HealthBeat
Food safety tips this Earth Day
Each year, an estimated 133 billion pounds of food in the available food supply goes uneaten. A new app by the U.S. Department of Agriculture aims to reduce the food loss, impact on the environment and risk of foodborne illness. The USDA launched the FoodKeeper app last year. The app, which is available on Apple […]
April 21, 2016 4:26 pm
Screen time is affecting kids’ eye health
The average American 17-year-old has spent the equivalent of nearly six years looking at digital devices, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by VSP Vision Care, also found that by the age of 2, the average child has at least one digital device and spends about 30 hours per week looking at the […]
April 19, 2016 4:21 pm
No decline in youth tobacco use
Tobacco use among middle and high school students has not changed since 2011, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 4.7 million middle- and high-schoolers had used tobacco products at least once in the previous 30 days. More than 2.3 million of […]
April 14, 2016 5:33 pm
Kindergarten immunization increased statewide, not locally
The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that the statewide kindergarten immunization rate increased by more than 2 percent this school year. The same can’t be said for Clark County. Statewide, 85 percent of kindergartners had the required vaccines to start school last fall. That’s up 2.2 percent from the 2014-15 school year. “Immunization is […]
April 13, 2016 4:01 pm
WHO report: Diabetes rate doubles worldwide
The diabetes rate worldwide has nearly doubled in the last three decades, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. The rate of adults with diabetes increased from 4.7 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2014. During that time, the number of adults living with diabetes increased nearly fourfold – from 108 […]
April 7, 2016 2:54 pm
Excedrin created a migraine simulator
Migraines are among the things I would never wish on anyone. I’ve had migraines since I was a tween. They’re horrible. They start with bright spots in the corners of my eyes. Slowly, that light spreads until more of my eyes fill with bright, almost-blinding light. I become sensitive to light and sound. I feel […]
April 6, 2016 10:55 am
A new ‘Frankenstein pill’ in Florida
A recovery center in Florida is warning people about a new “Frankenstein” pill that has already led to nine deaths in Pinellas County. Footprints Beachside Recovery Center sent out a news release recently, alerting the public about the “cheap, highly addictive new pill.” The pill is apparently a mixture of Xanax and the opiate pain […]
March 31, 2016 6:42 pm
Best, worst states for doctors
The personal finance website WalletHub released its annual ranking of the best and worst states for doctors, and Washington came in about the middle of the pack. Analysts compared the 50 states and District of Columbia across 11 metrics with weighted scores. The metrics were broken into two areas: opportunity and competition, and medical quality. […]
March 29, 2016 3:53 pm
NIH study links caffeine consumption to miscarriage
A new study by the National Institutes of Health links pre-pregnancy caffeine consumption to increased risk of miscarriage. The study also found taking a daily multivitamin before conception and in the early weeks of pregnancy was linked to lower miscarriage rates. The study – conducted by researchers at NIH and Ohio State University, Columbus – […]
March 24, 2016 3:48 pm
TB on the rise in Washington
The number of tuberculosis cases in Washington rose by 7 percent last year, catching the attention of public health officials across the state. In 2015, Washington health officials recorded 208 cases of TB disease – up from 194 cases in 2014. About three out of every 100,000 Washington residents develop TB disease, which is about […]
March 21, 2016 5:39 pm