Alcoholic drinks are a leading cause of cancer and should carry a warning about that risk on their label, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday.

Alcohol is a factor in nearly 100,000 newly diagnosed cancers each year and roughly 20,000 deaths from the disease, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in an advisory intended to focus the public’s...Read more

Alcoholic drinks like beer and wine should carry warnings of their links to cancer, the U.S.’s top doctor said, citing a lack of public awareness of the popular products’ health risks.

Evidence of links between drinking and cancer has been rising for decades, yet less than half of Americans recognize that it raises their chances of ...Read more

Wine, beer and spirits should carry a warning label about cancer risks, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday, in a move that could shape a larger debate over government healthy eating recommendations.

“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Alcohol products like beer and wine should carry warnings of their links to cancer, the US surgeon general said, citing an increased risk of developing tumors in the breast and other parts of the body.

Scientific evidence of the connections between alcohol and cancer has been rising for decades, but less than half of Americans ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The last remaining building in the State Center office complex in downtown Baltimore has been cleared of Legionella bacteria following a retest in late December.

A Dec. 23 test on 301 W. Preston Street showed all samples were within normal limits of the bacteria, according to a statement from the Maryland Department of General ...Read more

There is a long-standing belief that drinking milk when you’re sick can worsen cold symptoms and increase mucus production. However, research suggests this belief is more related to perception than to actual effects on the body.

“No. Drinking milk does not cause the body to make phlegm,” said Dr. Julie Baughn of the Mayo Clinic. She ...Read more

CHICAGO -- It was easy to miss Dr. Robert Gray’s quick movements, tapping the screen of his smartphone at the beginning and end of patient visits on a recent day.

But Gray said those fast finger taps have changed his life. He was tapping an app that records discussions during his appointments and then uses artificial intelligence to find the ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My brother had lingering hoarseness and a sore throat. When he finally went to the doctor, he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer. He's in treatment, but it's been tough. Chemo makes him sick, and radiation is doing a number on his throat and salivary glands, making it hard to eat. He's on a feeding tube, but he has lost a lot of ...Read more

The rise of bird flu across farms in California has raised questions about the virus and and its potential threat to humans. While the threat to humans is currently small, here is what you need to know about the state of bird flu.

On Dec. 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the H5N1 bird flu virus continues to infect dairy ...Read more

As more cases of bird flu are reported across species and locations, states across the country are taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Hundreds of thousands of people will gather at the Pennsylvania Farm Show beginning later this week — a potential breeding ground for virus transmission, which the state ...Read more

THOMASVILLE, Ala. — It was a moonshot effort for a small Southern town: Open a brand-new rural hospital in the poorest region of one of the poorest states in the nation.

Thomasville, which has fewer than 4,000 residents, sits in the middle of Alabama’s Black Belt, so named for its rich, black soil. The rural, southern swath of Alabama is ...Read more

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory infections like colds, flu and RSV are rising across the U.S.

When you get sick, it’s helpful to understand how to manage your symptoms effectively, especially if you’re at higher risk for complications. Dr. Tina Ardon, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, ...Read more

Since 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has protected employees who need to take time off from work to care for themselves or others. The federal law requires employers to provide workers up to 12 weeks off for medical leave, for the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or to care for an immediate ...Read more

Green beans have graced holiday tables and accompanied everyday meals for centuries.

The folklore

Native to Peru, green beans traveled via migrating Indian tribes through South and Central America and on to Europe by way of Spanish explorers. Whether you know them as haricots verts (green beans in French), string beans, or snap beans — green...Read more

It’s a sensation you may be all too familiar with — after eating a hearty and fibrous meal, that inevitable gassy feeling comes along. Although bloating and gas are a relatively normal part of the human experience, it’s often an uncomfortable and restraining sensation that you’d rather avoid altogether (or, at the very least, drastically...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently read that thyroid issues affect women more often than men. Can you explain what the thyroid is and how it affects my body? Can I do anything to prevent having issues with my thyroid as I age?

ANSWER: The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland at the neck’s base. The thyroid has a significant effect on the body ...Read more

The fate of a Canadian teenager who was infected with H5N1 bird flu in early November, and subsequently admitted to an intensive care unit, has finally been revealed: She has fully recovered.

But genetic analysis of the virus that infected her body showed ominous mutations that researchers suggest potentially allowed it to target human cells ...Read more

Leslee Cohen-Lavin and her family were feeling pretty good just before the holidays.

“Then all of a sudden, we each went down right when break started,” said Cohen-Lavin, of Highland Park. Her 5-year-old daughter got a fever and aches and lost her appetite. Soon, Cohen-Lavin developed a days-long fever. Finally, her husband got what felt ...Read more

ATLANTA — For decades, the corporate makers and users of “forever chemicals” used on carpet produced in Northwest Georgia have hidden the associated dangers, leading to a public health crisis, Murray County alleges in a new lawsuit.

In its complaint Monday, the county takes aim at chemical producers including 3M, Daikin and DuPont as well...Read more