Twin boys born conjoined celebrate 1st birthday after separation surgery
PHILADELPHIA — Twin brothers who were born conjoined recently celebrated their first birthday after undergoing successful separation surgery. Amari and Javar Ruffin, whose family lives in Philadelphia, were born via cesarean section on Sept. 29, 2023. The brothers — who shared part of their sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall and liver...
Don’t expect human life expectancy to grow much more, researcher says
NEW YORK — Humanity is hitting the upper limit of life expectancy, according to a new study. Advances in medical technology and genetic research — not to mention larger numbers of people making it to age 100 — are not translating into marked jumps in lifespan overall, according to researchers...
A peek inside human brain shows a way it cleans out waste
WASHINGTON — A unique peek inside the human brain may help explain how it clears away waste like the kind that can build up and lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Brain cells use a lot of nutrients which means they make a lot of waste. Scientists have long thought the brain...
Financier’s $4M gift helps Duquesne University create new nursing simulation lab
A nearly $4 million gift will enable Duquesne University to open a second nursing simulation lab on its campus, which also enrolled its inaugural class in osteopathic medicine this fall. The Joanne Barkett Conway Simulation Center is scheduled to open in 2026 on the sixth floor of Fisher Hall, university...
Don’t fall for fake dentists offering veneers and other dental work on social media
WASHINGTON — If you have stained or chipped teeth, you might be considering veneers, customized teeth coverings that can restore a photogenic smile without more extensive dental work. But dentists warn that these pricey cosmetic enhancements are at the center of a worrisome online trend: unlicensed practitioners without proper training...
What to know about the latest round of free covid-19 tests
A new round of free at-home covid-19 tests officially began shipping Monday, the Washington Post reported. Each household can request four free tests via mail through covidtests.gov, the Biden administration announced, according to the Post. The free tests will detect current virus strains, according to the Associated Press. The revival...
UPMC Presbyterian hospital tower project on schedule as $1.5B expansion continues
UPMC’s multibillion-dollar hospital expansion and renovation project appears to be on schedule, with the opening of its centerpiece Presbyterian hospital tower expected in 2027. Work on the $1.5 billion, 17-story tower near the existing Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood began in June 2022. Construction is expected to wrap up...
Abortion pills will be controlled substances in Louisiana soon. Doctors have concerns
BATON ROUGE, La. — On Tuesday, Louisiana will become the first state in the U.S. to categorize two widely used abortion pills as “controlled dangerous substances.” Opponents argue the classification could have catastrophic impacts in a state that already has a near-total abortion ban and one of the highest maternal...
Judge strikes down Georgia ban on abortions, allowing them to resume beyond 6 weeks into pregnancy
ATLANTA — A Georgia judge on Monday struck down the state’s abortion law, which took effect in 2022 and effectively prohibited abortions beyond about six weeks of pregnancy. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his order that the law violates Georgia’s Constitution, finding that “liberty in Georgia...
Tips for shopping for Medicare Advantage plans
Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider. People eligible for the federal government’s Medicare program will have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to sign up for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run...
Medicare Advantage shopping season arrives with a dose of confusion and some political implications
Thinner benefits and coverage changes await many older Americans shopping for health insurance this fall. That’s if their plan is even still available in 2025. More than a million people will probably have to find new coverage as major insurers cut costs and pull back from markets for Medicare Advantage...
Pitt approves $50M center to research arthritis, osteoporosis
University of Pittsburgh trustees on Thursday approved a $50 million center for musculoskeletal research, an ambitious science and treatment effort aided by tens of millions of dollars donated by the Greensburg founder of Hillandale Farms. The board of trustees’ unanimous vote green-lights a renovation on the 16th floor of the...
U.S. health authorities need to play a larger role in cannabis policy, a new report says
With more Americans using ever-stronger marijuana, a federal advisory panel is calling for a public health approach that’s a big departure from “Just Say No.” Thursday’s report proposes a health-focused strategy with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking a larger role in cannabis policy than ever before. “We’d...
10th death reported in Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak
A 10th person has died in the listeria outbreak that shuttered a Boar’s Head deli meat plant, federal health officials said Wednesday. At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst made at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant. Illnesses were reported between late...
Judge: Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action
NEW YORK — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added...
Funds are cutting aid for women seeking abortions as costs rise
Organizations that help pay abortion costs are capping how much they can help as travel costs rise and the wave of “rage giving” that fueled them two years ago has subsided. Abortion funds, which have operated across the U.S. for decades, in many cases as volunteer groups, ramped up their...
Hillandale Farms owner commits another $18.5M to Pitt for orthopedic-based biobank
It’s one thing to give $25 million to advance medicine, as Greensburg’s Orland Bethel and his family foundation did last year in helping to establish a new University of Pittsburgh center for musculoskeletal research. But Bethel, 88, founder of Hillandale Farms, didn’t stop at that. He and his family soon...
Analysts say market forces will lower cost of obesity drugs
WASHINGTON — The CEO of Novo Nordisk is set to appear before a Senate panel Tuesday to be grilled on the high cost of Ozempic and Wegovy, the popular drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity. But health economists say it’s unlikely that congressional pressure will be the driving force...
U.S. will let more people take methadone at home
The first big update to U.S. methadone regulations in 20 years is poised to expand access to the life-saving drug starting next month, but experts say the addiction treatment changes could fall flat if state governments and methadone clinics fail to act. For decades, strict rules required most methadone patients...
Senate president partners with UPMC, Bayer, others to host breast cancer screenings
Because Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward is a breast cancer survivor, she said she knows the importance of screening for the disease. “When I went through my treatment, I could see firsthand some of the issues that women were facing,” said Ward, a Hempfield resident who was diagnosed with...
2 Georgia deaths are tied to abortion restrictions. Experts say abortion pills they took are safe
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to speak about abortion Friday in Georgia, where two women’s deaths have been tied to a state law that mostly bans the procedure after roughly six weeks. Amber Thurman died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat complications that occurred after she...
West Penn Hospital nurses ratify contract with 24% raises
Hundreds of nurses at Pittsburgh’s West Penn Hospital ratified a union contract Wednesday providing significant wage increases and staffing improvements. Nearly 700 nurses at the hospital in the city’s Bloomfield neighborhood voted to accept a three-year contract that will boost wages by an average of 24% and will guarantee at...
Pitt officials ask health department to investigate food poisoning claims
Social media posts suggesting that students became sick after eating undercooked food in a University of Pittsburgh eatery prompted campus officials to ask the Allegheny County Health Department to investigate the claims. The reports involved The Eatery, a food service outlet in Litchfield Towers and the largest of two dozen...
Vaccines for flu, covid available as wastewater tests show high levels of virus
Updated vaccines for the flu and covid are available, and a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease physician is encouraging the use of an over-the-counter at-home test that can differentiate between the two viruses. A nasal swab with the at-home test can help those who are ill know what virus they have as...
Allegheny Valley Hospital workers approve new contract; West Penn Hospital workers to vote Wednesday
Late contract negotiations seem to have paid off at Allegheny Valley and West Penn hospitals. Statements from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania say new contracts either are approved or pending at both hospitals after talks over the past few days. A new contract approved Monday by employees of Allegheny Valley Hospital in...
