ArcaMax

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have a slow heart rate, and my cardiologist has recommended that I have a pacemaker implanted. Can you tell me what a pacemaker does and what I should consider when I make this decision?

ANSWER: A heart rate slower than 50 beats per minute is called bradycardia. When the heart beats too slowly, it may not pump ...Read more

Hectic schedules, especially as spring sports season begins, can throw a wrench into family meal planning and can encourage families to rely on quick, less nutritious options.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance to help busy families eat and drink better before, during and after game time.

Preparing nutritious food ahead of time...Read more

Federal Medicaid cuts could exact a heavy toll on psychiatric units at hospitals across the country, many of which are already struggling to keep their doors open but provide essential mental health care to people who need it.

Psychiatric units are costly and, like labor and delivery services, typically lose money for hospitals and tend to be ...Read more

A variant of COVID-19 called BA.3.2, which has circulated under the radar since late 2024, is now spreading quickly across the United States.

As a pulmonary and critical care doctor, I see many patients who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to chronic lung disease, as well as patients living with long COVID. All of them ask me ...Read more

Within 48 hours, the legal landscape governing social media and children shifted in ways that will take years to fully understand and verify.

On March 24, 2026, a Santa Fe jury ordered Meta to pay US$375 million for violating New Mexico’s consumer protection laws. The next day, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google’s YouTube ...Read more

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she had no choice from a hostile federal government and had to change the state’s Essential Plan health coverage and thus potentially remove nearly a half-million New Yorkers from this zero-premium plan. The request to alter the program received preliminary approval from Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers ...Read more

John Galvin knows he needs a colonoscopy. But he’s waiting to schedule the procedure until December, when he turns 65 and qualifies for Medicare.

He was already thinking about delaying it — then his monthly Obamacare insurance premium payment tripled this year to $2,460, about a third of his income, he said. And with a $2,700 deductible, he...Read more

Russell Anthony made eight trips to the dentist last year. The 65-year-old retiree in Nashville, Tennessee, hopes to go less often in 2026, but he’s already made a few visits.

“I had a root canal just last week that was like $500,” he said. “The week before that, I had a crown that cost me several hundred dollars. And as we speak, I ...Read more

Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment.

The weaker fentanyl tracks to a crackdown on materials used to ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've been diagnosed with myeloma. What can I expect going forward?

ANSWER: Myeloma is a cancer that affects specialized antibody-producing cells called plasma cells. Over your lifetime, your body produces hundreds of thousands of different types of plasma cells that protect you from a broad range of bacteria ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Six years ago this month, Florida schools and beaches closed, cruise ships reported their first COVID outbreaks, and shoppers scrambled to get whatever toilet paper remained on the shelves.

Almost overnight, the COVID lockdown went into effect, triggering isolation of the elderly, drive-through testing sites and social...Read more

DETROIT — A measles outbreak in Washtenaw County has grown to seven cases, health officials confirmed Wednesday.

The Washtenaw County Health Department on Wednesday confirmed the seventh case of measles in the county was contracted by an unvaccinated child who is a close contact of the first case on March 11.

"Unfortunately, this most recent...Read more

When life feels overwhelming, many people instinctively turn to nature. A walk in a park. Sitting by the ocean. Watching a sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling, or is there something deeper at work?

A multitude of studies have linked spending time in nature with different aspects of mental health and wellness. For example, ...Read more

Q: What percentage of my diet should come from each macronutrient?

A: Macronutrients — carbohydrates, proteins and fats — are the building blocks of a healthy diet. The right balance can improve energy and support muscle growth, as well as overall wellness.

Health experts recommend the following daily macronutrient distribution for adults ...Read more