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Mayo Clinic Q&A: Is stomach cancer on the rise in young adults?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My 39-year-old brother was just diagnosed with stomach cancer. The diagnosis was especially shocking because of his age. Is this becoming more common? Does age affect the approaches to treatment?
ANSWER: Stomach cancer, also referred to as gastric cancer, was once thought of as a disease of older adults. However, it’s ...Read more
The Shots Heard Round the World
According to the World Health Organization, vaccines prevent 3.5 million to 5 million deaths worldwide each year. In the U.S., however, routine vaccination rates among children are dropping, while vaccine exemptions have reached record highs.
U.S. measles cases, mostly involving children, have surged to a 35-year high in 2026.
The personal ...Read more
A second wind: new nasal spray flu vaccine to boost immunity of aging lungs
BALTIMORE — A single dose of a new nasal spray influenza vaccine can breathe new life into older lungs while providing broad protection against multiple influenza strains, researchers reported.
In trials with mice, the spray, which combines a boost of manganese ions and another immune-stimulating molecule, gave older mice a powerful immune ...Read more
Hospitals have a little-known tool to prevent medical debt. Here's how it works
If you have medical debt, there’s a good chance you owe money to a hospital.
One way patients can avoid medical debt is through hospital financial assistance, also known as charity care. Most of the nation’s hospitals offer free or discounted medical care to patients with very high medical debt or low incomes.
Getting financial assistance,...Read more
Deciphering Whether There's A Link Between Tinnitus And Statins
DEAR DR. ROACH: As a 69-year-old female, when my cholesterol reached 250 mg/dL, I was prescribed and started taking 10 mg of rosuvastatin daily. I soon noticed a constant ringing/buzzing in my ears. Six months later, my cholesterol was down to 183 mg/dL. Another four months have passed, and the tinnitus is worse than ever and keeps me up at ...Read more
Guys, are your health blind spots endangering your future?
The Cleveland Clinic's "MENtion It" campaign has been doing annual surveys for 11 years of men's attitudes and actions concerning their own health. Unfortunately, they've found that guys aren't making smart choices. For example, the surveys found that 41% of guys were told as children that men don't complain about health issues and more than ...Read more
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.
I direct the Center for Modern Digital Health at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where my team and I study how to use wearables to improve ...Read more
What is a professional patient advocate, and why might you need one?
Imagine your mom has just been discharged from the hospital to a rehabilitation center after hip replacement surgery. She has the paperwork, the facility’s address – and a long list of questions. Will her insurance cover her entire rehab stay? Does she have enough pain medication until she gets settled? Will the hospital transfer her ...Read more
Flu season is near – here’s a guide to available vaccines
The number of people sick with flu is starting to increase across the United States, with health authorities warning that in some western regions of the country, the 2026-27 flu season may be off to an early start.
Health authorities often advise people to get their flu vaccine by the end of October – but as an epidemiologist ...Read more
What is pneumonic plague? What to know as possible disease in Russia raises alarm
The death of a Russian lab worker, possibly from pneumonic plague, has sparked concern around the world.
A worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Shelekhov died of an unknown pneumonia, Forbes reported
Russian authorities have reportedly quarantined 200 lab workers as a result, according to the ...Read more
New prostate cancer imaging outperforms biopsies for diagnosis
A new study by the Medical University of Vienna found that a specialized form of imaging could identify 91% of prostate cancer cases without the need for a biopsy.
Traditionally, a blood test can indicate the possibility of prostate cancer, but a diagnosis has long depended on a tissue sample through an outpatient procedure.
The imaging ...Read more
Commentary: There's federal progress on women's health. No joke
Menopause has been having a moment lately, and Washington is taking notice. On Sept. 16, the Senate held its first hearing on the dismal state of federally funded menopause research and vast gaps in treatment and care. Within 24 hours, the Department of Health and Human Services also convened pharmaceutical manufacturers and physicians to ...Read more
Kenya imports first Ebola case from Congo, says patient died
Health authorities in Kenya confirmed an Ebola infection in a traveler who recently arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the country’s first imported case linked to the outbreak in central Africa.
The Kenyan citizen fell ill in Congo a month ago and traveled by road to Uganda, Health Secretary Aden Duale told reporters in ...Read more
Kenya imports first Ebola case from Congo, says patient died
Health authorities in Kenya confirmed an Ebola infection in a traveler who recently arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the country’s first imported case linked to the outbreak in central Africa.
The Kenyan citizen fell ill in Congo a month ago and traveled by road to the Ugandan capital, Health Secretary Aden Duale told ...Read more
Midterms have revived universal healthcare debate. These states are ahead of everyone
Democratic congressional members and candidates are already planning to use any midterm election gains to expand health coverage, including boosting Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age.
But Democratic strongholds across the country — including Oregon, California, New York, and ...Read more
Patient dies by suicide after 'insurance issue' delayed medicine for lung disease flare-ups
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”
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KYLE, Texas — Kenney Blewett was diagnosed with lung disease more than a decade ago but started experiencing flare-ups this year that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.
Blewett ...Read more
Study: Psilocybin may ease suicidal thoughts
BALTIMORE -- People living with persistent suicidal thoughts may find relief from psilocybin paired with structured psychological support, according to a small clinical trial led by Sheppard Pratt clinicians.
The study, led by Sheppard Pratt chief science officer Scott T. Aaronson and psychiatrist Andrew van der Vaart, offers early evidence ...Read more
Penn leads $26 million NIH study to identify early signs of ALS and frontotemporal dementia
PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania is leading a $26 million effort to detect early signs of brain diseases in genetic carriers.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the project will study people with the most common inherited cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ALS is a fatal ...Read more
What you gain -- and lose -- from grain
Americans gobble down grains, but they're highly processed, packed into corn chips, white bread, pastries, pastas and fried coatings. In fact, one study says that, on average, Americans eat 77% more refined grain than is healthy! Not exactly what the U.S. Department of Agriculture had in mind when it recommended that you consume two to four ...Read more
Covid Vaccination Is Still Recommended For Those Over Age 65
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 78-year old man who was diagnosed with asthma about 10 years ago, after a severe coughing attack left me unable to breathe. Since then, everything has been pretty much under control with Symbicort or Singulair. While I assumed that it'd be a good idea to get a COVID vaccination each year due to my asthma, both my general ...Read more
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