The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says heart disease is a leading cause of death is the U.S. And the risk of heart disease death differs by race and ethnicity.

February is American Heart Month. But what is heart disease? Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains.

"The heart keeps us alive, so having heart disease...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a breast cancer survivor who still suffers from various aches and pains, including arthritis. A friend told me that her arthritis pain improved after she started taking turmeric. I'm committed to making this new year a healthier one, and I want to improve my overall health and diet. Can you tell me more about this ...Read more

In the news or on social media, we hear the term "bipolar disorder" a lot.

Whether it's celebrities opening up about their diagnoses or an investigation finding that a person has struggled with the illness, such accounts often shape people's perceptions of this mood disorder that can manifest in countless ways and be difficult to diagnose.

The...Read more

As a parent, you want the best possible health for your child. So does your pediatrician. When your child comes to see a pediatrician, for either a well visit or a sick one, we are always asking ourselves what we can do to keep your child healthy. An important step in understanding your child's health is checking if they have excess weight. That...Read more

Despite widespread chronic illness among the people that grow food in California – many struggle to access reliable healthcare.

A new study from UC Merced Community and Labor Center sheds light on the chronic health issues, healthcare access, and workplace conditions that impact the wellbeing of California farmworkers.

Researchers say in a ...Read more

Six and one-half years.

That’s the decline in life expectancy that the COVID-19 pandemic wrought upon American Indians and Alaska Natives, based on an August 2022 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

This astounding figure translates to an overall drop in average living years from 71.8 years in 2019 to 65.2...Read more

The U.S. spends as much as three times more on health care per person as other high-income countries, yet residents are often less likely to visit doctors, according to a report that highlights poor returns for the nation’s large investment.

The pandemic has widened discordances between medical spending and health results in the U.S. and the ...Read more

A painful, parasitic disease that once infected 3.5 million people per year is tantalizingly close to being eradicated.

On Jan. 24, 2023, The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, announced that “Guinea worm is poised to become the second human disease in history to be eradicated,” having ...Read more

For most American workers who commute, the trip to and from the office takes nearly one full hour a day – 26 minutes each way on average, with 7.7% of workers spending two hours or more on the road.

Many people think of commuting as a chore and a waste of time. However, during the remote work surge resulting from the COVID-19 ...Read more

When many people think of an average lung cancer patient, they often imagine an older man smoking. But the face of lung cancer has changed. Over the past 15 years, more women, never smokers and younger people are being diagnosed with lung cancer.

In fact, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women, and more women die...Read more

Q: How do I make my own nut butter?

A: Surprise yourself by trying your hand at homemade nut butter. You’ll never go back to store-bought after you experience fresh and oh-so-creamy butters made with your favorite nut or combination of nuts — how about peanut, almond, or cashew? Perhaps a pistachio-sunflower seed combo? It’s not only a ...Read more

Fruits and vegetables are great for many reasons: they can help lower inflammation, up your fiber intake and support organs from your brain to your gut. But many of us aren’t getting enough.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that roughly 90% of Americans aren’t reaching the suggested five servings a day. Part of ...Read more

Currently, 37 U.S. states have passed medical cannabis laws and 21 states have legalized recreational cannabis. Cannabis has proven beneficial for a range of conditions such as childhood seizure disorders, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite in people with HIV/AIDs.

In the meantime, a new generation of cannabis products has exploded onto the...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 70-year-old father-in-law smoked for more than 30 years. I read that men who used to smoke should be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. What does this screening involve? What would be done if he is found to have an aneurysm?

ANSWER: A number of factors can raise the risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm. ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- People struggling with opioid addiction will now be able to access an addiction treatment drug from any physician licensed to prescribe controlled substances, rather than having to seek out doctors with specialized credentials.

The federal government last week lifted restrictions on who can prescribe the opioid buprenorphine to ...Read more

Brenna Kearney was seven months pregnant in December 2019 when she experienced what she thought were bad flu symptoms.

Her husband, Casey Trumble, drove her from their Chicago home to her OB-GYN’s office at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital downtown. With suddenly elevatled blood pressure and protein in her urine, she was ...Read more

The phrase "you are what you eat" is commonly used in conversations about health and the connection between food and the body. Eating an unhealthy diet can have serious consequences and can increase someone's risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a preventive cardiologist ...Read more

Radon is an odorless, invisible radioactive gas. It's naturally released from rocks, soil and water — and it can get trapped inside your home, office or school. There's no known safe level of radon.

Unfortunately, there are no symptoms of radon exposure as there are with carbon monoxide poisoning.

What makes radon so dangerous

Breathing ...Read more

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, according to the American Red Cross. Becoming a donor is easy and can make a significant impact on your community.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Justin Juskewitch, associate medical director of the Blood Donor Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, breaks down the different types of ...Read more

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

Getting everyone who is eligible for free or discounted health insurance to sign up for it requires making it as easy as possible to enroll – and that convenience especially matters for young, healthy and low-income people. Those are the key findings of a recent ...Read more