Health category, Page 125
Allegheny County Board of Health approves $300K for asthma study, $90K for trees
Doctors and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and UPMC Children’s Hospital received a $300,000 grant from the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund to create a registry tracking pediatric asthma. The Allegheny County Board of Health approved the disbursement from the nearly $12 million fund at...
Health officials eye nationwide overdose drop with ‘cautious optimism’
Nationwide drug overdose deaths fell last year for the first time since 1990, a decline mirrored statewide and locally, new data show. The drop of 5.1% turned the tide on a nearly 30-year increase driven in recent years by heroin and other powerful opioids. The numbers come from preliminary data...
Winners overlook rigged games’ lack of fairness, study finds
WASHINGTON — When it comes to fairness and privilege, a new study finds it really is not about how you play the game. It’s about whether you win or lose. A new experiment, played out as a card game, shows that even when the deck is literally stacked in people’s...
Weight loss prior to bariatric surgery carries risks
Requiring prospective bariatric surgery patients to lose weight before they can undergo the procedure may not be necessary or safe, University of Pennsylvania researchers found in a new study published recently in the journal Obesity Surgery. The practice of having patients follow a medically supervised weight-loss program before the surgery...
12 tips to tame stress
Is stress making you frustrated and irritable? Stress relievers can help restore calm and serenity to your chaotic life. You don’t have to invest a lot of time or thought into stress relievers. If your stress is getting out of control and you need quick relief, try one of these...
Orthorexia nervosa: Obsessing over good eating
When does one’s concern for proper nutrition turn into a pathological condition? When the desire to eat a healthful diet turns into an unhealthy obsession, say experts. Mental health experts call it “orthorexia nervosa” which literally means “proper appetite … carried to the extreme.” Hey, we all get a little...
Health Happenings – Jul. 16, 2019
Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Westmoreland County Courthouse, 2 N. Main St., Greensburg — 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Latrobe Presbyterian Church, 428 Main St., Latrobe Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome • Vitalant, formerly Central Blood Bank, will host...
Proper diagnosis of tick-borne disease can cost in pain as well as payment
Greg Shogan of Monroeville estimated he underwent 20 brain scans to try and diagnose a series of strange ailments, which ultimately resulted in a diagnosis of Lyme disease. While early detection can generally result in positive treatment, Shogan had gone years without meaningful medical intervention. Shogan isn’t sure how much...
Studies show older adults should be consuming more protein
Older adults need to eat more protein-rich foods when losing weight, dealing with a chronic or acute illness, or facing a hospitalization, according to a growing consensus among scientists. During these stressful periods, aging bodies process protein less efficiently and need more of it to maintain muscle mass and strength,...
A healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk for Alzheimer’s
LOS ANGELES — A healthy lifestyle can cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia even if you have genes that raise your risk for these mind-destroying diseases, a large study has found. People with high genetic risk and poor health habits were about three times more...
Pa. adds anxiety to qualifying conditions for medical pot
The Pennsylvania Health Department is adding anxiety disorders and Tourette’s syndrome to the list of conditions that can qualify people to obtain legal medical marijuana. The heath secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, announced Thursday she’ll be adding them as of July 20. Levine says her decision was based on the recommendation...
Irwin woman receives national award for infection prevention efforts
Terri Lee Roberts of Irwin has made infection prevention her life’s work, and that work was honored recently with the 2019 Heroes of Infection Prevention Award for Education, presented by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Roberts is a senior infection preventionist at the Patient Safety Authority...
List of poor-performing nursing homes still not public a month after promised release
A month after federal regulators pledged to release its secret list of poor-performing nursing homes, officials echoed what the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Chief Medical Officer Kate Goodrich said five weeks ago — that the report would be coming “soon.” Lawmakers said CMS has not provided them...
Trump directs government to revamp care for kidney disease
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the government to revamp the nation’s care for kidney disease so that more people whose kidneys fail have a chance at early transplants and home dialysis. Trump said his order was intended to increase the supply of donated kidneys, make...
Patients fear losing health insurance if Trump-backed lawsuit to gut ACA prevails
Janice Nathan’s chronic medical condition dates to nearly a decade before the Affordable Care Act protected her from being denied insurance coverage because of it. Nathan, 62, a speech-language pathologist from Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, received a kidney transplant in 2001 while on an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Three years...
Yes to sleep, no to sunburn — do these products really help?
Can some teas really help you sleep better at night? And is there a dietary supplement that can protect you from sunburn? While we are free to buy these products, they are worth checking out. Here goes: A close friend swears that his first cup of Sleepytime tea won’t be...
Health Happenings
Classes/programs • Breastfeeding Success class is planned 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday. The class will meet in Excela Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details: 877-771-1234 Meetings • Bariatric community meeting at 6-7:30 p.m. today, Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital, 532 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Details: 877-771-1234 • Grief Without the Stigma...
Do you need a bone density test? Answer varies by age, gender
Dear Mayo Clinic: I’ve never had a fracture or bone health issues. Should I still get a bone density test? A: It depends. A bone density test uses a low dose of X-rays in a quick, noninvasive way to measure the amount of calcium and other minerals in a segment...
Teen odds of using marijuana dip with recreational use laws
New research suggests legalizing recreational marijuana for U.S. adults in some states may have slightly reduced teens’ odds of using pot. One reason may be that it’s harder and costlier for teens to buy marijuana from licensed dispensaries than from dealers, said lead author Mark Anderson, a health economist at...
CDC investigates salmonella outbreak linked to dog treats; 2 cases confirmed in Pa.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating after dozens of people across the country have contracted a multidrug-resistant form of salmonella believed to be linked to dog treats. The CDC reports 45 people in 13 states, including Pennsylvania, have been infected with the bacteria. No one has died,...
Diabetes remains prevalent in Western Pennsylvania despite steep drop nationwide
Pittsburgh doctors say Type 2 diabetes continues to be prevalent in Western Pennsylvania despite the findings of a new study that shows incidences of the disease are decreasing nationwide. The study was published in the health journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care in May. It shows a roughly 35%...
California wipes out $58.6 million in physician student debt — and helps poor patients get access to doctors
The state of California will be paying off $58.6 million in student loans this year for 247 physicians who, in exchange, committed to serve a greater percentage of the state’s poorest and frailest residents: those covered by Medi-Cal. “By removing the burden of student loan debt, this program will encourage...
CDC warns about ‘crypto,’ a parasite that can live for days in swimming poolsVideo
That clean, inviting swimming pool you’re jumping into this summer could be filled with a microscopic parasite that can live for days and wreck an immune system, federal health officials warn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report recently about the increased number of outbreaks caused by...
Cancer-safe grilling: Add marinade, forget the hot dog and other tips
By all means, do grill for summer holidays. But you can cut your exposure to potential cancer-causing agents by tweaking the menu and method of cooking, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). Grilling and cooking meat at high temperatures can create several cancer-causing substances that are either...
Show of hands on immigrant health care belies a thorny issue
WASHINGTON — In one unanimous show of hands, Democratic presidential candidates moved the idea of full health insurance for people who are not legally in the United States into the political mainstream. That debate night moment last week symbolized the party’s move to the left heading a primary in which...
