Health Advice
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Measles cases reach 4,080 for the year -- the highest in decades
Measles cases for the calendar year surpassed 4,000 for the first time in decades, with as many as five deaths in Pennsylvania, as the federal government steps in with financial help for states but also fans vaccination fears and skepticism.
A weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 4,080 cases this year as of ...Read more
AI, tech leaders are lobbying Trump health officials in a government-run chat room
A cadre of elite techies, financiers, and high-level Trump administration officials have spent a year quietly charting an extraordinary and rapid campaign to persuade Americans to use apps and other artificial intelligence-powered tools to manage their healthcare and medical records.
As that campaign has unfolded, administration officials have ...Read more
Dengue cases continue to rise after heavy rain in Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. -- After days of rain across the Tampa Bay area, local officials are ramping up efforts against an unprecedented rise in cases of dengue fever this year.
As of Oct. 1, Hillsborough has seen 223 confirmed dengue fever cases, the most in the state. But that number is likely much higher, Florida Department of Health officer Carla Fry ...Read more
When abortion and surrogacy law collide, contracts can’t answer the hardest questions
Surrogacy arrangements – agreements for someone to carry a pregnancy for the intended parents – have existed for millennia, and modern surrogacy contracts for half a century.
These contracts typically address parental rights, the possibility of abortion, medical instructions, health insurance and payment of expenses, each side ...Read more
Sexual assault survivors’ stories may shift over time – a psychologist explains why it doesn’t mean they’re lying
If a person’s story changes in the weeks following an alleged sexual assault, are they not telling the truth?
It’s a criticism I’ve seen on social media and heard in the public conversation surrounding the lawsuit filed in September 2026 by a plaintiff known as Jane Doe, a former student at Cornell University, accusing seven ...Read more
Explosion in tick diseases spurs race for treatment and prevention
Drugmakers are pushing to develop effective defenses against Lyme disease as intensifying tick seasons continue to put more people at risk, with trials focused on vaccines and on drugs designed to block the pests’ ability to infect.
Companies including Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. have stepped up efforts 24 years after the only Lyme vaccine ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: How are rotator cuff tears treated?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've been diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear. What factors determine the best treatment approach, and what can I expect during recovery?
ANSWER: To better understand whether a rotator cuff tear may require surgery, it helps to first understand what the rotator cuff is and how it works.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles ...Read more
Pa. measles outbreak is nation's worst, echoing deadly 1991 Philadelphia epidemic
The child gasped for air, sitting alone in front of an upstairs television, near death inside her Northeast Philadelphia home.
As a measles outbreak ravaged the city, Philadelphia’s deputy health commissioner, Robert Ross, used the home phone to call a judge for a court order to treat the girl. Her family worshiped at Faith Tabernacle ...Read more
Flu season didn't start when or where it was expected. Get your shot now, health officials say
LOS ANGELES -- This year's flu season started months early and in an unexpected part of the country, according to health officials.
The unusually early start to the season has prompted local health officials to urge people to get their flu shots as soon as possible.
In Los Angeles County, flu activity began rising in September, ahead of its ...Read more
Drugs are widely used to sedate dementia patients. Her sons wanted to keep her off them
In December 2024, Marjorie Tingley’s adult sons received an urgent email from the dementia care unit at Vista Grande Villa, a Michigan senior living community. They were told that their 85-year-old mother was a major safety threat.
On at least 10 days in the previous month, Tingley had hit, kicked, or elbowed aides when they were trying to ...Read more
National 'Mr. Measles' campaign targets Florida vaccine mandates
ORLANDO, Fla. — As key state leaders work to dismantle school vaccine mandates, a cheeky national campaign promoting childhood shots and featuring a fictional mascot called “Mr. Measles” is taking aim at Florida — and the character himself is set to appear Thursday at a Department of Health hearing in Seminole County.
“My campaign ...Read more
Ebola death tests Kenya's border screening and disease defenses
For weeks, a Kenyan man infected with Ebola kept moving, undetected.
He traveled through several cities in Democratic Republic of Congo, made the roughly nine-hour road journey from Beni to Uganda’s capital of Kampala, spending a night there. On Oct. 3, he boarded Jambojet flight 8523 from nearby Entebbe to Nairobi. By the time he reached a ...Read more
10 things you should know about Medicare Part D plans (Part 1)
Enrolling in Medicare Part D isn’t a “one-and-done” decision. Leaving your plan on autopilot during open enrollment (Oct. 15-Dec. 7) could cost you hundreds in unexpected premiums and out-of-pocket fees. A different plan might offer a much better deal — especially if you’ve started new medications or your current drugs have ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: Health benefits of kimchi
Q: What is kimchi and are there health benefits associated with it? Should I add it to my diet?
A: For those who are unfamiliar, kimchi is a spicy and tangy pickled vegetable dish. Kimchi hails from Korea, and it consists of salted and fermented vegetables (like cabbage and Korean radish) and a mouth-watering collection of seasonings such as ...Read more
Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution
The widespread legalization of cannabis in the United States has spurred greater use of marijuana and its active components, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). How do these psychoactive substances affect the heart? A review of recent research, published in the July 2026 issue of Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, summarized the ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Is stomach cancer on the rise in young adults?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 39-year-old brother was just diagnosed with stomach cancer. The diagnosis was especially shocking because of his age. Is this becoming more common? Does age affect the approaches to treatment?
ANSWER: Stomach cancer, also referred to as gastric cancer, was once thought of as a disease of older adults. However, it’s ...Read more
A second wind: new nasal spray flu vaccine to boost immunity of aging lungs
BALTIMORE — A single dose of a new nasal spray influenza vaccine can breathe new life into older lungs while providing broad protection against multiple influenza strains, researchers reported.
In trials with mice, the spray, which combines a boost of manganese ions and another immune-stimulating molecule, gave older mice a powerful immune ...Read more
Hospitals have a little-known tool to prevent medical debt. Here's how it works
If you have medical debt, there’s a good chance you owe money to a hospital.
One way patients can avoid medical debt is through hospital financial assistance, also known as charity care. Most of the nation’s hospitals offer free or discounted medical care to patients with very high medical debt or low incomes.
Getting financial assistance,...Read more
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.
I direct the Center for Modern Digital Health at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where my team and I study how to use wearables to improve ...Read more
What is a professional patient advocate, and why might you need one?
Imagine your mom has just been discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after hip replacement surgery. She has the paperwork, the facility’s address – and a long list of questions. Will her insurance cover her entire rehab stay? Does she have enough pain medication until she gets settled? Will the hospital transfer her ...Read more
Popular Stories
- National 'Mr. Measles' campaign targets Florida vaccine mandates
- Mayo Clinic Q&A: Is stomach cancer on the rise in young adults?
- Environmental Nutrition: Health benefits of kimchi
- What is pneumonic plague? What to know as possible disease in Russia raises alarm
- Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution








