WASHINGTON — The burdensome costs of medical care, prescription drugs and health insurance have become dominant issues in the 2020 presidential campaign. But a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services shows the nation remains in a period of relatively slow growth in health spending. Health spending in the United States rose…
WARMINSTER, Pa. — Two decades after concern emerged about a class of chemicals used in everything from Teflon pans to firefighting foam, the federal government has started the first in a series of detailed studies of the impact the chemicals have had on human health. The goal is to determine what role the chemicals, known…
A chronological sampling of seasonal celebrations throughout New York City, including concerts, plays and events. Dickens onstage Turn on a TV during December, and you’re bound to find countless adaptations of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” It’s beginning to feel the same way in New York’s theaters. On Broadway, a version by Jack Thorne (“Harry…
The parents of a 3-year-old who died after heart surgery at North Carolina Children’s Hospital in 2016 are suing the institution, saying it failed to disclose internal concerns about the quality of its care. Tasha and Thomas Jones, the parents, also allege that doctors didn’t warn them about problems with the heart surgery program, and…
Premature babies are at increased risk for diabetes, a large new study reports. In previous studies, preterm birth has been associated with insulin resistance, but this is the first large study to track the risks of diabetes from childhood into adulthood. The researchers followed 4,193,069 singleton babies born in Sweden from 1973 to 2014 for…
My parents are always concerned with how my husband and I are doing financially, even when we’re doing just fine. My dad, in particular, measures success in terms of how much money you make and includes financial advice and work questions in every conversation. My husband was recently fired from his job in a company…
Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. While melatonin is safe in the short term for most adults, many wonder whether they can give melatonin to babies and children who are having trouble sleeping. Although the body produces its own melatonin, taking melatonin supplements can help provide short-term treatment of insomnia…
Like sublime meals and glorious journeys, great wines create great memories. They leave impressions to be pondered and stories to be told. I have the privilege of tasting many wines over the course of a year. In 2019, these are the 12 that left the most lasting memories, in chronological order. La Violetta Great Southern…
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. When a person has the hepatitis C virus (HCV) for several years, their liver can become inflamed. However, a person can live for years without even knowing that they have HCV. Once the symptoms start to show, the person usually already has liver damage, which can…
Seven people in San Diego have died in the last two months from a flesh-eating bacteria associated with black-tar heroin use, prompting public health officials to warn the medical community to be on the lookout for additional cases. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency reported Wednesday that the seven people died from…