The Health Variant

They are health care's freelancers, reinforcements who have been crucial to helping short-handed nursing staffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. And you probably haven't even heard of them. In this epis…

No, this isn't a rant of a podcast. But it is a dig into recent research on a powerful factor that can shape how much you trust what should be uncontroversial health advice provided by a state health…

We get a lot of press releases and story pitches, but it's not often the American Heart Association essentially calls and says, "Hey, we're worried about you, let's talk." So we took them up on their…

Groundbreaking research from Sanford Research provides big insight into what could make youth football more safe, at least in terms of head impacts. Host and NewsMD Health Correspondent Jeremy Fugleb…

COVID-19's delta variant has wrecked the idea of getting back to normal. How did that happen, and what does it mean for everything from masking to potentially getting regular COVID booster shots? New…

Blood banks are desperate for donations right now, and it's a national problem. Host and NewsMD Correspondent Jeremy Fugleberg talks with Dr. Maria Beaver, of Essentia Health, about why this shortage…

Jayne Jones grew up in Minnesota loving hotdishes and desserts. Until she found out those things were killing her. Here's what she did next, and how she's rocketing to newfound food fame as the "No S…

We’ve all seen the headlines about the recent heat wave that hammered the Pacific Northwest. But the Midwest is increasingly no stranger to skyrocketing temps -- causing both drought and life-threate…

A funny thing has been happening in the Upper Midwest. While the national birth rate continues to fall, the region has been going the other direction. That's according to Sanford Health, the South Da…

Delta-8 has been dubbed "THC-lite" and the hemp product is booming in popularity in states -- such as Minnesota and the Dakotas -- where recreational marijuana remains illegal. Is there a connection?…

Meet our sister NewsMD podcast, Health Fusion, brought to you by host Viv Williams. Williams loves making podcasts that offer health news you can use, as you'll hear in our short intro interview with…

Some fast answers to COVID-19 vaccine questions from someone who knows what they're talking about: Dr. Louis Mansky, director of the Institute for Molecular Virology at the University of Minnesota. H…

This past year was a mad scramble for drugs to fight off COVID-19. The hunt was full of trials, errors, blind alleys and conspiracy theories. So what actually worked? Paul Scott, NewsMD health corres…

COVID-19 tore through many nursing homes. Now the question is, what's next for them? Some just might close. Others, if they're to survive, need big changes. Tu-Uyen Tran, a senior writer for the Fede…

Worried your child isn't their hitting developmental milestones? You're not alone. A federal effort, "Learn The Signs. Act Early" has a host of resources, including a smartphone app, to help you out,…

That's right -- we're talking influenza, better known as the flu. Thanks largely to steps taken to fight the spread of COVID-19, this season was a welcome failure for influenza. How did that work, an…

If you're like a lot of people, you bought some home fitness gear during this last pandemic year. So now what? We talk to NewsMD correspondent and fitness writer Paul Scott on his recommendations abo…

Dr. Bevan Yueh, CEO of University of Minnesota Physicians, learned some hard lessons over this last pandemic year, including the humility gained by COVID-19 sending him to his own hospital. He shares…