There’s nothing like the festive spread of beloved holiday meals to heighten the season’s celebratory gatherings. If you’re looking to enhance this year’s menu, try increasing the amount of plant-based foods. Adding plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and whole grains, is a great way to make a meal healthier...Read more

A strong immune system is the foundation of good health, warding off infections and allowing you to bounce back more quickly if you do get sick. Although there is no one food or supplement that has been scientifically proven to improve immunity, there are certain foods and health practices that can give you a natural boost.

A diet rich in whole...Read more

Some people may be cautious when it comes to using oils in cooking or with their food. Eating fat with meals conjures thoughts of high cholesterol and, well, getting fat. The fact that some fats are labeled as “bad” adds to the confusion and misconception that all fats are unhealthy.

But that isn’t the case.

“It’s important to ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I threw out my back doing yardwork. While I was laid up for a few weeks, I’m OK now. I’m concerned I will reinjure my back shoveling snow this winter. How can I protect my back while shoveling?

ANSWER: Winters in certain parts of the country can be long and snowy. While seemingly an innocuous task, snow shoveling can be a ...Read more

Eisai Co. unveiled much-anticipated findings on its experimental Alzheimer’s drug, providing tinder for the hot debate over whether its modest efficacy is worth potential risks that include serious brain bleeding.

Lecanemab, developed with help from collaborator Biogen Inc., pulled large amounts of an Alzheimer’s-linked protein from the ...Read more

WILMINGTON, N.C. — In 1990, Howell Graham was so weakened by cystic fibrosis that he got winded brushing his teeth. He couldn’t work or socialize, reduced to a half-life with his arm attached to an antibiotics port.

Then at age 28 doctors offered him the stark and risky choice of a double lung transplant — first of its kind at UNC ...Read more

U.S. commuters take approximately 10 billion trips on public transit every year. SciLine asked Kari Watkins, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis, what cities can do to increase public transportation ridership and how people can make better use of this environmentally friendly ...Read more

Silvia Garcia’s 14-year-old son was left permanently disabled and in a wheelchair after a community health center doctor in New Mexico failed to diagnose his appendicitis despite his complaint of severe stomach pain. The teenager’s appendix ruptured before he could get to a hospital, and complications led to septic shock.

Akimbee Burns had ...Read more

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a leading cause of disability and death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. More than 12.5 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without knowing it.

COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease caused by long-term exposure to ...Read more

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death around the world. And diabetes is one of the risk factors for heart disease. Diabetes is a growing global health concern, with more than 422 million people living with this metabolic disorder — the majority of those with Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Gosia Wamil, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am in my early 50s and enjoy an active lifestyle. I recently heard reports of an increase in ankle sprains and broken ankles particularly in an older population, due in part to both activity and aging. How can I avoid these injuries in the first place?

ANSWER: The ankle joint is composed of the ends of the tibia and fibula ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband has had terrible neck pain for a few years. It has gotten to the point where he cannot turn his head to either side enough to drive safely. We heard that replacing a disk in his neck might be the best option. Are there other things we should try first? And is this type of surgery safe?

ANSWER: Neck pain is a common ...Read more

More than 37 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and more than 96 million adults in the U.S. — over one-third — have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar. The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A friend recently went through a bout of shingles. I really don't know much about this condition, but I know it was painful. How do you get it? Is there a treatment or vaccine for it?

ANSWER: Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a common condition caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Not ...Read more

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although you can’t avoid risk factors such as family history, you can adopt a healthier lifestyle to improve your heart health.

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a Mayo Clinic ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA —The way the blood spurted from the bullet wound, Lt. Robert Friel knew he didn't have long.

He crumpled to the floor of the CVS on South 10th Street, unable to move his leg. Friel had never been shot before, but after 28 years with the Philadelphia police, he knew enough to realize the bullet had struck a major artery.

The ...Read more

Patients who ask for their doctors’ help through online portals might soon notice something new: fees for their physicians’ online advice.

A growing number of health systems across the country are now charging for some types of messages sent through online patient portals, such as MyChart, with fees often around $35 or less. It’s a trend ...Read more

Q: My daughter is on a gymnastics team. How do I talk to her about the risks of sexual abuse in sports?

A: Getting involved in sports, clubs and other organized activities is good for kids. Children in activities get more exercise and have more self-esteem, research shows, and are better able to manage their time and build relationships.

But ...Read more

BURLINGTON, Wash. — Fire draws people together.

Throughout history, people have cooked food, found warmth and gathered with others around kindling — a sign that it's safe enough to rest.

The flames burning in a wood-fired oven on an October Thursday served as that gathering place — a spot to cultivate community at a program for farmers ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — It doesn't take a health professional to save the life of someone bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound or other traumatic injury. Any bystander can undertake a series of crucial first steps until an expert reaches the scene.

These can include using a low-tech tool that's been around since the early days of medicine: a ...Read more