Health category, Page 114

Question: Thanks for your very informative column on the nutritional value of beans. One of the things you said was that beans are high in protein. Many years ago I read that beans were an incomplete protein, so you should eat them with corn, and then the two together made...

MIAMI — The third locally transmitted case of dengue fever this year has been confirmed in Miami-Dade County, the Florida Department of Health announced Friday. The first case of the mosquito-borne ailment was confirmed in March. The second came earlier this month. The three cases don’t seem to be related,...

Illinois health officials said Friday that a patient who contracted a serious lung disease after vaping has died, which could make it the first death in the United States linked to the smoking alternative that has become popular with teens and young adults. The Illinois Department of Public Health said...

LONDON — A cheap daily pill that combines four drugs cut the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure in a large study, suggesting it could be a good way to help prevent heart problems especially in poor countries. The pills contained two blood pressure drugs, a cholesterol medicine...

These emojis are aimed at creating real smiles. Bright yellow pillows, cinch bags, stress balls and key chains decorated with smiling faces will be given to kids at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville. Sean Rovers, 11, of Bethel Park came up with the idea to create happiness for...

WASHINGTON — Federal drug enforcement agents are alarmed that the opioid epidemic is fueling a spike in methamphetamine use. Across the country, meth overdose deaths and federal seizures from drug busts and border raids paint a stark picture of an increase in the drug’s proliferation. Demand for meth now poses...

State Reps. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Bridget Kosierowksi, D-Lackawanna, announced Tuesday the introduction of legislation to increase the vaccination rate of Pennsylvania children. The bill would require parents who seek nonmedical exemptions for their children meet with a doctor every year to learn about the risks of not getting...

Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — 1-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, BPO Elks Lodge 777, 151 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale — 1-5:30 p.m. Friday, North Huntingdon Town House, 11279 Center Highway — 12:30-6 p.m. Friday, Trinity Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St., Latrobe — 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday,...

Although most women understand its importance, scheduling their annual mammogram is not something they anticipate in the way they might a relaxing massage or a soothing paraffin hand treatment. One area hospital is looking to change that. Women who make an appointment for the upcoming HealthPlex Imaging “Mamm & Glamm”...

A better, more effective flu vaccine is a matter of when — not if — says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group. The National Institutes of Health is testing an experimental universal flu vaccine with the goal of providing high-efficacy, long-lasting protection against influenza viruses. “The...

The thrill of hitting the trail at full stride and the exhilaration of the fabled “runner’s high” is often replaced by fear and trepidation for female runners in the area, across the country and around the world. Aug. 21 marks one year since the discovery of the body of 20-year-old...

Allegheny Health Network will acquire Grove City Medical Center, the network announced Monday. The Mercer County facility will be AHN’s ninth owned hospital and will extend the network’s reach to the north of Pittsburgh. Pending government approval, AHN plans to seal the deal in the next few months. The amount...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is an emoji worth? Perhaps a really good sex life. According to a pair of studies conducted by The Kinsey Institute (yeah, that one), texters who used emojis more often tended to have more dates, more romance, and more sex....

AUGUSTA, Maine — It can be hard to keep smiles healthy in rural areas, where dentists are few and far between and residents often are poor and lack dental coverage. Efforts to remedy the problem have produced varying degrees of success. The biggest obstacle? Dentists. Dozens of countries, such as...

Pitt professor Chris Kline wants college students and athletes to wake up to the fact many of them are “notoriously sleep-deprived.” Kline, an assistant professor in Pitt’s Department of Health and Physical Activity, served on an NCAA Task Force on sleep and wellness in 2017, co-authoring a paper that recommends...

Last Sunday, Shannon Rugh was taking a leisurely drive through a small town in northern Virginia when she decided to stop for a cup of coffee. For Rugh, 42, of Mt. Lebanon, it ended up being a fateful decision. Though she had visited the town before, she took a wrong...

Lying on the table, surrounded by two nurses, a woman shrieks in pain, “There’s something horribly wrong!” She’s in labor, and nurse Shanti Fernandez is helping to deliver her baby. While another nurse assures her that everything will be fine, Fernandez pulled out a healthy baby boy — made of...

Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Star Auto Mall, Route 30, Hempfield — 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday, St. Vincent Parish Grove, 320 Monastery Drive, Unity — 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday , New Alexandria Senior Center for Active Adults, 207 W....

Experts agree that little kids, especially babies, should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. But studies have reached conflicting conclusions about whether doctors have been following or flouting that guidance. Now, a national study by Rutgers University researchers suggests doctors have curbed their use of most, but not...

WASHINGTON — Two of four experimental Ebola drugs being tested in Congo seem to be saving lives, international health authorities announced Monday. The preliminary findings prompted an early halt to a major study on the drugs and a decision to prioritize their use in the African country, where a yearlong...

WASHINGTON — Moving ahead despite objections, the Trump administration on Friday set a timetable for federally funded family clinics to comply with a new rule that bars them from referring women for abortions. The move is part of a series of efforts to remake government policy on reproductive health to...

The picture circulating on social media of Antonio Brown’s feet is reportedly the result of a cryotherapy session gone very wrong. From heel to toe, the bottoms of Brown’s feet are one big blister, with yellowish dying skin giving way to a shade of raw pink. Local cryotherapy experts wonder...