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An HIV outbreak in Maine shows the risk of Trump's crackdown on homelessness and drug use

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Penobscot County, Maine, is grappling with the largest HIV outbreak in the state’s history. Home to Bangor, a city of roughly 32,000, the county has identified 28 new cases over nearly two years. That’s seven times the typical number for that length of time. Nearly all cases are among people who use drugs and are homeless.

Public health ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Aisha Sultan: What can help middle-age brain fog?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

I was recently trapped in a perplexing and potentially compromising situation that made me reconsider the impact of middle-aged brain fog.

It began innocently enough with a visit to the pool. When our children were younger, I spent many summer days poolside, watching them splash and go down the twisty slides. Now, nearly the entire summer had ...Read more

Woman Is In Dire Need Of Blood Pressure Meds After A Fall

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a woman aged 58, and I have very high blood pressure from a fall that dissected my aorta. I somehow survived and am thriving. Well, the last time I checked my blood pressure about a week ago, it was 193/119 mmHg, which is low for me. It's usually around 220/130 mmHg, give or take.

I won't take meds because I have only one...Read more

Overweight with constant pain? Move more, not less

Did you know that only around 5% of folks who engage in vigorous physical activity report that they're always dealing with pain? In contrast, a staggering 57% of the millions of American adults who don't get even the minimum recommended 150 minutes a week of activity say they're always hurting. Clearly, a lot of you are having to deal with the ...Read more

Vernon Ogrodnek/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Oz offers recourse if Congress can't quickly resolve subsidies

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is discussing options to ease health insurance sign-ups if Congress doesn’t soon reach an agreement on extending health care premium tax credits, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz said Tuesday.

If Congress extends the credits after the Nov. 1 start of open enrollment, ...Read more

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS

West Coast states roll out their own vaccine guidance amid clash with CDC

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law giving California the power to set its own immunization schedules based on state health experts and independent medical groups — a sharp break from decades of reliance on guidance from the federal government.

The move came the same day California and its West Coast allies issued joint ...Read more

Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS

More states protect access to the COVID shot as feds restrict eligibility

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

At least 17 states have taken steps to ensure broader access to the COVID-19 vaccine since last month, when the federal government significantly restricted eligibility for the shot.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Quick-grab foods are OK in moderation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

You’re walking down the street, and your senses are overwhelmed by the scents of Greece, the Middle East, Mexico, America, and more. Ah, the food trucks creating their yummy street fare. But if you’re trying to stick to your healthy eating plan, does that mean you have to walk on by? Not necessarily.

Sure, many food cart meals or street ...Read more

​​11 fruits high in magnesium

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Magnesium is a mineral that’s needed for important processes such as nerve function, blood pressure, and blood sugar regulation, bone health maintenance, and more.

Your daily magnesium needs depend on factors like your age and gender. Adult males need 400-420 milligrams of magnesium per day, and adult females require 310-400 milligrams per ...Read more

Too much sleep may harm cognitive performance

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Sleeping nine or more hours each night is associated with worse cognitive performance, an effect that’s stronger among people with symptoms of depression, according to an analysis published in the April 2025 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Researchers examined sleep duration and cognition in 1,853 adults ages 27 to 85 (average age 50, 57% ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Understanding encephalitis: Symptoms, causes and treatment

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Ever since I had my son, I tend to worry whenever he gets ill, so I try to educate myself on different viruses and autoimmune disorders. I recently came across encephalitis. What is it? What are some of the warning signs? And how is it treated?

ANSWER: It’s normal to worry as a parent. However, encephalitis is a rare disease...Read more

Ultrasounds Like My Kid

Health Advice / Scott LaFee /

For many parents, their first thoughts and images of their unborn child begin with the first ultrasound image they see. New studies suggest those thoughts are measurably influenced by how the technician describes what they're seeing.

"The words used in these conversations with ultrasound technicians or obstetric sonographers -- whom we ...Read more

Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Insurance company repeatedly denied her medical claim, then AI delivered victory

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Health insurance giant Anthem wanted $1,800 from Lauren Gonzalves for hospital nursery services after the birth of her son. But it had been two years since the Concord mother gave birth, she had already paid her out-of-pocket maximum and she believed her policy covered the care for which Anthem repeatedly sought payment.

The...Read more

Pratchaya Leelapatchayanont/Dreamstime/TNS

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Get the facts on ovarian cancer

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've heard that ovarian cancer is hard to detect. Can you tell me more about the symptoms and if there are any screenings?

ANSWER: Ovarian cancer is relatively rare. However, it's often fatal in later stages of the disease. The cancer begins in the ovaries and spreads to the abdomen and pelvis if it isn't diagnosed and treated...Read more

Looking At A Case Of Parkinson's And Its Relation To Dementia

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 65-year-old and otherwise healthy male. After spending the past five years believing that my trembling hands were the result of essential tremor, a second DaT (dopamine transporter) scan (the first one was misread, I guess) and a neurologist at a teaching institution confirmed that I am and have been suffering from ...Read more

Our children are the future

When Whitney Houston sang "children are our future/teach them well and let them lead the way," she was right on. But as a country, we're letting our kids down, big time.

A recent research letter in JAMA Pediatrics looked at 10 years' worth of data on young people ages 12 to 25. It showed that obesity was the cause of almost 80% of diabetes ...Read more

Rachel Curtis-Robles with Texas A&M University/TNS/TNS

Deadly disease caused by blood-sucking insects spreading in US, CDC says

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

A parasitic disease, which can be fatal, is spreading through an insect in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, or T. cruzi, is typically found in triatomines, also known as kissing bugs, a Sept. 9 report from the CDC said.

When a person comes into contact with feces ...Read more

Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images North America/TNS

Illinois' Cook County confirms second suburban measles case of the year, in 4-year-old child

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Health officials have confirmed the second case of measles in suburban Cook County this year — in a 4-year-old, unvaccinated child.

It’s believed that the child caught measles while traveling internationally, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Members of the public may have been exposed if they were in Terminal 5 of ...Read more

Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/TNS

California's summer COVID wave shows signs of waning. What are the numbers in your community?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

There are some encouraging signs that California's summer COVID wave might be leveling off.

That's not to say the seasonal spike is in the rearview mirror just yet, however. Coronavirus levels in California's wastewater remain "very high," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they are in much of the country.

But...Read more

Is living in your house upping your diabetes risk?

"All in the Family" was a hilarious take on the tough times that a child (Gloria), in-law (son-in-law Meathead) and parents (Archie and Edith) can encounter. But there's nothing funny about the way family members can increase their near-and-dear's risk for Type 2 diabetes.

A study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes ...Read more