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A measles resurgence has put the US at risk of losing its 'elimination' status

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

One year ago this week, a case of measles was recorded in Gaines County, Texas.

It was the start of an outbreak that killed two children and sickened at least 760 people. Thousands more in the U.S. have contracted measles since.

In April, the Pan American Health Organization, an offshoot of the World Health Organization, will determine whether...Read more

Alex Wroblewski/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

GOP promotes MAHA agenda in bid to avert midterm losses. Dems point to contradictions

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When a “Make America Healthy Again” summit was held at the posh Waldorf Astoria in Washington, the line of attendees stretched down the block.

The daylong, invitation-only event in November featured a who’s who of MAHA luminaries. Vice President JD Vance attended, as did Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the ...Read more

Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post/TNS

Parents of transgender kids sue Children's Hospital Colorado for pausing gender-affirming care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DENVER — Parents of four transgender children sued Children’s Hospital Colorado this week, alleging its decision to suspend gender-affirming care amounts to discrimination under state law.

Both Children’s and Denver Health stopped prescribing puberty blockers and hormonal treatment to patients under 18 in late December or early January. ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: What’s the deal with gluten-free diets?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A gluten-free diet excludes all forms of gluten, a protein naturally found in wheat, barley and rye. While gluten poses no harm to most people, for individuals with certain health conditions, avoiding it is essential for maintaining well-being and preventing serious complications.

The primary group who must follow a gluten-free diet are those ...Read more

The 7 worst foods to eat when you have a sore throat

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A sore throat may be annoying, but it’s one of the most common symptoms of colds, seasonal allergies, and sickness. Regardless of the cause, the food you eat will make all the difference in your recovery time and comfort level, says registered dietitian Samantha Peterson, MS, RD. This means “choosing foods that calm inflammation and skipping...Read more

Can you increase your metabolism?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Having a fast metabolism is a real perk when you’re trying to trim down: it allows your body to burn calories quickly. And if you use a lot more calories than you consume, you’ll likely lose pounds.

But what if you don’t have a fast metabolism? Can you turn up the fire on that furnace? Possibly. A few strategies might give your metabolism...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: So you’re having a colonoscopy: What to expect

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I just turned 45 and am dreading my first colonoscopy. Why do I need to be screened if I’m not having issues? Can you walk me through the process?

ANSWER: Feeling anxious or afraid surrounding a procedure, particularly when you’ve never done it before, is completely normal. The purpose of screening is to act before someone...Read more

Shalina Chatlani/Stateline/TNS

AI therapy chatbots draw new oversight as suicides raise alarm

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

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States are passing laws to prevent artificially intelligent chatbots, such as ChatGPT, from being able to offer mental health advice to young ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Mayo Clinic researchers use AI to predict patient falls based on core density in middle age

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Artificial intelligence applied to abdominal imaging can help predict adults at higher risk of falling as early as middle age, a new Mayo Clinic study shows. The research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health, highlights the importance of abdominal muscle quality, a component of core strength, as a key ...Read more

Brittany Murray/Los Angeles Daily News/TNS

Donations sought as Red Cross laments 'severe' blood shortage

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Red Cross is appealing to past donors and potential new donors as it says a "severe blood shortage" could result in delays for surgeries and other medical procedures.

During a virtual news briefing Tuesday, officials said there was a 35% reduction in blood donations nationally in December. That equates to about 40,000 units of blood. More ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

168 chemicals found in food linked to gut damage and fertility risks, study shows

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Many everyday chemicals can impact your gut health and even male fertility, research shows. Proper food preparation, including washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, can protect from common pesticides.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge tested common chemicals, including many without known health impacts, and found 168 that could ...Read more

Alex Kormann/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota doctors say ICE deters patients from seeking health care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The ongoing federal immigration campaign is hurting patients too scared to attend checkup appointments, pick up prescriptions or even give birth in hospitals, doctors said at a State Capitol news conference Tuesday.

One diabetic patient rationed insulin and ran low on food to avoid leaving home, the doctors said. A pregnant ...Read more

Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago scales back gender-affirming care, days after call for federal investigation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — Lurie Children’s Hospital is scaling back its gender-affirming care for minors, the hospital said Tuesday, days after a top federal official called for an investigation into the hospital.

The hospital will no longer offer gender-affirming medications for patients younger than 18 who have not previously been treated with the ...Read more

In 1 decade, 170 babies, kids and teens died in NC after fentanyl encounters

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One hundred and seventy babies, kids and teens in North Carolina died after fentanyl exposure between 2015 and 2024, new state data shows.

Infants, children younger than 5 and teenagers aged 13 to 17 were the most likely to die after fentanyl exposure here during the past decade, according to updated data from the Office of ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

Native Americans are dying from pregnancy. They want a voice to stop the trend

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Just hours after Rhonda Swaney left a prenatal appointment for her first pregnancy, she felt severe pain in her stomach and started vomiting.

Then 25 years old and six months pregnant, she drove herself to the emergency room in Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, where an ambulance transferred her to a larger hospital 60 miles ...Read more

Bernard J. Wolfson/KFF Health News/TNS

GOP cuts will cripple Medicaid enrollment, warns CEO of largest public health plan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When the head of the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan worries about the looming federal cuts to Medicaid, it’s not just her job. It’s personal.

Martha Santana-Chin, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, grew up on Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, the government-run health care program for people with low incomes ...Read more

Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/TNS

9/11 WTC Health Program workforce cut by 25% under Kennedy as patient count rises, advocates say

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

NEW YORK — The staff running the federal World Trade Center Health Program has been cut by 25% as the number of sick 9/11 survivors the group treats is expected to increase by 10,000 this year, the Daily News has learned.

Survivor advocates are demanding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lift the ...Read more

Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota bags almost all of requested $200 million federal grant to boost rural health care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

MINNEAPOLIS — Fearing political reprisals from President Donald Trump’s administration, Minnesota leaders were relieved late last month when they received almost all of the $200 million in federal grants they requested to boost rural health care in the state in 2026.

Now they have precious few months to invest the $193 million in areas such...Read more

Nadzeya Haroshka/Dreamstime.com/TNS

Ask the Pediatrician: Dealing with warts

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Warts are small, firm bumps on the skin caused by viruses from the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Warts are common among school-aged children but can affect people of any age.

The good news is, many kinds of warts often go away on their own without treatment. But they can become painful if they are bumped, and some children are embarrassed ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Families at Mayo Clinic explore how a smartwatch can give early warnings of severe tantrums

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Evenings in the Staal household often carried a delicate unpredictability. After a full school day — and as Ethan's medication began to wear off — the shift from playful to overwhelmed could happen in seconds. Ethan has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a condition that can make emotional regulation especially challenging.

Ethan's ...Read more