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The combination of physical intimacy and oxytocin seems to boost healing, according to research published in JAMA Psychiatry. The study found that wounds healed faster among couples who received oxytocin—the so-called love hormone—and reported more sexual activity and affectionate touch.

Celebrities are making smoking cigarettes cool again, worrying antismoking advocates, who fear a reversal of the yearslong decline in U.S. smoking rates.

Child deaths will rise this year for the first time in decades. About 243,000 more children under five have died or will die this year than in 2024, according to a report by the University of Washington funded in part by the Gates Foundation.

How much of their body weight patients lost, on average, in late-stage trials of a 7.2 mg dose of Wegovy that spanned over a year, according to Novo Nordisk. The drugmaker filed for U.S. approval of the once-weekly injection—which exceeds the current maximum dose of 2.4-mg—with an accelerated FDA decision expected in a month or two.

The secret to Latino teens’ better mental health is strong communities, writes Ann Dunning. Despite greater economic challenges, many children in Latino immigrant families benefit from networks of interdependence that support them into adulthood.

Caring for elderly parents can be particularly difficult for the holidays, writes Elizabeth Bernstein. The WSJ columnist sought advice on coping from people who have spent an extended period caring for a sick loved one.

Autoimmune diseases rise sharply after 50, but scientists are making progress in understanding and treating these disorders, which can go unrecognized for years.

Former FDA leaders criticized the agency’s new vaccine standards, saying they put Americans’ health at risk. The joint statement comes after FDA vaccine division director Dr. Vinay Prasad recently outlined plans to require larger clinical trials for vaccine approval, which is likely to reshape their development and distribution.

The U.S. government negotiated lower prices for Ozempic and 14 other drugs in Medicare, widening an effort to rein in drug costs. The price cuts will save the federal health-insurance program an estimated $12 billion in prescription-drug spending.

The U.K and U.S. struck a deal on higher drug prices. Britain will spend more on new medicines in exchange for avoiding tariffs on U.K. pharmaceutical exports to the U.S., the first major success in President Trump’s drive to get other countries to pay more for medicines he says are unfairly subsidized by American consumers.

The Health newsletter gives you a weekly briefing on what’s new in health, medicine, personal well-being and the business of healthcare.