Health care is high on the minds of Americans as November approaches. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 23% of registered voters said health care is the most important issue in determining their vote for president. Only the economy ranked higher, at 25%. Tens of millions of people lost their jobs and health insurance because of the ...Read more

We know fish is important for health — high in protein, low in saturated fat, a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and rich in vitamins, such as vitamins D and B2, and minerals, including iron, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. Research shows that eating fish once or twice a week may reduce risk of several chronic conditions, ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What are the risks of LASIK surgery, and will my vision deteriorate again over time, even after surgery?

ANSWER: It is not typical for a person’s vision to regress after LASIK, or laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, and complications that result in a loss of vision after LASIK are rare. Although the procedure may lead to ...Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused much stress and uncertainty for students, parents, teachers and staff. "For students and the adults who care for them, the desire is so strong to have our lives return to normal, which also involves schooling," says Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic psychologist. "School is one of the most important places that...Read more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ignoring pleas from Republican leaders, Missouri voters appeared on track Tuesday to approve a plan to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 230,000 low-income people in the state.

With 74% of the vote tallied, the push to join 37 other states that have already expanded the federally subsidized health insurance program ...Read more

For the first time, an expert medical group has recommended delaying, decreasing and simplifying cervical cancer screening, largely because the HPV vaccine, introduced 14 years ago, is protecting young women from the disease.

Most Americans still don't know that the human papillomavirus, or HPV, causes oral and genital cancers, and too many ...Read more

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- As COVID-19 swept into the U.S., hospitals across the country have reported that their emergency departments are emptying out. In a new study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, a team of researchers from multiple institutions provides insights into this phenomenon.

"We knew there were major changes in ED (emergency ...Read more

Johnson & Johnson's Spravato has been approved as the first antidepressant for actively suicidal people, as doctors are becoming increasingly concerned about COVID-19's effect on the mental health of Americans.

The Food and Drug Administration approval means the quick-acting nasal spray will be available to people with suicidal thoughts and a ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Even as others were dying of COVID-19, Rick Wright made phone calls to his business clients. He lifted weights, did pushups and glided on an elliptical trainer. Late at night, he took his dog on long walks.

"I never felt sick. Not a cough, wheezing, headache. Absolutely nothing," said 63-year-old Wright of Redwood City, ...Read more

Suicide-related incidents involving over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), increased by 33.5% between 2000 and 2018, a study from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, suggests.

The study, published in the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, analyzed ...Read more

CHICAGO -- As Illinois continues testing for COVID-19, many people showing symptoms end up with negative results. Instead, they may have fallen ill with a common cold or the flu. While some people may wonder why they might catch a cold during this time of social distancing and hand washing, the answer is fairly simple, according to medical ...Read more

SEATTLE - Relationship therapist Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman doesn't mince words when discussing strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on couples nationwide.

She tells of one husband-and-wife client duo and how the pandemic has "driven them crazy" when he comes home weekends from his high-stress, front-line medical worker job he took in ...Read more

DENVER -- Beverly Grant spent years juggling many roles before yoga helped her restore her balance.

When not doting over her three children, she hosted her public affairs talk radio show, attended community meetings or handed out cups of juice at her roving Mo' Betta Green MarketPlace farmers market, which has brought local, fresh foods and ...Read more

CHICAGO -- The pandemic has everyone stuck at home, where alcohol and snacks are within easy reach. So if you find that you're drinking more, you're not alone. From March to June, the COVID Symptom Study found 20% of their almost 100,000 participants reported increased drinking since the pandemic began. During the week of March 21 alone, U.S ...Read more

While the exact origin of the coronavirus remains murky, scientists have been racing to determine how it jumped from animals to humans so they can prevent another pandemic.

The next one could just be a matter of time, a study published recently suggests.

The authors said a virus with similar ability to infect humans may already be out there, ...Read more

ST. LOUIS -- Haley Organ thought she had everything figured out. After graduating from a small private college just outside Boston, she earned her master's degree, entered the workforce and eventually landed a corporate job here as a data analyst.

Life seemed to be going as planned until the national retailer that Organ worked for announced ...Read more

Families and school districts are weighing difficult decisions on whether to return to school in person, online or a combination of both during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"No matter what education model is chosen -- in-person, distance learning or a hybrid of the two, we want to provide guidance to parents, children, teachers and staff on how to ...Read more