DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am in my 30s and overweight, but I thought I was too young to worry about cholesterol. I just learned my cholesterol is high. I know diet and exercise are important. Do I need medication?

ANSWER: Cholesterol is a type of fat in our blood. Our bodies need a small amount of cholesterol to build the structure of cell ...Read more

A new Trump administration rule bars immigrants living in the United States under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from buying health insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

The change, announced in June, took effect at the beginning of this month. It reverses a policy change enacted by the Biden administration for last ...Read more

Biologist Grant Hokit came to this small meadow in the mountains outside Condon, Montana, to look for ticks. A hiking path crossed the expanse of long grasses and berry bushes.

As Hokit walked the path, he carried a handmade tool made of plastic pipes taped together to hold a large rectangle of white flannel cloth.

He poked fun at this “...Read more

CHICO, Calif. — Olivia Owlett chose to do her primary care residency in this Northern California college town largely because it faces many of the same health care challenges she grew up with.

Owlett is one of four residents in the inaugural class of a three-year family medicine residency program run by the local nonprofit Healthy Rural ...Read more

It may not be age that is making your hair thin or fall out, but rather what you are eating and drinking.

New research shows certain foods contribute to hair loss, and others help with hair growth.

Sugar-sweetened beverages and alcoholic drinks are associated with a higher risk of hair loss, according to research published in Nutrition and ...Read more

At an explosive news conference on the causes of autism Monday, President Donald Trump espoused decades-old, long-debunked theories linking autism to the childhood vaccine schedule.

Public health experts immediately pushed back, decrying Trump's comments as false and dangerous.

And despite heightened anti-vaccine rhetoric from the ...Read more

Minnesotans who buy their own health insurance will pay more out of pocket next year because of double-digit premium increases, and Gov. Tim Walz is blaming his political foes for their plight.

The governor, a Democrat running for reelection, faulted President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress on Tuesday for allowing some ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've read so much about the health benefits of tracking my steps. But there's a lot of confusing information out there. How many is the right number? Are some "steps" better for you than others? Please help.

ANSWER: Whether you're tracking steps with your phone, a smartwatch or an old-school pedometer, the result is the same: ...Read more

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met last week at a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It linked 25 unverified reports of child deaths to COVID-19 vaccines as they consider further limiting access to this and other immunizations, like those for hepatitis B and MMRV. But they aren’t just playing politics....Read more

John Hauser was a Chicagoland student working toward becoming a commercial pilot. He’d long wanted to be a pilot and was pursuing that dream. But Hauser had been experiencing depression and was discouraged from seeking the treatment he needed due to outdated aviation laws that would prevent him from flying.

In his messages to his family ...Read more

Illinois health leaders should part ways with the federal government when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines and recommend the shots for all adults and many children, an influential state committee voted Monday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health Immunization Advisory Committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend updated COVID-19 vaccines ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s top doctor issued a standing order Monday allowing pharmacists to give COVID-19 vaccines without prescriptions to a broader group of patients than federally recommended.

The state Department of Health announced the order and that it was aligning with national medical organizations in encouraging broader use of the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The budget stalemate that threatens a potential federal government shutdown next week is also a battle over whether to continue helping consumers pay for their health care — help that about 1.8 million Californians use.

If the federal enhanced subsidies end, those state residents could see their monthly premiums nearly triple ...Read more

Does your child's school have a new phone policy starting this year? Some schools now ask students to keep phones away "bell-to-bell," from the start of classes through dismissal. Others use locking bags like the Yondr pouch to store phones during the day. Some only allow phones at lunch.

New school phone policies like these and more can mean ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Fields of plastic, or fake turf, are spreading across the Golden State from San Diego to Del Norte counties.

Some municipalities and school districts embrace them, saying they are good for the environment and promote kids' activity and health. But some cities including Los Angeles are considering banning the fields, citing ...Read more

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas — Jake Margo Jr. stood in the triage room at Starr County Memorial Hospital explaining why a person with persistent fever who could be treated with over-the-counter medication didn’t need to be admitted to the emergency room.

“We’re going to take care of the sickest patients first,” Margo, a family medicine ...Read more

Just before 8 a.m. on Jan. 31, an explosion rocked a nondescript one-story office building in an affluent suburb of Detroit.

The building was home to The Oxford Center, a health clinic that provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat a variety of disorders.

Inside the clinic, a spark had ignited the high-pressure, pure-oxygen atmosphere in a ...Read more

Trump administration officials, looking at the possible impact of large insurance premium increases for millions of next year’s Obamacare customers, want more people to consider plans with less generous benefits and high deductibles.

The agency that oversees the ACA announced early this month that it would expand eligibility for “...Read more