Health Advice

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Health

Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times/TNS

In WA, thousands are forgoing health insurance this year. Here's why

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Ambrose Bittner, 63, didn’t want to go uninsured. But the self-employed travel planner has been without health coverage since the beginning of the year.

Bittner, who lives in Issaquah, is one of thousands of Washington state residents who decided to disenroll from health insurance, following the expiration of subsidies that helped millions of...Read more

Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Flu cases are already high in SC but they may spike even higher soon. Here's why

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A winter storm is not the only thing to worry about in South Carolina.

While flu cases have decreased since the first week of 2026, the state is still on alert for widespread flu activity.

Latest data from the South Carolina Department of Public Health shows that the influenza-like illness activity level is high and 6.4% of patient visits to ...Read more

Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images North America/TNS

Sure, Phil Collins has health problems. But maybe that 24/7 nurse could come out on tour with him?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

There may still be life in the old dog. So says Phil Collins, after discussing some of the health challenges he has faced and taking a stroll down memory lane through his years with Genesis and as a solo performer.

Yes, he has a 24-hour live-in nurse, he says in a new interview, to make sure he takes his medicines on time. But he also has some ...Read more

Leigh Vogel/Congressional Black Caucus Foundation/Getty Images North America/TNS

Gov. Moore announces $164 million to address flu, other respiratory illness surge in Maryland

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LARGO, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday announced a $164.6 million investment to combat an epidemic of respiratory illness in Maryland. Since September, 41 adults have died from influenza, and over 4,200 individuals have been hospitalized, according to data from the Maryland Department of Health.

The number of individuals receiving COVID-19 ...Read more

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images North America/TNS

As US is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.'s new CDC deputy downplays its significance

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unbothered by the prospect at a briefing for ...Read more

A measles resurgence has put the US at risk of losing its 'elimination' status

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

One year ago this week, a case of measles was recorded in Gaines County, Texas.

It was the start of an outbreak that killed two children and sickened at least 760 people. Thousands more in the U.S. have contracted measles since.

In April, the Pan American Health Organization, an offshoot of the World Health Organization, will determine whether...Read more

Alex Wroblewski/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

GOP promotes MAHA agenda in bid to avert midterm losses. Dems point to contradictions

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When a “Make America Healthy Again” summit was held at the posh Waldorf Astoria in Washington, the line of attendees stretched down the block.

The daylong, invitation-only event in November featured a who’s who of MAHA luminaries. Vice President JD Vance attended, as did Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the ...Read more

Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post/TNS

Parents of transgender kids sue Children's Hospital Colorado for pausing gender-affirming care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DENVER — Parents of four transgender children sued Children’s Hospital Colorado this week, alleging its decision to suspend gender-affirming care amounts to discrimination under state law.

Both Children’s and Denver Health stopped prescribing puberty blockers and hormonal treatment to patients under 18 in late December or early January. ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: What’s the deal with gluten-free diets?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A gluten-free diet excludes all forms of gluten, a protein naturally found in wheat, barley and rye. While gluten poses no harm to most people, for individuals with certain health conditions, avoiding it is essential for maintaining well-being and preventing serious complications.

The primary group who must follow a gluten-free diet are those ...Read more

The 7 worst foods to eat when you have a sore throat

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A sore throat may be annoying, but it’s one of the most common symptoms of colds, seasonal allergies, and sickness. Regardless of the cause, the food you eat will make all the difference in your recovery time and comfort level, says registered dietitian Samantha Peterson, MS, RD. This means “choosing foods that calm inflammation and skipping...Read more

Can you increase your metabolism?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Having a fast metabolism is a real perk when you’re trying to trim down: it allows your body to burn calories quickly. And if you use a lot more calories than you consume, you’ll likely lose pounds.

But what if you don’t have a fast metabolism? Can you turn up the fire on that furnace? Possibly. A few strategies might give your metabolism...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: So you’re having a colonoscopy: What to expect

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I just turned 45 and am dreading my first colonoscopy. Why do I need to be screened if I’m not having issues? Can you walk me through the process?

ANSWER: Feeling anxious or afraid surrounding a procedure, particularly when you’ve never done it before, is completely normal. The purpose of screening is to act before someone...Read more

Shalina Chatlani/Stateline/TNS

AI therapy chatbots draw new oversight as suicides raise alarm

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

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States are passing laws to prevent artificially intelligent chatbots, such as ChatGPT, from being able to offer mental health advice to young ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Mayo Clinic researchers use AI to predict patient falls based on core density in middle age

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Artificial intelligence applied to abdominal imaging can help predict adults at higher risk of falling as early as middle age, a new Mayo Clinic study shows. The research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health, highlights the importance of abdominal muscle quality, a component of core strength, as a key ...Read more

Brittany Murray/Los Angeles Daily News/TNS

Donations sought as Red Cross laments 'severe' blood shortage

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Red Cross is appealing to past donors and potential new donors as it says a "severe blood shortage" could result in delays for surgeries and other medical procedures.

During a virtual news briefing Tuesday, officials said there was a 35% reduction in blood donations nationally in December. That equates to about 40,000 units of blood. More ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

168 chemicals found in food linked to gut damage and fertility risks, study shows

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Many everyday chemicals can impact your gut health and even male fertility, research shows. Proper food preparation, including washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, can protect from common pesticides.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge tested common chemicals, including many without known health impacts, and found 168 that could ...Read more

Alex Kormann/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Minnesota doctors say ICE deters patients from seeking health care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The ongoing federal immigration campaign is hurting patients too scared to attend checkup appointments, pick up prescriptions or even give birth in hospitals, doctors said at a State Capitol news conference Tuesday.

One diabetic patient rationed insulin and ran low on food to avoid leaving home, the doctors said. A pregnant ...Read more

Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago scales back gender-affirming care, days after call for federal investigation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHICAGO — Lurie Children’s Hospital is scaling back its gender-affirming care for minors, the hospital said Tuesday, days after a top federal official called for an investigation into the hospital.

The hospital will no longer offer gender-affirming medications for patients younger than 18 who have not previously been treated with the ...Read more

In 1 decade, 170 babies, kids and teens died in NC after fentanyl encounters

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One hundred and seventy babies, kids and teens in North Carolina died after fentanyl exposure between 2015 and 2024, new state data shows.

Infants, children younger than 5 and teenagers aged 13 to 17 were the most likely to die after fentanyl exposure here during the past decade, according to updated data from the Office of ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

Native Americans are dying from pregnancy. They want a voice to stop the trend

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Just hours after Rhonda Swaney left a prenatal appointment for her first pregnancy, she felt severe pain in her stomach and started vomiting.

Then 25 years old and six months pregnant, she drove herself to the emergency room in Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, where an ambulance transferred her to a larger hospital 60 miles ...Read more