Type 2, which usually occurs after age 45 years, in which cells develop insulin resistance.  About 10% of Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, and Type 2 is more common, affecting 90-95% of diabetics.

Authorities have filed 73 charges, including 50 felonies, against Crystal Scott, who is accused of posing as a nurse and administering insulin to children as young as five. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case, which involves at least 12 Clark County School District students.

Sweden’s latest advertising campaign is going big on the health benefits of travel, so big in fact, that it claims travel to the country should be recommended by doctors. Visit Sweden’s ad is of course tongue-in-cheek, but the message that there’s a clear link between travel and well-being is a welcome strategy for those of us in the travel industry.

Sometimes, tea drinkers reach for fresh, grassy green tea (or matcha), while other times they prefer the bold, malty taste of black tea. But one thing remains unchanged: Green tea and black tea are two of the most popular drinks worldwide.