Health Advice
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Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe
It’s 2 a.m., and a teenage girl, worrying about a friend issue, lies awake. Rather than wake her parents, she picks up her phone, opens an AI app and types, “I’m so stressed out, I can’t sleep.”
A reply arrives swiftly: “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Want to tell me a bit about what is stressing you?” The ...Read more
Trump wants to change how US kids get vaccines. How will that affect Florida?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — President Donald Trump wants to change how American children get vaccines.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order recommending changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, including pushing for vaccines to be spaced out and for certain vaccines to be recommended only to high-risk children.
But Trump’s recommendation ...Read more
Ebola is driving up maternal deaths as pregnant women in Congo avoid hospitals
Maternal deaths have doubled in the epicenter of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, as pregnant women avoid hospitals and medical staff and supplies are diverted to fight the virus.
The disruption is leaving women vulnerable to otherwise treatable complications including preeclampsia, malaria and obstructed labor, even when ...Read more
The not-so-big Lebowski: Why we've become so suspicious of people who lose weight
LOS ANGELES — "Stunning!"
"Shocking!"
"Nearly unrecognizable!"
"Unrecognisable!" (The British papers).
When one of your favorite actors suddenly dominates your social media feed, it is easy to fear the worst.
No. Not John Goodman.
Goodman was definitely trending this weekend, but thankfully he is alive and well.
The newfound ...Read more
Commentary: ALS doesn't wait. Our health care system still does
Health care innovation is built for patients who have time. ALS patients don't.
ALS reshapes time in ways that are hard to fully appreciate from the outside. Certain losses arrive earlier than expected, and once they begin, they don't reverse. Speech can be one of the first to go. When it does, the window to preserve a patient's actual voice ...Read more
Many states cover doula care, but access to a 'birthing bestie' is often out of reach
Doula Taja Iglesias and her business partner have built a space in Alexandria, Virginia, that’s all things pregnancy, birth, and childcare.
Comfortable couches in one area invite expectant parents to settle in for birth education classes. In another, a colorful pile of toys await the babies and toddlers. And there’s a free supply of diapers...Read more
Same knee surgery, twice the price: Hospital monopolies push up healthcare costs
More than a million times a year, a U.S. surgeon slices open a knee, strips out worn cartilage, caps the leg bones with metal, and drops in a plastic spacer to allow the new joint to glide.
While knee replacement procedures have become standard, however, the prices charged have not.
At Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina, ...Read more
From mice to 'gym rats': Unregulated use of peptides raises alarm among researchers
LOS ANGELES — A few months ago, Pinchas Cohen learned of a thriving online trade in MOTS-c — a peptide that, when injected into mice, seems to mimic the effects of exercise.
The dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology was very familiar with this particular short chain of amino acids. His lab identified it years ago as one of the...Read more
Feeling sick? More people are asking AI what to do
While traveling to Portland, Peggy Dahl developed a cough so bad it left her gasping for breath after each bout. Far from her doctor, and with a sneaking suspicion of bronchitis, the Minneapolis resident turned to ChatGPT.
This wasn’t the first time she had used it as a medical sounding board.
During a visit to her daughter in Georgia, the ...Read more
NC's vaccine requirements won't change under Trump order, health director says
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s vaccine requirements won’t change ahead of the 2026-27 school year, state officials say, despite a new executive order from President Donald Trump that calls for looser childhood vaccine recommendations.
Trump’s order calls for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines — typically administered at the ...Read more
For refugees to the US, discrimination can make healthcare harder to get
Newly arrived refugees resettling in the United States face ending one long journey and embarking on another as they begin their new life here. But even after years of displacement, people who came to the U.S. as refugees still face significant obstacles to getting the healthcare they need.
As a social work scholar who studies refugee...Read more
Executive order on vaccines bypasses an evidence-based process that has kept kids safe
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 10, 2026, calling for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to be given as three separate shots at three separate appointments. The combined MMR vaccine is currently given at 12 to 15 months of age and again between ages 4 and 6.
In the order, Trump also urges states ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: How does dehydration affect the heart?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor spends a lot of time outdoors gardening and doing yard work, especially during the summer. Recently, after working outside on a hot day, she became lightheaded and noticed her heart racing. She suspected dehydration was to blame, but it made me wonder: Can dehydration affect your heart? When should symptoms like ...Read more
3 signs Medicare Advantage might be the wrong choice for you
Signing up for Medicare isn’t as clear-cut a process as some might think. That’s because enrollees have a big decision to make — stick with original Medicare (Parts A and B) and pair it with a Part D drug plan, or sign up for an all-in-one Medicare Advantage plan.
As of February 2026, more than 35 million people were enrolled in a ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: Save more money at the farmers market
Farmers markets are often associated with freshness, community and high-quality produce — but not always with affordability. While it’s easy to assume that buying directly from local growers will save money, many shoppers find themselves spending more than expected. Fortunately, with a few simple strategies, it’s entirely possible to enjoy...Read more
Easy ways to add tofu to your diet
If you’re trying to follow a heart-healthy diet, experts recommend prioritizing plant-based protein — think legumes (beans, lentils, soybeans and peas), whole grains, and nuts. But for people who’ve long relied on meat, poultry, eggs and dairy for their protein, it’s not always an easy transition.
To get started, sample some of the ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Parenting tips for a healthy, smart start to school
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: We’re getting three kids in grade school and high school ready for the new school year. Do you have any tips for us?
ANSWER: From shopping for clothes and supplies to scheduling well-child examinations to planning for healthy eating and adequate sleep, the back-to-school list of tasks for parents may feel daunting. Here are ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q&A: How does dehydration affect the heart?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor spends a lot of time outdoors gardening and doing yard work, especially during the summer. Recently, after working outside on a hot day, she became lightheaded and noticed her heart racing. She suspected dehydration was to blame, but it made me wonder: Can dehydration affect your heart? When should symptoms like ...Read more
They trained him for diabetes alerts. Then, this Idaho dog sniffed something worse
BOISE, Idaho -- Jaylin Dozier chugged apple juice and water, but she couldn’t quench her thirst. It was a summer day in July 2024, and she thought maybe she was just sick or dehydrated.
Her mom, Amanda Dozier, a nurse practitioner, ran through a number of tests at her clinic. A urine analysis showed her daughter had high levels of glucose and...Read more
Medicaid work rule leaves homeless people in the cold
MISSOULA, Mont. — Tywon Pugh has seizures that make it hard to find and keep a job.
“They called me a ‘liability to the job site,’” Pugh said, recalling the words of his manager when a seizure cost him his last job at a fast-food restaurant in this western Montana city.
When the 46-year-old lost work in the past, his wife of 10 years...Read more
Popular Stories
- Mayo Clinic Q&A: How does dehydration affect the heart?
- Feeling sick? More people are asking AI what to do
- Commentary: ALS doesn't wait. Our health care system still does
- The not-so-big Lebowski: Why we've become so suspicious of people who lose weight
- NC's vaccine requirements won't change under Trump order, health director says
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