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Mayo Clinic Minute: Treating liver cancer
Liver cancer rates have more than tripled in the U.S. since 1980 and continue to rise. More than 41,000 people will be diagnosed with liver cancer in the U.S. this year, and about 29,000 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, a Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center oncologist, discusses...Read more
Will a Florida county send a paramedic drone to treat your 911 emergency? What to know
MIAMI — More than seven months after Manatee County launched a pilot program for a drone that can quickly respond to medical emergencies, 911 dispatchers have yet to use it.
The program, which is a partnership between Manatee County government, Tampa General Hospital and Archer First Response Systems, aims to deploy a drone in situations ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Understanding encephalitis: Symptoms, causes and treatment
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
Why So Many Meds Include Warnings Of Suicidal Thoughts
DEAR DR. ROACH: It seems that many of the medications I see advertised on television carry a warning about "thoughts of suicide." Can you explain why so many diverse drugs share this same side effect? -- W.S.
ANSWER: Unfortunately, suicide is a too-common cause of death that many people are uncomfortable talking about. However, it is clear ...Read more
It's no lie: A-Fib can be avoided
After age 45, you have a 20% to 33% chance of developing atrial fibrillation (A-fib) -- an irregular and often very rapid heartbeat -- according to a recent Lancet study. That can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as stroke and heart failure. In fact, a new study in Neurology shows that folks with A-fib are almost five ...Read more
Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of childhood vaccination, to be secretary of Health and Human Services.
Doctors, scientists and ...Read more
More Californians are freezing to death. Experts point to more older homeless people
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A growing number of people — many of them older and homeless — are freezing to death during winter.
Hypothermia from exposure to cold temperatures was the underlying or contributing cause of death for 166 Californians last year, more than double the number a decade ago, according to provisional death certificate data...Read more
New study shows how junk food may be feeding cancerous colon tumors
Junk food like potato chips, ice cream and ready-made meals have long been linked with a spate of health conditions including cancers, heart disease and diabetes.
Now, a new study by University of South Florida Health and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute has revealed that these ultra-processed foods may be fueling cancerous growths in ...Read more
Millions will see rise in health insurance premiums if federal subsidies expire
Andrea Deutsch, the mayor of Narberth, Pennsylvania, and the owner of a pet store in town, doesn’t get health care coverage through either of her jobs. Instead, she is enrolled in a plan she purchased on Pennie, Pennsylvania’s health insurance exchange.
Deutsch, who has been mayor since 2018, is paid $1 per year for the job. Her annual ...Read more
Walking into a longer, healthier, happier future
Whether you're a fan of "Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn, 1991) or "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (Nancy Sinatra, 1966), you have to admit that Dire Straits' "Walk of Life" (1985) says it all: Walking can transform your life.
That's also the message of a new study that determined the most active 25% of American adults get the equivalent of ...Read more
Embolization Provides Great Benefit To Man With Heart Failure
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is 73 and was diagnosed with heart failure and a severely dilated left ventricle. At the time, he was pumping 10 liters per minute. He had a proBNP natriuretic peptide level over 10,000 and an ejection fraction of 39%. Later, he was found to have an abdominal arteriovenous malformation (AVM). He underwent three ...Read more
Middle schooler finds possible cancer-fighting bacteria -- while looking at goose poop
Many researchers can go their entire careers, and sometimes their entire lives, without making a groundbreaking discovery. They might contribute to a body of research, or dive deeper into a topic, but many may not make waves in their fields until much later in their careers, or maybe not at all.
This isn’t the case for Camarria Williams.
The...Read more
5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
The U.S. has made great progress in getting more people insured since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014. The share of uninsured Americans ages 18 to 64 fell from 18% before the ACA to 9.5% in 2022. And preexisting conditions no longer prevent coverage or lead to an increase in premiums.
Yet even for those with health ...Read more
US obesity rates decline for first time in more than a decade
In a public health breakthrough, U.S. obesity rates have decreased for the first time in more than a decade, with new weight loss medications potentially playing a role in the turnaround, according to a new study. The research shows the percentage of adults with obesity dropped from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023.
Although the decline is modest, ...Read more
Black adults with long COVID report higher levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts − new research
Black adults living with long COVID pointed to challenges with their physical health – rather than their mental health – when asked to describe their long-COVID symptoms. That is one key finding from our new study, published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
When we examined the data further, however, we ...Read more
Supporting a grieving loved one on holidays and special occasions: Practical tips from a clinical psychologist
The holiday season, often considered a time of joy and togetherness, can also be one of the most challenging periods for those who are grieving a loss.
Nearly 95% of people who have experienced loss report dealing with at least one symptom of physical or mental distress. Approximately 10% of them develop prolonged grief disorder, a ...Read more
Holiday shopping doesn't have to be stressful
For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect.
If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even ...Read more
Walking in a rhythmic wonderland with holiday songs that could help save lives
When you hear a favorite holiday tune, you might not immediately connect it with CPR.
But there's an easy-to-understand reason why you might want to start, said Dr. John W. Hafner, a clinical professor of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Peoria.
"You can really save a life just by doing simple chest ...Read more
How to reduce your risk for postpartum depression
It's tough to know how many people suffer postpartum depression (there's indication that men can have it, too), but for women, it's thought to be 13% or more. And it has increased dramatically over the past decade or so, with a 60% increase among whites and a 140% increase among Blacks, according to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics ...Read more
Probiotics May Help Restore Good Bacteria In The Gut
DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently wrote that you do not recommend probiotics in healthy people. I am a 78-year-old male who, three years ago, underwent an esophagectomy to remove my esophagus and part of my stomach because of cancer. I was put on 30 mg of pantoprazole, which was later increased to 40 mg. I've read that prolonged use of this ...Read more