One of the world’s biggest genetic databases comprises DNA data donated over the years by more than a million retired military service members. It’s part of a project run by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The initiative, dubbed the Million Veteran Program, is a “crown jewel of the country,” said David Shulkin, a physician who ...Read more

Doctors, hospitals, and health insurers for weeks issued dire warnings to Republican lawmakers that millions of people would lose health coverage and hospitals would close if they cut Medicaid funding to help pay for President Donald Trump’s big tax and spending bill.

But Republicans ignored those pleas, made even deeper cuts, and sent the ...Read more

On his way to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stopped by the home of podcaster Gary Brecka. The two spent time in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and tried some intravenous nutrition drips that Brecka, a self-avowed longevity and wellness maven, sells and promotes on his show, “The...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — American children today are dying at much higher rates than kids in similar countries. They’re also far more likely to suffer from a chronic disease than children in previous generations were.

That’s according to a new study from researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who dug through nearly two decades’...Read more

True to their reputation, cucumbers are pretty cool.

The folklore

A favorite in summer gardens, cucumbers are made up of mostly water, which makes them literally “cool”-ing and hydrating in hot temperatures. They’re also “cool” in the popular sense. Cultivated around the world for more than 3,000 years, cucumbers have gained a ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve been hearing a lot lately about healthspan versus lifespan when it comes to aging. What do they each mean? And what is the difference?

ANSWER: We get a lot of questions about what distinguishes between lifespan and healthspan. The simplest answer is to paraphrase a quote from President John F. Kennedy, “It is not ...Read more

Stone fruits are a summer highlight, but sometimes this category of juicy produce can feel a bit muddled. Peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, and apricots are all in the same family, known for having a pit in the center and a fleshy exterior surrounding it, and just like any relatives, they can often look quite similar. Factor in varieties ...Read more

Not such good news for butter lovers like myself: Seesawing research on how healthy or unhealthy butter might be received a firm push from a recent Harvard study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Drawing on decades of data gathered through long-term observational studies, the researchers investigated whether butter and plant oils affect ...Read more

As a postpartum doula, Dawn Oliver does her best work in the middle of the night.

During a typical shift, she shows up at her clients’ home at 10 p.m. She answers questions they may have about basic infant care and keeps an eye out for signs of postpartum depression.

After bedtime, she may feed the baby a bottle or wake the mother to ...Read more

Four people in Florida have died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a rare flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish seawater, among 11 confirmed cases, according to state health officials.

CBS Miami reports the number is down from 2024, when infections peaked with 82 cases and 19 deaths. Health officials linked that spike to Hurricane ...Read more

ATLANTA — Two mosquito traps in the Atlanta area recently tested positive for West Nile virus, public health officials said, prompting warnings about the potential health impacts as late summer approaches.

While cases are typically mild and not widespread, the state saw a spike in infections last year, which led to several deaths. The virus ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: We just moved to an area with a lot of opportunities for water recreation and are so excited about our first summer on the water. But we want to make sure everyone stays safe. Can you give us some pointers for water safety?

ANSWER: Nothing beats a day at the lake, river, beach or pool for fun, fitness, fishing and relaxation. ...Read more

For many people who have a serious mental illness or are recovering from one, trying to get or keep a job may be overwhelming and exhausting.

Finding out that you need a job in order to keep accessing your mental health care can feel insurmountable.

Yet that may soon be the case for nearly half a million Washington residents.

Under a new rule...Read more

Summer vacation gives your child a much-needed break from school routines, which is important. But, at the same time, it can also result in what educators call the summer slide or "brain drain" — a learning gap that opens when kids spend long periods away from the classroom.

Not only can reading be a fun leisure activity, it can keep your ...Read more

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Talking to loved ones about a recent head and neck cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Of course, there is no one “right” or “wrong” way to handle these conversations — or adjusting to your life with cancer. Everyone has their own pace, preferences and relationship patterns. But taking the time to consider your ...Read more

Nicole Silva’s 4-year-old daughter was headed to a relative’s house near the southern Colorado town of La Jara when a vehicle T-boned the car she was riding in. A cascade of ambulance rides ensued — a ground ambulance to a local hospital, an air ambulance to Denver, and another ground ambulance to Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Silva’s...Read more

The Trump administration’s broadsides against scientific research have caused unprecedented upheaval at the National Cancer Institute, the storied federal government research hub that has spearheaded advances against the disease for decades.

NCI, which has long benefited from enthusiastic bipartisan support, now faces an exodus of clinicians...Read more

For Celeste Michael, the transgender community is being used as a pawn in Missouri’s push to ban abortion.

When the 23-year-old went to vote in Lee’s Summit last November, signs outside her polling place falsely claimed an abortion rights amendment would legalize transgender surgeries for minors. Nearly 52% of voters approved the measure, ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Public health advocates won a big case in the Supreme Court on the last day of this year's term, but the victory came with an asterisk.

The decision ended one threat to the no-cost preventive services — from cancer and diabetes screenings to statin drugs and vaccines — used by more than 150 million Americans who have health ...Read more