If you are turning 65 in 2026, you have a critical seven-month window to sign up for Medicare — and missing it can be an expensive mistake. While some people are enrolled automatically, millions of others must take proactive steps to avoid gaps in their health coverage.

With new 2026 changes now in effect — including a $2,100 out-of-pocket ...Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When the head of the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan worries about the looming federal cuts to Medicaid, it’s not just her job. It’s personal.

Martha Santana-Chin, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, grew up on Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, the government-run health care program for people with low incomes ...Read more

NEW YORK — The staff running the federal World Trade Center Health Program has been cut by 25% as the number of sick 9/11 survivors the group treats is expected to increase by 10,000 this year, the Daily News has learned.

Survivor advocates are demanding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lift the ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Fearing political reprisals from President Donald Trump’s administration, Minnesota leaders were relieved late last month when they received almost all of the $200 million in federal grants they requested to boost rural health care in the state in 2026.

Now they have precious few months to invest the $193 million in areas such...Read more

Warts are small, firm bumps on the skin caused by viruses from the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Warts are common among school-aged children but can affect people of any age.

The good news is, many kinds of warts often go away on their own without treatment. But they can become painful if they are bumped, and some children are embarrassed ...Read more

Evenings in the Staal household often carried a delicate unpredictability. After a full school day — and as Ethan's medication began to wear off — the shift from playful to overwhelmed could happen in seconds. Ethan has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a condition that can make emotional regulation especially challenging.

Ethan's ...Read more

Imagine starting the new year with the promise of at least a $147 million payout from the federal government.

But there are strings attached.

In late December, President Donald Trump’s administration announced how much all 50 states would get under its new Rural Health Transformation Program, assigning them to use the money to fix systemic ...Read more

An exceptionally wet December has contributed to an abundance of death cap mushrooms, or Amanita phalloides, on the Central Coast and Northern California, causing what officials describe as an unprecedented outbreak of severe illness and death among people who consume the fungi.

Public health officials are issuing a second warning this winter, ...Read more