Health
The War on Sunscreen: How Misinformation May Be Undermining Cancer Prevention
Despite its wide recognition as an effective tool for skin cancer prevention, many Americans still say they aren’t sure how sunscreen works. This sunscreen confusion highlights a central challenge in preventing skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
(Feature Impact) Despite its wide recognition as an effective tool for skin cancer prevention, many Americans still say they aren’t sure how sunscreen works. In fact, confusion about its use and misinformation persist, especially on social media.
According to a national survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of the nonprofit Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), 53% of the 2,000 adult respondents said they’ve seen claims that sunscreen ingredients may be harmful while 59% reported they’re concerned about what’s in sunscreen and 38% don’t believe sunscreen is safe and effective.
This sunscreen confusion highlights a central challenge in preventing skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the various types of skin cancer, 9 out of 10, including melanoma, are linked to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to the MRA. The survey found most Americans have a basic understanding of the risks of sun exposure, including the more than 8 in 10 who recognize spending long hours in the sun contributes to melanoma risk. However, roughly one-quarter said they rarely or never use sunscreen when outdoors.
Reducing exposure to UV radiation lowers the risk of skin cancer, making sunscreen a key part of prevention, even during those everyday moments you may not immediately recognize as “risky,” like a short walk through a parking lot or an hour sitting in the bleachers at a sporting event.
To combat the confusion, it’s important to first understand how sunscreen works. It absorbs or blocks UV radiation from reaching the skin, preventing DNA damage that can cause cancer.
“Conflicting or incomplete information can make people less likely to wear sunscreen consistently,” said Dr. Joan Levy, chief science officer at the MRA, “but the science on sun protection is clear, and sunscreen is one of the most effective tools to prevent melanoma.”
Active ingredients in sunscreen in the U.S. undergo rigorous review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which evaluates them as over-the-counter drugs – a standard which requires extensive testing and contributes to a more limited set of approved UV filters compared to Europe, where sunscreens are regulated as cosmetics.
The FDA is evaluating additional methodologies for assessing sunscreen ingredients, a process that could, according to Levy, expand the number of approved UV filters available in the U.S.
While melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer, real progress is being made in melanoma research. Recent advances are improving outcomes for many patients with the disease, though approximately 50% of patients do not respond to current treatments, according to the MRA, underscoring why prevention and early detection are critical.
“Treatments such as immunotherapy have significantly improved outcomes for many melanoma patients, but we should never need to treat what we could have prevented,” Levy said.
To learn more and find strategies to protect your skin, visit CureMelanoma.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Child Health
9 Steps for a Lifetime of Heart-Healthy Eating
Heart Healthy: More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the United States have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity. However, these nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve quality of life.
9 Steps for a Lifetime of Heart-Healthy Eating
(Feature Impact) More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the United States have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity, and lead directly to poor health outcomes including death from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
These findings come from the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, which published its “2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health” in its peer-reviewed, flagship journal “Circulation” recommending Americans follow a lifelong healthy eating pattern that may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve quality of life based on the latest in evidence-based science.
The statement outlines nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern:
- Adjust energy intake and expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight: Try to balance how much you eat with how active you are to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits: Include different colors, textures and types of produce. Remember, even canned and frozen can be nutritious and affordable.
- Choose foods made mostly with whole grains: Foods such as whole‑wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal are typically better choices than refined grains including white bread or rice.
- Choose healthy sources of protein: Shift from meat to plant-based sources such as legumes, including beans, peas and lentils, along with nuts and seeds; regularly consume fish and seafood; select low-fat or fat-free dairy products; and, if red meat is desired, choose lean cuts, avoid processed forms and limit portion size.
- Choose sources of unsaturated fats: Replace saturated fats with healthy unsaturated fats, including those from nuts, seeds, avocados and nontropical plant oils.
- Choose minimally processed foods: Go with foods close to their natural state, with minimal added commercial ingredients, rather than those that are highly processed with additives.
- Minimize intake of added sugars: Limit the sugar-sweetened beverages you drink and the foods with added sugar you eat.
- Choose foods low in sodium and prepare foods with minimal or no salt: Be aware of hidden sources of sodium in prepared and packaged foods, and season food with healthier options such as herbs, spices or lemon instead of salt.
- If alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake: Alcohol can increase your risk for high blood pressure and other health conditions, so if you don’t drink, don’t start.
“For healthy eating to be more attainable and sustainable, we recommend people focus on their overall eating pattern rather than specific nutrients or foods,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, volunteer chair of the scientific statement writing committee and senior scientist and leader of the Diet and Chronic Disease Prevention Directive at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “Every time you choose to make a swap for a healthier alternative, you’re making a step toward a healthier life.”
While the updated guidance is specifically designed to improve cardiovascular health, it’s generally consistent with dietary recommendations for other conditions like Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, some cancers and brain health as well due to shared risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, excess weight and reduced kidney function.
“A healthy dietary pattern can support lifelong health and well-being beyond cardiovascular health,” Lichtenstein said.
To learn more about eating for heart and brain health, visit heart.org/healthydietand talk to your health care provider about what will work best for you.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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The Food and Drink section at STM Daily News delivers fresh coverage on dining, drinks, recipes, and the food stories bringing communities together.
Lifestyle
You have 30 minutes to save a knocked-out tooth. Only 27% of U.S. adults know that.
Saving a knocked-out tooth: Most U.S. adults say they would do almost anything to avoid losing a natural tooth. Most have also put off going to the dentist when they suspected something was wrong. And some may not be aware of the dental specialists whose entire focus is helping them do exactly that.
You have 30 minutes to save a knocked-out tooth. Only 27% of U.S. adults know that.
(Tiffany Miller) Most U.S. adults say they would do almost anything to avoid losing a natural tooth. Most have also put off going to the dentist when they suspected something was wrong. And some may not be aware of the dental specialists whose entire focus is helping them do exactly that. A new national survey from the American Association of Endodontists, the organization representing those specialists, finds all three of those things together at the center of how U.S. adults actually approach their dental health.
That tension runs through the entire survey. When faced with a serious tooth infection, 61% would choose a treatment that saves the tooth over extraction. Seventy-eight percent say they would do almost anything to avoid losing a natural tooth. The attachment runs deeper than appearances. It is about the tooth itself, the one that has been there your whole life, that feels irreplaceable in a way an implant or crown never quite does.
The gap is not in conviction. It is in knowing what to do.
Only 27% of U.S. adults correctly identify that a knocked-out tooth needs to be treated within 30 minutes to give it the best chance of being saved. The rest either guess wrong or have no idea how quickly the clock is running. And the specialists most equipped to help in that moment, dental professionals called endodontists whose entire focus is saving natural teeth, are known to only 44% of U.S. adults.
Cost widens the gap. Sixty percent of U.S. adults admit to having put off going to the dentist when they suspected something was wrong. The anatomy of that delay is familiar: a symptom that does not seem urgent enough, a bill that feels easier to avoid than face, an appointment that keeps getting pushed to next month. Of those who waited, 51% say it made things worse.
And then there is the fear. Root canals have a reputation that the data does not support. Asked what they believe, 28% of U.S. adults say a root canal is usually more painful than the toothache that sent them to the dentist in the first place. They have it backward. A root canal is designed to relieve that pain, not add to it, according to the American Association of Endodontists. But the perception lingers, shaped in part by a fragmented information environment where 35% of U.S. adults say they have encountered conflicting or confusing information online about procedures such as root canals.
U.S. adults feel strongly about their natural teeth, probably more than they would have predicted before being asked. They delay the care that protects them, do not know what to do when time is short, and are not always getting their information from sources that serve them well.
For a tooth that can often be saved in 30 minutes, that combination has consequences.
Methodology
American Association of Endodontists commissioned Atomik Research, a creative market research agency part of 4media group, to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between April 3 and April 8, 2026.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
American Association of Endodontists
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Author
Last Updated on May 19, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) Roughly 1 in 8 American adults take GLP-1 medications for diabetes or weight loss and the number continues growing, according to a recent KFF Health poll. People considering these drugs understandably have many questions, ranging from which GLP-1 would be best, what side effects might they experience and whether their insurance will cover it.
The health care professional who prescribes GLP-1s is a key source of information, but another vital partner is the medication expert on your health care team: your pharmacist.
“GLP-1s are more complicated than your typical antibiotic or medicines like cholesterol drugs, and they require particular expertise to manage effectively,” said Martin Torres, PharmD, director of pharmacy, University of California, Irvine. “With their medication management expertise, pharmacists are particularly equipped to counsel people on GLP-1s. Our guidance can help people maximize benefits and minimize the risks.”
GLP-1s are intended to be taken long-term, so it’s helpful to consult with the pharmacist at your medical center or clinic. The health-system pharmacists who work collaboratively with doctors in these settings can serve as ongoing guides on your GLP-1 journey.
Here are three ways they can support you.
Managing Costs
Health-system pharmacists are an important resource for helping figure out how to pay for your medications. If you have insurance, they can help determine which GLP-1s your plan covers and which will suit you best.
If your plan doesn’t cover these drugs or you lack insurance, pharmacists can help you find alternative payment options, such as a drug-maker coupon or medication-support program.
Effective and Safe Usage
Figuring out the optimal dose and frequency for each patient typically takes time. Many people also experience side effects. Pharmacists can help you manage the risks and maximize the effectiveness of your GLP-1 in several ways.
- They’re experts in flagging potential harmful interactions between GLP-1s and other medications or supplements you’re taking.
- They can work with you to cope with or lessen side effects such as nausea, reflux and constipation.
- They can advocate to your doctor for increasing or decreasing your dose to get you to the safest effective amount and coordinate any other needed medication changes.
- They can teach you how to administer your medication properly to avoid waste.
Lifestyle Changes
Health-system pharmacists are also resources for lifestyle counseling to make the most of your GLP-1. There’s a common misconception that GLP-1s simply melt away fat. Rather, by reducing cravings, they help people eat less – and that can open the door to developing healthier eating and activity habits.
Pharmacists can provide a wealth of information on the effects of lifestyle modifications. The strategies for healthy eating and physical activity they share can help make these a routine part of your life for long-term success.
To learn more about how health-system pharmacists can impact your overall health, visit yourpharmacist.org.
Discontinuing a GLP-1: How Your Pharmacist Can Smooth the Transition
At least half the people who start GLP-1s will stop within the first year. High costs, insurance issues and side effects are among the reasons people discontinue use. If you anticipate stopping your GLP-1, your health-system pharmacist can help smooth the transition.
A pharmacist’s extensive knowledge of medications is valuable not only for starting but also for stopping GLP-1s. They can help by:
- Determining whether a different GLP-1 or a more affordable source for the drug is right for you
- Helping people understand the source of side effects and how to lessen and manage them
- Providing advice on alternative medicines that may help patients reach their goals
- Guiding people on tapering their doses to avoid a hard stop
SOURCE:
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
