Health category, Page 109
U.S. drinking more now than just before Prohibition
NEW YORK — Americans are drinking more now than when Prohibition was enacted. What’s more, it’s been rising for two decades, and it’s not clear when it will fall again. That’s the picture painted by federal health statistics, which show a rise in per-person consumption and increases in emergency room...
Binge drinking linked to heart damage, study finds
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association indicates there may be a link between binge drinking and heavy alcohol consumption and heart damage. Reuters reported that researchers analyzed data from nearly 3,000 adults from northwest Russia. They found that heavy drinking was associated with increased levels...
What really works for dry winter skin, according to dermatologists
Your skin doesn’t like winter. The combination of cold air outside and heated air inside often leads to dry, itchy, scaly skin. There’s plenty of advice on the web about what to do and plenty of heavily marketed products that claim they’ll solve this seasonal problem, often at a hefty...
Health Happenings: Week of Jan. 13
Classes/programs • Unplug and Recharge is held between noon-12:45 p.m. Tuesdays in January at Excela Square at Frick; Wednesdays at Westmoreland Hospital and Thursdays at Latrobe Hospital. The sessions use exercise and yoga techniques. Details: excelahealth.org Meetings • Tour of the Family Additions Maternity Center is planned 2 p.m. Sunday...
Drinking deaths double in 2 decades with faster rate for women
WASHINGTON — Deaths from boozing and bingeing more than doubled in the past two decades, as alcohol consumption per person rose 8%, with sharp increases in the rate for women and the middle-aged. Men were three-quarters of the total but fatalities for women rose at a faster rate: 85% versus...
Mayo Clinic research solves deadly Amish medical mystery
Research led by Mayo Clinic has solved a 2-decade-old mystery about why so many otherwise healthy children and young people in Amish communities have been dying from sudden unexplained cardiac deaths. Examining the DNA of four Amish siblings who suffered cardiac deaths while playing or exercising, researchers found they all...
Walmart offering flu shots at Western Pa. wellness clinics
Walmart announced Friday that low-cost flu shots will be available at wellness clinics in its stores on Saturday. The “Walmart Wellness Day” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at all Walmart stores in Western Pennsylvania. The cash price for shots will start around $39, spokesman Keegan Gibson...
Allegheny County reports first flu death of season
A 90-year-old Allegheny County woman with underlying medical conditions has died from flu complications, the county Health Department reported Wednesday. The woman is the county’s first flu fatality of the season, according to Dr. Kristen Mertz, an epidemiologist with the health department. The department said it could not release additional...
Red Cross blood donors can qualify to win Super Bowl trip
With a post-holiday, critical need for donations, the American Red Cross is asking donors to begin the new year by giving blood or platelets. As a sign of appreciation and a special incentive, those who donate blood or platelets through Jan. 19 will be entered in a chance to win...
Person under 50 among new Pennsylvania flu deaths, health department reports
Pennsylvania’s influenza epidemic claimed four more lives in the past week, including the first fatal case of the season involving a person younger than 50, according to data released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases and flu-related hospitalizations surged over the past week, data...
Health Happenings: Week of Jan. 6
Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: —Noon-5 p.m. today , Westmoreland Manor, 2480 South Grande Blvd., Hempfield — Noon-6:30 p.m. Monday, Charter Oak Church, 449 Fry Farm Road, Unity Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome • Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Bank) will host a blood...
Dry January or Dry-ish January? Both can have health benefits
The holiday parties are over, the New Year’s resolutions are in and many likely revolve around a healthier 2020. For those who may have been over-served during December’s festivities, or are just looking for a challenge, that could include cutting out the glass of wine with dinner or the cocktails...
How to read the new nutrition facts label
The Food and Drug Administration has updated the nutrition facts label on packaged foods and beverages to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales were required to switch to the new label by Jan. 1. Angie...
‘I feel like I’m in jail’: Hospital alarms torment patients
When Kea Turner’s 74-year-old grandmother checked into Virginia’s Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital with advanced lung cancer, she landed in the oncology unit where every patient was monitored by a bed alarm. “Even if she would slightly roll over, it would go off,” Turner said. Small movements — such as...
Court grants order to keep Texas baby on life support
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas appeals court on Friday agreed to delay a judge’s ruling that would have allowed a hospital to end life-sustaining treatment for an 11-month-old girl who doctors say is in pain and will not get better. The Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth ordered...
State licensing process delays opening of Hempfield hospitalVideo
Almost two months after officials held a grand opening ceremony for one of the region’s first “micro-hospitals,” doors to the new facility remain closed. The 120,000-square-foot Allegheny Health Network Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital, located at Route 30 and Angew Road, was slated to open in the weeks following the Nov. 9...
UPMC to present updated plans to Jefferson Hills planning commission
UPMC will present updates to its plans for a new 63-bed hospital that it hopes to build in Jefferson Hills to the borough’s planning commission in January. Residents for more than a year have fought plans for the new hospital and the zoning permit to allow the project to proceed...
Century-old TB vaccine may work better if given in a new way
WASHINGTON — Scientists think they’ve figured out how to make a century-old tuberculosis vaccine far more protective: Simply give the shot a different way. In a study with monkeys, injecting the vaccine straight into the bloodstream dramatically improved its effectiveness over today’s skin-deep shot, researchers reported Wednesday. “This offers hope,”...
2 more Pa. deaths reported as flu cases continue to increase
The past week saw another sharp increase in confirmed influenza cases across Pennsylvania and two additional flu-associated deaths, according to data released Tuesday by the state Health Department. As of the week ending Dec. 28, a total of 17,349 laboratory-confirmed flu cases have been reported this season. That’s up 56%...
Study: Structured, salary-only plan for physicians is a model for pay equity
Gender pay equity in the field of medicine remains elusive. Gender-based pay differences have been shown to persist, even when controlling for experience, clinical productivity, academic rank and other factors. These inequities result in significantly lower lifetime earnings, job burnout and negative attitudes toward work, and adverse effects on the...
For most people, drinking plain water is the best way to stay hydrated
Question: I’ve heard that alkaline water is better at rehydrating your body than nonalkaline, or plain, water. Is this true? Answer: In short, for most people, plain water is better. But first, it’s important to understand the definition of alkaline water. Scientists use pH to describe how acidic or basic...
Take it outside: Winter exercise is a snap with the right gear
It’s New Year’s Eve — time once again to make a resolution to do something better in the new year. Starting with Halloween candy, continuing with the Thanksgiving feast and finishing off with holiday indulgences in December, it’s no wonder that many of our resolutions have to do with getting...
Health Happenings: Week of Dec. 30
Classes/programs • Excela Health offers classes to aid people with diabetes in meal planning. Classes meet 1- 3 p.m. Jan. 7 in Excela Square at Latrobe. Details: 724-537-1049 • Excela Health fitness classes for the mind, body and spirit at Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg, unless otherwise noted: —...
Greensburg’s MedCare Equipment expands with new Somerset affiliation
Greensburg-based MedCare Equipment Company is expanding its service area and adding about 20 employees through a new affiliation with Somerset Med Services. On Wednesday, the Greensburg firm, which provides home medical equipment and respiratory therapy services in affiliation with the local Excela Health health care system, is set to conclude...
With births down, U.S. had slowest growth rate in a centuryVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — The past year’s population growth rate in the United States was the slowest in a century because of declining births, increasing deaths and the slowdown of international migration, according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. grew from 2018 to 2019 by almost...
