It was April, more than three months into the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, and Jim Freeman, 83, still had not gotten his first dose.

Freeman had been eligible for months as part of the 75-and-older target group deemed most vulnerable to death and serious illness in the pandemic. But he could not leave his home to make the journey to ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 56 and have noticed a few things are changing as I get older. I know as I age there will be more changes in my body and mind, but can you provide insights on what are some common things that I can expect?

ANSWER: Throughout life, your body is constantly changing, and there are some surprising changes that can occur within...Read more

On a sloppy spring day in mid-March, hundreds of Kurdish Americans gathered in a field outside Nashville, Tennessee, under a sea of black umbrellas. Some of the men carried a stretcher to an open grave, where a yellow backhoe waited.

In accordance with Muslim tradition, the body of Imad Doski — a prominent community leader — was buried ...Read more

People who were heavy users of conservative or social media during the early months of the pandemic experienced increased belief in conspiracies surrounding COVID-19, a new study from researchers with the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania found.

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research last...Read more

Debbie Cook was in her pajamas on a summer morning in 2019 when she got a call from her son: “Something bad is wrong with Granny.”

The fear in his voice told Cook it was serious. She dialed 911 immediately, knowing it could take time for an ambulance to navigate the country roads in Fentress County, Tennessee.

She got dressed and made the ...Read more

Therapists and other behavioral health care providers cut hours, reduced staffs and turned away patients during the pandemic as more Americans experienced depression symptoms and drug overdoses, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The report on patient access to behavioral health care during the COVID-19 crisis ...Read more

FRESNO, Calif. — The court rulings brought hope. Finally, California's Native American population — the nation's largest — would receive its rightful share of federal health care funding.

Triumphant, leaders in the California Native community journeyed to Washington to negotiate the process of opening the funding pipeline.

That was more ...Read more

The average healthy woman begins menopause at 51, though some women will begin in their 40s or in their late 50s. It's a natural biological process that marks the time a woman ends her menstrual cycle.

Mood swings, hot flashes and difficulty sleeping are common symptoms that can be effectively managed with hormone therapy. Lifestyle changes can...Read more

Green peas by any other name — English, garden, shell, sweet — are just as delightful. Not to be confused with snow peas or snap peas, whose tender pods are edible, green peas are the tiny round gems shelled from the pod.

The folklore

One of the first cultivated foods, peas date back thousands of years to central Asia and the Middle East. ...Read more

If you ask health care providers about the most challenging condition to treat, chronic pain is mentioned frequently. By its nature, chronic pain is a complex and multidimensional experience. Pain perception is affected by our unique biology, our mood, our social environment, and past experiences. If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Since I was a kid, I’ve been drinking milk with breakfast and dinner as my primary beverage. But looking in the grocery store coolers these days, there are so many options other than cow’s milk. Are plant-based milks like soy or almond milk healthier options?

ANSWER: Dairy (cow’s) milk and plant-based beverages like soy ...Read more

You know that grumpy feeling when you haven’t had quality sleep in a few days? Or if you’re in an exercise rut and lacking extra energy? It happens to everyone. But new research has revealed it may have consequences on your mental health.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology looked at the connection between mental health and ...Read more

Last summer, Global Plasma Solutions wanted to test whether the company’s air-purifying devices could kill COVID-19 virus particles but could find only a lab using a chamber the size of a shoebox for its trials. In the company-funded study, the virus was blasted with 27,000 ions per cubic centimeter.

In September, the company’s founder ...Read more

Long-term effects of COVID-19 infection are affecting the health of some children and teens, as well as adults. While most children with COVID-19 infection have mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says anyone who has had COVID-19 ― even if the illness was mild or if they had no symptoms ― ...Read more

The federal government must aggressively bolster primary care and connect more Americans with a dedicated source of care, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine warn in a major report that sounds the alarm about an endangered foundation of the U.S. health system.

The urgently worded report, which comes as internists, ...Read more

Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don't want to be on the hook for all the new costs.

For instance, the box of 100 gloves that cost $2.39 in February 2020 costs $30 now, said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, president of the California Dental Association, who has a private dental practice in ...Read more

WASHINGTON – Public health advocates who expect COVID-19 vaccines to become available for younger teens soon are concerned that a government-led distribution effort that may rely in large part on pediatricians could create glaring inequalities among children.

With only three months before the next school year starts in some areas, advocates ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — When Natasha Black learned that she was eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, she said she was excited — and hopeful that daily life might finally get back to normal.

Black, a member of a self-advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities, had spent the year away from family, friends, and work. Isolated in her group ...Read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After a year of talking with patients via Zoom, phone and sometimes FaceTime, some central Ohio mental health providers are confident that telemedicine is here to stay, even after the pandemic goes away.

Kristen Carpenter, director of ambulatory services at Ohio State Harding Hospital, said the hospital did some telehealth ...Read more

Dear Healthy Men: I’m always trying to talk with my husband about health, parenting, our relationship and other things. But we never seem to be able to have a decent conversation. Why is it that so many men aren’t able to communicate their feelings?

A: While I’d love to be able to answer your question, I can’t — largely because the ...Read more