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What's at stake: A pivotal election for six big health issues

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In the final days of the campaign, stark disagreements between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump over the future of American health care are on display — in particular, in sober warnings about abortion access, the specter of future cuts to the Affordable Care Act, and bold pronouncements about empowering activists ...Read more

Osteoporosis, the silent disease, can shorten your life − here’s how to prevent fractures and keep bones healthy

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Because there are typically no symptoms until the first fracture occurs, osteoporosis is considered a silent disease. Some call it a silent killer.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by decreased bone density and strength, leading to fragile, brittle bones that increase the risk of fractures, especially in the spine, hips ...Read more

I’m a Muslim immigrant and a psychiatrist living in Michigan – I haven’t decided how to vote yet

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

My three daughters and I arrived in Michigan from Pakistan in 2000.

Moving here was my choice, and I followed the legal process. Before the move, I had often been to the United States. I was familiar with the culture and spoke fluent English, so I thought I was prepared.

Resuming my career as a physician in the U.S. was ...Read more

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Influx of mobile methadone clinics bring treatment to the streets

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

There's a small line forming outside a plain white box truck in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. A half-dozen folks are waiting on a gusty October morning for their turn to go inside and receive red liquid in a cup, medication that will help them get through the next 24 hours without opioids.

Or if they do use, to keep them alive.

It's life-...Read more

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For people with opioid addiction, Medicaid 'unwinding' raises the stakes

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone treatment when she moved to Florida from Indiana last year. The nearest clinic was almost an hour’s drive away and she couldn’t drive herself. But at least she didn’t have to worry about the cost of care.

As a parent with young children who was unable to find a job ...Read more

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Ask the Pediatrician: Baby walkers are a dangerous choice

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Baby walkers send thousands of children to hospitals every year, pushing the AAP to call for a ban on the sale of baby walkers with certain features.

Read about why they are not safe and what you can do.

Children in baby walkers can:

Roll down the stairs, which often causes broken bones and severe head injuries. This is how most children ...Read more

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Moore signs agreement for federal health care model to promote equity and affordable care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore signed an agreement Friday pledging Maryland’s participation in a federal model to promote equitable and affordable health care for all Maryland residents.

With Moore’s signature, the state will participate in the federal States Advancing All-Payer Equity Approaches and Development Model, also known as the AHEAD...Read more

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In Montana, conservative groups see chance to kill Medicaid expansion

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Conservative groups are working to undermine support for Montana’s Medicaid expansion in hopes the state will abandon the program. The rollback would be the first in the decade since the Affordable Care Act began allowing states to cover more people with low incomes.

Montana’s expansion, which insures roughly 78,800 people, is set to expire...Read more

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Paid sick leave is up for a vote in three states

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ST. LOUIS — Voters in Missouri, Nebraska and Alaska will soon decide whether workers in those states should be entitled to paid sick leave.

If approved, the ballot measures would allow many workers to accrue paid time off, a benefit supporters say means workers — especially those with low-paying jobs — would no longer have to fear losing ...Read more

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Trump wants Harris to pay a political price for generous immigrant health policies

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Maria Sanchez immigrated to the Chicago area from Mexico about 30 years ago. Now 87, she’s still living in the U.S. without authorization. Like many longtime immigrants, she has worked — and paid taxes, including Medicare taxes — all that time.

But Sanchez never had health insurance, and when she turned 65, she couldn’t enroll in ...Read more

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Florida medical device maker Exactech declares bankruptcy

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Exactech, a Florida device manufacturer that faces more than 2,000 state and federal lawsuits from patients who allege the company sold defective hip and knee implants, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday.

The Gainesville-based company said in a statement it was restructuring and would be sold to an investor group of private equity and “...Read more

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'Dreamers' can enroll in ACA plans this year -- but a court challenge could get in the way

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, starts nationwide this week, a group that had previously been barred from signing up will be eligible for the first time: The “Dreamers.” That’s the name given to children brought to the United States without immigration paperwork who have since qualified for the Deferred ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Minute: Stroke treatment

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Each year, an estimated 15 million people around the globe experience stroke, according to the World Health Organization, with one-third resulting in death. That's why immediate stroke treatment is crucial.

When the symptoms of stroke present, calling 911 and seeking care immediately is the most crucial step to prevent disability or death.

“...Read more

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Bridging the digital divide to help rural smokers quit

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Rural adults are more likely to smoke than their urban counterparts. Enhancing digital literacy and improving access to the internet and digital devices may make it easier for rural smokers to quit. These are the findings of a randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial Mayo Clinic researchers published in Nature Communications Medicine.

...Read more

Overdose deaths are rising among Black and Indigenous Americans

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data.

Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but that they still ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is cardiac amyloidosis?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My dad was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis shortly after his 70th birthday. It's difficult to pronounce let alone understand. What is cardiac amyloidosis? Am I at risk if it is genetic?

ANSWER: Amyloidosis is a rare condition defined by the abnormal production of proteins that bind together to form amyloid proteins. These ...Read more

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What new guidelines say to do to prevent a stroke

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. have a first stroke each year. Newly updated recommendations spell out methods for changing that.

The new guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, published in the journal Stroke, aim to prevent stroke throughout a person's life via preventive care and healthy ...Read more

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Mothering over meds: Docs say common treatment for opioid-exposed babies isn't necessary

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

On learning last year she was pregnant with her second child, Cailyn Morreale was overcome with fear and trepidation.

“I was so scared,” said Morreale, a resident of the small western North Carolina town of Mars Hill. In that moment, her joy about being pregnant was eclipsed by fear she would have to stop taking buprenorphine, a drug used ...Read more

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In 'concerning development,' officials say H5N1 bird flu has infected a pig in Oregon

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Oregon state and federal officials confirmed Wednesday that H5N1 bird flu was found in a pig living Crook County — the first such swine infection reported in the current outbreak.

The strain of bird flu virus in the pig is slightly different than the one that has been plaguing dairy cows in California and other states, which is known as B3.13...Read more

How to choose the healthiest salad dressing

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Salad dressings are an important part of the taste and nutrition of your salad. But with countless varieties of salad dressings on store shelves, picking out a healthy one can feel overwhelming. Here’s how to choose a healthy salad dressing, including what ingredients to look for and avoid, and nutrition stats to be aware of.

What makes salad...Read more