Health

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Helen Dennis, Successful Aging: New doctor search can bring good partnership

Choosing a physician is key, particularly in later life when we often are confronted with...
The Indian Health Service-run Albuquerque Indian Dental Clinic in Albuquerque, N.M. Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)

Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027

Native American rights and industry advocates have called for an end to the practice.
Protesters gather in downtown Minneapolis demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave Minnesota following the fatal shooting of 37- year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents during a federal immigration enforcement operation, in Minneapolis, on Jan. 25, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37- year-old ICU nurse,… (OCTAVIO JONES/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS)

With ICE using Medicaid data, hospitals and states are in a bind over warning immigrant patients

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services agreed to give direct access to a Medicaid...
FILE – A printout from an electrocardiogram machine in is seen, May 26, 2009, in Missouri. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

What is atrial fibrillation and how is it treated?

Experts say more than 10 million Americans have it, mostly older adults.
FILE – James Van Der Beek arrives at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Here’s who is most at risk and symptoms to watch for

It is now the top cancer killer of Americans under 50.
FILE – A woman uses a walker as she exits an assisted living building at the Toby and Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences, July 4, 2025, in Boca Raton, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

How to avoid the ‘ick’ factor when choosing a nursing home or assisted living facility

Experts say knowing what to look for can make a critical difference.
FILE – This undated image made available by the National Human Genome Research Institute shows the output from a DNA sequencer. (NHGRI via AP, File)

Studies test whether gene-editing can fix high cholesterol. For now, take your medicine

Scientists are testing an entirely new way to fight heart disease.
FILE – Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears before the Senate Finance Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

RFK Jr. pledged more transparency. Here’s what the public doesn’t know anymore

Health information has been delayed, deleted and in some cases stopped all together.
FILE – A sign marks the entrance to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Democratic-led states sue to stop Trump from withholding $600M in health grants

Several of the largest cuts are to HIV programs.
FILE – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, appears before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, file)

RFK Jr. promised to restore trust in US health agencies. One year later, it’s eroding

Survey results show Americans' confidence keeps sliding, not rising.
Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, didn’ t consider dropping health insurance after he learned he would have to pay more for his“ gold” Affordable Care Act plan. (Luke Sharrett/KFF Health News/TNS)

When health insurance costs more than the mortgage

More middle-income people face tough decisions about their health coverage this year.
Matte’ a Brooks takes care of her daughter inside their home in southern Illinois. (Cara Anthony/KFF Health News/TNS)

If you’re pregnant and uninsured, Medicaid might be your answer

Here are three things to know about signing up for Medicaid when pregnant.
The Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists (REAL) Health Providers Act – bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, to deal with the issue of “ghost providers” – was signed into law last week. (Photo by PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Rep. Panetta-authored REAL Health Providers Act signed into law

The Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists Health Providers Act, which better empowers patients with up-to-date...
Health policy changes in Washington will ripple through the country, resulting in millions of Americans losing their Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. (DREAMSTIME/TNS)

It’s 2026 and you’re uninsured. Now what?

Millions of Americans are facing enormous increases in their out-of-pocket costs for ACA coverage.
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Helen Dennis, Successful Aging: Judgments around age fade but persist

For many, it has been the age to receive full Social Security benefits; for those...
“Now, when I’ m doing a physical exam, I have to say what I’ m doing and what I’ m finding out loud in order for the AI scribe to document it,” said Dina Capalongo, Urban’ s primary care doctor.“ People find that very interesting,” she said. (Elena Kreys/Dreamstime/TNS)

Doctors increasingly see AI scribes in a positive light. But hiccups persist

AI's potential to transform the health care system is an area of intense focus.
Family members and attorneys for patients hospitalized after being detained by federal immigration officials said they are facing extreme difficulty trying to locate patients, get information about their well-being, and provide them emotional and legal support. (Oona Zenda//KFF Health News/TNS)

‘I can’t tell you’: Attorneys, relatives struggle to find hospitalized ICE detainees

Many hospitals refuse to provide information or allow contact with these patients.
MedStar Health, serving the greater Washington, D.C., area, said it closed its Medicare Advantage plan at the end of 2018, citing financial losses. (May1985/Dreamstime/TNS)

Sick of fighting insurers, hospitals offer their own Medicare Advantage plans

Hospital-owned plans continues to grow, reflecting the overall increase in Advantage members.
Amanda Altice Harris, right, welcomes transgender youth Taylor Wade and Ash to the Community Room at the Capitola Library on Friday where the two were featured on a panel presented by the Safe Schools Project and The Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Santa Cruz County LGBTQ+ panel explains ‘why you should care about gender-affirming care’

The nearly two-hour convening featured testimony from legal experts, health care professionals and local youth...
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Washington, as from left, Jarrod Agen, executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, David Copley, senior director for global supply chains at the National Security Council, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum listen. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Trump policies at odds with emerging understanding of COVID’s long-term harm

The federal government is curtailing such efforts just as researchers call for more funding.
Montana-based Indigenous birth worker Julianne Denny, center, poses with her One Health peer recovery doula training cohort. (Julianne Denny/Julianne Denny/TNS)

Demand grows for doulas who can help moms with addiction

Many doulas who help moms with substance use disorder are themselves recovering.
National Design Studio director Joe Gebbia and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz talk about TrumpRx during an event with President Donald Trump in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump administration launches TrumpRx website for discounted drugs

The actual savings for consumers remain unclear.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveils the department’s new dietary guidelines food chart during a policy announcement event at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration announced new dietary guidelines on Wednesday including an emphasis on proteins and full-fat dairy, and limits on processed foods. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)

Protein is all the rage. But how much do you really need?

The right amount of protein for any individual will depend on many factors.
Shawn Fluharty, a Democrat, holds up a poster of Raylee Browning, a child who died from abuse and neglect after her parents removed her from public school to homeschool her. (WEST VIRGINIA LRIC/TNS/TNS)

‘These kids are invisible’: Child abuse deaths spur clash over homeschool regulation

As homeschool enrollment has risen in recent years, so have concerns about oversight.
FILE – A German soccer fan reacts at a fan zone after a quarter final match between Germany and Spain at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

Do you need to control your cortisol? Probably not, doctors say

Cortisol, what is known as the stress hormone, is the talk of the internet.
As Montage Health, parent company of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, and its nursing staff await certification of the vote that ushers in representation by the California Nurses Association, Montage addresses two contentions by its nurses. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)

CHOMP in Monterey responds to nurse contentions about staffing, meals

“We are committed to supporting our clinical teams with the resources they need to provide...
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Barbara Intermill, On Nutrition: Feeding kids with Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in young people. It happens...
FILE – A smart bidet sits in a bathroom at the McKechnie Family LIFE Home on the University Illinois campus in Champaign, Ill., Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. (Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette via AP, File)

Doctors share the best ways to get the most from a bidet

They're becoming increasingly common as people seek a hygienic and sustainable alternative to toilet paper.
FILE – A Planned Parenthood sign is displayed outside a facility in Austin, Texas, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Planned Parenthood drops lawsuit against Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts

Funding cuts have already forced 23 clinics to close since Trump's tax bill took effect.
Llamas stand on a snow covered field at Knuthenborg Safaripark in Bandholm, on the island of Lolland, Denmark, on Feb. 10, 2021. (CLAUS BECH/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS)

Llamas are big pharma’s secret weapon to find new drugs

Scientists discovered the potential of the animals’ antibodies to thwart diseases.
The Boston University CTE Center found that CTE should be recognized as a new cause of dementia. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Boston University researchers say CTE is a cause of dementia

Boston University researchers say CTE is a cause of dementia: 'Evidence of a robust association...
Montage Health, parent company of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, has named a new president and CEO to take over when Dr. Steven Packer retires in the spring. (James Herrera - Monterey Herald)

Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula RNs vote to join California Nurses Association

California Nurses Association is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing registered...
Meghan and John Palmer own Prairie Star Farm in Allamakee County, Iowa. ((Meghan Palmer)/KFF HEALTH/TNS)

Farmers now owe a lot more for health insurance

Last year was a tough one for farmers.
A young woman asks AI companion ChatGPT for help this month in New York City. (Shalina Chatlani/Stateline/TNS)

AI therapy chatbots draw new oversight as suicides raise alarm

States have enacted laws to regulate the types of interactions chatbots can have with users.
FILE – Surgical instruments are arranged during an organ procurement surgery June 15, 2023, in Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs

Wednesday’s move is part of an ongoing overhaul of the complex transplant system.
Illustration picture shows cans of Coca-Cola Zero sugar during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Coca-Cola Research and development center, in Anderlecht, Brussels, on Sept. 17, 2025. (BENOIT DOPPAGNE/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS)

Gen Z hates diet sodas, but loves them with ‘Zero Sugar’ branding

Both Diet and Zero Sugar are calorie free, artificially sweetened imitations of their sugary brethren.
A patient room for sleep research is seen at the Morehouse School of Medicine Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)

Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

Your watch says you had three hours of deep sleep. Should you believe it?
Montage Health announced on Monday that it had reached a new agreement with Anthem Blue Cross before the current contract expired on Jan. 31. (James Herrera/Monterey Herald)

Montage Health, Anthem avoid service disruption with new contract

The agreement provides Anthem health plan members with continued in-network access to care at Community...
Medical workers and their supporters walk a picket line outside of the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Oakland, Calif.  Thousands of striking workers, who are represented by United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, are expected to strike indefinitely amid stalled labor negotiations.  (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Kaiser workers strike again in Bay Area, with no end in sight

Kaiser health professionals took to picket lines again Monday for an open-ended strike.
FILE – The AREA Services building in Shamokin, Pa. is decorated in pink ribbons and bras for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (Mike Staugaitis/The News-Item via AP)

What to know about breast self-awareness and how it fits into cancer prevention

Breast self-awareness is a more flexible approach to preventing breast cancer.
“Digital Exhaustion” by Paul Leonardi (Riverhead Books/TNS)

Addicted to your phone? Don’t break up with it entirely. Do this instead

It's that time of year again: detox season.
(Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS) (Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS)

Native Americans are dying from pregnancy. They want a voice to stop the trend

Native American and Alaska Native people had the highest pregnancy-related mortality ratio.
The for-profit Brilliant Academy Health Center, on Conway Road in Orlando offers a state-approved nursing program and advertises tuition of $27,000. The schools’ passage rate on the professional exam for new registered nurses is well below the state and national rates, yet the school remains open as a 2009 law stripped much of the state Board of Nursing’s oversight of nursing schools (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel).

Florida deregulated nursing schools. Scam colleges and failing students followed

The 2009 deregulation allowed hundreds of new nursing schools, many for-profit institutions.
A doctor listens to a patient's heartbeat at the Mountain Valley Health Center in Bieber on July 24, 2019.

New study assesses health priorities in Monterey County

“It really helps us coordinate and communicate around what we're doing and measure what's working...
FILE – The National Institutes of Health’s James Shannon building is seen on the agency’s campus in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Trump administration halts use of human fetal tissue in NIH-funded research

The tissue has been critical for research involving HIV, cancer and other diseases.
Signs direct to the entrance of the Bellville Medical Center, in Bellville, Texas on Sept. 1, 2021. (Francois Picard/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS)

States race to launch rural health transformation plans

Many state legislatures must pass laws to distribute the funding to their state offices.
A child receives a standard immunization at Doctor Gary M. Kramer, MD, PA’s Pediatric office on Sept. 15, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America/TNS)

States go their own way as RFK Jr. shifts federal vaccine policy

Many states have created formal alliances to share health information.
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Barbara Intermill, On Nutrition: The ‘new’ food pyramid

The goal — to “shift our food system away from chronic disease and toward nutrient...
FILE – New York strip steaks are on display at a Sam’s Club, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

New diet guidelines say to double up on protein, but nutrition experts are wary

Nutrition say most Americans already consume more protein than they need.
From left to right: US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vice President JD Vance wave to the audience during the Make America Healthy Again summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS)

RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement has picked up steam in statehouses. Here’s what to expect in 2026

Food additives are among the most common targets.
Healthy older adults vaccinated against flu have substantially lower risks of hospitalization for heart failure, as well as for pneumonia and other respiratory infections. (Marish/Dreamstime/TNS)

Vaccines are helping older people more than we knew

Other reasons for older people to be vaccinated are emerging.
What to consider about aging in place. (Getty Images)

Helen Dennis, Successful Aging: What to consider when helping an older person to age in place

Sara Zeff Geber, an expert on solo aging, reframes the notion of aging in place...
Medicaid underwrites home care for low-income older adults who have few assets, though the Trump administration’ s new budget will slash Medicaid by more than $900 billion over the next decade. (QualitDesign/Dreamstime/TNS)

Solving the home care quandary

Paid home care represents an especially strained sector of the long-term care system.
FILE Olympic rings are seen in the snow at the Stelvio Ski Center, venue for the alpine ski and ski mountaineering disciplines at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

How Olympians think about success and failure and what we can learn from them

If it were only about winning gold medals, most Olympians would be seen as failures.
Nutritional shakes with “GLP-1 Friendly” labels sit on the shelf of a Kroger grocery store Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Dee-Ann Durbin)

Food companies are targeting users of weight-loss drugs with ‘GLP-1 Friendly’ labels

Some products marketed to GLP-1 users contain high amounts of saturated fat and sodium.
The Medically Vulnerable People, or MVP, shelter in Sandy, Utah, is a remodeled two-story brick hotel. (Aaron Bolton/Montana Public Radio/KFF Health News/TNS)

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Most homeless shelters aren’t equipped to help seniors, especially those 65 and older.
FILE – Tylenol pain-relief pills are shown in La Habra, Calif., Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

New research bolsters evidence that Tylenol doesn’t raise the risk of autism despite Trump’s claims

Tylenol during pregnancy doesn’t increase the risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities.
Charmyra Harrell met Elyse Stevens outside an abandoned Family Dollar store in one of New Orleans’ poorest neighborhoods, where Stevens was providing free medical care. Harrell eventually became a regular patient at Stevens’ clinic at University Medical Center New Orleans. She credits Stevens with diagnosing her diabetes and cancer and helping her stop… (Aneri Pattani/KFF Health News/KFF Health News/TNS)

Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine

More than 80% of Americans who need substance use treatment don’t receive it.
Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Legal questions swirl around FDA’s new expedited drug program, including who should sign off

Experts worry the program runs afoul of legal, ethical and scientific standards.
President Donald Trump speaks at the Detroit Economic Club, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Trump announces outlines of health care plan he wants Congress to consider

The cornerstone is his proposal to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts.
FILE – Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Final day to select ACA health plans arrives in most states, with no subsidy deal yet

The expiration of certain federal subsidies made most enrollees' monthly premium fees more expensive.
A provider doesn’t need to be an HIV specialist, an infectious disease expert, or a physician to prescribe PrEP. (KFF Health News/TNS)

To knock down health-system hurdles between you and HIV prevention, try these 6 things

Many queer people have had negative experiences during health care visits.
FILE = The Health and Human Services seal is seen before the news conference of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Democrat blasts HHS for creating confusion in cutting, then reinstating SAMHSA grants

Organizations said they had already been forced to cut staff and cancel trainings.
President Donald Trump touches a container of milk as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump signs a law returning whole milk to school lunches

Nondairy drinks such as fortified soy milk may also be on the menu in the...
FILE – A Planned Parenthood sign is displayed outside a facility in Austin, Texas, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Trump administration restores federal funding for family planning after ACLU lawsuit

The ACLU called it a victory but emphasized the ongoing fight for reproductive freedom.
Sarah Baldassaro, left, demonstrates a strength-training regimen with her trainer, Hilary Granat, at the Center for Orthopedic Rehab and Exercise on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Moriah Ratner)

Strength training is crucial after menopause. How to make the most of your workouts

Experts say women can do strength training with dumbbells, free weights, bands or machines.
FILE – Boxes for the medications Wegovy and Zepbound are arranged for a photograph in California, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/JoNel Aleccia, File)

Popular weight-loss drugs shouldn’t carry suicide warnings, FDA says

A review 'found no increased' risk among users of the GLP-1 drugs for obesity.
FILE – Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Fewer Americans sign up for Affordable Care Act health insurance as costs spike

Many Americans are considering alternatives or going without insurance.
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Barbara Intermill, On Nutrition: Keys to surviving winter

Bundle up to get some exercise when you can.
FILE – Emissions rise from the smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Center coal power plant as the suns sets, near Emmett, Kansas, Sept. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

EPA says it will stop calculating health care savings from key air pollution rules

Experts called the agency’s action a dangerous abdication of one of its core missions.
This photo provided by Visby Medical in January 2026 shows its three-in-one gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis test for women. (Visby Medical via AP)

At-home STD tests offer new options for screening and treatment

New options for testing and treating some of the most common STDs are becoming available.
(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

A taste of nature can provide balance and calm during the workday

Many professions allow little time for the outdoors. But there are ways.
Top, from left: Callie Anderson; Jagdish Whitten; Tim Winard; Carmen Aiken. Middle, from left: Hans Wirt; Thang Nguyen and his son, Anh Hoang; Erica Kahn; Chloë Jones. Bottom, from left: Deborah Buttgereit; Lauren Hughes; Darragh Yoder and his mother, Elisabeth Yoder; Maxwell Kruzic. ((Jason Ardan, Jim Vondruska, Jacob Langston, Scott Dalton, Sophie Park, Matt Kile, Parker Michels-Boyce, Rachel Woolf, Maddie McGarvey, Jeremy Wade Shockley for KFF Health News)/KFF HEALTH/TNS)

Medical bills can be vexing and perplexing. Here’s important advice for patients

The information needed to understand, manage and fight medical bills.
FILE – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building is seen, April 5, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Judge orders HHS to restore funding for children’s health programs as lawsuit continues

The judge said HHS was likely retaliating against the group when it terminated the grants.
Professor and neuroscientist Steve Ramirez, shown working with brain samples, is exploring the science of memory manipulation. (Alex Wenchel/National Geographic Society/TNS)

‘Memory manipulation is inevitable’: How rewriting memory in the lab might one day heal humans

Research suggests memories are more like well-thumbed library books than museums.
California plastic surgeon Heidi Regenass has been sued for medical malpractice by the families of three women who died after having cosmetic surgeries. She has denied any negligence. One suit has settled, and two are pending. (KFF Health News/TNS)

Advertisements promising patients a ‘dream body’ with minimal risk get little scrutiny

State and federal authorities have the power to prohibit false or misleading medical advertising.
This combination of images show physical therapist and Pilates instructor Jessica Valant demonstrating various poses in Colorado. (Jessica Valant via AP)

Mobility exercises are an important part of fitness as we age. Here are some tips

Mobility exercises strengthen your muscles while increasing your range of motion.
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New physical therapy location opens in Carmel

All staff members from Peninsula Sport Physical Therapy were offered positions with Montage Orthopedics and...
A person rolls a joint during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on April 20, 2022. (Patrick T. Fallon/Getty-AFP)

Screaming + vomiting: ‘Scromiting’ is the mysterious cannabis syndrome becoming more common

The condition is rare but a study found the number of diagnosed cases is increasing.
Osborne is executive director of Foster Family Alliance, a prominent foster care advocacy organization in the state, and taught special education for nearly 20 years. Despite her experience, she didn’ t know how to help Aubreigh improve socially. Initially skeptical about ABA, she now sees it as a bridge to her daughter’ s well-being. (Katie Shaw/KFF Health News/TNS)

It’s the ‘gold standard’ in autism care. Why are states reining it in?

ABA therapy helps people diagnosed with autism improve social interactions and communication.
FILE – Kilian Jornet of Spain runs to win the 45th Sierre-Zinal long distance mountain race in Saint-Luc, Switzerland, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP,File)

Trail running legend Kilian Jornet advises beginners to enjoy the view and go easy

Trail running has exploded in popularity in recent years.
FILE – This April 24, 2023. photo, shows the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper, Wyo. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Abortion stays legal in Wyoming as its top court strikes down laws, including first US pill ban

The justices sided with the state’s only abortion clinic.
FILE – A couple stands on a jetty as the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean in Bal Harbour, Fla., Sept. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Why ordering takeout or calling the dog walker might lead to a happier relationship

Outsourcing chores can boost well-being by giving people a sense of control.
FILE – Commuters walk along a corridor in the World Trade Center, Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

If someone’s always late, is it time blindness, or are they just being rude?

Time blindness is a common characteristic in people with ADHD.
Leon Harris appears in a wheelchair next to his daughter outside their home in Philadelphia.

Guns marketed for personal safety fuel public health crisis in Black communities

During the pandemic, gun marketers told many Americans they needed firearms to defend against criminals...
FILE – A person looks out of a window in an apartment building in Kansas City, Mo., May 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Being a night owl may not be great for your heart but you can do something about it

Being a night owl can be bad for your heart.
Tampons are provided to people incarcerated in Arkansas state correctional facilities. (Handout/Arkansas Department of Corrections/TNS)

Incarcerated women often don’t have enough period products

Access has also been a persistent issue in immigration detention centers.
FILE – A man is silhouetted against the sky at sunset as he jogs in a park at the close of a hot summer day, Aug. 1, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Trying to improve your health and wellness in 2026? Keep it simple

As 2026 arrives, here’s what you can skip — and what you should pay attention...
Colton Green, 9, reads a story to his sister Everly, 8, and brother Ryle, 4, at their home in Fort Collins on Dec. 18, 2025. The Green family is trying to raise $4 million to develop a treatment for Everly, who has an ultra-rare genetic mutation. The treatment has shown promise in mice genetically engineered with the same mutation, and the family hopes it could help her regain some movement. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

A family is trying to raise millions to test gene therapy that could help kids trapped in bodies they can’t move

Producing a treatment for 8-year-old Everly Green’s ultra-rare genetic condition isn’t profitable for drugmakers.
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Barbara Intermill, On Nutrition: Out with the old

That stroke of midnight that begins each new year seems to ignite something in us.
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Barbara Intermill, On Nutrition: Recipe for healing

Besides key nutrients, my physical therapist also reminded me that my body really needs rest....
FILE – An EBT SNAP sign is shown on a self check out screen at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in five states Jan. 1

SNAP recipients in five states will see new limits starting Thursday.
FILE – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., arrives on stage at the inaugural Make America Healthy Again summit at the Waldorf Astoria, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)

In a tumultuous year, US health policy has been dramatically reshaped under RFK Jr.

RFK Jr. reshaped the HHS, cutting research funding and promoting discredited views on vaccines.
FILE – This photo illustration shows granulated sugar falling from a spoon, in Philadelphia, on Sept. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Foods with healthy-sounding buzzwords could be hiding added sugar in plain sight

Here’s how to spot hidden sugars and what to do about it.
Kellyn Haight experienced debilitating depression after she, her husband and her then-2-year-old daughter moved to the mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina. After being hospitalized for her condition, she found a psychiatrist and started taking Zoloft. She built a community of friends and began to feel stable. (Katie Linsky Shaw/KFF Health News/TNS)

FDA panelists questioned antidepressants in pregnancy. But doctors call them a lifeline

Medical experts are concerned that a July panel discussion convened by the FDA could lead...
The Power Over Parkinson’s community offers a boxing therapy designed for people with Parkinson’s. (Stella Mayerhoff -- Herald Correspondent)

Power Over Parkinson’s: Learning to overcome

“We want to provide support for people in Monterey County who are on the journey...
Family, friends, and supporters gather for the Beef Bash 2025 tasting event at the Berry Center, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in New Castle, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Americans face growing loneliness and social disconnection

Small groups are working to restore community connections.
California Sen. John Laird, right, was appointed chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and will serve in the role at least through the remainder of the 2025-26 legislative session. (RICH PEDRONCELLI —  Associated Press file)

California Sen. John Laird appointed chair of influential budget committee

California Senate leadership has appointed Sen. John Laird chair of the influential Senate Budget and...
FILE – An exam room at a medical clinic in Detroit on July 29, 2015. (Charles V. Tines/Detroit News via AP, File)

You finally got a doctor’s appointment. Here’s how to get the most out of it

Getting the most out of a doctor’s visit requires some advance preparation.
(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

Doctor’s orders? ‘Belly laugh at least two to five days a week’

Why is laughter good for you?
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