Health & Wellness

Ludwigshafen -- Safer Internet Day falls on February 9, 2027, and Germany's klicksafe initiative is calling on schools, companies, authorities and clubs to register their own events now. This year's motto is "Mein Bild – Deine Grenze" ("My Image – Your Boundary"), with a focus on stopping sexualized violence online.

Sextortion and grooming are hitting more children

Sexualized deepfakes, cybergrooming and sextortion are increasingly affecting children and teenagers, according to klicksafe. Sextortion means blackmailing victims with intimate images. One example from the organizers: a girl refuses to send more photos, and the other person threatens to forward her pictures to all her contacts.

Memphis – October 29, 2026 -- Wearing a polyester T-shirt increased microplastic exposure in the personal breathing zone by up to 42% compared with a cotton one, according to preliminary results from a University of Memphis pilot study.

Polyester wearers breathed in nearly 2,000 particles per cubic meter

Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations near participants' breathing zones while they wore either cotton or polyester-containing T-shirts. With polyester, readings reached nearly 2,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter.

Up to 77% of the detected particles were microscopic. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer commonly used in polyester clothing, turned up in 99% of the airborne microplastics the team identified.

Hollywood – October 29, 2026 -- Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital has implanted an Inspire hypoglossal nerve stimulation device in a teenage patient with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, its first such procedure. The hospital is now the only center in South Florida offering the therapy to these patients.

How the implant keeps airways open during sleep

Inspire is described as the first FDA-approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside the body to address the root cause of the condition. A small device is implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and uses gentle stimulation to keep the airway open during sleep. Patients or caregivers turn the therapy on before bedtime by clicking a button on the Inspire remote.

PITTSBURGH – October 29, 2026 -- Pedestrian deaths are nearly 45% higher on Halloween than on other evenings around the same time of year, so Allegheny Health Network (AHN) pediatricians are urging families to take five precautions before kids hit the streets this weekend.

Bright colors and supervision cut pedestrian risk

The 45% figure comes from the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics. AHN advises dressing children in bright or reflective clothing and choosing costumes that fit well to reduce tripping and falls.

Children under 12, or those who need an extra set of eyes, should be supervised. Stick to well-lit streets with sidewalks, cross at designated intersections, and show your child how to dial 911 in an emergency.

Somerset, N.J. – October 29, 2026 -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer, and the people supporting them, can ask whether proton therapy is an option if radiation is recommended, says ProCure Proton Therapy Center in New Jersey. For some patients, it may reduce radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue, including the heart and lungs.

A study found fewer lung changes and skin reactions with protons

Research published earlier this year in Breast Cancer Research examined 8,189 breast cancer patients who received radiation after surgery. Of those, 501 were treated with proton therapy.

Lung changes visible on imaging occurred in 5.8% of the proton group, compared with 10.0% of the conventional radiation group. Skin reactions were also less frequent with protons, at 13.4% versus 20.9%.

Carlsbad – October 29, 2026 -- Men in the US can now get certain peptides through state-licensed compounding pharmacies with a prescription, and Gameday Men's Health says it offers peptide therapy at 430 locations nationwide, subject to state law and pharmacy availability.

FDA interim policy moves peptides into licensed pharmacies

Under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new interim policy, state-licensed compounding pharmacies can prepare certain peptides with a prescription. Until now, many men have bought peptides online as "research chemicals," often made overseas, with no prescription and no medical oversight.

Gameday Chief Medical Officer Dr. Haleem Mohammed said the policy gives men "a safer option." He added that every prescription should start with a real medical evaluation and come from a licensed pharmacy.

Newtown, Connecticut – October 29, 2026 -- Older women on tight budgets who live with bladder leaks may soon find treatment easier to reach, thanks to a new grant for the nonprofit EliHealth Initiative.

A trust grant funds education and treatment access

The David N. Lane Trust for Aged & Indigent Women, administered by Bank of America, awarded the grant. It will support education and treatment access for financially disadvantaged older women.

Many women assume leakage is a normal part of aging or worry about the cost of care. EliHealth Initiative Director Daly Johnson says urinary incontinence is "usually treatable."

Managing leaks is not the same as treating them

Leaks can limit work, exercise, travel and social life, and the ongoing cost of pads strains limited budgets. Treatment options include pelvic floor therapy and treatments used at home.

ALBUQUERQUE – October 29, 2026 -- New Mexicans can start enrolling in 2027 health coverage on Nov. 1, 2026, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) is adding a wellness program that lets eligible members earn up to $100 a year.

Open Enrollment runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 15

The New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange (BeWell) Open Enrollment period runs from Nov. 1, 2026 through Jan. 15, 2027. Residents who enroll by Dec. 31 can have coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Blue Community HMO stays available statewide

BCBSNM will offer individual and family plans for 2027. Its Blue Community HMO will continue to be available across New Mexico. The network includes approximately 47 hospitals and more than 19,000 health care professionals, among them primary care providers, behavioral health providers and specialists.

CHICAGO – October 29, 2026 -- Illinois residents shopping for 2027 health coverage can start enrolling Nov. 1, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is adding new plan options and a wellness rewards program worth up to $100 a year.

BCBSIL adds plan designs and a catastrophic option

For individuals and families, BCBSIL will offer Blue Choice Preferred PPO, Blue Precision HMO, BlueCare Direct HMO and MyBlue Plus POS plans in various Illinois markets. New plan designs are coming to the BlueCare Direct HMO portfolio, and MyBlue Plus POS gains a new catastrophic option.

The Blue Choice Preferred PPO network includes more than 210 hospitals and nearly 100,000 providers statewide.

Eligible members can earn up to $100 for healthy activities

Through GO Wellbeing and Go Points, members age 18 and older can earn up to $100 each year for taking part in certain healthy activities.

WASHINGTON – October 29, 2026 -- LUNGevity Foundation's Every Breath Forward campaign will plant 60,000 white flags on the National Mall on November 1. During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, anyone can join through a home display, a volunteer shift, or a virtual dedication.

Each flag honors two lives lost to lung cancer

Each flag represents two of the more than 120,000 people who die from lung cancer in the United States every year. Volunteers will plant the flags, and a Survivor Rally will honor survivors and call for greater awareness and research.

On November 10 at 10 a.m., LUNGevity will hold a press conference on the National Mall with policymakers, survivors, advocates, researchers, and healthcare experts. Participants will call for sustained federal research funding, expanded access to lung cancer screening and early detection, and equitable access to advances in care.