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Study: Vaping linked to increased lead and uranium exposure
ATLANTA — A new study has brought the public health concern of vaping back to the forefront. Electronic cigarettes have already been branded unsafe for kids, teens and young adults by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and new evidence has linked the vapes to possible increased exposure of harmful heavy metals.
Most...Read more
Editorial: Bolster safeguards after cyberattack
Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
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Unfortunately, hackers didn't need sophisticated skills to pull off one of the nation's most alarming and consequential health care ransomware attacks.
Instead, the cybercriminals who crippled...Read more
The longest, strangest trip: Some psychedelic drug users are stuck with unwelcome highs
LOS ANGELES — A.J. took two small hits off a cannabis vape pen, a common ritual with his morning coffee. Moments after exhaling, a transfigured, kaleidoscopic version of the world emerged before his eyes.
“Some colors are seeping into the other colors,” the 30-year-old said, gesturing across his art-filled living room in Yorba Linda. “...Read more
Millions were booted from Medicaid. The insurers that run it gained Medicaid revenue anyway
Private Medicaid health plans lost millions of members in the past year as pandemic protections that prohibited states from dropping anyone from the government program expired.
But despite Medicaid’s unwinding, as it’s known, at least two of the five largest publicly traded companies selling plans have continued to increase revenue from the...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Pickleball injuries and prevention
The popularity of pickleball has exploded in the last few years, and according to a recent report, so have injuries attributed to the relatively new sport.
Dr. Sanj Kakar, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand and wrist disorders, says there are two main injuries he sees due to pickleball. He offers three ways to prevent them...Read more
On Nutrition: Weight loss gummies a sticky situation
Corryne P. writes: “I am inquiring about the fat busting products such as keto gummies, GOLO release, Nutrisystem shakes and others. Do they really work? I know people who have tried them but when they stop, the weight returns. How do they work on the body?”
Another reader asks: “Could you please explain the craze going on with Apple ...Read more
Red Light Treatments For Neuropathy Don't Show Much Benefit
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have neuropathy in my left foot. It feels very hot on the bottom. My neurologist thinks it is from my sugar level, but I got my A1C down from 6.2% to 5.6% and do not have neuropathy in my right foot. A friend said that he has had some relief with red light treatment, but he experiences tingling in his feet. Does red light ...Read more
How to reduce your risk for STIs
Unprotected sex, AKA sex without the use of a condom, is astoundingly common. Among teens and young adults, fully 69% report recently having unprotected sex. No wonder around half of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, such as gonorrhea and syphilis show up in teens and 20-somethings. Older adults aren't much more careful. New information ...Read more
University of Minnesota strengthens case to treat COVID-19 with metformin, not ivermectin
MINNEAPOLIS — Patients with COVID-19 had lower viral loads if treated with metformin, according to new University of Minnesota research that argues for broader use of the cheap anti-diabetes drug and against the controversial use of ivermectin.
Thursday's published findings helped connect the dots and explain why metformin in a U-led clinical...Read more
Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them
At an auction in England in 2011, one of John Lennon’s teeth sold for just over US$31,000.
How much are your teeth worth?
Teeth are amazing little miracles. They light up our smiles, we use them to speak and we chew with them more than 600 times at every meal.
Yet, in a society where 1 out of 5 Americans ages 75 and ...Read more
New heated drug baths provide hope for patients with stomach cancer
Mayo Clinic researchers used a new approach to chemotherapy to more than double the typical survival rate for patients with stomach cancer and peritoneal metastasis, which is cancer that has spread to the lining of the abdominal cavity, according to a study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
Stomach cancer, which is also called ...Read more
Your cellphone may be causing nearsightedness, now at epidemic levels
Around half of the global population could need corrective lenses by 2050 — a health care burden that already costs Americans an estimated $7.2 billion annually. It’s because myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is at epidemic levels, according to Rochester Institute of Technology professor Andrew Herbert.
With May being Healthy Vision ...Read more
Night Sweats And Hot Flashes Continue For Over Two Decades
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 72 years old and otherwise fairly healthy, but I am writing to you in desperation. I have talked with every doctor I have had in the past 15 years, and no one has been able to give me any help. I have had severe hot flashes for over 22 years, and I am miserable. The first eight years consisted of night sweats when I ...Read more
Vitamin D -- a hormone workhorse for your health
Vitamin D is an interesting vitamin since it's actually a hormone. It's mostly produced by exposure of your skin to sunlight -- about 10% of your body's active vitamin D comes from foods you eat. When your body produces vitamin D from the sun and absorbs it from food, the liver and kidneys convert it into the hormone calcitriol.
In your body, ...Read more
CDC, FDA, USDA answer big questions about the growing bird flu outbreak
Representatives with multiple agencies including the CDC, the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday discussed the latest news about bird flu in the U.S.
The agencies are continuing to test milk, dairy products and meat to ensure they can not spread the virus, and working to monitor farm ...Read more
Can a 911 drone stop your bleeding? It'll fly to Florida emergencies for DIY rescues
A Florida county will be one of the first in the nation to dispatch a drone that responds to 911 calls.
On Wednesday, Manatee County was set to launch a new pilot program that uses a drone to deliver a defibrillator, a tourniquet, or naloxone — an opioid-overdose antidote — to emergency scenes. The program is meant to reduce response times ...Read more
Power outages linked to heat and storms are rising, and low-income communities are most at risk, as a new NYC study shows
Many Americans think of power outages as infrequent inconveniences, but that’s quickly changing. Nationwide, major power outages have increased tenfold since 1980, largely because of an aging electrical grid and damage sustained from severe storms as the planet warms.
At the same time, electricity demand is rising as the population ...Read more
Baby orangutan born at Tampa's Busch Gardens via C-section was a rare feat
TAMPA, Fla. — Luna loved the ultrasound game.
The 26-year-old orangutan at Busch Gardens would come up to the mesh screening that separates the primates from the humans that care for them and happily present her belly.
Dr. Maria Spriggs, chief veterinarian at Busch Gardens, would use that play time to put an ultrasound probe on Luna’s ...Read more
Environmental Nutrition: Spring into asparagus
Asparagus is a seasonal favorite.
The folklore
Asparagus, whose name means stalk or shoot in Greek, was first cultivated about 2,500 years ago in Greece, where it was used medicinally to treat toothaches and help prevent bee stings. Considered a delicacy since ancient times, this dainty and nutritious spear continues to be a delicious ...Read more
5 healthy reasons to crave more cauliflower
The goodness of cauliflower goes beyond its ability to become almost anything you can imagine in the kitchen — a crust, a “wing,” a rice, a mash, and the list goes on. Cauliflower’s mild flavor, satisfying texture, and chameleon-like versatility makes it not only a hearty and nutritious add-in as is, but also an inventive and savvy swap ...Read more
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Popular Stories
- Healthy teeth are wondrous and priceless – a dentist explains why and how best to protect them
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Pickleball injuries and prevention
- University of Minnesota strengthens case to treat COVID-19 with metformin, not ivermectin
- The longest, strangest trip: Some psychedelic drug users are stuck with unwelcome highs
- New heated drug baths provide hope for patients with stomach cancer