Genes link bipolar, schizophrenia, once thought unrelated
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — When Chastity Murry had her first psychotic break, she went into her bathroom and downed a whole bottle of pills, hoping to die. Her teenage daughter had to perform CPR to save her life. Around that same time more than a decade ago, the man who would...
Covid-19 linked to increase in U.S. pregnancy-related deaths
WASHINGTON — Covid-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a report released Wednesday.. The report lays out grim trends across the...
Race gap seen in U.S. infant deaths after fertility treatment
Black-white disparities exist in fertility medicine, reflected in life-and-death outcomes for babies, according to a large study of U.S. births. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics, is the broadest look yet at racial gaps for women who use in vitro fertilization, fertility drugs or other fertility treatments. Researchers...
Genetic twist: Medieval plague may have molded our immunity
Our Medieval ancestors left us with a biological legacy: Genes that may have helped them survive the Black Death make us more susceptible to certain diseases today. It’s a prime example of the way germs shape us over time, scientists say in a new study published Wednesday in the journal...
Abortion access looms over medical residency applications
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Students in obstetrics-gynecology and family medicine — two of the most popular medical residencies — face tough choices about where to advance their training in a landscape where legal access to abortion varies from state to state. Abortions are typically performed by OB-GYNs or family doctors, and...
Are you a mosquito magnet? It could be your smell
NEW YORK — A new study finds that some people really are “mosquito magnets” and it probably has to do with the way they smell. The researchers found that people who are most attractive to mosquitoes produce a lot of certain chemicals on their skin that are tied to smell....
FDA pushes to remove pregnancy drug, company pushes back
WASHINGTON — The maker of the only U.S. drug intended to prevent premature births is making a last-ditch effort this week to keep its medication on the market, even as health regulators insist that it doesn’t work. A Food and Drug Administration meeting that opened Monday comes more than two...
Abortion providers focus on expanding telehealth, medication access as they await outcome of Pa. governor’s race
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — When Melissa Reed became CEO of Planned Parenthood Keystone in 2016, she had one goal: to expand access to...
Will you get long covid? Study breaks down the odds of recovery months after infection
It’s likely you’ve heard of long covid by now, and you may be wondering what’s the likelihood of developing it after a covid-19 infection. Researchers in Scotland have sought to determine a person’s long covid chances in a new, nationwide study examining thousands of people in the country who had...
How to change Medicare plans — and why you might want to
Medicare open enrollment starts soon, but 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries say they don’t compare Medicare plans during this period, according to a 2021 analysis by KFF, a health policy nonprofit. That’s not great, since Medicare Advantage plans — which operate much like the private insurance you may have had...
FDA clears updated covid boosters for kids as young as 5
The U.S. on Wednesday authorized updated covid-19 boosters for children as young as 5, seeking to expand protection ahead of an expected winter wave. Tweaked boosters rolled out for Americans 12 and older last month, doses modified to target today’s most common and contagious omicron relative. While there wasn’t a...
As suicides rise, U.S. military seeks to address mental health
WASHINGTON — After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. More warning signs appeared during several years of subsequent overseas postings. “It’s like I lost me somewhere,” said Williamson, a Navy lieutenant commander who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. “I went to...
These women effected change to spur radon laws in their statesVideo
For Gail Orcutt, what began as a cough and a bit of wheezing ended with a baffling diagnosis of lung cancer one day short of her 57th birthday. She never smoked, always watched her diet and never missed a chance to exercise. While recovering from surgery to remove her left...
For children, radon risks outweigh that for adultsVideo
In Dr. Ned Ketyer’s opinion, there is no doubt that schools should test for radon — and test regularly. “The way radon works when it gets in the body is it damages DNA, and so that’s why radon is associated with cancer, especially lung cancer,” said Ketyer, a pediatrician with...
Some say radon legislation in Pa. comes down to politics; others say it’s the money
State Sen. Wayne Fontana didn’t mince words. When it comes to getting a law passed requiring radon testing in schools, “I think it’s going to take a tragedy of some sort,” said Fontana, a Democrat from Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. He was alluding to a 2019 fatal fire at an Erie...
Invisible danger: Most Western Pa. schools don’t test for radon, despite high levels in the state
As a father of four, Tim Briggs considered it common sense that schools would test for radon. As a state lawmaker, he was appalled that every school doesn’t, and he has made it his mission to do something about it. A monthslong Tribune-Review investigation found that most schools in Southwestern...
Covid shots saved at least 330,000 seniors’ lives last year
Covid-19 booster vaccinations can save tens of thousands of lives in the weeks and months ahead, Biden administration officials said, citing new data that shows the impact of previous shots on hospitalizations and deaths among older Americans. Primary immunizations were associated with up to 680,000 fewer covid hospitalizations and between...
Excela goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month
A touch of pink is coming to local hospitals and football games for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Excela Frick, Excela Latrobe and Excela Westmoreland Hospitals will be lit up pink throughout October to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer treatments. “All three front facades will be flooded with pink,...
New survey suggests little progress against U.S. teen vaping
NEW YORK — The latest government study on teen vaping suggests there’s been little progress in keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of kids. The data seems to show more high school students vaping, with 14% saying they had done so recently, according to survey results released Thursday. In last...
3 years after clinical trial, ketamine provides hope for severely depressed
LOS ANGELES — Patients arriving at Dr. Philip O’Carroll’s Newport Beach office for their first ketamine treatment are in pain and often lost. They have visited other doctors, tried other solutions and are ready for what is considered a last resort. They are led to a private room with a...
Nobel Prize for 3 chemists who made molecules ‘click’
STOCKHOLM — Three scientists were jointly awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of “snapping molecules together” that can be used to design better medicines, including ones that target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and...
Breast cancer survivor offers encouragement at Westmoreland Pink Ribbon Walk
Nikki Williams listened to what her body was telling her. That’s what helped her to learn she was suffering from breast cancer and to get the treatment she needed to beat the disease. “I want to be an advocate for women, to make sure they do their self-exams,” said the...
ALS drug wins FDA approval despite questionable data
WASHINGTON — A much-debated drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease won U.S. approval Thursday, a long-sought victory for patients that is likely to renew questions about the scientific rigor behind government reviews of experimental medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one...
Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in early results of study
Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared early Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal disease’s progress in a late-stage study. Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s. The drugmaker said...
Millions of Americans will save on Medicare fees next year
WASHINGTON — For the first time in a decade, Americans will pay less next year on monthly premiums for Medicare’s Part B plan, which covers routine doctors’ visits and other outpatient care. The rare 3% decrease in monthly premiums — a savings of $5.20 for most — comes after millions...
