Latest Articles
Fighting Fibromyalgia with Complementary Health and NIH
“I’m a fibro fighter.” That is how 61-year-old Vikki Owens of Seattle, Wash., describes her 25-year battle to manage...
Fibromyalgia
A Silent Killer: Exploring the Impact of Deep Vein Blood Clots
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Blood clots happen when blood thickens...
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Managing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
A family member, friend, co-worker, or neighbor: You probably know someone with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). As many as 5 million women in the...
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Keeping Teens Safe Behind the Wheel
A Recent NIH study found teens were more likely than older drivers to crash within the first three months of getting their driver...
Teen Health
Bad Sleeping Patterns Early in Life May be Linked to Future Health Problems
Could adolescents who don’t get enough sleep be setting the stage for heart-related health risks later in life? That’s...
Healthy Sleep
Most Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer Don’t Need Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the cornerstones of modern day cancer treatment. But in some cases, it may not be essential to treatment success. ...
Breast Cancer
What’s New in Fibromyalgia Research?
Researchers at NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ...
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia: What You Need to Know
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but it typically won’t get worse over time. Patients who learn to manage their symptoms...
Fibromyalgia
Pushing Through Life with PCOS
Nicole Strayhorn was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at age 14. After years of struggling with the syndrome, Nicole, now 28, is managing her...
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
NIH Research Looks Around the World for Clues to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Iceland may be key to helping us understand how and why women get polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Researchers, with support from the Eunice...
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
NIH Studies Explore Intersection of Art, Music, and Health
Though funding opportunities supported by NIH and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as part of Sound Health were just announced, separate...
Palliative Care, Healthy Aging, Child Development, Sound Health
How Singing Affects Our Brain
In 2017, soprano Renée Fleming took part in a remarkable experiment as part of NIH’s Sound Health initiative. She...
Sound Health
NIH-Kennedy Center Initiative Explores ‘Music and the Mind’
Can music help us learn? Can it ease chronic pain? Can it improve your health in general? These are important questions being studied...
Sound Health
The Power of Music
Renée Fleming is one of the most acclaimed singers of our time. She’s thrilled audiences around the world in...
Sound Health
Struggling to Breathe: A Battle with Deep Vein Thrombosis
Michael Morizio knows how quickly life can change. In August 2017, Michael was playing the kind of competitive tennis he had enjoyed for...
Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism
NIH Searches for Improved Blood Clot Treatment and Diagnosis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 900,000 people each year will develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism ...
Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism
Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolisms: An Overview
We've compiled a list of symptoms, causes, and treatment for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms with information from MedlinePlus and the...
Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism
New NIH Study Zeroes in on Prostate Cancer in African-American Men
Fifteen percent of African-American men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. They’re also more likely to be diagnosed with...
Prostate Cancer
Here’s a Health Tip: Sign Up for the My MedlinePlus Newsletter
Check your inbox every Wednesday for a new newsletter from MedlinePlus and the National Library of Medicine. My MedlinePlus is a weekly newsletter...
MedlinePlus
What’s in that Supplement? Ask the HerbList App
Wandering down the vitamin aisle and have questions about a supplement? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an app for that....
Dietary Supplements
Falling Back: Seasonal Affective Disorder
This November most of us will turn back the clocks as daylight savings time ends, a sign that winter, cooler temperatures, and shorter...
Seasonal Affective Disorder
New Shingles Vaccine Over 90% Effective
Recently, shingles has made headlines because of a new vaccine that was approved in 2017: the recombinant zoster vaccine, or Shingrix. According to...
Shingles
Music and the Mind: NIH Event Explores How Sound Impacts Our Health
This September, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) welcomed leading musicians, researchers, and guests from around the country to the John F. Kennedy...
Sound Health
5 Ways to Manage Your Fibromyalgia
Lifestyle changes and self care are critical to improving your quality of life with fibromyalgia. We asked two top fibromyalgia experts and NIH...
Fibromyalgia
Reaching New Heights with Joint Disease
BJ Pessia is a jack of all trades and master of all. A real estate agent, carpenter, painter, landscaper, ski instructor, soccer coach,...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
One Day at a Time: Living with an Unpredictable Disease
Kim Bench likes routines. Every morning, she gets out of bed, does her stretches, and makes breakfast. That is, if she is feeling...
Multiple Sclerosis
Study Offers Clues for Improving Seasonal Flu Vaccine
The 2017-2018 flu season was rougher than most. During peak flu activity in February, more than 10 percent of deaths in the U.S....
Flu Shot
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Understanding a Difficult Joint Disease
When you hear about someone who has arthritis, you might think of an older person with pain or stiffness in his or her...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis: What You Need to Know
What is MS? Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). A...
Multiple Sclerosis
Tips for Staying Healthy and Safe this Summer
MedlinePlus and NIH offer lots of information online to help. We've summarized some helpful highlights to get you started. Sun Exposure and...
Sun Exposure
Inspiring the Next Generation at NIH’s Science Day
Nearly 500 students from 11 Washington, D.C.-area schools recently attended “Science Day at NIH” on the National Institutes of Health (NIH)...
NIH Highlights
Updated Blood Pressure Guidelines: Lifestyle Changes are Key
Nearly 86 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure. (Blood pressure over 140/90 is traditionally defined as high blood pressure.) The condition,...
Blood Pressure
Extending Cancer Survival in Young Patients
Early results from a clinical trial show that a new drug may extend survival for cancer patients with a specific type of cancer....
Cancer
Bringing Prosthetic Hands to Life
NIH is improving prosthetic, or artificial, limbs so that they can work better and feel more natural to patients. Using vibrations and a...
NIH Highlights
Know the Difference: Rheumatoid Arthritis or Osteoarthritis?
Wondering if you have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis? Review the overviews below from MedlinePlus and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Getting a Kidney Transplant: What You Need to Know
In the U.S., an estimated 14 percent of the population has chronic kidney disease, and roughly 661,000 Americans have kidney failure. Of these, 468,000 people...
Kidney Transplant
A Patient’s Kidney Transplant Journey
Alison Lee is a fighter. She has fought lupus, kidney failure, and cancer—all in just 35 short years. Alison was diagnosed with...
Kidney Transplant
Fighting Cancer: Ins and Outs of Immunotherapy
Cancer can play a cat and mouse game with our immune systems, hiding cells and making it harder to fight off the disease. ...
Cancer, Immunotherapy
Help the Future of Research with All of Us
By gathering health information from people all over the country, All of Us will serve as a national resource to inform thousands of...
NIH Highlights
New Blood Pressure Guidelines: What You Need to Know
Making sense of your blood pressure reading can be tricky, but we’ve broken it down to help you better understand what...
Blood Pressure
Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis: Search for a Cure
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a tricky disease. No one knows what causes it, but while there isn’t yet a cure for...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Improving Organ Donation for All
Dorry Segev, M.D., Ph.D., is a leader in the field of organ transplantation. The Johns Hopkins University surgeon and research chair...
Kidney Transplant
DASH: Eat Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure
What is DASH? DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This eating plan is based on research studies sponsored by the National...
Blood Pressure, DASH Eating Plan
Are you Getting Enough Sleep?
Just one more minute. Sleep is something that’s vital to keep our bodies working properly. Getting enough sleep at the right...
Sleep
Uncovering the Mysteries of Multiple Sclerosis
An estimated 2.3 million people worldwide live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is a hard-to-predict disease of the central nervous system. MS gets in...
Multiple Sclerosis
Matt Iseman: Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior
Matt Iseman was trained as a doctor, but he is known to many as a comic, first winner of the “New Celebrity...
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Translating Music into Hope
Grammy Award winning musician Jimmy Luis Gomez, better known as Taboo, has been thrilling audiences for years as a member of the hit...
Cancer
10 NIH Research Highlights
At any given time, NIH is funding thousands of research studies and clinical trials across the U.S. Some studies have developed easier...
NIH Research
Caregiving: It Takes a Village
Do you remind a family member or friend to take a life-saving medication each day? Do you spend time helping a disabled neighbor...
Caregivers
Palliative Care: A Spectrum of Support
When we think of caregiving, we often think of helping elderly family members or friends. But many people—old, young, and in...
Palliative Care
Finding Better and More Personalized Ways to Diagnose Cancer at NIH
Cancer treatment is constantly evolving and so are the detection tools that help diagnose it. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Cancer Diagnosis...
Cancer
Ruff! Are Pets Good for our Health?
Guinea pigs, fish, dogs, and horses: What do these animals have in common? They may have an impact on our health. Since 2008, NIH...
NIH Highlights
Racing Against Lung Cancer
In early 2016, Rhode Island resident Ted Simon had a tickle in his throat that wouldn’t go away. When the tickle turned...
Cancer
A Couple’s Caregiving Journey
David Kaye never thought anything could hurt him. He spent 25 years in the Army as a Green Beret and served three tours of...
Caregivers
Confronting 9/11 Trauma from Childhood into Adulthood
Brianna Parker was across the street from the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, when two airplanes flew directly into the...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Eyes May be ‘Windows to the Brain’ in Stroke Patients
Our eyes can tell us a lot about our health. They can help health care providers diagnose things like diabetes, genetic disorders, and...
Stroke
Brain Scan Technology Extends Treatment Window for Stroke
Some stroke patients may be able to receive effective treatment later than originally thought—up to 16 hours after a stroke happens&mdash...
Stroke
CancerSEEK: Blood Test Could Detect Cancer Earlier
An early and correct cancer diagnosis gives patients the best chances for successful treatment. One step toward an earlier diagnosis could be a...
Cancer
A Closer Look at Cancer Imaging Tools
Imaging procedures create pictures of areas inside your body that help your health care provider see whether cancer is present. They can also...
Cancer
Pediatric Palliative Care Resources for You
Dealing with a serious illness can be overwhelming, especially when it involves a child. NIH is here to help. The National Institute of...
Palliative Care
Advance Care Plan: A Checklist for the Future
Do you and your loved ones have an advance care plan? An advance care plan spells out decisions you'd like to make...
Caregivers
2-D or 3-D Mammography?: The Future of Breast Cancer Detection
A new trial may be the answer for finding breast cancer in women who don’t have symptoms. The trial will test...
Cancer
Depression, Guilt, Anger: Know the Signs of PTSD
People who experience traumatic situations react in different ways. In general, people often have recurring thoughts about what happened. You may feel...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD: Recovery and Treatment
Not everyone who lives through a dangerous event develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, most people will not develop the disorder. Knowing...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Preventing Pregnancy with a Gel for Men?
This June the largest effort in the U.S. to test a new hormonal male contraceptive starts—with support from NIH. Contraceptives...
Pregnancy
Fighting the Flu with a Universal Vaccine
After a serious 2017–2018 flu season, development of a universal vaccine has become more important than ever. Seasonal flu (or influenza) vaccines are...
Flu Shot
Combating HIV/AIDS
Even though the number of AIDS-related deaths worldwide has dropped dramatically—by nearly 50 percent since 2005—1 million people still died from AIDS-...
AIDS, HIV
Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad, and the Unhealthy
We hear about cholesterol in the news, in diets, and on advertisements. But what exactly is it? Cholesterol is a type of fat...
Cholesterol
Caregiving Isn’t a Solo Sport
Leeza Gibbons is a leading TV talk show host, entertainment reporter, and best-selling author, but she has another role: caregiver. Gibbons cared for...
Caregivers
Traumatic Stress: New Roads to Recovery
We hear about traumatic or life-threatening events on the news all the time. They can include large events such as natural disasters and...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Surgeon General Outlines Opioid Plan
This February U.S. Surgeon General and Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., discussed his priorities for public health...
Opioid Abuse and Addiction
From Bench to Bedside: Researchers of NIH’s Clinical Center
NIH’s Clinical Center is divided into two parts. One side is a hospital for patients. The other side includes offices and...
Sickle Cell Disease
Battling C. Difficile: Don’t Delay
When Marty Katz returned from a vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in April 2017, he didn’t feel well. He had diarrhea and...
Antibiotic Resistance
A Path to Hope for Sickle Cell Disease
Deidra Flowers-Williams realized in elementary school that she couldn’t do the same things as other kids her age. She was diagnosed...
Sickle Cell Disease
Exercise Key to Keeping Weight Off
Losing weight is not easy but keeping it off can prove even harder. NIH researchers are studying ways to keep lost weight off...
Weight Control
Keys to Recovery after Knee Replacement Surgery
Melanie Modlin, 62, had total knee replacement last June. Her number one question after surgery was, “When am I going to feel normal...
Knee Replacement
Testing Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes
Malaria is a serious disease that affects 200 million people every year and is found in tropical areas of the world. Malaria kills...
Malaria
Can Potassium Help Your Heart?
Potassium is a mineral in your body that helps your nerves and muscles work. A recent study provides early evidence that increased potassium...
Cardiovascular Disease
Leading Antimicrobial Drug-Resistant Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is supporting research on several organisms that have developed resistance to antimicrobial drug treatment. ...
Antibiotic Resistance
What Happens at the ‘House of Hope’?
The NIH Clinical Center is the largest clinical research hospital in the country. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, the center supports NIH doctors and...
NIH Highlights
Sickle Cell Disease: What You Should Know
What is it? Sickle cell disease is a group of red blood cell disorders passed by genes from parents to their children. People...
Sickle Cell Disease
Joint Replacement Surgery: What you Need to Know
Joint replacement surgery removes damaged or diseased parts of a joint. It replaces them with new, human-made parts. Joints may need to be...
Knee Replacement
Step Inside NIH’s Sickle Cell Branch
W. Keith Hoots, M.D., is the director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources at NIH’s National Heart, Lung,...
Sickle Cell Disease
Achoo! Cold, Flu, or Something Else?
Winter and early spring typically bring colds, the flu, and allergies—though they can occur at any time of the year. Determining...
NIH Teams with Public Libraries for ‘All of Us’ Research Program
NIH is coming to a library near you. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has teamed up with NIH’s All of...
NIH Highlights
Gum Disease by the Numbers
Gum (or periodontal) disease is one of the leading threats to dental health. It's typically caused by poor brushing and flossing habits...
Gum Disease
Exploring Graphic Medicine
What’s funny about being sick? Most of the time, nothing. But some people are finding a way to share their experiences...
NIH Highlights
The End of Antibiotics?
"If you are given antibiotics, you will kill all the sensitive bacteria. Most of the ones that will survive will be the...
Antibiotic Resistance
Basic Research Tackles Drug-Resistant Bacteria
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) invests in basic research to understand the biology of microbes, their behavior, and how...
Antibiotic Resistance, NIH Research
Is a Widely Available Cure for Sickle Cell Disease on the Horizon?
When the pain from sickle cell disease became too much, Kirti Dasu often went to the nearest hospital emergency room. Those days are...
Sickle Cell Disease
Beyond Pain Relief: Total Knee Replacement Surgery
With total knee replacement surgery, researchers are looking beyond simply reducing pain. The hope is to return patients to the same high level...
Knee Replacement
TV Star Jim Parsons Shines Light on NIH Research
'First in Human,' a three-part documentary series from the Discovery Channel, follows four patients at NIH’s Clinical Center, also known as...
NIH Highlights
Clinical Trials and You
When you volunteer to take part in clinical research, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for...
Clinical Trials, NIH Research
Going Gluten-Free: Life With Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a digestive condition and autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine. Celiac disease can also affect the body outside the...
Celiac Disease
Breathtaking: Managing a COPD Diagnosis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It’s also known as...
COPD
Expanding Hearing Health Care
“What’s that you said?” Perhaps you’ve heard yourself say those words more often than you’d...
Hearing Disorders and Deafness
Outrunning Asthma
National Football League (NFL) running back and reigning “Dancing with the Stars” champion Rashad Jennings battled childhood asthma with grit and...
Asthma
New Treatment Approved for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), approximately 15 percent of...
Breast Cancer
Solving the Undiagnosed Disease Puzzle at NIH
Mystery illnesses are not just fodder for television. There are real, undiagnosed illnesses that are important to solve for public health. One way...
NIH Highlights
What Happens at NIH’s ‘House of Hope’?
“First in Human," a new documentary series from the Discovery Channel, follows four patients at NIH’s Clinical Center, also...
NIH Highlights