The phrase “trauma bonding” has been used online to describe connections built through shared suffering, but experts say that’s all wrong. (Vanessa Saba/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON As a young girl, Lilli Correll both loved and feared her mother. In good times, she felt special — her mother affectionately called her Monkey, and they often laughed together. “I was her favorite child,” said Correll, now 55 and living in Austin, Texas. But at other times her mother, wh

The tests could help to improve dementia care, but scientists say there are still some caveats and unknowns. (Ricardo Tomás/The New York Times) By DANA G. SMITH Could a simple blood test predict your risk of getting dementia years, or even decades, before you experience memory loss? That’s the potential promise of a new class of biomarker tests. Two were approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration to help diagnose people with Alzheimer’s disease if they have sympto

Manuel Firmani and Liliana Garay dance at a milonga event outside of the tango program. (Magalí Druscovich via The New York Times)  By PAM BELLUCK Tango is the national dance of Argentina, known for its passion, precision and heart. At a hospital in Buenos Aires, it has another purpose: as a therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Once a week, about a dozen patients come to Ramos Mejía Hospital to dance — a session that uses the movements of tango to help address issue

In the United States, nearly half of adults have high blood pressure. Known as a “silent killer,” hypertension can contribute to heart attack, stroke and heart failure without ever causing symptoms. (Jordan Bohannon/The New York Times) By NINA AGRAWAL In the United States, nearly half of adults have high blood pressure. Known as a “silent killer,” hypertension can contribute to heart attack, stroke and heart failure without ever causing symptoms. Where hypertension was once t

Studies in recent years have shown colorectal cancer rates on the rise among adults younger than 50. The new paper showed that rates among adults ages 50 to 64 also increased between 2013 and 2022 and that rates of rectal cancer in particular climbed among all ages combined after years of decline. (Freepik) By NINA AGRAWAL Nearly half of all new colorectal cancer cases now occur in adults younger than 65, signaling a major shift in the demographics of the disease, according t

Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have been hailed as miracle treatments, but one in 10 people are what scientists call “non-responders.” (Fortunate Joaquin/The New York Times) By SIMAR BAJAJ and DANI BLUM When Jessica Layeux, a cybersecurity expert from Monticello, Minnesota, started taking the weight-loss drug Zepbound last year, she didn’t have any of the side effects she had heard about. She didn’t feel much of a change in her hunger or cravings either. At first,

The number doctors use to demarcate hypertension keeps going down, a trend applauded by many experts, who point to studies linking high blood pressure and dementia. (John P. Dessereau/The New York Times) By PAULA SPAN The patient initially came to see Dr. Mark Supiano in 2017 because her family was concerned about her short-term memory loss. While taking her history and vital signs, Supiano, a geriatrician at the University of Utah, saw one disturbing signal: Her blood pressu

A user consults with a chatbot created by the far-right social media platform Gab, in Berkeley, Calif., Oct. 29, 2025. A new study found that chatbots were no better than Google — already a flawed source of health information — at guiding users toward correct medical diagnoses or helping them determine what they should do next. (Andria Lo/The New York Times) By TEDDY ROSENBLUTH A new study published last month provided a sobering look at whether chatbots, which have fast beco

A flu vaccine is prepared in Mountain Lakes, N.J., Sept. 16, 2025. (Laila Stevens/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT and REBECCA ROBBINS The Food and Drug Administration reversed its decision on Moderna’s flu vaccine and has agreed to review it for possible approval. On Feb. 10, Moderna announced that the agency had rejected its application for review of a new flu vaccine. The FDA said the company’s research design had been flawed. But in subsequent discussions, the agen

An empty classroom at the high school in Williston, N.D., during an outbreak of measles there, May 19, 2025. Longtime allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, have launched a new effort to repeal laws that for decades have required children to be vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases before they enter day care or kindergarten. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT Longtime allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s healt