Health category, Page 127
Survey says men with ‘dad bod’ are happy, confident and sexy
Celebrate your dad bod. Men with dad bods are generally happy with their bodies, have high self-esteem, and are confident in their own skin, according to a new survey sponsored by Planet Fitness. The survey also found that Americans say dad bods are attractive, men with dad bods are sexy...
Best Buy begins selling high-end exercise equipment
They had to do something to replace the CDs and DVDs. Best Buy is getting into the fitness business, with the announcement that it will sell upscale home exercise equipment like Flywheel stationary bikes, Hydrow rowing machines and NordicTrack treadmills. The equipment is available now at bestbuy.com and will be...
Connellsville woman TOPS queen in weight lossVideo
Losing more than 100 pounds is a laudable accomplishment. Keeping it off for a year is crown-worthy, according to TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). TOPS recently named Kim Leistner, 58, of Connellsville its 2018 Pennsylvania Queen. Leistner dropped 107.5 pounds over about two years, her scale sliding from...
How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
Dear Mayo Clinic: Is there a specific test to definitively diagnose fibromyalgia? If not, how do doctors confidently diagnose this disorder? Answer: No one test can be used to diagnose fibromyalgia. But unlike in the past, fibromyalgia is no longer a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that all other conditions...
Why you should quit smoking even after a cancer diagnosis
Dear Mayo Clinic: My father, who is 68, just started treatment for bladder cancer. He’s been a smoker since his 20s, and his oncologist is strongly encouraging him to quit. It seems like trying to stop smoking now, while he’s going through chemotherapy, will just add more stress to a...
Health happenings
Blood drives — 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Laurel Podiatry Associates, 235 Humphrey Road, Pineview Place, Suite 4, Greensburg — 1-5:30 p.m. Friday, North Huntingdon Town House, 11279 Center Highway, Irwin — 1-6:30 p.m. June 26, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 501 Fairfield Drive, Hempfield Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs...
Summer camp is newest front in battle with measles outbreak
ALBANY, N.Y. — The battle to contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 27 years has a new front: summer camp. Vaccinations have been made mandatory this summer for campers and staff in several counties north of New York City that annually fill up with kids from the Orthodox Jewish...
What’s so bad about processed foods? Scientists offer clues
NEW YORK — Chips, soda and frozen pizzas tend to be full of salt, sugar and fat, but now scientists are trying to understand if there’s something else about such processed foods that might be bad for us. Already, the spread of cheap packaged foods has been linked to rising...
Lawsuit: Pa. man had heart attack on Carnival ship, wasn’t allowed off, then died
The family of Jeffrey Eisenman, a 65-year-old passenger on the Carnival Sunshine, alleges in a lawsuit that the world’s largest cruise company wouldn’t let him off of the ship after suffering a heart attack last December. Eisenman died on the way to another port. A representative for Carnival said the...
Actress Jessica Biel clarifies stance on vaccinations after backlash
Actress Jessica Biel insists she’s not against vaccinations after she raised concerns when she met with anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about a new bill that would limit medical exemptions in California. Kennedy shared a photo as they headed to California’s capitol to lobby against the bill. View this...
Some Pa. residents receiving ‘unexpected’ medical bills, organization says
When Emily Christian-Michaels went to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh for a regular scan at 20 weeks pregnant, she didn’t expect to get hit with a $1,900 bill. The now-31-year-old Bellevue resident said hospital staff performed an extended scan without letting her know — a procedure that was not covered...
Watchdog: Abuse and neglect in nursing facilities unreported
WASHINGTON — Nursing facilities have failed to report thousands of serious cases of potential neglect and abuse of seniors on Medicare even though it’s a federal requirement for them to do so, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday that calls for a new focus on protecting frail patients. Auditors...
Public rental bikes used for Naked Bike Ride in New Orleans
Public bicycles sponsored by a health insurance company were used in a rather unsanitary way. It was more than 90 degrees on June 8 in New Orleans when the 2019 World Naked Bike Ride kicked off and riders mounted their saddles for a ride through the French Quarter. Although many...
Sleeping with the TV on may make you gain weight
CHICAGO — Dozing off to late-night TV or sleeping with other lights on may mix up your metabolism and lead to weight gain and even obesity, provocative but preliminary U.S. research suggests. The National Institutes of Health study published Monday isn’t proof, but it bolsters evidence suggesting that too much...
Health Happenings
Blood drives — 12-4:30 p.m. Friday, Export Italian American Club, 5930 Kennedy Ave. — 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. June 19, Laurel Podiatry Associates, 235 Humphrey Road, Pineview Place, Suite 4, Greensburg Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs • Elder Abuse Awareness Day sponsored by Blackburn Center and McKenna Center is...
‘Bad food’ and other terms that make dietitians cringe
The words we use matter. Our choice of language not only mirrors our current way of thinking, it also has the power to shape our attitudes and behaviors over time. That’s why so many food and nutrition professionals cringe at much of the conversation around food and health today. Seemingly...
New incentives help pregnant women stop smokingVideo
Pregnancy can be a strong incentive to stop smoking. Very few women are likely unaware of the dangers of smoking while pregnant and the potential harm to their developing babies. Along with obstetricians and pediatricians, organizations including the American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn...
Social Security error jeopardizes Medicare coverage for 250,000 seniors
At least a quarter of a million Medicare beneficiaries may receive bills for as many as five months of premiums they thought they already paid. But they shouldn’t toss the letter in the garbage. It’s not a scam or a mistake. Because of what the Social Security Administration calls “a...
UPMC preserves access to Hillman Cancer Center for all Highmark-insured patients
Days before a Commonwealth Court showdown against Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, UPMC announced Thursday that it will preserve access at in-network rates for Highmark-insured patients who seek oncology care from Hillman Cancer Center’s 60 locations across Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. The decision applies not only to seniors and people...
‘Sell By’ or what? U.S. pushes for clarity on expiration dates
NEW YORK — If milk is a few days past its “Sell By” date, is it safe to drink? U.S. regulators are urging food-makers to be more consistent with labeling terms like “Best By” and “Enjoy By” that cause confusion. By clarifying the meaning of such dates, they are trying...
Stressed out? Your dog may feel it too, study suggests
NEW YORK — When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests. Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer it to their dogs, scientists report in a study published Thursday in Scientific...
Feds to go public with formerly secret lists of troubled nursing homes
Federal regulators said Wednesday they plan to go public with lists of troubled nursing homes in the future, days after Pennsylvania lawmakers unveiled a secret list of 400 such facilities. Kate Goodrich, the chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, said on a call...
Trump administration imposes new restrictions on fetal tissue research
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday ended medical research by government scientists using fetal tissue and also cancelled a multi-million-dollar contract for a nongovernment lab that uses the material to test new HIV treatments. “Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the...
Maine legislators OK assisted suicide; bill goes to governor
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Legislature voted Tuesday to legalize assisted suicide, passing a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe terminally ill people a fatal dose of medication. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has not indicated whether she will let it become law. Her...
Deaths from falls among older Americans are on the rise
CHICAGO — New research shows fatal falls have nearly tripled in older Americans in recent years, rising to more than 25,000 annual deaths. The findings highlight the importance of fall prevention. A separate study bolsters evidence that programs focusing on improving muscle strength and balance can help achieve that goal....
