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Cigarette display at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Miami, Fla., in July 2025. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Tobacco is still one of the world’s top killers – here are the key obstacles to enacting generational smoking bans

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one’s health. But most people don’t know just how bad it is.

More people in the United States die every year from smoking than from alcohol, illegal drug use, car accidents, suicides and murders combined. Cigarette smoking costs an ...Read more

Unvaccinated individuals face 140 times higher risk of contracting measles. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images

What declining vaccination rates mean for your family – and what you can do

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As the risk of measles remains an ongoing concern, herd immunity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is already slipping. According to data obtained via The Washington Post in January 2026, 1 in 3 Allegheny County kindergartners were in a classroom too far below adequate vaccination coverage to stop a measles outbreak during the 2023-24 school...Read more

Inclusive health care settings are essential to the well-being of LGBTQ+ patients. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Doctors can refuse to treat LGBTQ+ patients in several states – these religious exemption laws lead to drops in HIV testing

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal or religious beliefs. While these conscientious objection laws have long existed for issues such as abortion, their effects on LGBTQ+ people have not been ...Read more

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Commentary: 'The Pitt' dramatizes the very real burnout that threatens medical care workers and patients

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In between patients at my oncology clinic, I couldn’t catch my breath. I asked my nurse to check my oxygen level and pulse. My chest felt heavy, as if something were pressing on it.

I sat in the same examination chair my patients use, watching the monitor and running through possible diagnoses. But I knew what this was.

A panic attack.

My ...Read more

Nipple Soreness From Phone Could Be Due To Odd Placement

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 75-year-old man. I keep my cellphone in my left shirt pocket every day. Recently, my left nipple has become very sore. I asked my general physician about it, and he wasn't concerned. I'm concerned that the electromagnetic field from the phone may be an issue. Is there any research on this, and should I have this checked ...Read more

Hot spots of inflammation fuel aging

Scientists from Rockefeller University created an atlas showing the location of 7 million cells in 21 kinds of tissue in lab mice at three different ages -- all with the aim of identifying what routes aging takes throughout the body. What they observed was around 300,000 age-related changes in the genome (readable portions of your DNA) that were...Read more

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FDA withdraws GSK's approval of drug touted as autism treatment

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

U.S. regulators have withdrawn their approval of a GSK Plc drug that the Trump administration had promoted as a treatment for autism, adding another twist to the unusual story of a decades-old drug.

The Food and Drug Administration is pulling its approval of Wellcovorin, a branded version of leucovorin from GSK Plc, according to a post Thursday...Read more

Psilocybin mushrooms contain numerous chemical compounds that researchers have not yet studied. Smitt/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Psilocybin mushrooms are going mainstream, but scientific research and regulation lag behind

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Amid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging.

One study found that rates of psilocybin use increased 44% among adults ages 18-29 from 2019 to 2023, and 188% among those over age 30. This amounts to more than 5 million adults using ...Read more

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Immigrant seniors lose Medicare coverage despite paying for it

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

OAKLAND, Calif. — Rosa María Carranza leaned forward to hold a 3-year-old’s back as the girl climbed a rock in the forested hills of northeast Oakland.

Dressed in hiking gear and beaded necklaces, Carranza, 67, maneuvered between trees and children on a sunny morning in December. “Hold on to that branch,” she said in Spanish. “You ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Minute: How liver transplant is transforming care for patients with advanced colorectal cancer

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. One in 5 patients is diagnosed with metastatic disease, meaning the colorectal cancer has spread beyond the colon, often to the liver.

When surgery isn't an option, a liver transplant may be a lifesaving alternative. Mayo Clinic leads in this approach, combining ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Minute: Physical therapist-recommended golf exercises

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As golf season approaches, preparation should start before your first tee time. Building strength off the course can improve performance and help reduce injury risk.

"Play the long game by building strength off the course," says John Zajac, D.P.T., a physical therapist certified in golf-specific rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. "...Read more

Getting Vaccinated Is Most Effective To 'Scare Away' Viruses

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 82 years old and in very good health. I have no major medical issues so far, but I work on my health as I believe in prevention. During the past eight months, I've had three colds, plus COVID-19 for the first time this past November. I remember the old days when we used to wear camphor necklaces every winter in order to "...Read more

Countering chemo side effects

Every year, around 2 million folks are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. and at least 25% of them receive some form of chemotherapy. While the benefits are clear -- less cancer progression, longer life, and even cancer cure -- the side effects range from nausea, gastro problems, fatigue, hair loss, nerve pain, and mood swings to chemo brain.

...Read more

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Ancient flea-borne disease makes comeback in California. What's typhus?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Cases of flea-borne typhus have hit an “all-time high” in a California county, according to public health officials.

A record 220 cases of the disease were identified in 2025 in Los Angeles County, the county public health agency reported April 2.

“Alarmingly, nearly 9 out of 10 people identified as infected with typhus required ...Read more

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Trump's personnel agency is asking for federal workers' medical records

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families.

A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions ...Read more

Business leaders and community groups across Brazil stepped in to counter the government's anti-vaccine messaging and to help develop and distribute vaccines.  Wang Tiancong/Xinhua via Getty Images

From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe.

From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has sown distrust in scientific experts. The results are already visible through the return of diseases once thought...Read more

Is the BRAT diet the best choice for an upset stomach?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The BRAT diet — which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — has long been recommended for people coping with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These bland, low-fiber foods are easy to digest. But is this the best diet to help you recover from digestive woes?

There aren’t any studies comparing the BRAT diet with other options. �...Read more

5 foods to stock up on in April

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The leap into April is a sign that crisp mornings are making way for sun-kissed evening skies. This change in weather also brings a shift in the produce selection available at the market. When you’re out shopping, snag these five seasonal selections and pantry staples that can help you create convenient, healthy meals that celebrate spring.

1...Read more

Do you need travel health insurance?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

While vacation is supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation, accidents do happen. Planning ensures you have the protection you need in case you’re sick or injured during your trip.

Depending on where you are and what your primary health insurance policy covers, you might be stuck with the bill if you do end up in the hospital. For this ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Fabulous farro

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Farro is an ancient grain that’s been cultivated for thousands of years. Delicious and nutritious (rich in protein, fiber, and nutrients like iron and magnesium), farro is enjoying a resurgence among gourmets and the health conscious alike.

The folklore

Legend has it that Julius Caesar himself brought it to Italy after invading Egypt in 30 B...Read more