Health category, Page 134
Anti-vaxxers attacked Western Pa. pediatricians. Study shows how they fought back.
When Dr. Todd Wolynn published a YouTube video on his Kids Plus Pediatrics Facebook page touting the HPV vaccine as a cancer prevention tool, he had no idea he was opening the floodgates to a world of anti-vaccine internet warriors. Wolynn, a pediatrician and the CEO of the practice with...
Medicines for opioid addiction vastly underused, experts say
WASHINGTON — Medicines proven to treat opioid addiction remain vastly underused in the United States, the nation’s top medical advisers said Wednesday. Only a fraction of the estimated 2 million people addicted to opioids are getting the medications, according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and...
Where are the happiest people? In Finland
HELSINKI — Finland has topped an index of the happiest nations for the second consecutive year, with researchers saying the small Nordic country of 5.5 million has succeeded in generating a happiness recipe for a balanced life not simply dependent on economic and material wealth. The World Happiness Report, produced...
God, country and chickenpox: How outbreak entangled school in vaccine showdown
Bill Kunkel used to vaccinate his kids, before he read where some vaccines come from. He is skeptical of the pharmaceutical industry’s motives and came across anti-vaxxer theories online, though they aren’t supported by science. But his main objection is about abortion. Decades ago, cells were taken from legally aborted...
Dr. Don L. Fisher, pioneering cardiologist at Allegheny General Hospital, dead at 100
Jeff Fisher’s memories of his father, Dr. Don L. Fisher, are intertwined with the place where his father spent most days for 66 years — Allegheny General Hospital. “He was at work quite a bit,” Jeff Fisher, 65, of Peachtree City, Ga., said of his father. “Actually, he included us...
Personal trainer learns to help others through helping himself
Sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands. Stuart Urch of Greensburg learned that lesson while dealing with lingering injuries from playing high school football — and it’s led him into a career as a personal trainer. The 24-year-old is offering private and group training sessions at...
Quinn on Nutrition: Canola oil gets undeserved bad rap
In response to a recent column in which I suggested canola oil as one good choice for popping corn “since it is low in saturated fat and has a high enough smoke point not to burn at higher temperatures,” a reader from Capitola writes: “The circle of people I associate...
Seniors make ‘Kick Butts’ gifts to help educate their young pen palsVideo
Seated at tables off the lobby area of South Greengate Commons, a Westmoreland County Housing Authority property for seniors, residents use markers, scissors and poster board to create “table tent” messages. “I love you, don’t smoke,” reads one. A resident peels off a “Kick Butts Day” sticker to add to...
Tips for dealing with dandruff
Dandruff is a common chronic scalp condition marked by flaking of the skin on your scalp. It isn’t contagious or serious, but it can be embarrassing and sometimes difficult to treat. The good news is that dandruff usually can be controlled. Mild cases of dandruff may need nothing more than...
When you get your flu shot matters
Every year, there is controversy involving the flu vaccine. How effective is it? Should you get it? But a new study aims to address another question: When is the best time to get the shot? An analysis from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that tens of thousands...
Health Happenings
Blood drives • Central Blood Bank will host a blood drive 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday in Harmon House Care Center, 601 S. Church St., Mt. Pleasant. Appointments: 866-366-6711 or centralbloodbank.org. Screenings • Level Green Lions are sponsoring a health awareness screening 7-10 a.m. Saturday in their Community Building, 123 Murrysville...
Medicare’s confusing coverage rules can trip up patients in costly ways
When Beverly Dunn called her new primary care doctor’s office last November to schedule an annual checkup, she assumed her Medicare coverage would pick up most of the tab. The appointment seemed like a routine physical, and she was pleased that the doctor spent a lot of time with her....
Rousing theories on why yawning is so contagious
Have you ever found yourself starting to yawn just because you saw someone else do it? It’s not your imagination: Yawns really are contagious! In fact, humans can feel the urge to yawn after seeing, hearing or even just thinking about someone else doing it. Scientists have been trying for...
Group with consumer-friendly vibe pushes drugmakers’ message
WASHINGTON — As ominous music plays in the background, the narrator of a radio ad echoes objections from drugmakers by warning that a Trump administration proposal to apply international pricing to certain Medicare drugs would be a nightmare for seniors. The one-minute spot is the handiwork of the Alliance for...
Apple Watch may spot heart problem but more research needed
A huge study suggests the Apple Watch can detect a worrisome irregular heartbeat at least sometimes — but experts say more work is needed to tell if using wearable technology to screen for heart problems really helps. More than 419,000 Apple Watch users signed up for the unusual study, making...
Cases of the mumps at Temple University increases to 46
PHILADELPHIA — Health officials say there are at least 46 cases of the mumps at Temple University and three others from surrounding counties, the most cases in the city since 2010. That’s up from 16 cases reported last week. The Department of Public Health for Philadelphia said Friday it recommends...
Pennsylvania collects thousands of ticks for study to combat Lyme
State officials are working to better understand the risk of tick-borne illnesses with a new multi-year study. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is conducting a five-year study that started in July 2018. It’s part of the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Task Force recommendations for combating the growing cases of Lyme...
Judge won’t let unvaccinated children back in New York school
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A federal judge, citing an “unprecedented measles outbreak” in suburban Rockland County, New York, has denied a request to let 44 unvaccinated children return to school. Parents of students in the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge have sued the county health department. They say...
Scientists back temporary global ban on gene-edited babies
NEW YORK — An international group of scientists and ethicists on Wednesday called for a temporary global ban on making babies with edited genes. It’s the latest reaction to last November’s announcement that gene-edited twins had been born in China, which was widely criticized. Mainstream scientists generally oppose making babies...
U.S. health officials move to tighten sales of e-cigarettes
WASHINGTON — U.S. health regulators are moving ahead with a plan designed to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of teenagers by restricting sales of most flavored products in convenience stores and online. The new guidelines, first proposed in November, are the latest government effort to reverse what health officials...
New concern on college campuses: ‘drunkorexia,’ combination drinking, eating disorder
My college experience included this life-skills lesson: Drink alcohol on a full stomach, so you don’t get inebriated too quickly. Of course, most college students shouldn’t be drinking at all, but we know from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that close to 60 percent of college students...
Gene-edited food quietly arrives in restaurant cooking oil
NEW YORK — Somewhere in the Midwest, a restaurant is frying foods with oil made from gene-edited soybeans. That’s according to the company making the oil, which says it’s the first commercial use of a gene-edited food in the U.S. Calyxt said it can’t reveal its first customer for competitive...
Duquesne researchers receive $1.5M grant to study link between emotions and physical pain
Duquesne University researchers are using a $1.5 million grant to study how emotions can have an influence on certain types of physical pain. The study will look at chronic bladder pain, a condition that has no known cause and is difficult to treat. The condition affects more women than men....
What you need to know about polyps in your colon
Perhaps one of the most dreaded parts of turning 50 is being handed the order to get a colonoscopy. While regular colon screening can be uncomfortable, Dr. John Kisiel, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, says this screening is a crucial step in catching colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps early. Kisiel says...
‘Diet’ or eating ‘plan’: Either one can lead to improved lifestyle
What’s new in the world of weight loss? For one thing, the word “diet” is often replaced nowadays by terms like “eating plan” or “lifestyle change.” One reason for that is the negative association people have with the idea of a diet, says Julianne Hagan, a licensed dietitian/nutritionist and owner...
