Health category, Page 112
Old dogs, new tricks: 10,000 pets needed for scienceVideo
SEATTLE — Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines. They hope to shed light on human longevity too. The project will collect a pile of pooch data: vet records, DNA samples, gut microbes and information on...
Michigan teen who vaped received double lung transplantVideo
DETROIT — A Michigan teenager was the recipient of what could be the first double lung transplant on a person whose lungs were severely damaged from vaping, health officials said Tuesday. Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit described to reporters Tuesday the procedure that saved the 17-year-old’s life and...
Why moms-to-be need vaccines during pregnancy
Vaccines are a part of many well-child visits. But they also should be part of the care moms-to-be receive to protect their unborn children. “When we take care of pregnant patients, we’re really taking care of two patients: mom and baby. We know that pregnant women are more susceptible to,...
Study links increased physical activity to reducing symptoms of depression
It’s estimated that more than 17 million adults in the United States have at least one major depressive episode in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And while depression, and treatment options, look different for everyone, a new study found that increased levels of physical...
Some common youth sports injuries are avoidable, experts say
As fall sports wind down and winter sports begin in earnest, youth athletics will see a rise in injuries. Tens of millions of children and teens participate in organized sports, and more than 3.5 million sports injuries occur every year. Fortunately, most injuries that occur with children are not serious...
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Address habits that may interfere with child’s sleep
Dear Mayo Clinic: For the past few weeks, my 13-year-old daughter has had trouble falling asleep at night. She’s in bed at a reasonable time, but can’t seem to fall asleep until after midnight. What could cause insomnia in someone so young? Should I make an appointment for her see...
Health Happenings: Week of Nov. 11
Blood drives • American Red Cross will host a blood drive 12:30-5 p.m. Thursday at Ascension Church, 621 Division St., Jeannette. Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcross blood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs • WCCC is partnering with APPRISE, the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Assistance Program, to sponsor a free Medicare presentation about the basics of...
10 hospitalized from Oklahoma facility after flu shot mix-up
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Ten people at an Oklahoma care facility for people with intellectual disabilities were hospitalized after they were apparently accidentally injected with what’s believed to be insulin rather than flu shots, authorities said. Emergency responders were called Wednesday afternoon to the Jacquelyn House in Bartlesville, about 40 miles...
Hempfield facility highlights micro-hospital trend in Western Pa.Video
Touting fast health care in the heart of the community, Pennsylvania’s first “micro-hospital” will soon open in Hempfield as part of an industry trend to fill the middle ground between traditional hospitals and urgent care centers. Located along Route 30, the 120,000-square-foot Allegheny Health Network building dubbed AHN Hempfield Neighborhood...
Trump to pursue higher sales age for e-cigarettes
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday his administration will pursue raising the age to purchase electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21 in its upcoming plans to combat youth vaping. Trump told reporters his administration will release its final plans for restricting e-cigarettes next week but provided few other details....
Highmark gives $35 million to Carnegie Mellon University wellness center
Carnegie Mellon University announced Thursday that it will build a new student health, wellness and athletics center on its Oakland campus, thanks to a $35 million grant from Highmark Inc. The 160,000-square-foot building will, for the first time, unite student well-being services under one roof, according to a Highmark press...
Job burnout: The causes, symptoms and remediesVideo
Remember the good old days when you clocked out of work, went home and forgot about it until the next day? Baby boomers might have dim memories of such jobs, but for Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z, it’s a world that never was. Nowadays, our electronic devices connect us...
For ‘Generation Juul,’ nicotine addiction is swift, hard to shake
When Will tried his first vape during his sophomore year, he didn’t know what to expect. It was just something he had vaguely heard about at his high school. “I just sort of remember using it a bunch of times, like in a row,” he said. “And there’s this huge...
Health Happenings: Week of Nov. 4
Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — Noon-5 p.m. today , St. Michael’s of the Valley, Route 381, Rector — Noon-6:30 p.m. Monday, 6:30 p.m., Charter Oak Church, 449 Frye Farm Road, Unity — 2 p.m-6:30 p.m. Monday , Laurel Valley Elementary School, 137 Education...
5 things to know about Affordable Care Act’s 2020 enrollment period
Western Pennsylvanians shopping for 2020 insurance coverage through the federal health care marketplace can expect to see a small uptick in prices over last year and more plans to choose from. Costs for 2020 individual plans increased statewide by an average of about 4%, state data show. “It’s a slight...
Using acetaminophen such as Tylenol in pregnancy linked to higher rates of ADHD, autism
Exposure to acetaminophen in the womb may have some connection with a child’s risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder, suggests a new study in JAMA-Psychiatry. But experts caution that it is too soon to tell pregnant women not to use the over-the-counter painkiller, better known as...
U.S. vaping illnesses rise to 1,888 with pace picking up again
The number of U.S. vaping illnesses has jumped again, reaching more than 1,800 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that 1,888 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in 49 states. That includes 37 deaths in 24 states. The total is 284 higher than what the...
Stable costs but more uninsured as ‘Obamacare’ sign-ups open
WASHINGTON — More Americans are going without health insurance, and stable premiums plus greater choice next year under the Obama health law aren’t likely to reverse that. As sign-up season starts on Friday, the Affordable Care Act has shown remarkable resiliency, but it has also fallen short of expectations. Even...
California lab develops test for ‘tick-borne relapsing fever’
The series of events that happen inside the human body when someone is bitten by a disease-carrying tick is immensely complex. Spiral-shaped bacteria from the Borrelia family can lead to a variety of medical conditions including the notoriously difficult-to-diagnose Lyme disease. A recent report in the medical journal Healthcare also...
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Should you get vaccinations with a suppressed immune system?
Dear Mayo Clinic: I am 72 and take a drug for rheumatoid arthritis that suppresses my immune system. I’m scheduled to receive a vaccine later this year. Is it safe for me to receive this vaccine? Answer: Appropriate and timely vaccines are important for anyone with a suppressed immune system....
In search of age-friendly health care, finding room for improvement
Recently, during a visit to her doctor’s office in Sequim, Wash., Sue Christensen fell to her knees in the bathroom when her legs suddenly gave out. The 74-year-old was in an accessible stall with her walker, an older model that doesn’t have brakes. On her left side was a grab...
Health Happenings: Week of Oct. 28
Blood drives Vitalant, formerly Central Blood Bank, will host a blood drive 1-6:30 p.m. Monday at Champion Christian School, 1076 Kings Way, Donegal. Appointments: 877-258-4825 or vitalant.org Classes/programs • Childbirth and beyond weekender version, covering labor and birth options for pain control, cesarean birth, postpartum, the normal newborn and breathing/relaxation...
Quinn on Nutrition: Nutrients to enhance immunity
Flu season is here again. And this year’s vaccine is designed to protect against four different flu viruses, says the Center for Disease Control (CDC). So when I went for my yearly poke in the arm, I was informed — by reason of my age — that I would receive...
Excela Westmoreland ranked among top regional facilities in U.S. News & World Report
Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital won honors as Best Regional Hospital-Pittsburgh, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Greensburg hospital was one of 569 hospitals of the nearly 4,500 reviewed to rank among the Best Regional Hospitals in a state or metro area based on their performance in delivering complex...
UPMC breaks ground on hospital in China, 4 more in the works
UPMC breaks ground on its major investment in China this week. Construction is scheduled to begin Monday on a new hospital in Chengdu. It will be the first of five Chinese hospitals that UPMC plans to co-run with Beijing-based conglomerate Wanda Group as part of a $2 billion investment over...
