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Back from maternity leave, Ana Dolaskie shares her thoughts on why most resolutions fail, and key factors in the ones that succeed.

Flu season is ramping up and it will be nearing its peak in a month or two. Unfortunately, what we've learned so far is that H3N2 is the predominant circulating strain. What that tells us, using previous flu seasons dominated by that strain as a guide, is that we're probably in for a rough ride.

As our diagnostic ability increases, we're finding more cancers that may be treated by watchful waiting. But doing nothing when told you have cancer is difficult for patients and physicians.

Advertising of tobacco products on TV and radio has been verboten since 1971 to reduce the appeal of such products — especially to kids. That, of course, was long before the age of the internet, and a new study finds that online tobacco marketing is linked to an increased risk that adolescents will start using these products.

The recent harrowing episode of cardiac arrest, involving American Heart Association President Dr. John Warner, is a precautionary tale. And it serves as a useful guide for all of us in choosing an achievable 2018 resolution.

With President Trump's annual physical looming, what matters most? And specifically, what would it take to make a president unfit to serve? 

Dietary supplement claims come two in flavors: ridiculous and more ridiculous. This one is the latter. RenewLife's Smokers’ Cleanse™ is gonna clean your lungs. It doesn't matter whether you've smoked more Camels than you can find in the Gobi desert. If you fall for this, the only cleansing that'll take place will be in your wallet.
 
 

Pollsters are always seeking our opinions and trends, and the close of 2017 was prime time for probing how we feel as we look ahead to 2018. For instance, in the "not-so-great category" what words or phrases irked the largest number of people? And then there are all those New Year's resolutions: Will we make them? Will we keep them?
 

We spend over $73 billion annually on state lotteries. What is that all about?

Lawyers are routinely required to solve problems that they themselves created. If something like this were to occur in any other area of life, it would be called racketeering. So beware, science: a lawsuit-happy nation turns its eyes to you.

Whether it involves closing your eyes, drinking a hot beverage by the mug or basking in the warmth of dry heat, these activities are among a handful of easy ways to improve your health in the coming year (as well as those to come). 

Two decades ago Africa seemed like a lost cause. AIDS was unrelentingly decimating the continent and there was little cause for optimism. But life could not be more different now. Thanks to the discovery and distribution of new, powerful drugs, the tide is turning, with Kenya predicted to be AIDS-free by 2030. It's a medical miracle. 

Open displays of bipartisanship are rare these days and, as such, should be applauded. Unfortunately, a recent example of bipartisanship promotes junk science and bogus health claims, using buzz words like "integrative" and "wellness" that are code for "alternative medicine."

What'cha gonna do when they come for you? If "they" are the officials at the Department of Justice – and you are a pharmaceutical or healthcare company or even a physician – you settle.

Given their substantial platform, Hollywood celebrities possess a unique ability to do tremendous good. Unfortunately, with that megaphone comes immense responsibility. Let’s take a look back at Tinseltown in 2017, and see what we've learned. The good, the bad and the indifferent.

A recent study analyzing 40 years of data showed this to be true, so it's not conjecture. But what's not fully known is whether full moons – and the attention they possibly draw away from a motorcyclist's main safety task – are the cause of the higher incidence of fatal accidents. And during so-called "supermoons" researchers found that motorcycle deaths occurred 32 percent more frequently.

ACSH is in the business of promoting evidence-based science and debunking junk science. That rubs some people the wrong way.

This isn't really about fat cats — the real ones or the rich ones. Rather, it's about the results of being overweight or obese. According to the CDC, there are 13 types of cancer linked to obesity. And as one might expect, as the prevalence of obesity increases so does the prevalence of these cancers.

For the general population and its $6-to-8 billion supplement habit, we're learning that Vitamin D and Calcium supplements do not prevent hip fractures.

This year brought about a number of public debates surrounding not only less-mainstream medical conditions, but also others that were emotionally challenging and ethically complex. Check out which ones made this Top-10 list.

Scientists cannot publish the same figure twice. Those are the rules. One group, however, tried to pull a fast one and had the same figure in eight papers. Eight! How did journal editors find out? Easy ... they emailed each other. Now, the papers are getting their due by being retracted. 

As they say, location is everything. Hospital-based outpatient care is far more expensive than the same care provided in a physician's office. It's $2.7 billion more expensive, but why?

If throwing away old toys in one of your New Year's Resolutions, read this first. A new study suggests that kids' play is more creative and focused – with fewer toys around. So go ahead and purge those old toys that no one has touched in years. You may be doing your kids a favor! 

Individual states determine who receives emergency and standard dialysis when dealing with patients without insurance of any kind. Those decisions impact their lives – and our finances

Academic science is beginning to switch back to being more politically mainstream and with that change comes more mature beliefs about the private sector. And scholars are looking to corporations to fill funding gaps.