ArcaMax

MINNEAPOLIS -- UnitedHealth Group is joining forces with a rival health insurer and one of the nation's largest lab testing companies to see if blockchain technology can improve health care data.

On Monday, UnitedHealth announced the pilot project in conjunction with Kentucky-based Humana, New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics and a New York firm ...Read more

On their way to winning the World Series, the 2017 Houston Astros hit 238 home runs. They also struck out 1,087 times. Lesson learned: Sometimes you'll swing and miss, but you don't win unless you step up to the plate and let it rip.

There's also a lesson in there for those of you who are not pleased with the effectiveness of the latest flu ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: There is a very easy cure for hot flashes -- and it works! Take 400 units of vitamin E twice a day. The flashes will disappear in three days. This has worked for countless women for years. Why don't doctors know about this? -- S.P.B.

ANSWER: Researchers have evaluated vitamin E for the treatment of hot flashes. One study found ...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: What is the best way to eliminate insomnia? For almost a year, I've had trouble getting much sleep. I've tried over-the-counter medications, but they aren't very effective.

A: Although sleep medications may be useful when you have occasional trouble sleeping, they aren't meant for long-term use. A better approach is to change ...Read more

Researchers at Mayo Clinic are closer to answering the question, why does one colon polyp transform to cancer while another seemingly identical polyp does not? A colon polyp is a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. While most colon polyps are harmless some can develop into colon cancer, which can be fatal if found too ...Read more

Whether it's from a sawing accident, a car crash or a gunshot wound, when blood starts pouring, saving a life starts with stopping the bleeding.

Gwen Meyer, a Mayo Clinic trauma nurse, says stopping the bleed comes down to "A," "B" and "C."

Meyer says "A" stands for alert somebody.

"If you come upon a scene and see something, call 911," Meyer...Read more

A friend who knows I love corny jokes -- especially those about food -- sent this one to me: "What did the chick pea say when it was sick?" Pause... "Falalfel."

Maybe it's time to pull out some of my favorite groaners from various sources. Bear with me:

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house. After eating, the wives left the ...Read more

Foodies beware: A recent study has shown that the habit of dining out may raise your risk of cancer.

According to a new University of California and George Washington University study, as Newsweek reports, dining out may put you at risk for elevated levels of potentially harmful chemicals called phthalate that are linked to diseases like cancer...Read more

Using sliced onions and green pepper from the produce section of the market helps you make this dinner in 5 minutes.

Wok cooking tip: Make sure your wok or skillet is very hot. Add the food to the hot wok and don't touch it for about 30 seconds. This gives the wok a chance to regain its heat.

Helpful Hint:

-- Diced fresh onions and green bell...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Heart and brain activity are routinely measured through the skin with adhesive electrodes. But diagnosing gastric diseases may require patients to endure a tube stuck through the nose, down the throat and into the stomach.

Scientists led by UC San Diego researchers say they have a better option for these patients. They've invented ...Read more

Nutrition for a Healthy Heart

Even though I'm a dietitian, I'm still amazed at the role food can have in lowering our risk of diseases and keeping us healthy. Even if there's a genetic tendency toward something like heart disease, making good lifestyle choices can make a difference when it comes to whether that tendency leads to a heart attack....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is physically fit and works out daily through biking, elliptical trainer, playing hockey, working outside, etc. He is of appropriate weight, and his cholesterol and sugar numbers are normal, as is his blood pressure. What concerns me is his diet. Every day, he eats meat -- red meat, pork or chicken. He also eats lunch ...Read more

Singer Pink gained more than 55 pounds while pregnant, as did celebrity Kim Kardashian. Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson packed on over 60, and chronicled her battle to lose that weight on her reality show, "Kendra." Each gained more weight than is recommended for her health and the health of her baby, both while pregnant and after birth. Seems...Read more

Summer is coming and you're thinking about trying on swimsuits and launching a new healthy living kick. Pronto. Especially the diet part.

If you are trying to get fit fast, you are likely moving more and eating less -- and grappling with the nagging feeling that you can't seem to stop feeling hungry. Am I right?

Don't worry, you are not alone....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent MRI of my internal auditory canals revealed an incidental finding of "microangiographic changes" in the area of the pons. I am 65 years old, do not smoke or drink, exercise rather vigorously for an hour almost every day, eat sensibly, am not diabetic and have normal cholesterol and blood pressure without medication. Can ...Read more

On opening day, March 29, all 30 MLB baseball teams will start off with the same standing. The Detroit Tigers (W-64, L-98 in 2017) will have the same standing as the Cleveland Indians (W-102, L-60). But it's a long way to the season's end in October, and through the season the standings probably will change many times.

According to Australian ...Read more

Jackie Sapko and her husband spent the first five years of their son Colton's life trying to keep him away from anything with peanuts.

Colton's peanut allergy was so severe that even a tiny taste could send him to the emergency room. EpiPens, nut-free preschools and carting his own cupcakes to birthday parties became routine parts of life.

So ...Read more

If you have hypertension, a chronic condition that affects an estimated third of U.S. adults, your blood pressure isn't the only thing on the high side. So, too, are your health care costs. The Health Care Cost Institute says that in 2016, adults with hypertension spent 3.2 times more in total and 2.2 times more in out-of-pocket costs for ...Read more

In a "Funny or Die" PSA, Will Ferrell plays a man with his face buried in his smartphone while at his family dinner table. When his daughter announces she drew a horse that day, Ferrell responds "Good for you, son." His son then declares, "I'm selling bongs out of our minivan." As the overblown "confessions" snowball, Ferrell never looks up to ...Read more