Health Advice

/

Health

A new pilot brings some automated treatment decisions from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare. Doomu/iStock via Getty Images

Medicare is experimenting with having AI review claims – a cost-saving measure that could risk denying needed care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Medicare has launched a six-year pilot program that could eventually transform access to health care for some of the millions of people across the U.S. who rely on it for their health insurance coverage.

Traditional Medicare is a government-administered insurance plan for people over 65 or with disabilities. About half of the 67 ...Read more

Lüften refers to the German practice of opening windows and sometimes doors to rapidly fill a house with outdoor air, at least a couple of times daily. Jan Nevidal/Getty Images

Lüften sounds simple – but ‘house-burping’ is more complicated in Pittsburgh

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Recently, the German term “lüften” has been circulating on social media and trending on Google. The term refers to the practice of opening windows and doors to replace stale indoor air with outdoor air, a longtime practice in many European homes. Americans have dubbed it “house burping” in many videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube...Read more

How one hospital visit overseas could wreck your finances

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Picture this: You’re gliding down the slopes of Verbier, enjoying the snow-capped mountains and the elation of the wind kissing your cheeks. As you make your way down the slope, you notice people gathering around a downed skier, and your heart stops as you recognize it is someone in your party. They’re having a medical emergency.

On top of ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Spotlight on supplements: ubiquinol

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Ubiquinol is the active, reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a compound naturally produced in the body and found in every cell.

History

CoQ10 was first identified in the 1950s, and by the 1970s it was being studied for its role in energy production and heart health. Ubiquinol was developed later as a more bioavailable version of CoQ10 — ...Read more

9 healthy ways to eat more dark chocolate

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Although chocolate can sometimes be associated with unhealthy habits, like eating too much sugar, dark chocolate has many redeeming qualities.

“Dark chocolate is rich in polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and neutralize free radicals in the body," says Brittany Brown, RD, IBCLC, ...Read more

Easy ways to fit heart-healthy avocados into your meals

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

With its bright green flesh, an avocado looks like a vegetable — but botanically, an avocado is a fruit. From a nutrition standpoint, it fits more into the healthy fat category: half of a medium avocado has as much fat as a tablespoon of olive oil. Indeed, avocados can defy categorizing. And they’re popular: the average American eats about ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Melanoma stage determines treatment plan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 36-year-old sister recently noticed an unusual mole on her shoulder. She is scheduled for some tests. Her primary care physician believes it might be melanoma. What is melanoma? What treatment options are available, and is surgery necessary? Have there been recent advancements in treatments?

ANSWER: While melanoma is much ...Read more

Elena Kreys/Dreamstime/TNS

Doctors increasingly see AI scribes in a positive light. But hiccups persist

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Jeannine Urban went in for a checkup in November, she had her doctor’s full attention.

Instead of typing on her computer keyboard during the exam, Urban’s primary care physician at the Penn Internal Medicine practice in Media, Pennsylvania, had an ambient artificial intelligence scribe take notes. At the end of the 30-minute visit, ...Read more

'Molecular glue' from this San Diego startup makes cancer self-destruct; Big Pharma bets billions

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

This local biotech says it has found a way to trick cancer cells into destroying themselves with its molecular glue.

Now it’s putting that claim to the test.

After attracting global attention from researchers and billions of dollars from Big Pharma, Neomorph announced Tuesday that it has begun its first clinical trial. The molecular glue ...Read more

Children's Minnesota to pause some gender health care for minors

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Children’s Minnesota hospital says it will pause some gender health services for minors following federal actions on health care.

The hospital network said in a statement Tuesday that there has been an increase of federal actions “directed at pediatric health systems” such as Children’s, which provides gender-...Read more

Consuming less highly processed foods and sugary drinks and more whole grains can meaningfully improve your health. fizkes/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Confused by the new dietary guidelines? Focus on these simple, evidence-based shifts to lower your chronic disease risk

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans aim to translate the most up-to-date nutrition science into practical advice for the public as well as to guide federal policy for programs such as school lunches.

But the newest version of the guidelines, released on Jan. 7, 2026, seems to be spurring more confusion than clarity about what people ...Read more

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

When suicidal calls come in, who answers? Georgia crisis line response rates reveal gaps

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

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

____

Kaitlin Cooke of Cartersville, Georgia, was contemplating suicide when she started calling a statewide mental health crisis line in 2018. She said she would sneak outside and call the hotline ...Read more

Treating your 'good' arm after a stroke could help you better tackle everyday activities. MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Stroke survivors can counterintuitively improve recovery by strengthening their stronger arm – new research

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Stroke survivors often face substantial and long-lasting problems with their arms. Both arms often decline together: When one arm is more severely affected by the stroke, the other becomes more difficult to use as well. Compared with a healthy person’s dominant hand, a stroke survivor may take up to three times longer to complete everyday ...Read more

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Expansion of 'Mexico City' policy to affect estimated $40 billion in aid

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s expansion of the so-called Mexico City policy restricting reproductive care around the world, to now cover gender ideology and diversity efforts, will impact billions of dollars in foreign aid not previously covered, according to health experts.

The State Department on Jan. 23 announced that the ...Read more

Sergey Novikov/Dreamstime.com/TNS

Ask the Pediatrician: Tips to keep kids warm, safe when playing outside in winter:

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Heading outside for some wintertime fun like sledding, throwing snowballs or ice skating can be a sure-fire cure for cabin fever. It's also a great way for kids to get the 60 minutes of daily exercise they need. Just be sure your child is dressed right — and know when it's time to come in and warm up.

Families can also prevent winter-related ...Read more

HBO Max/HBO Max/TNS

Back to reality: Better TV depictions of CPR may save lives, new Pitt study finds

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Physicians have said the HBO Max drama "The Pitt" offers one of the most accurate depictions of medicine on television.

But there are plenty of shows that don't offer such realism — and they may be having real-world consequences when it comes to the public understanding of best practices for bystander CPR.

Bystander cardiopulmonary ...Read more

Malcolm Jackson/KFF Health News/TNS

Her son's injury never got its day in vaccine court. Their lawyer is now advising RFK Jr. on its overhaul

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In 2019, after a routine vaccination, 11-year-old Keithron Thomas felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and down his arm. His mother, Melanie Bostic, thought it would go away after a few days. But days turned to weeks, then months, and years.

Bostic learned of a federal program designed to help people who suffer rare vaccine ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Health care experts warn 'people will die' unless California steps up amid federal cuts

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As massive federal cuts are upending the health care system in California, analysts and health care professionals are urging state lawmakers to soften the blow by creating new revenue streams and helping residents navigate through the newly imposed red tape.

"It impacts not only uninsured but also Medicare and commercially insured patients who ...Read more

The U.S.-WHO collaboration has been critical in the country's response to mpox, shown here, as well as Ebola, Marburg, flu and COVID-19. Uma Shankar sharma/Moment via Getty Images

US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy – here’s what the US, and world, will lose

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The U.S. departure from the World Health Organization became official in late January 2026, according to the Trump administration – a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on inauguration day of his second term declaring that he was doing so. He first stated his intention to do so during his first term in 2020, early ...Read more

What to know about tuberculosis in the Bay Area after outbreak at high school

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Francisco Public Health Department has launched a “large-scale TB contact investigation” after a tuberculosis outbreak this week at Archbishop Riordan High School infected at least three students, prompting administrators to cancel classes and basketball games in an attempt to stop its spread.

In addition to the...Read more