Classmates often stop Alma Gallegos as she makes her way down the bustling hallways of Theodore Roosevelt High School in southeast Fresno, California. The 17-year-old senior is frequently asked by fellow students about COVID-19 testing, vaccine safety, and the value of booster shots.

Alma earned her reputation as a trusted source of information...Read more

Winters are always busy at health care facilities. This year, in addition to a super contagious coronavirus, hospitals have been dealing with a more ferocious flu season, other respiratory viruses and fewer available hospital beds in Atlanta. Health reporter Helena Oliviero recently got a close-up view of the confluence of all these factors.

_...Read more

When you’re packing for the pool or beach this summer, don’t forget your towel, your sunscreen — and your grapes.

Why grapes? According to a recent study, eating grapes can protect you against ultraviolet skin damage.

More than 3 million Americans are affected by skin cancer each year, the study’s authors wrote, largely as a result of ...Read more

Los Angeles had oil wells pumping in its neighborhoods when Hollywood was in its infancy, and thousands of active wells still dot the city.

These wells can emit toxic chemicals such as benzene and other irritants into the air, often just feet from homes, schools and parks. But now, after nearly a decade of community organizing and ...Read more

Videos appearing to show people experiencing severe side effects after allegedly receiving COVID-19 vaccines are making the rounds on social media as part of a renewed push from anti-vaccine movements to cast doubt on safety.

Twitter users have shared videos of people who’ve claimed to have experienced tremors, seizures, paralysis, and other ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 4-year-old daughter already has had three ear infections this winter. When she isn't feeling well, our entire family is miserable. The pediatrician says she may continue to get more infections and it is just her body. Why do some kids get ear infections so easily? And is there anything I can do to prevent the infections and ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've been struggling with back stiffness and pain for a long time, but it has gotten worse in the last few years. My doctor told me that I have degenerative disk disease. What exactly does that mean? Is it common and what can I do to feel better?

ANSWER: Degenerative disk disease is a common cause of back pain. Our spinal ...Read more

Americans aren’t exercising enough.

Less than a third of U.S. adults meet suggested benchmarks for aerobic and muscle-building activities set out by health officials, according to a new study released Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends healthy adults spend at least 150 minutes per week — roughly 20 ...Read more

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

Americans stigmatize parents of heavier children, specifically blaming them for their children’s weights, according to experiments conducted by our team of psychologists.

The more a person views parents as responsible for a child’s excess weight, the more ...Read more

Jenna Eisenhart spent nearly six years as a licensed therapist in Colorado before deciding to move to a place with a greater need for her services. She researched rural states facing a shortage of behavioral health providers and accepted a job as a lead clinical primary therapist at Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena, Montana, in January ...Read more

One night last month, a 9-year-old boy who had autism and talked about killing himself was among about 70 foster care children and youth under state supervision sleeping in hotels across Georgia.

Georgia’s designated health insurer for foster care, Amerigroup Community Care, had denied the boy placement in a psychiatric residential treatment ...Read more

Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, diagnosed in more than 20 million people and responsible for more than 350,000 deaths in the U.S, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains the signs of coronary artery disease and how to reduce your ...Read more

When winter storms hit, good balance can prevent falls and injuries — ranging from broken arms, legs or hips to back injuries and concussions.

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control says slips and falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury across all age groups, except the 10-24 group. One in every 5 falls results in a ...Read more

ATLANTA — When the Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia were afflicted with the debilitating illness caused by the parasite.

Now, the world might be only a few years away from completely eradicating Guinea worm disease. The Carter Center is ...Read more

Gel manicures might not be the self-care treat that they seem: the lamps used to dry the nail polish emit UV light that can cause DNA mutations often associated with cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego tested cells from mice as well as humans in a lab, exposing them to the lamps in a study...Read more

People who follow a healthy lifestyle do more than just manage their diet and make good food choices. They also tend to get regular exercise, keep alcohol in check, don’t smoke, and manage their weight. In fact, research shows that these health behaviors actually tend to cluster together.

Clustering is a prevalent pattern of health behaviors ...Read more

There’s no question it’s easier to make healthy choices in spring and summer with an abundance of produce in season and ideal weather to be active. But come the cold, harsh months of winter, eating clean and slimming down can seem a whole lot more challenging. Here are a few common winter weight-loss hurdles and how to dodge them.

1. ...Read more

Weight stigma, as defined in a recent BioMed Central article, is the “social rejection and devaluation that accrues to those who do not comply with prevailing social norms of adequate body weight and shape.” Put simply, weight stigma is a form of discrimination based on a person’s body weight.

The authors of this article assert that ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My friend was diagnosed with a thoracic aortic aneurysm. What causes this type of aneurysm, and how fast does it grow? Also, how are thoracic aortic aneurysms treated?

ANSWER: A thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs when one or more areas along the wall of the aorta — the body’s largest blood vessel — becomes weak or damaged. ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently was hospitalized for something unrelated, but during my treatment, I was given a transesophageal echocardiogram that recorded a hole in my heart. The care team at the hospital where I was being treated said there are no ways to close or repair the hole. Is that true? Or should I seek a second opinion?

ANSWER: ...Read more