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Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan rise above 3,700

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan rose to 3,762 as of Wednesday morning, a 13.7% increase over Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.

That's a smaller percent increase than that between Monday and Tuesday ― 25%. Tuesday's case total was 3,309.

Forty-four people have reportedly been ...Read more

Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

What to know about eating at home and dining out during the cyclospora outbreak

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — A parasite causing “explosive diarrhea” has caused widespread panic across the country, adding new complexities to safe food handling at home and worrying diners about ordering the wrong leafy green at a restaurant. Health experts in Chicago say caution is warranted either way, but suggest considering several key factors before ...Read more

FDA drug approval affects healthcare around the world, but political shortcuts could hurt the agency’s international reputation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

At the beginning of July 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene therapy for young children with sickle cell disease.

While this is good news for children in the U.S. born with this illness, the FDA’s approval may also benefit thousands of children beyond the U.S. border.

About 70% of countries ...Read more

5 costly mistakes that can trigger Medicare surcharges

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

High-income retirees are often surprised by a Medicare expense that can lurk behind the scenes, automatically deducted from their Social Security benefits each month.

It’s a surcharge added to Part B and D premiums known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).

These surcharges are tiered, meaning sometimes a single ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: What is nutritional yeast?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: What is nutritional yeast and what is it used for?

A: Nutritional yeast is a type of yeast that has been grown and then heated so it is no longer active. This means it cannot make bread rise or be used for brewing. Instead, it is used for its nutrients and its unique flavor. It is usually sold as yellow flakes or powder.

Nutritional yeast ...Read more

Strategies for scaling back on salt

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Even if you rarely salt your food, chances are you consume way more sodium than is healthy. That’s because 70% of the sodium (a major component of salt) in the typical American diet comes from processed, prepared, and restaurant foods. The biggest sources include bread, deli meats, pizza, burritos, tacos, soups, and salty snacks.

The average ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Tips for maintaining muscle while focusing on fat loss

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m thinking about using a weight-loss drug, but I’ve heard that muscle loss can be a side effect. I’m at the age where women should strive to maintain muscle mass and strength, rather than risk losing them. Can you tell me more?

ANSWER: Medically assisted weight loss, whether through bariatric surgery or one of the ...Read more

(Heidi de Marco/KFF Health News)/KFF Health News/TNS

They harvest the nation's food, but a new rule may strip them of health insurance

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Seasonal work. Inconsistent hours. Frequent moves. Cash payments and informal jobs. For farmworkers who rely on Medicaid, these common employment patterns could put their health coverage at risk.

It’s a heightened concern for the estimated million-plus farmworkers who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, as new work requirements ...Read more

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

From pantry staple to social media darling: BeanTok is fueling interest in the humble bean

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PITTSBURGH -- The social media trend known as #BeanTok has turned lowly legumes like lentils, chickpeas and black beans into unlikely internet celebrities.

Videos showcasing colorful heirloom varieties (like scarlet runner and tiger’s eye), dense bean salads (cowboy caviar) and sly substitution recipes (ever tasted black bean brownies?) have ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Northwestern performs rare quadruple-organ transplant on woman who previously had lung transplant

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — Before she went into surgery, Elizabeth Wehrle knew that doctors wanted to transplant four new organs into her body.

She didn’t know, at the time, that the operation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital was potentially the first of its kind in the country — a quadruple-organ transplant performed on a person who had already had a ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

What to know about cyclosporiasis as the parasitic infection is found in 34 states

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

An intestinal parasite that causes “explosive” diarrhea is sickening people across 34 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

Despite outbreaks affecting two states bordering Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region so far shows no signs of widespread illness from Cyclospora cayetanensis.

Speaking to reporters, ...Read more

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CDC sees parasite cases rising all summer as it hunts for source

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects cases of severe diarrhea caused by the Cyclospora parasite to keep rising, possibly until the end of August, as it searches for the source of the outbreak that’s already sickened thousands.

At least 1,645 cases across 34 U.S. states have been confirmed by lab tests, the CDC said, ...Read more

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Salad greens scrutinized as cyclosporiasis outbreak spreads

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As state and federal officials work to identify the source of the recent outbreak of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, Michigan health officials have identified lettuces or salad greens as one potential culprit.

“Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation,” said Dr. Natasha ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Tips to avoid cyclosporiasis as parasitic illness expands in Michigan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — Michigan health officials are urging consumers to take precautions to help ward off cyclosporiasis and limit its spread as thousands of state residents have been sickened by the parasitic illness.

Through Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has received more than 2,600 reports of the illness since June 22.

...Read more

Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan surge past 3,300

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DETROIT — The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan now tops 3,300, according to an update Tuesday morning by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Tuesday's case total of 3,309 is up from 2,640 as of Monday. A total of 44 people had been hospitalized as of July 9.

The illness, which causes diarrhea and cramping, is ...Read more

Talking about the dying process early can be supportive for caregivers and their loved ones. AlexanderFord/E+ via Getty Images

Most Americans prefer to die at home, but the US healthcare system often prevents it

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Ask people what they want at the end of their lives, and overwhelmingly the answers will revolve around comfort, dignity and time at home with loved ones.

Yet the U.S. healthcare system often thwarts these wishes.

Most Americans say they want to die at home, but only one-third do. What could be an intentional last chapter may ...Read more

Nearly two-thirds of gunshot victims in Philadelphia are brought to trauma centers by police, according to a 2021 study. Thomas Hengge/Anadolu via Getty Images

When a police officer is shot, how they get to the hospital depends on the city – and Philadelphia stands apart

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When five police officers were shot in Houston in January 2019 while serving a drug-related arrest warrant, all of them were transported to the hospital after emergency medical services arrived. Two went by air and three by ground ambulance.

About seven months later, a gunman in Philadelphia shot six police officers during another ...Read more

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Commentary: When health care becomes a choice, something is broken

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Recently, a nurse told me she had to choose between paying for her husband’s surgery and putting a new roof on their home. “We’re praying for no rain,” she said. In that moment, the distance between political promises and real life collapsed.

This is what the economy feels like for millions of Americans — not a graph, not a headline,...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is a coronary calcium score and how does it affect older endurance athletes?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor is in his 60s and has spent years competing in marathons and long-distance cycling events. Despite being in excellent shape, he recently learned that he has a high coronary calcium score. I thought endurance athletes were less likely to develop heart disease? I'm in my 50s, run regularly and am training for a half-...Read more

Initial concerns about the cancer risk of GLP-1 drugs have made an about-face. Roberto Pfeil/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Can Ozempic prevent cancer? A doctor explains why the headlines are easy to misread

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In the weeks around the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, my phone kept buzzing with alerts about GLP-1 drugs and cancer. The headlines were everywhere – from NPR and The Washington Post to Substack and heated exchanges on social media – all circling the same claim: Ozempic might lower the risk of cancer....Read more