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As questions about McConnell's health grow, Charles Booker calls for answers

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Democrat vying to replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate says Kentuckians deserve to know “if our senator is alert, conscious, or capable of serving” more than two weeks after the 84-year-old was hospitalized for an unspecified reason.

Charles Booker, the Democrat facing off against Republican nominee Andy Barr, released a lengthy ...Read more

Hurdles in accessing health insurance are major drivers of health and economic inequities. veeranggull orachon/iStock via Getty Images Plus

How health insurers get a free pass to deny coverage from a 52-year-old law meant to protect worker pensions

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Florence Corcoran, an employee of South Central Bell Telephone Company, was eight months into a high-risk pregnancy when her obstetrician recommended she spend the final month on bed rest in the hospital, for close monitoring. Despite the recommendation, her health insurer determined that it would only cover partial-day at-home nursing care.<...Read more

Life went on in the late 18th century, regardless of your everyday ailments. Archive Photos/Getty Images

How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy and slightly nauseated

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. But their sense of embodiment and experience of health was markedly different from Americans today.

It goes deeper than not having aspirin, ...Read more

Alcohol is woven into the thread of American life, from work events to major holidays and everything in between.  TravisLincoln/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, yet its presence is ubiquitous in social settings and celebrations

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Few substances are as deeply woven into everyday life as alcohol. It is a fixture at holiday celebrations, work-related social gatherings, sporting events, airports, and brunch or dinner tables. A raised glass for a toast, the ubiquitous wedding open bar or drinks shared during a Fourth of July celebration all demonstrate how deeply alcohol ...Read more

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Syringe services in limbo under Trump, risking hepatitis C progress

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — A decade after Congress first allowed federal funding to support clean needle programs, the Trump administration is backing off that policy, potentially risking progress made against hepatitis C, a deadly but curable virus mostly spread by people who inject drugs.

The administration now says funding can no longer support the ...Read more

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Gen Z calls the new social media trend 'tanmaxxing.' Experts call it 'harmful' and 'destructive'

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A recent trend on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms touting “tanmaxxing” have health experts concerned about the skin of young people, in particular Generation Z.

“Tanfluencers” widely share popular videos of extreme tanning methods and media monitor weather reports for maximum ultraviolet exposure to...Read more

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Michigan tracking 'sudden and large' spike in illness caused by parasite

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LANSING, Mich. — The state of Michigan is working to identify the cause of a "sudden and large" increase in an infection that causes gastrointestinal issues.

State health officials have identified 174 cases of cyclosporiasis across southern Michigan since June 22. Typically, the state averages about 50 such cases a year.

The cases have ...Read more

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How new tests can help catch prostate cancer early, image cancerous tissue

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

New technologies can potentially save lives by helping identify prostate cancer earlier, and transforming the way doctors detect and track cancerous cells.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men after skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 300,000 new cases of prostate cancer have been diagnosed this year,...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: What are liquid aminos?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: What are liquid aminos and what are they used for?

A: Liquid aminos are a liquid seasoning that people often use instead of soy sauce. They are made from soybeans and water, or from fermented coconut sap in the case of coconut aminos. They have a savory, slightly sweet taste and contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. ...Read more

This sweet ingredient gives a natural mood boost

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When you’re stressed or sad, it can be hard to prioritize healthy eating. However, the habit can actually help you feel better, especially if you focus on mood-boosting foods. You’re not limited to fresh items like salmon or berries, though. According to research, honey can also enhance your mood, and you probably already have it in your ...Read more

Eye care in an emergency

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q. What should I do if I ever have an eye emergency, such as sudden pain or light flashes? Is it best to go to a hospital emergency department, or is it better to go to an ophthalmologist’s office for care?

A. If you have an established eye doctor, it’s best to call that person first for advice, even if it’s outside regular office hours. ...Read more

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Editorial: Feds find more health care fraud -- When will it end?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

It shouldn’t be too much to ask that taxpayer-funded social service programs benefit people who actually exist.

Apparently it is, as more than 1 million people enrolled in Obamacare plans lack Social Security numbers, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ...Read more

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Will new sunscreen ingredients protect us?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The South Florida sun is brutal, and while slathering on sunscreen usually feels like a no-brainer, this summer the rules have changed.

An ingredient that makes European sunscreens more effective has just been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. For the first time in over 25 years, the FDA added ...Read more

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Florida hospitals act fast to discharge gun victims -- especially if they're not insured

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Alea Bates wasn’t ready to leave Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s main hospital four days after a stranger shot her seven times at close range. Miraculously, hospital records show, none of the bullets damaged her internal organs.

But after surgery, Bates said, she couldn’t get out of bed or walk to the bathroom without help. She ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: Watch out for summer sports injuries in youth and adult athletes

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Our teenagers are both student athletes and active in their sports year-round. I'm concerned about injuries that could sideline them. What should we watch for?

ANSWER: As the school year ends, summer sports heat up for students and adults alike. Summer may be a prime season for a sport, such as baseball or running, but ...Read more

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A few years of healthy eating and exercise influences health 2 decades later, new study shows

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DENVER -- Even a few years of healthier eating and exercise can show up in better health outcomes two decades later, a new national study with Colorado ties found — but most people need significant support to make those changes.

In the late 1990s, about 3,000 people with prediabetes, including about 120 in Colorado, joined a study to ...Read more

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California health officials warn of West Nile virus in mosquito in Alhambra, human infection in Long Beach

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LOS ANGELES — Health authorities are warning residents to take precautions after the deadly West Nile virus was detected in a mosquito caught in the San Gabriel Valley.

The announcement comes on the heels of the first human case of the virus reported in Long Beach.

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne infection that could be fatal to humans ...Read more

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He dreamed of becoming a physician assistant. New loan rules may thwart him

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Benjamin Pinckney, 46, has dreamed of becoming a physician assistant since just after his 20th birthday.

He had been targeted by a drive-by shooter in Jacksonville, Florida, and hospitalized with two gunshot wounds. During his weeklong hospitalization, he said, a physician assistant changed the course of his life by visiting his hospital bed ...Read more

Could gym booster creatine also be a weapon against cancer?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LOS ANGELES — Taken as a metabolism pick-up by athletes and bodybuilders, creatine has of late seen increasing uptake outside the gym, as awareness grows of its potential as an anti-inflammatory and even as a cognitive aid.

But if research carried out at the University of California Los Angeles is anything to go by, creatine could soon also ...Read more

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Efforts to end school vaccine mandates hit a wall in Florida

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Every state, along with Washington, D.C., requires children to obtain certain vaccinations before they can attend school or childcare. These mandates date back decades, and many public health experts consider them a foundational defense against infectious disease.

Since the summer of 2025, Florida leaders have aimed to make the state the first ...Read more