Monthly Archives: March 2018
Medical costs still preventing people from visiting doctor
In the past year, 44 percent of people report skipping a visit to the doctor when they were sick or injured because of the cost of being seen. And about 40 percent say they skipped a recommended medical test or procedure because of the cost, according to a new national poll. The survey, conducted by […]
Study: Thousands of children injured in hoverboard falls
New research reveals that nearly 27,000 children and teens were treated at hospital emergency departments for injuries sustained while riding hoverboards during the first two years of sales. Researchers analyzed 2015-16 injury data among children younger than 18 and found that injuries were most common among 12-year-old boys. The body parts most often injured are […]
Washington’s most-prescribed drug isn’t an opioid
The most frequently prescribed medication in the U.S. – and in Washington – is a drug to treat thyroid deficiencies. But the second-most common drug prescribed across the country? An opioid pain medication. New data from GoodRx, an online prescription service, shows that levothyroxine is the most frequently prescribed medication in 26 states, including Washington […]
Report: Cost of Alzheimer’s tops quarter of a trillion dollars
Caring for the estimated 5.7 million American’s who will have Alzheimer’s disease this year will surpass a quarter of a trillion dollars, according to a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association. The anticipated $277 billion cost is an increase of nearly $20 billion since last year, according to the 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures […]
Declan the Dinosaur gets movie star support
Five-year-old Declan Reagan continues to fight for his life – nearly two years after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. But after countless hospital stays, chemotherapy treatments, blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants, the east Vancouver family received heartbreaking news. Declan, who had recently flown to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis for a […]
Clark County among healthiest counties in state
Clark County residents are among the healthiest in the state when it comes to health outcomes, according to new rankings. The annual County Health Rankings compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation were released this week. Clark County came in at No. 9 on the health outcomes ranking, which looks at residents’ length of life […]
FDA approves at-home breast cancer genetic test
Those at-home DNA kits can now tell you more than just whether you’re prone to male pattern baldness. The Food and Drug Administration this week approved the first direct-to-consumer test for cancer risk. The FDA approval allows the personal genetics company 23andMe to provide consumers information on three genetic variants on the BRCA genes. Mutations […]
Study: Washingtonians incur 31 hours of “sleep debt” each month
Americans miss out on an average of 30.6 hours of sleep each month, and 15 percent of people try to catch up on their sleep debt by binge sleeping on the weekend, according to a new study. Unfortunately for those binge sleepers, sleep debt doesn’t work like that. The National Sleep Foundation describes sleep debt […]
Childhood obesity is still a problem
Turns out past reports about declining childhood obesity rates were just wishful thinking. New research shows that not only are rates not declining at any age, but there’s been a significant increase in severe obesity among the youngest children. Research published in the February edition of Pediatrics shows an increase for all definitions of overweight […]
Americans want Amazon health plans
Purchasing health plans on Amazon? Americans like the idea. A recent survey by LendEDU, an online marketplace for student and personal loans, found that Americans are open to the idea of purchasing health plans and medications through Amazon. Amazon recently announced it was partnering with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway to create an independent health […]