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The warning signs to notice if someone is freezing to death

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

You don’t have to actually freeze to death in order to die of cold.

And according to the Mayo Clinic, people who are dying of cold usually don’t realize it.

As sleet, snow or cold rainfall is expected in metro Atlanta on Friday amid freezing temperatures, Southerners who aren’t used to these conditions need to be careful to protect their...Read more

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High blood pressure in pregnancy a risk factor for early heart disease

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A new study has revealed a significant link between a common pregnancy complication and early heart disease in women.

Researchers found that women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) were at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease at an earlier age. In addition, they found that women with these disorders were ...Read more

Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/TNS

Maryland health department sued for leaving mentally ill criminal defendants 'languishing in jails'

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A disability rights group is suing Maryland’s health secretary and health department in federal court for leaving mentally ill people accused of crimes to languish in jail rather than admitting them to psychiatric hospitals as required by state law.

Filed Thursday, the lawsuit by Disability Rights Maryland claims Health Secretary Dr. Laura ...Read more

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More young Americans seeking permanent contraception in post-Roe era, experts say

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Following the Dobbs Supreme Court decision ending the national protections for abortion rights, more young Americans are seeking options for permanent contraception, a new study has found.

Researchers saw an increase in two medical procedures for permanent sterilization among adults ages 19 to 26 following the leaked ruling in May 2022, ...Read more

David Joles/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota ERs stressed by 'quad-demic' of COVID, flu, RSV, norovirus

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Patients are piling up in Minnesota emergency rooms once again, but it’s not just from COVID-19.

State health officials say influenza is making a comeback, combining with COVID, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to put more pressure on Minnesota hospitals than they’ve faced since the end of the pandemic. Thursday’s weekly ...Read more

Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Two Baltimore district courthouses cleared from Legionella

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BALTIMORE — The first two district courthouses in Baltimore found to have water contaminated with Legionella bacteria since November have now been cleared after the latest round of remediation and retesting.

Results received Wednesday from the tests conducted at the 5800 Wabash Ave. and 700 E. Patapsco Ave. courthouses on Dec. 30 have found ...Read more

Ayrton Breckenridge/Star Tribune/TNS

New FDA rules to cut racial bias in some, but not all, devices to measure oxygen in the blood

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

MINNEAPOLIS — At a CVS store in a racially diverse neighborhood in Brooklyn Center, the only devices available to shoppers to measure their blood-oxygen levels are virtually unregulated fingertip oximeters that may be less accurate in people with darker skin.

So-called “health and wellness” pulse oximeters available online and at ...Read more

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Nedra Rhone: Goodbye, dry January. Hello, drink water January

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Many of us resolve to do better, live better and be better in January, a time when we set goals and intentions for the future.

For that reason, I’ve always looked forward to January. But lately, the first month of the year has started to feel different.

Dry January. Veganuary. No spend January.

Everyone is swearing off some perceived vice �...Read more

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Digital heart twin offers potential new tool for treating dangerous heart rhythms

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Using computers to make a digital replica of the heart – a digital heart twin – can successfully identify problem areas deep in the heart muscle of people with a serious heart rhythm disorder, a new study finds. The research lays the groundwork for a new way of treating a life-threatening condition often caused by prior heart attacks or ...Read more

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Health care is Newsom's biggest unfinished project. Trump complicates that task

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Six years after he entered office vowing to be California’s “health care governor,” Democrat Gavin Newsom has steered tens of billions in public funding to safety net services for the state’s neediest residents while engineering rules to make health care more accessible and affordable for all Californians.

More ...Read more

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Health insurers limit coverage of prosthetic limbs, questioning their medical necessity

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Michael Adams was researching health insurance options in 2023, he had one very specific requirement: coverage for prosthetic limbs.

Adams, 51, lost his right leg to cancer 40 years ago, and he has worn out more legs than he can count. He picked a gold plan on the Colorado health insurance marketplace that covered prosthetics, including ...Read more

Lynn Arditi/The Public’s Radio/Lynn Arditi/The Public’s Radio/TNS

Stimulant users are caught in fatal 'fourth wave' of opioid epidemic

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, near a storefront advertising “free” cellphones, J.R. sat in an empty back stairwell and showed a reporter how he tries to avoid overdosing when he smokes crack cocaine. KFF Health News is identifying him by his initials because he fears being arrested for using illegal drugs.

It had been several hours since his ...Read more

Agnes Bun/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Syringe exchange fears hobble fight against West Virginia HIV outbreak

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than three years have passed since federal health officials arrived in central Appalachia to assess an alarming outbreak of HIV spread mostly between people who inject opioids or methamphetamine.

Infectious disease experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a list of recommendations following ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Bird flu: Here's what Illinois residents should know, following the first US death from the virus

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Bird flu is increasingly sparking concern across the country and in Illinois, following news this week of the first human death from the virus in the U.S., and of birds found throughout Illinois with suspected cases of the illness.

Doctors, however, say there’s no need to panic at this point — though they’re watching the virus’s ...Read more

Want to quit vaping this year? Here’s what the evidence shows so far about effective strategies

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Lots of people who vape want to quit, but there’s very little guidance on how best to do so.

In the U.S., recent reports estimate that 5.9% of youth and 4.5% of adults currently vape. This proportion varies worldwide, however. In Britain, an estimated 7.8% of youth and 11% of adults vape. Vaping nicotine is addictive, and more and ...Read more

Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald/TNS

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signs health care bills aimed at hospital oversight, reducing prescription drug costs

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey signed two major health care reform bills Wednesday — one that looks to increase hospital oversight in the wake of the Steward Health Care meltdown and another that attempts to tackle prescription drug costs.

And it was clear from at least one top Democrat’s remarks that lawmakers who negotiated the two ...Read more

Costco’s 2025 New Year wellness event: Save with exclusive membership deals

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Costco has launched its New Year wellness sales event to kick off 2025, offering major discounts on a wide range of products to help you save this January. From electronics and clothing to furniture and wellness essentials, the deals cover a variety of categories and will run until Jan. 31.

To take advantage of Costco’s wellness deals, a ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Coffee lover? Review these ways to keep it balanced

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Coffee has gone from a morning wake up or a drink to have with dessert to a dessert itself. On its own, coffee has about five calories per serving, as well as no fat or sugar. But between sugary, flavored syrups, whipped cream, sweetened foams and other toppings, some coffee drinks are nutritionally comparable to a candy bar.

Enjoying a sweet ...Read more

Are eggs good for weight loss?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Whether you eat them boiled, scrambled, or over-easy, eggs are a favorite breakfast staple for many people. But if an egg (or a few) is a part of your daily diet, you may wonder if eating them can help you lose weight. After all, eggs are full of protein, a nutrient that may contribute to a healthy weight. So, can eating eggs be part of a ...Read more

Cannabis drinks: How do they compare to alcohol?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

More than half of Americans live in states where recreational cannabis is legal. While alcohol remains the most-used drug in the U.S., daily cannabis use has actually outpaced daily drinking, according to a study following four decades of consumption trends. Changing drinking habits and new products likely play a role.

Are you rethinking ...Read more