Spring’s warmer weather lures people outdoors – and into possible contact with ticks that spread Lyme disease.

Already, the 2026 tick season is booming. On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that emergency room visits due to tick bites are at their highest level since 2017. That may portend an ...Read more

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for a chain of crisis pregnancy centers based in New Jersey to challenge a subpoena from New Jersey’s attorney general.

First Choice Women’s Resource Centers operates at several locations throughout New Jersey. There are more than 2,500 of these Christian-led nonprofits in the United ...Read more

Nearly four years after doctors declared Marielle Santos McLeod free of colon cancer, she has yet to feel liberated from the burden of medical expenses.

McLeod, who lives near Charleston, South Carolina, is still paying off chemotherapy bills that followed her 2017 diagnosis. She also now faces an onslaught of out-of-pocket costs for follow-up ...Read more

The social media ad for a 2-ounce tonic called "Feel Free" caught Melanie Clark's attention because it promised she could eliminate drinking from her life while still feeling a buzz.

"It was just advertised as a healthy, natural botanical drink," Clark said of the advertisement, which featured a guy paddleboarding down a stream.

It spoke to ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- University of Pennsylvania researchers are developing a blood test to better predict the risk of kidney disease in Black Americans, a group that is disproportionately affected in part due to genetics.

Their test was able to predict kidney outcomes with more than 80% accuracy among Black individuals at increased genetic risk of ...Read more

By the time she was hospitalized in 2020, Pearlene Darby, a retired teacher, had suffered open sores on both legs, both hips, and both heels, as well as a five-inch-long gash on her tailbone. She died two weeks later at age 81 from infections and bedsores, according to her death certificate. Her daughter sued the nursing home, alleging it had ...Read more

Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, is ordering all states to step up their efforts to crack down on Medicaid fraud.

His April 21, 2026, announcement expanded on the Trump administration’s related enforcement actions, such as withholding Medicaid funds from Minnesota and threatening to do that ...Read more

When the U.S. Department of Justice moved to reclassify medical marijuana to a Schedule III drug on April 23, 2026, it set the stage for a vast amount of medical research that has been hobbled for decades by its more restrictive Schedule I classification.

The Justice Department also called for an expedited federal rescheduling process...Read more

Schmeeka Simpson of Omaha works as a patient navigator for the American Civil Liberties Union and an administrative assistant at Nebraskans for Peace, plus picks up shifts at a Dunkin' shop.

Still, even with three jobs, she worries about losing her health coverage when Nebraska, on May 1, becomes the first state to require certain Medicaid ...Read more

Proponents of seed cycling claim that eating certain types of seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle can help regulate hormone levels and support reproductive health.

Seed cycling divides the menstrual cycle into two halves. During the first two weeks (the follicular phase), flax and pumpkin seeds are eaten daily. In the second ...Read more

Oatmeal is a hearty, whole-grain food that can benefit your health in many ways. However, a few common oatmeal habits can derail your health goals.

1. Eating the wrong portion size

A typical serving of oatmeal is equal to about 1 cup of cooked oats. However, many people eat more than one serving at a time. This can quickly increase your ...Read more

It’s getting hard to escape the barrage of advertisements, signs, and social media posts touting red light therapy. Many of them trumpet big claims, including firmer, clearer, younger-looking skin. But is it all hype - or can red light therapy deliver?

It really can, says Dr. Rachel Reynolds, interim chair of the Department of Dermatology at ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve been trying to brush up my golf game by regularly hitting the driving range and playing more often. But lately, I’ve noticed a pretty painful twinge in my right wrist during my swing. What might be going on?

ANSWER: Summer is a great time to get out on the course and take your golf game to the next level. Wrist ...Read more

Vitamins are supposedly good for you, but some might also be good for cancer, Swiss researchers at the University of Lausanne found.

Cancer cells have a weakness. They depend on the protein glutamine to produce the energy needed to divide and grow. The Swiss researchers found that cancer cells can escape this weakness with the help of Vitamin ...Read more

If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”

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Vince Lahey of Carefree, Arizona, embraces chatbots. From Big Tech products to “shady” ones, they offer “someone that I could share more secrets with than my therapist.”

He especially...Read more

Like many parents, Tatiana Lafortune wants her children to get a good education, eat nutritious food, and see a doctor when they’re not feeling well.

Public schools and her church’s pantry help Lafortune accomplish the first two goals. But insurance to cover doctor visits has been the most difficult to secure.

As nursing assistants at a ...Read more

Michigan health and safety regulators inspected Stellantis NV's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, earlier this year after getting a report that "dozens" of employees in the tower part of the building were suffering from various ailments after returning to the office, records show.

Reported health issues included nose bleeds, migraines, ...Read more

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, caused 141,733 deaths in the United States in 2023 – the latest data that has been reported. That number reflects not just the effects of smoking, but a broader set of medical and social factors that shape who survives.

As of early 2026, COPD remains the fifth-leading cause of death ...Read more

Keeping tabs on blood sugar throughout the day used to be the exclusive domain of people with diabetes. But in 2026, anyone can buy a user-friendly wearable device that provides minute-by-minute readouts on how their glucose levels respond to food and movement.

These glucose numbers are increasingly being tracked by people who are ...Read more

For the first time in almost 80 years, U.S. service members will no longer be mandated to receive the annual influenza vaccine.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the change on April 22, 2026. Citing medical autonomy and religious freedom, he described the requirement as “overly broad and not rational,” telling troops that �...Read more