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More than 900 Californians, including 15 children, have died from the flu this season

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SAN JOSE, Calif. — This year’s flu season is off to a deadly start.

More than 900 people have died from influenza since the beginning of October in California, more than have died at this point in any of the last six respiratory virus seasons, according to a report released Friday by the California Department of Public Health.

A quarter of...Read more

Ovarian cancer is not a silent killer – recognizing its symptoms could help reduce misdiagnosis and late detection

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly of gynecologic tumors. Fewer than 40% of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer are cured, and approximately 12,810 people in the U.S. die from the disease every year.

For the past 25 years, scientists have tried to identify a screening test to detect ovarian cancer in its earliest stages, when the ...Read more

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'Everybody is getting sick.' Flu is on the rise in Florida -- and here's what doctors say

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

MIAMI — We’re feeling it in South Florida.

Feeling the fever. The chills. The fatigue.

People with flu-like symptoms are pouring into Miami-Dade and Broward urgent care and ERs as infections across the country reach levels not seen in a decade. And for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020, flu-related hospitalizations and...Read more

Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

Kratom to be tested for addiction risk in first-ever study

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Popular for its stimulating and pain-relieving properties, the herb kratom can be as easy to buy as a bag of chips in many parts of the U.S. That’s also raised questions about whether kratom should be more closely regulated.

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration-funded clinical trial expected to begin this summer seeks to provide more ...Read more

Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Since arriving in the United States four years ago, Alex has worked at a primary care office. He has witnessed firsthand how difficult it was for immigrants to access preventive care.

When he heard of the implementation of Florida’s Senate Bill 1718, Alex feared it would have dire consequences for the patients he served.

...Read more

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Lifestyle beats genetics on path to premature death, study finds

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Environmental and lifestyle factors play a far greater role than genetics in determining the likelihood of dying young, according to the largest study yet to untangle the contributions of nature and nurture to healthy aging.

A range of external factors including exercise and smoking — collectively dubbed the “exposome” — was almost 10 ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q and A: 5 things to know about stroke

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A friend from my book club recently had a stroke. I learned that women have a higher risk of strokes. What are the risk factors, and are there signs to watch for that indicate someone is having a stroke?

ANSWER: A stroke can happen at any time and to anyone. You might be talking to your loved one and notice they're suddenly ...Read more

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Elon Musk cuts to 9/11 health fund spark bipartisan outrage

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Elon Musk’s deep cuts to the 9/11 health fund have sparked rare bipartisan outrage as Republicans join Democratic lawmakers in demanding they be restored.

The budget-slashing billionaire’s rapid fire cuts have already eliminated about 20% of the staff at the federal program that provides care to survivors of the deadliest terror attack on ...Read more

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Republicans are eyeing cuts to Medicaid. What's Medicaid, again?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In January, during a congressional hearing on his way to becoming secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got basic details wrong about Medicaid — a program he now oversees.

He said that Medicaid is fully funded by the federal government (it’s not) and that many enrollees are unsatisfied with high out...Read more

Parents, doctors, medical researchers seek treatment for disease with no name

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ATLANTA — There may never be a name for 9-year-old Ireland Tolbert’s diagnosis, but one day soon, n-Lorem, a medical research and development nonprofit, hopes to provide a medication that will improve her quality of life.

Shanna Tolbert always wanted to be a mother. She had a dreamy, healthy pregnancy with Ireland, her first child, and an ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

Pain clinics made millions from 'unnecessary' injections into 'human pin cushions'

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

McMINNVILLE, Tenn. — Each month, Michelle Shaw went to a pain clinic to get the shots that made her back feel worse — so she could get the pills that made her back feel better.

Shaw, 56, who has been dependent on opioid painkillers since she injured her back in a fall a decade ago, said in both an interview with KFF Health News and in sworn...Read more

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

RFK Jr. and Trump's new commission targets mental health medication

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Washington state health care professionals who treat children are bracing as a new commission launched by President Donald Trump's administration takes aim at psychiatric drugs.

Last Thursday, an executive order from the White House established a new "Make America Healthy Again Commission," chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Medical misconduct: Read the investigation on sexual abuse by providers

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Multiple well-known Illinois health systems have allowed workers accused of sexually abusing patients to keep providing care, a yearlong Tribune investigation has found.

And while some medical systems in other states have reckoned publicly with their failures, Illinois health care providers have quietly settled lawsuits, entered into ...Read more

How medical treatments devised for war can quickly be implemented in US hospitals to save lives

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

For decades, military doctors faced a critical challenge: What’s the best way to safely and effectively deliver oxygen to patients in remote combat zones, rural hospitals or disaster-stricken areas?

Oxygen tanks are heavy, costly and dangerous in combat zones. A direct hit from a missile or a bullet can turn a lifesaving resource ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: The magic of magnesium in human health

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in many of the body’s functions but is often overlooked in daily diets. Found in a variety of foods, magnesium is vital for maintaining health and wellness. From supporting heart function to energy production, this article will explore the importance of magnesium, daily needs, and ...Read more

Dietitians say this is the ideal time to eat dinner

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

After a long day of work and errands, planning dinner can be a drag. This is especially true if you’re a busy bee, or your schedule is constantly changing. As a result, you might find yourself eating dinner at a different time each day — but does it actually matter? Ahead, dietitians explain the best time to eat dinner, and whether it’s ...Read more

Is the portfolio diet the best diet ever?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

News flash: What we eat can play a pivotal role in warding off — or treating — disease and enhancing quality of life. You may already believe this, and certainly mounting evidence supports that idea. But on the cluttered shelf of diets claiming top health benefits, which one ranks as the absolute best?

That’s a trick question. In fact, ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is Merkel cell carcinoma?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently heard about a type of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. I’m not familiar with this condition. Can you explain what it is? Do I need to do anything different to protect myself?

ANSWER: Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that 1 in every 5 people ...Read more

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5 things parents should know – and do – to keep kids' hearts healthy

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Keeping kids healthy can be a big job. From the day their children are born, parents ferry them to and from medical offices, getting their immune systems boosted, teeth cleaned, eyes checked and stuffy noses decongested.

But experts say there's one body part parents and health care professionals may be overlooking: the heart.

"As a ...Read more

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9/11 health program staff cuts are 'insulting,' 'un-American': Schumer, Gillibrand

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Federal cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program have resulted in a 23% reduction in the agency’s staffing and could put 9/11 survivors at risk, critics said Tuesday.

New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have already reached out to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding the “insulting” and...Read more