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Bipartisan bill would study maternal health-violence link

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A bipartisan pair of senators on Monday introduced legislation that would support research into the link between intimate partner violence and maternal deaths and illness.

The legislation by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, would direct the Health and Human Services Department to support research on how domestic ...Read more

What to know about Gov. Ron DeSantis' push this week to change Florida's vaccine mandates

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The DeSantis administration’s highly publicized plan to eliminate Florida vaccine requirements has, so far, not materialized.

Even a watered-down proposal from lawmakers to make it easier for parents to opt their children out of immunization requirements died earlier this year after the House refused to take it up.

But ...Read more

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Ask the Pediatrician: High and low blood sugar in kids: Signs, causes and how to help

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

All of the cells in our body depend on sugar in our blood -- primarily glucose as the main source of energy. This sugar comes from the foods that we eat. Certain organs in our body also make and store sugar.

The body functions best when it is in balance with the correct amount of glucose in the blood, a condition called euglycemia. In this ...Read more

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At this medical respite, homeless Philadelphians get desperately needed care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PHILADELPHIA -- After months of living on the streets, Alexis DiBella felt she had finally turned a corner at the end of last year.

The 31-year-old had just gotten a bed in a women’s shelter. Excited to “dig into life again” after a frigid winter, she brushed off some lingering pain in her feet.

Over a few days, they grew red and swollen...Read more

The ever-expanding benefits of vaccines

It makes sense that getting kids vaccinated against rubella (German measles) does more than protect each individual child. After all, if a sick child infects a pregnant woman, she may miscarry or her baby may be born deaf, blind or with developmental delays.

But we're finding out more every day about how vaccines have benefits that were never ...Read more

A Tooth Extraction Presents A Risk For Osteonecrosis Of The Jaw

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 79-year-old female who's in good health. I am 5 feet tall and weigh 95 pounds, and I'm very active. I've been taking Prolia for the past two to three years for osteoporosis, which has since improved to osteopenia. Right after this past Prolia shot, I developed discomfort in my mouth and was told that I have a cracked root...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Tufts Medical Center announced new living donor liver transplant program

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Tufts Medical Center has received approval to perform living donor liver transplants effective immediately, the health care provider announced.

“By offering living donor liver transplantation, we are opening new pathways to life-saving care and providing hope to patients with end-stage liver disease who might otherwise face extended — and ...Read more

Weight loss pills aren't a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle. JW LTD/Stone via Getty Images

Your body already has a built-in weight loss system that works like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro – food and your gut microbiome

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are weight loss and diabetes drugs that have made quite a splash in health news. They target regulatory pathways involved in both obesity and diabetes and are widely considered breakthroughs for weight loss and blood sugar control.

But do these drugs point toward a root cause of metabolic disease? What ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is life like after an organ transplant or donation?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A close friend of mine recently received an organ transplant, and another acquaintance is considering becoming a living donor. What is life really like after an organ transplant or donation?

ANSWER: Organ transplantation is often described as a second chance at life, and for many people, that description is accurate. The ...Read more

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Tuberculosis vaccine shows promise as once-fatal disease evades treatment

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BALTIMORE —Tuberculosis infected more than 8 million people in 2024 — surpassing COVID-19 and marking a record high since 1995 — as a new Johns Hopkins-developed vaccine emerges amid rising antibiotic resistance.

The nasal spray, DNA-based vaccine targets two genes to help the immune system fight drug-tolerant “persisters” that ...Read more

Using A Vagus Nerve Stimulation Device For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I want to know what you think about vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), both the surgically implanted type as well as the external noninvasive device for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other indications. What kind of doctor does this? Just reading about it gives me hope that less drugs are being used to treat these conditions. -- L.L...Read more

The Clean 15

Nothing should stop you from eating more fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. They are nutritional powerhouses that make your insides (immune, gastrointestinal and neurological systems) and outsides (skin and hair) well-balanced and healthy, so they can protect you from disease and keep you looking good.

But when the Environmental Working ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

New COVID subvariant 'cicada' is on the rise. Here's what you need to know

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A highly mutated COVID-19 strain is circulating in California — raising concerns that disease activity could rise heading into the summer.

The emergence of the BA.3.2 strain, nicknamed "cicada," comes amid broader uneasiness about COVID vaccination rates among seniors — who are especially susceptible to the virus — and whether complacency...Read more

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New cholesterol guidelines affect patients as young as 9

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BALTIMORE — Updated for the first time in six years, clinical guidelines for screening and managing cholesterol now recommend earlier screenings — as young as nine years old — for those with a family history of heart disease, among other standards of care.

“Shifting the paradigm toward proactive prevention strategies earlier in life can...Read more

Shingles Occurs In Vaccinated Woman For The Fourth Time

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: Have you ever heard of a fully vaccinated 79-year-old woman getting a repeat case of shingles? This is actually my fourth time having it. My first occurrence of shingles was when I was 26 years old, and it was on my torso. The next two occurrences were on my forehead, and I got antiviral medication for them. They subsided ...Read more

Stress is your No. 1 ager

There's an epidemic of health-damaging chronic stress in this country. Fully 75% of you say that you experience physical or emotional stress-related symptoms, and half of you report significant daily stress -- often focused on health concerns for yourself or a family member, world events and finances. No wonder so many folks are aging faster ...Read more

Liz Rymarev/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

Measles exposure reported at Boston Logan Airport

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BOSTON — A person with measles traveled through Boston Logan Airport on April 13, the Boston Public Health Commission reported, warning exposed unvaccinated individuals to isolate and contact healthcare providers immediately.

“This case of measles underscores the continued importance of obtaining the MMR vaccine,” said Bisola Ojikutu, ...Read more

Air pollution can negatively affect the brain. Jomkwan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

HEPA air purifiers may boost brain power in adults over 40 – new research

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Using an in-home HEPA purifier for one month spurs a small but significant improvement in brain function in adults age 40 and older. That’s the result of a new study we co-authored in the journal Scientific Reports.

HEPA purifiers – HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air – remove particulate matter from the air. ...Read more

One of rotavirus infection's main symptoms is diarrhea, which can lead to severe dehydration that needs to be treated in the hospital. hxyume/E+ via Getty Images

Rotavirus cases in children are rising – but a highly effective vaccine has slashed hospitalizations from the virus by 80% in 2 decades

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily and can make babies and young children very sick. This year, doctors have been seeing more cases earlier in the season than usual.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that almost 8 in 100 people tested for rotavirus have the virus. This is only a ...Read more

The best health care ETFs to buy

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Among the S&P 500’s 11 major sectors, three are widely considered “defensive” thanks to the inelastic demand for the services and products they provide. “Elasticity” refers to how sensitive consumer demand is to changes in price.

For utilities, consumer staples and health care, demand remains fairly constant regardless of economic ...Read more