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Do you tend to look on the sunny side, or do you see a future filled with dark, stormy skies? A growing body of research suggests that having a positive outlook can benefit your physical health. NIH-funded scientists are working to better understand the links between your attitude and your body. They’re finding some evidence that emotional wellness can be improved by developing certain skills.…

Can you imagine a world where antibiotics didn’t work anymore? You shouldn’t have to. But over the past few decades, they’ve been losing their punch. Bacterial strains that are resistant to many types of antibiotics are called superbugs. Sadly, our excessive use of antibiotics is partly to blame. A new video from NIH,, Fighting Superbugs, , can help you learn more about what you can do to help win this battle. Superbugs infect over 2 million people across the U.S. each year and kill more than 23,000. Common forms of superbugs include types of tuberculosis, staph infections like MRSA, and gonorrhea. You can help in the fight against superbugs. First, there’s prevention. Try not to spread infectious bacteria. Wash your hands often.…

As you age, you may notice you have less muscle and energy and more fat. Carrying those extra pounds may be harming your health. It’s easy to be confused by advice about diet and exercise, but they’re key to avoiding weight gain as you get older. As you move through your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond, you can take steps to help fight the flab that can come with age. Your [qtip:metabolism|Chemical…

Patients and health care providers share a very personal relationship. Doctors need to know a lot about you, your family, and your lifestyle to give you the best medical care. And you need to speak up and share your concerns and questions. Clear and honest communication between you and your physician can help you both make smart choices about your health. Begin with some preparation. Before your…

You hear and read health advice all the time—from friends, online sources, radio, TV, and more. How do you know what health information you can trust? This issue marks the 10-year anniversary of, NIH News in Health, , the monthly newsletter based on research supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health—the nation’s medical research agency. Every article in this newsletter is carefully reviewed by NIH experts, so you can be confident that the health news you read here is trustworthy. So far, we’ve brought you 600 articles on all kinds of topics. They’ve ranged from healthy eating and physical activity…, NIH News in Health, undergo multiple levels of review before you ever see them. Researchers interviewed for each story read and comment on draft articles to make sure they’re correct. NIH health and science experts also review each story before it’s published. The goal is to give you reliable, science-based information so you can make informed decisions about staying healthy and seeking medical care. In recognition…, NIH News in Health, and other health information with your community. We’ve learned that the articles are shared in many different ways. Teachers in California and elsewhere have shared stories with their students on how sleep affects learning and health ( Why You Need a Good Night's Sleep and How Snoozing Strengthens Memories ). A middle school nurse in Texas copies and shares articles with school staff and makes…, NIH News in Health, with their communities. In Florida, the Franklin County Health Department distributes the newsletter to patients and staff in 2 rural, remote public health clinics. At the Friend Family Health Center in Illinois,, NIH News in Health, is shared at large neighborhood clinics in the southeast and southwest sides of Chicago. In the Rocky Mountains, a nonprofit agency has been sharing, NIH News in Health, with older adults and their caregivers for nearly a decade. “The newsletter regularly offers relevant health information for our seniors. It’s something they really look forward to each month,” says Stephen M. Holland, director of the Upper Arkansas Area Agency on Aging, based in Salida, Colorado. The newsletter is available at the agency’s meal sites. It’s also given to older adults who receive…, NIH News in Health, are distributed to a largely Native American community by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, a tribal organization that provides a range of services, including home health care visits and transportation to medical facilities. “We place the newsletter in our elders’ meal site and in the lobby of the community health clinic, in adult foster care, and next to the pharmacy, so people can read it…, NIH News in Health, in the school’s health clinic and counseling waiting rooms. He also brings the newsletters to lectures and presentations on health and wellness. “Although students search for a lot of health information online, they still like to read some information on paper, especially while they’re waiting or relaxing in a common area,” Keady says. “Stories on stress and other psychological issues are of…, NIH News in Health, stories in their publications because they know they can trust the content. Organizations focused on diabetes, healthy aging, mental illness, and other medical issues also reprint, NIH News in Health, stories in their own publications. The articles aren’t copyrighted, so they can be freely republished, as long as, NIH News in Health, is credited as the source (see http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/about for details). No matter where you gather and read health information, it’s a good idea to discuss what you’ve found with your health care provider. Your provider can help you understand and interpret what you’ve found. “Being well informed about a condition can be helpful when you visit your doctor,” Dailey says. “You may wish to…, NIH News in Health, . Thanks for sharing your feedback, story ideas, and other comments over the past decade. We look forward to bringing you 10 more years of evidence-based health information. Share your thoughts with us at nihnewsinhealth@od.nih.gov or send us a photo of how you or others use the newsletter, and we may post it to our Facebook page .

Winter holidays—do they fill you with joy or with worries about gift-giving and family gatherings? Do summer vacations leave you relaxed or fretful over travel and money? If you’re feeling stressed out over supposedly fun things, it might be time to reassess. Take a few moments to learn how stress affects your health and what you can do about it. Everyone feels stressed from time to time. Stress…

You may have seen the flowing postures and gentle movements of tai chi and wondered what it’s all about. Tai chi is an ancient mind and body practice. While more research is needed, studies suggest that it may have many health benefits. Tai chi is sometimes referred to as “moving meditation.” There are many types of tai chi. They typically combine slow movements with breathing patterns and mental…

Inflammation is your body’s response to infection or injury. Ongoing inflammation can cause many serious health problems. When it affects your heart muscle, it’s called myocarditis. Myocarditis can affect small or large sections of the heart muscle. Severe cases may cause abnormal heart rhythms or make it harder for the heart to pump blood. That can lead to heart failure. Symptoms of myocarditis…

Do birds of a feather really flock together? The science says yes. People do tend to choose friends who are similar to them. You also become more like your friends over time. And that can influence your health. Many behaviors spread socially. Examples include how much you exercise, how much alcohol you drink, whether you smoke, and what foods you eat. Scientists are still trying to untangle why…, Social Influence, “People care about what others think across all different age groups—and that influences how much they value different ideas and behaviors,” says Dr. Emily Falk at the University of Pennsylvania. She studies how social networks affect decision making. This is called social, or peer, influence. Teens are especially responsive to peer influence. That’s because their brains undergo changes that make…, Peer Quality, Not Quantity, Positive and negative peer influences can affect more than just your behavior. They can also change the way you feel. Studies show that, in general, the more friends you have and the more time you spend with them, the happier you are. Friends give you people to share your feelings with, to get new perspectives from, or to just do fun activities with. But it’s the quality of those friendships—not…

COVID-19 measures lessened how often we get sick from many other viruses. But one common virus has been on the rise this year. It’s called respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. RSV is usually more common in the fall, winter, and spring. But this year, infections have surged over the summer. This is likely because of the lifting of COVID-19 precautions, like masking and social distancing, says Dr.…