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• 10 Common Myths About Measles—and the Real Facts

  Measles cases in the U.S. climbed to a 25-year high in April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 704 confirmed cases of measles so far this year have affected 22 states, including Florida. Although the viral infection was declared “eliminated” from the U.S. in 2000, this year’s rapid spread of measles has become a serious public health concern. Increasing numbers of travelers catch the viral infection abroad and bring it into the U.S., spreading it among pockets of people who are unvaccinated.

• Checking Your Cholesterol - Is it Really Necessary?

  According to the AHA, nearly 95 million Americans have a total cholesterol above the normal rate of 200 mg/dL. Approximately 10 million Americans have a total cholesterol over 240 mg/dL, which is considered very high. High cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, chronic conditions that kill about 2.6 million people every year and are among the top three causes of preventable death in the country.

• Portfolio Diet: Lower Your Cholesterol One Bite at a Time with Plant-Based Eating

  What if you could lower your cholesterol without remaking your entire approach to eating by simply incorporating more plants and fewer animal products in your diet? A long-term study of nearly 200,000 people interviewed every four years suggests it’s possible. 

• Avoid Shingles With the Shingrix Vaccine

  If you had chickenpox when you were young, you may think that after the intense itching and blistering passed,  you were done with the disease. But the same virus — varicella-zoster — that causes chickenpox stays dormant inside you even after the symptoms pass. And years later, that virus can reactivate as shingles.

• In the Future, Hepatitis B and C May Be Less of Public Health Problem

  As many as six million Americans have chronic hepatitis B and C, two viral infections that affect the liver.

• How To Make Bunions and Hammertoes a Less Painful Experience

  If you’ve sprouted a big bump on the inside of your foot just below your big toe, it’s likely that your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles had one, too. It’s called a bunion, and they’re largely hereditary. When the metatarsal — the long bone in our feet — starts deviating outward, the big toe shifts inward, causing the bump. But while genetics plays the biggest role, factors that can make bunions harder or easier to live with are in your control.

• Can an Injection that Smooths Wrinkles Also Treat Serious Childhood Conditions?

  You may think that botulinum toxin, most commonly known by brand name Botox, is only used to smooth wrinkles and improve your appearance. But it also can treat some serious childhood conditions, such as cerebral palsy. And promising new therapies for children continue to be discovered.

• Over 50? Get the Vaccine To Avoid Painful Shingles

  Shingles is a rash that develops, and then blisters, in a band along one or more nerves in your body. It can be exquisitely painful, and its after-effects might cause discomfort for the rest of your life. If you haven’t gotten the shingles vaccine yet, what are you waiting for?

• Keeping Baby Safe: Steps To Keep Bad Bacteria Out of Breast Pumps, Bottles and Formula

  Mothers have safely fed newborns pumped breast milk, and formula, for ages. But recent reports about two infants who died after getting a bacterial infection – likely from powdered formula, a baby bottle or breastfeeding equipment -- have some new moms scared.

• Will My Nipples Lose Sensation After Breast Surgery?

  One of the most common questions women have about breast surgeries is whether their nipples will lose sensation.