Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
November 26, 2024
Addiction
Vaping, even without nicotine, can have harmful cardiovascular effects
Even e-cigarettes without nicotine significantly reduce cardiovascular function, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania finds. The findings suggest vaping may be more dangerous than previously known.November 26, 2024
Health News
Access to donor kidneys, livers to widen as HHS approves transplants between people with HIV
The Department of Human Health Services gave final approval to allowing kidney and liver transplants among people with HIV, a move that is expected to widen the donor pool. Research shows these transplants are as safe and as effective as those using organs from people without HIV.November 26, 2024
Health Insurance
Obesity drugs would be covered by Medicare and Medicaid under Biden administration proposal
About 7 million people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid would gain access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro, which are not covered by these federal programs, under a new Biden administration proposal. But it will need to be finalized by the Trump administration.November 21, 2024
Mental Health
Music can help improve mental health, but the reason for this remains a mystery
Music therapy can help treat some neurological and psychiatric disorders, and helps decrease anxiety and improve functioning in people with depression, research shows. But the precise mechanisms that give music so much power over emotions are still unclear. Here's a playlist of cove songs that I've used to boost my mood.November 21, 2024
Health News
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans report suffering from chronic pain, which can interfere with daily life
From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of adults who reported chronic pain grew from 20.4% to 24.3%, and the percentage who said they have high-impact chronic pain jumped from 7.4% to 8.5%, according to data released this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.November 20, 2024
Children's Health
Earbuds can damage kids' hearing if they listen too loud for too long
Listening to loud volumes with earbuds for lengthy periods of time can cause hearing loss in children and adolescents, audiologists warns. To protect your ears, limit the volume to 80% of the maximum setting and listen for no more than 90 minutes at a time.November 19, 2024
Adult Health
Why is it so easy to regain weight after losing it? New research sheds light on the 'yo-yo effect'
The yo-yo effect, when people diet and lose weight but regain it quickly, is partly caused by fat cells retaining the memory of being overweight, a new study shows.November 15, 2024
Addiction
Heavy drinking surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn't let up since
Heavy drinking surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to rise in the years since, a new study finds. The research suggests consuming alcohol to cope with stress has become more culturally acceptable since 2020, and calls for doctors to more aggressively screen for the heavy drinking.November 14, 2024
Depression
Light lamps can help combat the winter blues, but choosing an effective one can be tricky
Light lamps, often combined with antidepressants and talk therapy, can help treat seasonal affective disorder. But choosing an effective lamp can be tricky. Here are some tips to help find lamps that are large and bright enough to be beneficial, but also filter ultraviolet rays.November 13, 2024
Children's Health
Lunchables will no longer be offered as part of the National School Lunch Program
Kraft Heinz has pulled Lunchables from the National Lunch Program citing low demand. The meal kits, which are highly processed and high in sodium, had come under scrutiny of Consumer Reports and other health advocacy groups.Just In
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