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title: Zika, Cupping and EpiPens: Your Health Questions in 2016
description: Zika, heartburn drugs and EpiPen prices were among the topics that saw the greatest rises in search interest in 2016, according to WebMD.
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author: David Johnson
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article:published_time: 2016-12-08T18:35:04.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:31.653Z
article:section: Health
og:title: Zika, Cupping and Hummus: Your Health Questions in 2016
og:description: See which health issues drove online searches this year
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og:image:alt: Chinese doctor cupping patients back
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twitter:description: See which health issues drove online searches this year
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0bcaadd1b20db93/6988a18ce20a87158da91f83/cupping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Zika, Cupping and Hummus: Your Health Questions in 2016

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## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

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| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
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Source: TIME, August 2026.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
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| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

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*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=0bfceced-dd21-42fb-b3dd-0c9bb5b5ac0a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

#### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?

It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

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#### Who writes TIME's newsletters?

TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk.

#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

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### Sources

*   TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0bfceced-dd21-42fb-b3dd-0c9bb5b5ac0a&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)

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by 

[David Johnson](https://time.com/author/dave-johnson/)


## David Johnson


Dec 8, 2016 6:35 PM UTC

![Chinese doctor cupping patients back](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0bcaadd1b20db93/6988a18ce20a87158da91f83/cupping.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Getty Images

by 

[David Johnson](https://time.com/author/dave-johnson/)


## David Johnson


Dec 8, 2016 6:35 PM UTC

To find out what’s ailing Americans—or at least which ailments they’re curious about—look no further than online search traffic. Zika, heartburn drugs and EpiPen prices were among the topics that saw the greatest rises in search interest in the U.S. in 2016, according to data gathered by [health publisher WebMD](http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2016/12/webmds-top-search-trends-in-2016.html).

While cold symptoms, the flu, high blood pressure and diabetes are always the most-searched topics among WebMD’s 72 million monthly visitors, who are largely young and female, here are six issues that saw big increases in attention this year compared to 2015:

**1\. Zika** – searches up 433,558%

The sharp increase in Zika searches began when pictures were released of [babies in Brazil born with microcephaly](http://time.com/4208233/brazil-recife-zika-outbreak/?iid=sr-link10), or abnormally small heads, after their mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy. Interest [remained high through the Summer Olympics](http://time.com/4257124/zika-fears-cause-american-olympians-to-scramble/) in Rio and continued as the virus began spreading locally in Miami Beach, Fla.

**2\. Heartburn drugs and dementia** – searches up 56,480%

Search traffic spiked following the [release of a study](http://time.com/4225830/heartburn-dementia-seniors/?iid=sr-link1) finding that seniors who regularly took certain heartburn drugs—such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid—were 44% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.


**3\. Rising cost of EpiPens** – searched up 1,677%

Readers searched for information about EpiPens, which are used to treat severe allergic reactions, after drug company [Mylan raised the price](http://time.com/4470470/epipen-price-drop-generic/) of the medication by 500% to more than $600.

**4\. Food recalls** – searches up 263%

Search traffic rose after hummus company [Sabra voluntarily recalled](http://time.com/4578305/sabra-hummus-recall-2016-listeria/?iid=sr-link1) some of its products for possible listeria contamination. Nature Valley, Nestle and Clif Bar also issued recalls in 2016 and drove search traffic on WebMD.

**5\. Opioid abuse** – searches up 228%

Searches related to opioids rose after news broke that [Prince died by opioid overdose](http://time.com/4355626/prince-dead-opioid-epidemic/?iid=sr-link1).

**6\. Cupping** – searches up 136%

During the Summer Olympics, Gold medalist Michael Phelps brought attention to [cupping](http://time.com/4443105/cupping-rio-olympics-michael-phelps/?iid=sr-link2), an ancient Chinese practice thought to loosen muscles and improve circulation by drawing blood to a certain area. Interest remained high for two months following the Olympics.

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