The hottest Health & Wellness Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

Schizophrenia: a coda

Wyclif's Dust • 1877 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Research Genetics Social Disparities
  1. There are significant differences in schizophrenia polygenic scores between ethnic groups, which can impact diagnosis and treatment.
  2. Genetic research on different ethnic groups can lead to improved medical outcomes and understanding disparities.
  3. Studying gene-environment interactions in intergroup context can provide insights into causal pathways for social and medical outcomes.

Will the WHO Declare Dangerous Diet Drugs Globally Essential? Part 1

Weight and Healthcare • 439 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medication Weight Loss Research Nutrition
  1. The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes lists of essential medications, considering factors like disease prevalence, public health relevance, efficacy, and safety
  2. A request has been submitted to add glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) to the core list of essential medications for the treatment of obesity, sparking debate
  3. The request faces skepticism due to the process of selection, lack of specialized knowledge in the requesting group, and potential conflicts of interest

2025 Yearly Review

Ben’s Blog 🏉 🧠🧑‍💻 • 25 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Physical health Exercise Nutrition Resilience Community health
  1. Personal and family life moved from struggling to thriving — managing stress better helped the kids and strengthened relationships, marked by lots of happy milestones and trips.
  2. Work and community impact scaled up strongly — talks exceeded goals and Running for Resilience grew programs, events, partnerships, and measurable community outcomes.
  3. The main lesson is to slow down and set clearer boundaries — prioritising rest, saying no more often, and focusing on diet and balanced exercise are top priorities for next year.

Providing X-Rays, MRIs and CT Scans to Higher-Weight Patients

Weight and Healthcare • 479 implied HN points • 18 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Patient Experience Accessibility Inclusivity Empathy
  1. Know the weight and size capacities of your equipment and facilities to provide better care to higher-weight patients.
  2. Understand the diverse needs of all patients and create protocols to ensure a positive experience for everyone, including those with disabilities and neurodivergence.
  3. Communicate openly and proactively with patients about accommodations, accessibility, and equipment capabilities to enhance their experience and educate them about available options.

Insomnia Advice

Thing of Things • 176 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Insomnia Sleep Therapy Medication Advice
  1. If you have occasional insomnia, believing that lying down with your eyes closed can be almost as beneficial as sleeping might help.
  2. For chronic insomnia, consider trying antidepressants or other sleeping medications under your doctor's guidance. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is also effective.
  3. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia involves following a strict routine, including tracking sleep patterns, setting a consistent wake-up time, and avoiding napping during the day.
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Story Thirty-Seven

Stories From The Rail • 219 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Therapy Parenting Trauma Personal Growth
  1. Eulogies can be a way to cope with OCD and suicidal ideation, helping in the battle with intrusive thoughts and fears.
  2. Mental health challenges like OCD and suicidal ideation are medical conditions that require understanding, support, and proper treatment.
  3. Parenting and focusing on loved ones can ground and provide strength in battling against compulsions and intrusive thoughts.

Update on COVID & the New COVID Booster

Are You Okay? • 359 implied HN points • 20 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID Vaccines Medication Risk Factors Treatment
  1. The latest COVID sub-variant, EG.5, is becoming dominant but doesn't seem more contagious or severe than prior variants.
  2. New COVID boosters are expected soon, recommended for high-risk individuals like those over 65 or with underlying health issues.
  3. It is best to space out receiving COVID, flu, and RSV shots to minimize potential side effects.

Friday Q&A: on antidepressants; inattention; social anxiety; & “am I taking too many meds?”

Are You Okay? • 359 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Medication Therapy Anxiety Depression
  1. Consider the option of seeking medication for managing depression symptoms if other interventions are not fully effective.
  2. Medication can be a valuable tool in a holistic approach to mental health, when used appropriately and under medical supervision.
  3. When facing intrusive thoughts and anxiety, techniques like recentering oneself and avoiding spirals can be helpful to regain focus.

Walking and talking

The Shift With Sam Baker • 359 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Walking Conversation Exercise
  1. Walking and talking can make conversations more relaxed and easygoing, similar to chatting in a car on a long journey.
  2. Combining walking with talking can help with difficult conversations and make idle chat more rhythmic.
  3. Some people find walking and talking to be intimate yet comfortable, providing a conducive environment for different types of conversations.

Do EpiPens Fail Higher-Weight Patients

Weight and Healthcare • 359 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medical Research Medication Body Weight Healthcare access
  1. There is controversy around Epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) and higher-weight patients, with studies showing needle length inadequacy in penetrating muscle tissue in some individuals.
  2. Research indicates that proper needle length and low-pressure injection are crucial for effective EAI use in higher-weight individuals, with concerns about dose adequacy, especially in women with higher BMIs.
  3. To address EAI effectiveness in higher-weight patients, measuring skin-to-muscle depth for personalized needle selection, pushing firmly during injection, and advocating for more inclusive research are recommended.

Friday Q&A: about menopause providers; ozempic; when to see a therapist; & … do physical exams matter?

Are You Okay? • 359 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Menopause Weight Loss Therapy
  1. Finding a reputable menopause doctor can be done through organizations like the North American Menopause Society for certified practitioners or by educating your own doctor about the latest data on hormone replacement therapy.
  2. The use of Ozempic for weight loss raises ethical concerns for some individuals, especially if they have a history of yo-yo dieting. It's important to carefully consider the implications before starting this medication.
  3. The Q&A post covers various health topics like menopause providers, Ozempic use, seeing a therapist, and the relevance of physical exams, providing valuable insights for readers.

Lagging Behind

Venture Prose • 359 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Productivity Self-care Mental health
  1. Acknowledge when you're falling behind and need to clean house. Don't blame yourself too much; it happens. Adjust your schedule to find more time and space to get things done in the next few days.
  2. Prioritize tasks and schedule them for the upcoming week. Be careful not to spread them too thin. Start with the most critical things early in the morning to avoid carrying a mental backlog.
  3. Don't be afraid to say no, reschedule, or cancel commitments. Get back to handling emails and important messages promptly without overthinking. Be honest about your overwhelmed feelings.

Return of the mask?

Logging the World • 358 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Public Health Masks Infections Prevention
  1. Masks may help reduce COVID spread, but their impact could be limited. Calls for widespread mask-wearing may not significantly alter infection rates and could be less effective than expected.
  2. Clarity in messaging is crucial. Different perspectives within organizations like Independent SAGE can lead to confusion in public health recommendations. Consistent and clear communication is essential for effective response.
  3. Temporary return to mask-wearing might not have a significant long-term impact. Adherence to such measures could be short-lived and may not prevent exponential growth unless sustained over time.

Psychedelics & the death experience

Trickle-Down Wellness • 196 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Research Mental health
  1. Psychedelics are being researched for various medical applications like treating anxiety, depression, and existential distress in terminally-ill patients.
  2. Historically, LSD studies funded by the US government from 1953-1973 showed positive results for various conditions and situations.
  3. Ongoing debates exist around the use of macrodoses or microdoses of psychedelics as medicine, with evidence showing potential benefits of larger doses, especially in end-of-life care.

Fertility Links

In My Tribe • 470 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Fertility Marriage Parenting Demographics Aging
  1. Women are most fertile in their late teens, and the decline in fertility happens steadily between ages 20 and 40. It's important to understand this to make informed choices about family planning.
  2. Many countries are experiencing lower birth rates, and this trend is not just linked to economic factors. It's happening in places where we might not expect it, showing that fertility is a complex issue.
  3. Marriage is changing, becoming less common and often entered into later in life. This shift affects when couples start having children, which can contribute to declining birth rates.

Does Nicotinamide Riboside Fuel Cancer Growth?

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 818 implied HN points • 22 Nov 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Cancer Supplementation Prevention Research
  1. A new study highlights the concern that nicotinamide riboside (NR) could potentially fuel cancer growth, especially in the case of triple-negative breast cancer.
  2. The study utilized mice models to show that NR supplementation could lead to increased tumor prevalence and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer cells.
  3. The research suggests that the strategies for preventing cancer differ from those required for treating cancer, emphasizing the importance of nourishing detoxification and immune surveillance.

Study Finds Doctors’ Weight Loss Advice Is Rarely Effective

Weight and Healthcare • 599 implied HN points • 11 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body positivity
  1. Study found that doctors' weight loss advice is usually not effective, including generic suggestions like 'eat less, move more'.
  2. Doctors receive minimal education on nutrition and weight management, making it unfair to expect them to provide effective weight loss advice.
  3. Moving to a weight-neutral paradigm can improve doctor-patient interactions by focusing on health rather than body size, potentially benefiting patient care.

Not For Sale

Bodies get in the way... • 353 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Motherhood Surrogacy Breastfeeding Attachment Ethics
  1. Mothers for Mother advocates against surrogacy, highlighting that it can exploit vulnerable women and separate babies from their mothers.
  2. The bond between a mother and baby is crucial for a baby's emotional and cognitive development, with surrogacy potentially disrupting this connection.
  3. Surrogacy poses ethical and physiological risks, and laws regarding surrogacy vary widely across different countries.

#52: Habits, Projects, Practices 🔧

Game of One • 196 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Habits Projects Practices
  1. Finding balance between chaos and structure is important, especially in a shared living environment.
  2. Exploring vs. exploiting is a crucial consideration in decision-making, depending on the complexity of the problem and time horizon.
  3. Distinguishing between habits, projects, and practices can help in managing workload effectively and achieving long-term goals.

Letters from an Unlikely Friendship (redux)

if not, Paris • 353 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Grief Memory
  1. The importance of being radically present in life and avoiding getting lost in memories or the past.
  2. Reflecting on the impact of aging and death on relationships, memory, and the importance of cherishing the present moment.
  3. Embracing the idea of living in the present, learning from elders, and being mindful of not sacrificing present happiness for future concerns.

Even if Lots of Mental Illnesses Are Just Preferences, Caplan Is Still Wrong About Mental Illness

Bentham's Newsletter • 353 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Philosophy Treatment Incentives Stigma
  1. Caplan argues that if something is responsive to incentives, it can't be a mental illness.
  2. Preferences can be irrational and harmful, making them akin to mental illnesses.
  3. Mental illness can be a complex judgment based on normative considerations and other factors.

Of Ozempic and Wegovy: Obesity can be an Illness

The Frontier Psychiatrists • 353 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity Diabetes Treatment Risks
  1. Obesity can be considered an illness, impacted by factors like medications, lifestyle changes, and health conditions.
  2. Medical treatments like semaglutide (Ozempic) can help improve metabolic health in individuals with obesity and related conditions like diabetes.
  3. It's important to consider the risks of inaction in managing obesity and related health issues, alongside the risks of treatments, with a focus on improving quality of life.

Sensitivity-to-the-world

box. • 359 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology ADHD Self-help
  1. Being labeled as 'gifted' or having ADHD can create pressure and frustration. Some people feel these labels don't really reflect their struggles and often lead to unfair expectations.
  2. It's important to address needs before they become critical. Creating an accommodating environment helps everyone feel supported and reduces the chance of slipping into crisis.
  3. Sensitivity can be viewed as a strength rather than a weakness. With the right tools and understanding, people can harness their sensitivity to succeed and thrive.

A Tale of Two Brews: Ayahuasca vs. Yagé 🌱🐍

Tripsitter • 99 implied HN points • 11 Apr 24
🏥 Health & Wellness
  1. Ayahuasca and Yagé are similar brews with differences in preparation and administration, used by indigenous tribes across Amazonian territories.
  2. Ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru and Yagé ceremonies in Colombia have unique brewing styles and approaches, with differences in the choice of plants and rituals.
  3. The effects and experiences in Ayahuasca and Yagé ceremonies vary, with distinct energetic qualities and styles of healers, but both hold the intention of healing mind, body, and spirit.

Queries for Katy: When to Quit

The Flawed Yogi Report • 79 implied HN points • 02 May 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-help Mental health Physical health Personal Development
  1. Quitting is often the best choice. Consider sunk cost fallacy and prioritize future satisfaction over past investment.
  2. Avoid turning your passion into a job. Balancing strength and ease in activities could lead to greater satisfaction and effectiveness.
  3. Find the right balance of difficulty in tasks to enhance pleasure and effectiveness. Don't stress too much about grades, focus on enjoying the work and learning.