As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first.

A seventh presumptive California case is awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All of ...Read more

A mother says years of painful headaches and speech issues from brain tumors were caused by prolonged use of a Pfizer birth control shot, according to a lawsuit filed Nov. 14 in Nevada Federal District Court.

The Las Vegas native received Depo-Provera, a shot administered every three months to prevent pregnancy developed and manufactured by ...Read more

Many scientists at the federal health agencies await the second Donald Trump administration with dread as well as uncertainty over how the president-elect will reconcile starkly different philosophies among the leaders of his team.

Trump announced Thursday he’ll nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of the Health and Human Services ...Read more

Knee injuries are common in athletes, accounting for 41% of all athletic injuries. But knee injuries aren’t limited to competitive athletes. In our everyday lives, an accident or a quick movement in the wrong direction can injure the knee and require medical treatment. A quarter of the adult population worldwide experiences knee pain each ...Read more

Chief executives at Minnesota’s four largest nonprofit health insurers are warning premiums could spike and thousands of residents could lose coverage in 2026 if the state’s congressional delegation doesn’t help save enhanced federal tax credits that subsidize coverage bought through the public MNsure exchange.

The extra federal subsidies...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — At 7:15 a.m. Nov. 6, just hours after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential election, the mood in a Washington Square West yoga studio felt heavy.

“Folks were sobbing throughout class,” said Callie Kim, founder of Tuck Barre & Yoga. Students expressed a variety of emotions: “Sadness, frustration, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The pulse oximeter, a device that measures the degree to which red blood cells are saturated with oxygen, is one of healthcare's most fundamental tools.

So when Dr. Noha Aboelata learned that research stretching back decades showed that the devices routinely failed patients with darker skin tones, she took action.

Aboelata, the...Read more

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Uterine fibroids are a common condition that affects up to 80% of women in their lifetime. Nearly half of those women will experience symptoms that affect their quality of life and fertility, including severe pain and anemia. Uterine fibroids are the major reason for the removal of the uterus by hysterectomy.

However, Mayo...Read more

Donald J. Trump’s second presidency may significantly alter health care and public health in Minnesota, especially if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets the opportunity to bring his vaccine skepticism to federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Trump’s pledge to let Kennedy “go wild” on those agencies drew ...Read more

Jason Farned and his team at the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District had spent years preparing for the likely arrival of dengue, a dangerous virus typically found in tropical climates outside the mainland United States.

They’d watched nervously as invasive Aedes mosquito species that can carry the virus appeared in Los ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Congress’ most influential health panels will see dramatic changes next year, with several advocates on specific issues like mental health, Medicare and drug pricing retiring or losing their reelection bids.

The biggest changes will be in store at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose wide-ranging jurisdiction includes...Read more

The Bay State is again receiving positive news in its fight against the drug overdose crisis, as new data shows that OD deaths significantly dropped in a recent 12-month period.

Massachusetts had about 2,032 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period that ended June 30, according to provisional CDC data. That was a major 23% decline from the 2...Read more

More than 12 million Americans got their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act in 2017 when a Republican bill to scrap the program fell two U.S. Senate votes short.

With more than 21.4 million Americans now insured through federal marketplace plans, the future of the program is again in doubt with the return of Donald Trump to the ...Read more

KFF Health News has sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to compel it to release a range of Medicare Advantage health plan audits and other financial records.

The suit, filed Nov. 12 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco under the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, seeks documents from the HHS ...Read more

Some 2.3 million of U.S. adults over 65 – more than 4% – have a diagnosis of dementia. But even without a diagnosis, a certain amount of cognitive decline is normal as age sets in.

And whether it’s due to fear of cognitive decline or noticing lapses in cognition when we are stressed, many of us have had moments when we thought ...Read more

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that if President-elect Donald Trump appointed him to a health leadership position, the first thing he would work on would be removing fluoride from water.

Fluoride was first introduced to U.S. water in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Scientists saw a direct impact of positive tooth ...Read more

Since open enrollment season is here, you’re probably swamped trying to figure out which coverage is best for you or your family. But did you know that your benefit choices can potentially impact your tax situation?

Making informed decisions as you choose your coverage can help you optimize your tax benefits and avoid pitfalls.

So, here are ...Read more

It’s hard to distance yourself from sugar. Sure, it’s in your favorite desserts, but it’s maybe also lurking in your sandwich bread and go-to bottled salad dressing. It’s everywhere in the supermarket, which is why so many Americans are consuming a lot more added sugar than what is recommended.

According to the American Heart ...Read more

Your doctor broke news you didn’t want to hear: you have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar is elevated, but not high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes. The thing is, with that info, you’re one of the lucky minority. Prediabetes is common, affecting 96 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and ...Read more