Drinking to one’s health is a common tradition. But it may also be self-defeating: the alcohol that’s part of many toasts can actually harm your health.

Of course, alcohol consumption extends well past toasts. For millions of people, it’s a regular part of the dining experience, social and sports events, celebrations, and milestones. ...Read more

Most of us live such fast-paced lifestyles that prepackaged foods are not just convenient, they are a necessity. Although these foods have gotten a bad rap, they can be super helpful for getting your nutrition needs met without spending hours in the kitchen.

If you’re one of the almost 15% of U.S. adults with diabetes, you’ll be relieved to...Read more

There are a lot of claims about why we should avoid carbohydrates, including the claim that carbs make us “fat.” But is that actually true? A closer look at nutrition suggests that the devil is in the details.

Added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, and white flour are processed forms of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate-rich foods also include ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was playing a pickup game of football with my kids, took a tumble, and my kneecap made a popping sound. It really hurt, then seemed to get better, but something's not right. Any idea what might be going on?

ANSWER: If your kneecap pops or slides to the outside of your knee, you’ll definitely know that something’s going ...Read more

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and as part of everyday awareness, Mayo Clinic health care professionals suggest reducing stroke risk and knowing the signs. A stroke happens every 40 seconds in the U.S., and the likelihood of stroke increases with age, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Preventing a stroke is a crucial ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was recently diagnosed with advanced-stage endometriosis and I am told I need to have surgery. I still want children someday — should I be worried about my future fertility? What else should I know about recovering from surgery?

ANSWER: As you are learning, endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that is similar to ...Read more

PHOENIX — As an Arizona bill to block people from using government aid to buy soda headed to the governor’s desk in April, the nation’s top health official joined Arizona lawmakers in the state Capitol to celebrate its passage.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said to applause that the legislation was just the ...Read more

WYANDOTTE COUNTY, Kan. — Although Wyandotte County has yet to see a reported measles outbreak, public health officials are readying public guidance and offering vaccine services as the disease inches north from southwest Kansas.

As of May 7, Kansas’s 48 reported measles cases remained among eight counties in the state’s southwest corner, ...Read more

ATLANTA — Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care, unveiled this week, lay the groundwork for thousands of Georgians on subsidized private insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act to lose their coverage and go uninsured.

Some of the cuts are made directly in the bill, such as revoking ACA insurance from about 21,000 ...Read more

Even as Republicans in Congress walk back their most aggressive proposal to slash federal Medicaid spending, they are weighing other options that could force states to cut services for children and other vulnerable populations.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters last week that his caucus won’t reduce the 90% federal funding match ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson anticipates that California’s sprawling Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, may need to be dialed back after Gov. Gavin Newsom releases his latest budget, which could reflect a multibillion-dollar deficit.

Even so, the physician-turned-lawmaker, who was elected to the state Senate in ...Read more

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Tara Campbell unlocked the front door of the Bricklayers Hall, a no-frills brick building on South Union Street in downtown Montgomery, half a mile from the white-domed Alabama Capitol.

She was dressed in leggings, a T-shirt and bright blue running shoes. It was 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and she exuded the bouncy enthusiasm of ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Since she was a child, Maya Shetty knew she was going to be a doctor.

She wanted to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who are both primary care physicians in West Virginia. And she wanted to use her future career to help underserved populations that oftentimes fall through the medical system’s cracks.

So, as a first-year ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- For reasons I’m not sure I fully understand, I like being a test subject in clinical research studies.

I once signed up for a study at Mayo Clinic that examined the efficacy of a colon cancer screening test.

I let my DNA be tested in a large-scale community health research study run by HealthPartners.

I answer survey ...Read more

This year, the sports pages have brought a serious health concern back into the spotlight.

NBA stars Victor Wembanyama and Damian Lillard both were sidelined during the regular season by deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, a type of blood clot. They joined a long list of athletes, including tennis legend Serena Williams, hockey great Zdeno Chára and...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Whooping cough cases are surging in California with rates returning to pre-pandemic levels, medical experts said.

As of April 26, a total of 590 Californians had contracted the highly contagious disease in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“California is one of the hot ...Read more

Lawn care is a common household chore, but it comes with its own set of safety risks — particularly for children. As a parent, it’s important to understand the risks and take steps to ensure that your child stays safe, whether they’re operating the mower for chores or to earn extra money, or if they’re simply nearby.

Power lawn mowers ...Read more

CRESTWOOD, Mo. — The prospect of sweeping federal cuts to Medicaid is alarming to some Missourians who remember the last time the public medical insurance program for those with low incomes or disabilities was pressed for cash in the state.

In 2005, Missouri adopted some of the strictest eligibility standards in the nation, reduced benefits, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Nothing helped Dr. Sarah Freitas regain her spark at work — not therapy, not a rafting retreat in Utah, not a three-month leave to clean her garage and catch up on chores.

The obstetrician would return to practice in Waconia, Minnesota, and feel tired every time she haggled on the phone with an insurance company or labored ...Read more

When a woman collapsed on an escalator at the Buffalo, New York, airport last June, Phil Clough knew what to do.

He and another bystander put her flat on her back and checked her pulse (faint) and her breathing (shallow and erratic). Then she stopped breathing altogether. Realizing that she might be having a cardiac arrest, Clough immediately ...Read more