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Sick of fighting insurers, hospitals offer their own Medicare Advantage plans

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Ever since Larry Wilkewitz retired more than 20 years ago from a wood products company, he’s had a commercial Medicare Advantage plan from the insurer Humana.

But two years ago, he heard about Peak Health, a new Advantage plan started by the West Virginia University Health System, where his doctors practice. It was cheaper and offered more ...Read more

Vitali Michkou/Dreamstime/TNS

Mayo Clinic Q&A: What cancer screenings should I prioritize this year? 

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A close friend of mine recently had an abnormal result on a routine Pap test that led to a cancer diagnosis. I know cancer screenings are important, but it's hard to keep track of which ones I should prioritize. Could you help me better understand cervical cancer screening and other screenings I should consider now?

...Read more

Woman's Esophagus Gets Completely Removed Due To Reflux

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: For years, my 80-year-old aunt has been suffering from profound reflux problems that result in vomiting. Her esophagus was surgically detached from her stomach for over a year. Now that it is reattached, she undergoes "stretching" of her esophagus to curb reflux and vomiting. She has some short-lived improvement so far.

I ...Read more

The plain truth about plane water

You're flying on the red-eye from New York to California and at 5 a.m. West Coast time, you're desperate for a cuppa Joe before you land. Well, according to a 2026 Airline Water Study from the Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity, don't do it.

They rank the water quality of 10 major and 11 regional airlines and their latest findings show ...Read more

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Ray J claims he only has months to live after pneumonia hospitalization, heart failure

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

R&B star Ray J says his heart is only 25% functional and doctors have told him he has only months to live following a recent pneumonia hospitalization and heart failure diagnosis.

The “Sexy Can I” singer initially shared news of his hospitalization in an Instagram video over the weekend.

“My heart’s only beating 25%, but as long as I ...Read more

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Ray J says his heart is 'only beating like 25%' due to damage from heavy use of drugs, alcohol

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

LOS ANGELES — Ray J says his days are numbered — and the number he’s citing is 2027.

“Just almost died!! I’m alive because of your prayers and support!!” the singer wrote in an Instagram caption posted Sunday.

“I wanna thank everyone for praying for me. I was in the hospital,” he said in the accompanying video. “My heart is ...Read more

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Legionella detected at 2 more Michigan's Oakland County buildings

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

PONTIAC, Mich. — Oakland County has detected Legionella at two more of its buildings following a shrinking presence of bacteria inside two other buildings that initially had issues.

The county on Wednesday announced it detected two positive samples at the North Oakland Health Center and two at the county's Resource and Crisis Center from ...Read more

Innovations in asthma care can improve the health of Detroiters living with this chronic disease

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Researchers and doctors are beginning to modernize asthma treatment using innovative therapies.

Asthma is a common, chronic and treatable lung disease that touches nearly every family in America. It affects people of all ages and costs our health care system about US$82 billion each year.

In Michigan, the problem is acute. ...Read more

Reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule III drug would put it in a category with prescription drugs like ketamine.  LPETTET/iStock via Getty Images

Should medical marijuana be less stringently regulated? A drug policy expert explains what’s at stake

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Medical marijuana could soon be reclassified into a medical category that includes prescription drugs like Tylenol with codeine, ketamine and anabolic steroids.

That’s because in December 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reschedule marijuana to a less restricted category, continuing a process initiated by ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Cranberry juice benefits

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Q: How does cranberry juice support health?

A: Cranberry juice isn’t just a tart refresher. It offers real benefits, especially when you choose 100% pure juice with no added sugar.

Most well-known for its role in urinary tract health, cranberry juice contains proanthocyanidins (PACs) — plant compounds that help prevent bacteria like E. ...Read more

8 health benefits of oranges and nutrition facts

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Health benefits of oranges include aiding digestion, hydration, and disease prevention. Their vitamin C content supports immune health.

1. Help with hydration

One navel orange provides about 4 ounces (a half cup) of water. Generally, women need about 92 ounces (11.5 cups) of fluids daily, while men need about 124 ounces (15.5 cups).

People ...Read more

Can you reverse and prevent early gum disease?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The term “gum disease” sounds serious, and it is. Advanced stages cause bone and tooth loss, which affect your ability to eat, speak clearly, and socialize. And even early stages of gum disease are risky, increasing the chance of developing heart problems, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic conditions. Fortunately, simple steps can ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Clot buster? Surgery? What is the right treatment for stroke?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor had a stroke and received a “clot buster” medication. Then, I found out my uncle had a surgery after a stroke. Can you help me understand different kinds of stroke treatments? My neighbor seems almost back to normal, but my uncle is still in rehabilitation because of some paralysis on his left side.

ANSWER: We ...Read more

The Five Stages of Brain Development

Health Advice / Scott LaFee /

Researchers now suggest that the human brain goes through five distinct phases of development over the course of a lifetime.

1. Childhood, from birth to age 9, during which time the brain is continually pruning away haphazardly created synaptic connections forged as early learning, unlearning and relearning chaotically occurs. As a result, ...Read more

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Commentary: Why medication abortion is the top target for anti-abortion groups in 2026

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

January would have marked the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide — that is, until 2022, when the court overturned it. Since then, abortion has been banned in 13 states and severely limited in 10 others.

Yet anti-abortion activists remain frustrated, in some cases even more so ...Read more

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These policy moves are likely to change health care for older people

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Month after month, Patricia Hunter and other members of the Nursing Home Reform Coalition logged onto video calls with congressional representatives, seeking support for a proposed federal rule setting minimum staff levels for nursing homes.

Finally, after decades of advocacy, the Biden administration in 2023 tackled the problem of perennial ...Read more

People Who Take Iron Supplements Are More Susceptible To Gout

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a regular blood donor. In the 7-10 days before a donation, I take iron supplements to ensure that my hemoglobin count is sufficient enough to give blood. However, I now think that I have developed what appears to be a mild case of gout in my ankle and wonder whether there could be a connection. I have no other risk factors...Read more

The sweet results of sweat therapy

Depression is a complex physical and psychological condition that can come and go or settle in and become chronic, making months and years difficult to navigate. Almost 48 million Americans contend with its oppressive interference with enjoyment of daily life.

There are many potential causes, from neurological and genetic triggers to physical ...Read more

Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

AIDS health group challenges Florida's planned medication cuts

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A major HIV/AIDS health care organization is trying to stop Florida’s planned cuts to the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program, accusing the state of creating a rule without going through the required process.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed a petition Tuesday in the Division of Administrative Hearings, challenging ...Read more

CDC/ Allison M. Maiuri, MPH, CHES/TNS/TNS

Measles outbreak expands in the SC Upstate. How many students are quarantined?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Eighty-nine new cases of measles have been reported in the Upstate since Friday, according to the South Carolina Department of Health.

That brings the total number of cases to 789 across the state, leaving 557 people in quarantine and 20 in isolation, according to a news release.

The department identified new cases at Dorman High, Inman ...Read more