Minnesota sees demand rising for at-home COVID tests
Minnesotans are pulling out the at-home COVID-19 tests, again. The Minnesota Department of Health is seeing requests rise for its free self-test kits following a continued upward trend in COVID hospitalizations. “Interest in MDH’s at-home test program is currently running very high,” MDH spokesperson Amy Barrett said last week in a statement to MPR News. […]
Can AI replace your doctor?
Artificial intelligence could change a visit to the doctor’s office. Imagine walking into an exam room. A nurse takes your weight, blood pressure and the rest of your vital signs and feeds them into an artificial intelligence system that already has your blood test results, scans and your entire health history along with the health records […]
These habits can cut the risk of depression in half, a new study finds
A study of nearly 300,000 people in the U.K. found that people who maintained at least five of seven healthy habits cut their risk of depression by 57 percent. Maria Stavreva via Getty Images If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, here’s a strategy that may help boost your mental health: […]
Navigating marijuana legalization in greater Minnesota
It’s been more than a month since marijuana became legal in Minnesota and many communities are still reeling at the number of possibilities that may arise from this landmark piece of legislation. A big part of making this new legal system seamless is creating a licensing procedure for retail sales of cannabis. Though some tribal […]
Practitioner works to erase stigma some Black Minnesotans feel about mental health care
In September 2019, Adejoke Adedeji created Nexus of Hope, a psychiatric clinic in Lakeville, Minn., offering a wide range of services from talk therapy to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), medication-assisted treatment and telehealth. When the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, she thought business might slow down. She was wrong. “Things got even busier, as we […]
COVID-19 trends upward as new boosters arrive
This week’s data show that COVID-19 activity continues to trend upward here in Minnesota, which makes this week’s announcement that the new COVID-19 boosters are available all the more welcome. Newly-released tests of the boosters so far suggest it is largely effective against the most commonly circulating COVID-19 variants (EG5 and FL 1.5.1) as […]
Mayo doctor discusses rise in cancer rates among people under 50
CATHY WURZER: More and more younger people are getting cancer. If that sentence pulls you up short, it should. There’s a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that shows cancer in people younger than 50 has increased over the last 10 years, especially among women ages 30 to 39. The […]
Pickleball’s popularity and growing pains
America’s fastest growing sport is feeling growing pains. Pickleball has exploded in popularity in the last few years, especially among older people looking for ways to socialize and keep in shape. Described as a mashup of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, the sport is relatively easy to learn and fun to play. In 2022, there were […]
The new COVID boosters are coming: Here’s what you need to know
Experts say the new COVID boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines and boosters. Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images If it feels like everyone you know has COVID, you’re not alone. Cases are on the rise, and so are hospitalizations and deaths. So the federal government’s release of […]
Expert advice: What to do if your pet ingests marijuana
There has been a major uptick in calls to the Pet Poison Helpline — a 540 percent increase — across the country as marijuana has become legal in more and more states. The reason is simple: As cannabis becomes more accessible to humans, it becomes more accessible to pets in homes. But what should you […]