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Nonmedication Treatment For Sleep Is Recommended Over Meds
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 90 years old and cannot sleep at night. I have tried taking two or three times the dosage of most over-the-counter drugs to no avail. A doctor put me on a prescription medicine, but it didn't work. Is there an alternative, or must I spend the rest of my life sleepless? -- D.J.
ANSWER: At the age of 90, you need careful ...Read more
Is your heart aging faster than you are?
Your body's internal organs can become a lot older than your chronological age -- and it's usually from the lifestyle choices you make.
A new study in European Heart Journal Open used an MRI to accurately assess the functional age of a person's heart (like its RealAge or ActualAge) and the researchers discovered there are structural and ...Read more

LGBTQ advocacy, legal groups condemn court decision on gender-affirming care ban: 'Catastrophic failure for our nation's youth'
Chicago-area trans and LGBTQ+ community groups responded with disappointment and anger Wednesday to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care.
Representatives from Trans Up Front Illinois, Brave Space Alliance, Equality Illinois and Arcus Behavioral Health — groups that provide resources to trans...Read more

As Supreme Court rules on trans youth, California aims to expand 'sanctuary' protections
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Democratic state lawmakers and LGBTQ advocates slammed a Wednesday decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that upholds a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, calling the ruling “horrifying” and “bigoted.”
In a 6-3 decision, the court sided with the state of Tennessee over a 2023 law ...Read more

Kansas City wins money back after suing RFK, Jr. over federal vaccine grants
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A U.S. District Court judge granted an injunction on Tuesday temporarily blocking federal officials from cutting public health funding for Kansas City — a win in the city’s ongoing legal battle against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the agency he leads.
The court order requires that ...Read more

Supreme Court upholds Tennessee youth transgender care ban
WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Tennessee law that restricts access to gender-affirming care for minors, in a ruling that shifts the contentious policy debates about transgender rights to the hands of lawmakers.
The 6-3 decision, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., found that states can regulate or even ban...Read more

Supreme Court upholds red-state laws that ban hormones for transgender teens
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states may ban hormone treatments for transgender teens, rejecting the claim that such gender-based discrimination is unconstitutional.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices said states are generally free to decide on proper standards of medical care, particularly when health experts are divided. ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Spotlight on supplements: Milk thistle
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering herb native to Mediterranean regions and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. Its active ingredient, silymarin, is a group of flavonoids known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Today, milk thistle supplements are popular for supporting liver health, among other ...Read more

6 foods commonly mistaken for being high in protein
Protein is needed for critical processes such as building muscle, immune response, and creating hormones and neurotransmitters. Adding protein-rich foods to meals and snacks can also support weight loss, improve your body composition, and support blood sugar regulation.
Many high-protein foods and drinks can help you meet and exceed your daily ...Read more

Think your child has ADHD? What your pediatrician can do
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. It affects approximately 7% to 8% of all children and youth in the US. As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) points out in their clinical practice guideline for ADHD, that’s more than the mental health system can handle, which ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Are all calories created equal?
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve heard “a calorie is a calorie” when it comes to weight loss, but can that really be true? With the number of diets out there (keto, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean), I’m completely overwhelmed with what I’m meant to be doing.
ANSWER: Yes and no. (Isn’t that always the answer to nutrition inquiries?) While ...Read more
State of Mind
The American Psychological Association says more than three-quarters of U.S. adults report stress-related symptoms, including depression and fatigue. Topsure, a luxury product website, ranked all 50 states based on work, finances, family, health and safety and work-life balance to see where most of these stressed-out folks lived.
The 10 most ...Read more

A revolutionary drug for extreme hunger offers clues to obesity's complexity
Ali Foley Shenk still remembers the panic when her 10-year-old son, Dean, finished a 20-ounce box of raisins in the seconds the cupboard was left unlocked. They rushed to the emergency room, fearing a dangerous bowel impaction.
The irony stung: When Dean was born, he was so weak and floppy he survived only with feeding tubes because he couldn�...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Why you should know your heart rate numbers
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: When I go for a walk or to the gym, people always seem to be checking their pulse, whether by hand or with a wearable. Why is heart rate so important?
ANSWER: Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Your resting heart rate is when the heart is pumping the lowest amount of blood you need ...Read more

The price you pay for an Obamacare plan could surge next year in Florida
MIAMI — Josefina Muralles works a part-time overnight shift as a receptionist at a Miami Beach condominium so that during the day she can care for her three kids, her aging mother, and her brother, who is paralyzed.
She helps her mother feed, bathe, and give medicine to her adult brother, Rodrigo Muralles, who has epilepsy and became disabled...Read more
Bony Nodes On The Hand Joints Are Common With Osteoarthritis
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 64-year-old man in good medical health. Recently, a bump the size of a pea appeared on the large knuckle of my index finger. My general physician glanced at it and said that it was an arthritic node. I asked him who could remove it, and he told me not to worry about it until it grew or started to cause pain.
I want a ...Read more
Condiment confusion
That little touch of tomato-y goodness you dip your fries into and the creamy sauce that makes your chicken salad smooth and tasty may seem like minor grace notes in the symphony of foods you eat every day. But ketchup -- or catsup, depending on where you're from -- can be loaded with food felons.
Ketchup was once considered a cure-all for ...Read more

West Nile virus detected in Massachusetts 'earlier' than normal: Dept. of Public Health
West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year in the Bay State, according to the Department of Public Health.
The confirmed virus in a mosquito sample collected last week in Shrewsbury is “a little early,” DPH officials said.
“Mid-June is earlier than we typically first find West Nile virus-infected ...Read more

Is brain rot real? Here's what brain health experts say
Doomscrolling. Instagram obsessions. Mindless YouTube video viewing.
Distracting behaviors, yes. But can they actually rot a person's brain?
Last year, Oxford University Press designated "brain rot" as its word of the year, defining it as the "supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state" caused by overconsuming "trivial ...Read more
Biting off more than you can endure
Almost 60% of most Americans' calories come from ultra-processed foods -- stripped of nutrition and packed with refined carbs, sugars, salt, unhealthy fats and unpronounceable chemical ingredients. And, according to a paper presented at an American College of Cardiology-Asia meeting, that's a recipe for disaster.
The researchers looked at data ...Read more
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