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Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users
Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have witnessed these shifts firsthand.
New adulterants are frequently added to the mix. They bring additional and often uncertain risks for people who ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Spotlight on supplements: Berberine
Berberine is a bioactive compound from a range of plants grown throughout the globe.
Overview
Berberine has proposed benefits ranging from relieving canker sores to managing blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. This supplement also has a history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Special functions
Berberine has a well-documented ...Read more

5 foods to eat with dinner to help with digestion
At the end of the day, your long-awaited dinner is probably the only priority you’re focused on. You might scarf down a cheesy bowl of pasta or grab a fast-food sandwich on your way home. What’s hard to anticipate is your body’s reaction after you’ve finished eating — although you're done with dinner, your body is just getting started ...Read more

Want a calmer brain? Try this
For neuroscientist Sara Lazar, a form of meditation called open awareness is as fundamental to her day as breathing.
“I just become aware that I am aware, with no particular thing that I focus on,” explains Lazar, an associate researcher in the psychiatry department at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of psychology at ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Understanding carrier screening for family planning
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband and I want to expand our family and are trying to get pregnant with our first baby. I’ve read about family planning couples can do before conceiving and learned about carrier screening. We don’t have a family history of genetic conditions, but we want to know if there is a chance of passing a genetic disorder to ...Read more
An Afternoon Cup of No
A new study suggests that coffee drinkers who limit their consumption to the morning have a lower risk of dying of heart disease and a lower overall mortality risk than those who drink coffee throughout the day.
"Research so far suggests that drinking coffee doesn't raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, and it seems to lower the risk of ...Read more

Why sniffles and sneezes should make you think about heart health this allergy season
Most people probably would not connect seasonal allergies with their hearts. Itchy, watery eyes and stuffy noses, sure – but not cardiovascular issues.
Researchers are finding signs of just such a link between allergies, asthma and heart health. And while nobody is saying your next sneeze is cause for alarm, experts say the connection is ...Read more

The Colorado psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived
BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the state’s first “healing centers,” where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer.
The dawn of state-regulated psychedelic mushrooms has arrived in Colorado, nearly two ...Read more
Patient With High Total Cholesterol Gets Recommended A Statin
DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you please explain what is cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein and the significance of a high HDL cholesterol value? What about non-HDL cholesterol? I have had cholesterol tests for the past 30 years with HDL readings that had a low of 68 mg/dL and a high of 117 mg/dL. Two first-degree relatives also have high HDL ...Read more
Foods that help keep you well-hydrated
In 1616, when Ben Johnson wrote "Drink to me only with thine eyes," you can bet he wasn't concerned with hydration -- just with getting drenched in love. These days, we're more likely to hear about how staying well-hydrated helps keep your heart health sweet and your sweetheart happy (hydration impacts hormones and boosts energy). But do you ...Read more

Measles outbreak sends warning for future of infectious disease
WASHINGTON — As the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in 25 years spreads, health experts warn that more people choosing to be unvaccinated for infectious diseases will make it harder to replicate past successful responses to outbreaks.
Measles, a respiratory virus, was effectively eliminated in 2000, when the U.S. only saw 86 cases. ...Read more

Alaska medical board asks Legislature to limit gender-affirming care for minors
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska State Medical Board is asking the Legislature to ban hormonal and surgical treatments for minors seeking to transition from one gender to another.
The board — whose members were chosen by Gov. Mike Dunleavy — on Thursday agreed to state that it “opposes hormonal and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria...Read more

Tuberculosis cases continue to increase in San Diego County
SAN DIEGO — Monday was World Tuberculosis Day and, as usual, Americans had reason to celebrate, with incidence rates that are among the best anywhere, according to the World Health Organization. But that does not mean there is not room for further improvement, especially in San Diego County.
In a recent announcement calling for greater ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Minute: Treatment options for advanced colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, especially when detected early. For those in advanced stages, significant advancements in therapies are providing renewed hope.
Dr. Umair Majeed, a Mayo Clinic oncologist, says improved treatment options mean better outcomes for patients, even for those with late-stage colorectal cancer.
...Read more

Amid plummeting diversity at medical schools, a warning of DEI crackdown's 'chilling effect'
The Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs could exacerbate an unexpectedly steep drop in diversity among medical school students, even in states like California, where public universities have been navigating bans on affirmative action for decades. Education and health experts warn that, ultimately, this could harm patient care.
...Read more

Mayo Clinic Minute: What to do if you have a lump on your arm or leg
A sarcoma is a term for a broad group of cancers that start in the bones or soft tissue, such as muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and joints. One of the signs of a sarcoma is a lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful. So if you feel one of these lumps, what should you do?
"Many patients will wonder: 'I ...Read more

Colorado's first psychedelic healing centers could offer psilocybin yoga or microdosing at a coffee shop
DENVER -- Coloradans will soon have legal access to psychedelic-assisted therapy with the first licensed psilocybin businesses expected to open this spring. This novel type of mental health treatment involves ingesting large doses of “magic mushrooms” under the supervision of a licensed guide.
People who are interested in trying a ...Read more
Don't ignore the snore
If you're a schnorrer, you often beg for something. And if you're in bed with any of the 37 million U.S. adults who report they are nightly -- or almost nightly -- snorers, chances are you're schnorr-ing for them to find a way to quiet the racket.
Not all snoring causes serious health hazards -- but it can leave you with a dry mouth, a sore ...Read more
A Dry Cough Persisting For A Decade Might Indicate Asthma
DEAR DR. ROACH: I also have a dry cough that's been going on for about 13-14 years. I'm a healthy 62-year-old and read that it is called "cough variant asthma." I would like to know more about this but really can't find anything about it, except that it will eventually get worse if it's not treated. I was checked twice in the past 15 years for...Read more

Poor neighborhoods, health care barriers are factors for heart disease risk in Black mothers
Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood contributes to a rare form of heart failure known as peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly disease that disproportionately affects Black mothers.
That’s the key finding of my recent study, published in February 2025 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Peripartum ...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- Why sniffles and sneezes should make you think about heart health this allergy season
- Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users
- 5 foods to eat with dinner to help with digestion
- Measles outbreak sends warning for future of infectious disease
- The Colorado psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived