Today: October 06, 2024
Today: October 06, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Health

As more children die from fentanyl, some prosecutors are charging their parents with murder

Madison Bernard climbed into bed before dawn with her toddler, Charlotte, who was asleep next to a nightstand strewn with straws, burned tinfoil and a white powder. Hours later, the mother woke and found her daughter struggling to breathe, according to investigators who described the scene in court documents. After being rushed in an ambulance to a hospital, the 15-month-old girl died from a fentanyl overdose. Her mother and father, whom authorities said brought the drugs into their California home, were charged with murder and are awaiting trial. The couple has pleaded not guilty but

As more children die from fentanyl, some prosecutors are charging their parents with murder
Health

New Jersey failed veterans in state-run homes hit by dozens of COVID-19 deaths, federal report says

Widespread dysfunction at New Jersey’s two state-run veterans homes left them unprepared to keep residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, violating their constitutional rights to reasonable care while in state custody, a scathing report by the U.S Justice Department found Thursday. The 43-page document paints a disturbing picture of failures at the homes in Menlo Park and Paramus where dozens of deaths occurred early in the outbreak. It said poor communication, lack of staff competency and other issues led to the coronavirus spreading “virtually unchecked throughout the facilities.” Among the findings: The homes failed to group

New Jersey failed veterans in state-run homes hit by dozens of COVID-19 deaths, federal report says
Health

Bruce Springsteen has peptic ulcer disease. Doctors say it's easily treated

Bruce Springsteen announced Thursday that he’s postponing a slate of concerts in September on the advice of doctors who treating him for peptic ulcer disease. Fans who aren’t familiar with this common and potentially serious gastrointestinal problem may wonder how it could sideline The Boss, who turns 74 later this month. Here’s what to know about the disease: WHAT IS PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE? It’s a condition marked by open sores that develop on the inside lining of the stomach and the small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic. The most common symptoms are burning stomach pain, heartburn, nausea and bloating

Bruce Springsteen has peptic ulcer disease. Doctors say it's easily treated
Health

Heat pumps will cool your home during the hottest of summers and reduce your global warming impact

Compare cooling efficiency ratings before buying a home heat pump. adventtr/iStock via Getty Images Plus Heat pumps can be used to both cool and heat homes. The 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act provides financial incentives for installing one. SciLine interviewed Theresa Pistochini of the Energy Efficiency Institute and Western Cooling Efficiency Center at the University of California, Davis. She describes how home heat pumps work; how switching to a heat pump reduces your home’s environmental impact; and when to upgrade your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Theresa Pistochini discusses how home heat pumps affect indoor air quality. Below are

Heat pumps will cool your home during the hottest of summers and reduce your global warming impact
Health

Secondhand smoke may be a substantial contributor to lead levels found in children and adolescents, new study finds

Childhood exposure to lead can limit cognitive development and cause a drop in IQ. Yamasan/iStock via Getty Images Plus Secondhand smoke may be an important but overlooked source of chronic lead exposure in kids and adolescents. That is the key finding of our recent study, published in the journal BMC Public Health. We analyzed national data on blood lead levels and secondhand smoke exposure in 2,815 U.S. children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 from 2015 to 2018. We looked at levels of lead and a nicotine metabolite – a substance known as cotinine produced in the body’s chemical process

Secondhand smoke may be a substantial contributor to lead levels found in children and adolescents, new study finds
Health

California judge halts district policy requiring parents be told if kids change pronouns

A judge on Wednesday halted a Southern California school district from requiring parents to be notified if their children change their gender identification or pronouns at school. San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Garza ruled after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District for adopting a policy requiring schools to tell parents when their children change their pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than the one listed on their official paperwork. “Today’s decision by the San Bernardino Superior Court rightfully upholds the state rights of

California judge halts district policy requiring parents be told if kids change pronouns
Health

Could a single drug treat the two leading causes of death in the US: cancer and cardiovascular disease?

Identifying the commonalities between cardiovascular disease and cancer could lead to improved treatments for both. Sveta Zi/iStock via Getty Images Plus What would you guess are the two biggest killers in the world? Based on media coverage, maybe you guessed gun violence, accidents or COVID-19. But the top two killers are actually cardiovascular disease and cancer. These two diseases combined account for nearly 50% of deaths in the U.S. Cardiovascular disease and cancer seem to be quite different on the surface. But newly discovered parallels between the origins and development of these two diseases mean that some treatments may be

Could a single drug treat the two leading causes of death in the US: cancer and cardiovascular disease?
Health

Sri Lanka parliament debates the health minister's fate over reports of lack of drugs, hospital care

Sri Lankan lawmakers began a debate on the fate of country’s health minister on Wednesday, seeking to remove him over his alleged failure to secure enough essential drugs and laboratory equipment that some say resulted in preventable deaths in hospitals. Sri Lanka provides free health service through state-run hospitals but they have suffered from a shortage of medicines and health workers, especially doctors, as a result of an economic crisis after the government suspended repayment of foreign loans. Opposition lawmakers said in a no-confidence motion that a failure by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to fulfil

Sri Lanka parliament debates the health minister's fate over reports of lack of drugs, hospital care
Health

Georgia can resume enforcing ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth, judge says

Georgia can resume enforcing a ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender people under 18, a judge ruled Tuesday, putting her previous order blocking the ban on hold after a federal appeals court allowed Alabama to enforce a similar restriction. Attorneys for the state had asked Judge Sarah Geraghty to vacate the preliminary injunction in light of the Alabama decision. Geraghty did not go that far, but she also said keeping her injunction in place was not possible after last month’s ruling on Alabama’s law by a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which

Georgia can resume enforcing ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth, judge says
Health

More than a meal: Restaurant-based programs feed seniors' social lives

A group of friends and neighbors meets for a weekly meal, choosing from a special menu of nutritious foods paid for by social programs meant to keep older adults eating healthy. They’re all over 60, and between enjoying butternut squash soup, sandwiches, oats and eggs, they chat and poke fun about families, politics, and the news of the day. But if you’re imagining people gathering for lunch in a senior center, think again. Long before COVID put a pause on social gatherings, some senior centers were losing their lunch appeal. Others didn’t reopen after the pandemic.

More than a meal: Restaurant-based programs feed seniors' social lives
Health

States and families wrestle over compassion in transgender youth care bans in Tennessee, Kentucky

Questions over which side was being more compassionate emerged as a key fault line in a federal appeals court Friday, as judges heard arguments on whether to block transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care in Kentucky and Tennessee. Supporters of trans kids being able to get puberty blockers and hormone therapy argued that it is safe, necessary health care that’s backed by every major medical group. Advocates of state-level bans on children seeking the care countered that these are experimental and life-altering procedures that young people shouldn’t be exposed to. U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar said concern over the child’s

States and families wrestle over compassion in transgender youth care bans in Tennessee, Kentucky
Health

Things to know about the latest court and policy action on transgender issues in the US

On Friday, Texas became the most populous state with a ban in effect against gender-affirming care for minors. The law was allowed to kick in after a court ruling on Thursday, part of a flurry of action across the country on policies aimed at transgender people and their rights. A separate Texas ruling blocked a law that drag show performers feared would shut them down. Here’s a look at the latest developments and what’s next. TEXAS GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN TAKES EFFECT In its ruling Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court allowed a law banning gender-affirming care including puberty blockers, hormones and

Things to know about the latest court and policy action on transgender issues in the US
Health

Impact of Overly Flexible Connective Tissue on Your Health: What Your Doctor May Not Be Telling You!

Extreme flexibility can be an asset, but in some people it can be a liability. Lintao Zhang/Staff via Getty Images Sport Connective tissue is found throughout the human body, within and between structures as varied as muscles, nerves and internal organs. Like an elaborate web, it holds everything together – providing the body shape and promoting proper movement. Many people, especially young women, have very flexible connective tissue. While flexibility is essential for childbirth – and an advantage to dancers and gymnasts – fragile and stretchy connective tissue can sometimes lead to a variety of health problems. Overly mobile joints

Impact of Overly Flexible Connective Tissue on Your Health: What Your Doctor May Not Be Telling You!
Health

After nearly 30 years, Pennsylvania will end state funding for anti-abortion counseling centers

For nearly 30 years, Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania have approved millions of taxpayer dollars for an anti-abortion program. Now the state’s new governor plans to end the contract as the organization that distributes those funds and other groups like it gain attention since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Pennsylvania plans to end on Dec. 31 its longstanding contract with the nonprofit Real Alternatives, the first organization in the nation to secure significant state and federal subsidies to support anti-abortion counseling centers. Under the program, Real Alternatives distributed the state and federal funds to

After nearly 30 years, Pennsylvania will end state funding for anti-abortion counseling centers
Health

Food ads are in the crosshairs as Burger King, others face lawsuits for false advertising

Food ads have long made their subjects look bigger, juicier and crispier than they are in real life. But some consumers say those mouthwatering ads can cross the line into deception, and that’s leading to a growing number of lawsuits. Burger King is the latest company in the crosshairs. In August, a federal judge in Florida refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit that claims Burger King’s ads overstate the amount of meat in its Whopper burger and other sandwiches. But Burger King is far from the only one. Perkins Coie, a law firm that tracks class action suits, said

Food ads are in the crosshairs as Burger King, others face lawsuits for false advertising
Health

Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect

The Texas Supreme Court allowed a new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, setting up Texas to be the most populous state with such restrictions on transgender children. Legal advocates who sued on behalf of the families and doctors, including the American Civil Liberties Union, called the law and the high court’s decision Thursday “cruel.“ “Transgender youth and their families are forced to confront the start of the school year fearful of what awaits them. But let us be clear: The fight is far from over,” the advocacy groups said

Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect
Health

Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia

Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, for a solo flight from Arizona to Oklahoma to visit family. She worries about travelers and airport officials misinterpreting his forgetfulness or habit of getting in people’s personal space, and feels guilty about not being able to accompany him. “People say, ‘He has dementia. You can’t let him go by himself,’” Nissen said. But attending a dementia-friendly travel workshop in July helped ease some of those fears. She learned about the resources available at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and what assistance airlines can

Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia
Health

Top prosecutors back compensation for those sickened by US nuclear weapons testing

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and 13 other top prosecutors from around the U.S. are throwing their support behind efforts to compensate people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing. The Democratic officials sent a letter Wednesday to congressional leaders, saying “it’s time for the federal government to give back to those who sacrificed so much.” The letter refers to the estimated half a million people who lived within a 150-mile (240-kilometer) radius of the Trinity Test site in southern New Mexico, where the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945. It

Top prosecutors back compensation for those sickened by US nuclear weapons testing
Health

Many people think cannabis smoke is harmless − a physician explains how that belief can put people at risk

Cannabis smoke shares many of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Tunatura/iStock via Getty Images Plus Though tobacco use is declining among adults in the U.S., cannabis use is increasing. Laws and policies regulating the use of tobacco and cannabis are also moving in different directions. Tobacco policies are becoming more restrictive, with bans on smoking in public places and limits on sales, such as statewide bans on flavored products. In contrast, more states are legalizing cannabis for medical or recreational use, and there are efforts to allow exceptions for cannabis in smoke-free laws. These changes mean an

Many people think cannabis smoke is harmless − a physician explains how that belief can put people at risk
Health

Death toll from Legionnaires' disease rises to 16 in southeast Poland close to Ukraine border

The death toll from Legionnaires’ disease in Poland has risen to 16 with another 140 people infected in the southeastern region close to the border with Ukraine, health authorities said Wednesday. The region of Rzeszow, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border, is a key transit hub for international military support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion last year. Some 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the area. Fatalities from the disease were among elderly people who also suffered from other health issues like cancer, authorities said. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of Legionnaires’

Death toll from Legionnaires' disease rises to 16 in southeast Poland close to Ukraine border
Health

Four students hospitalized in E. coli outbreak at the University of Arkansas

Health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning among students at the University of Arkansas, with dozens reporting symptoms and at least four needing treatment in the hospital. Among those affected are two 19-year-olds sorority members who developed a serious complication that can lead to kidney failure after being infected with the E. coli strain O157:H7. That’s according to Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer who said he reviewed the patients’ medical records after being contacted by the families. One student was still in the intensive care unit of a local hospital Tuesday, Marler said, while

Four students hospitalized in E. coli outbreak at the University of Arkansas
Health|WrittenByLAPost

Prescriptions for Fruits and Vegetables: Find Out How It's Changing Lives

“Food is medicine” programs recognize the vital importance of fresh produce in a person’s overall health. Getty Images The health of people with diabetes, hypertension and obesity improved when they could get free fruits and vegetables with a prescription from their doctors and other health professionals. We found that these patients’ blood sugar levels, blood pressure and weight improved in our new study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The improvements we saw in clinical outcomes could have a meaningful impact on overall health. For example, systolic blood pressure, or blood pressure during heartbeats, decreased more than 8 millimeters

Prescriptions for Fruits and Vegetables: Find Out How It's Changing Lives
Health

Need to know about lifesaving CPR? A new study says it's probably wise not to ask Alexa or Siri

Ask Alexa or Siri about the weather. But if you want to save someone’s life? Call 911 for that. Voice assistants often fall flat when asked how to perform CPR, according to a study published Monday. Researchers asked voice assistants eight questions that a bystander might pose in a cardiac arrest emergency. In response, the voice assistants said: — “Hmm, I don’t know that one.” — “Sorry, I don’t understand.” — “Words fail me.” — “Here’s an answer … that I translated: The Indian Penal Code.” Only nine of 32 responses suggested calling emergency services for help — an important

Need to know about lifesaving CPR? A new study says it's probably wise not to ask Alexa or Siri
Health

Medication can help you make the most of therapy − a psychologist and neuroscientist explains how

Medications can open a biological window of opportunity for psychotherapy to take advantage of. melitas/iStock via Getty Images Plus There is mounting recognition in the scientific community that combining different treatment approaches for mental health conditions can create a benefit greater than the sum of its parts. As a clinical psychologist and neuroscience researcher, I have been working to integrate insights from both fields to expand treatment options for those suffering from depression, anxiety and related conditions. Designing a treatment plan that pays careful attention to the sequence and dose of both biological and behavioral therapies might benefit people in

Medication can help you make the most of therapy − a psychologist and neuroscientist explains how
Health

FDA's greenlighting of maternal RSV vaccine represents a major step forward in protecting young babies against the virus

Expecting parents and those with infants have new options to consider to protect against RSV. martin-dm/E+ via Getty Images With the Food and Drug Administration’s Aug. 21, 2023, approval of the first vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for use during late pregnancy, the U.S. will soon have a major new tool at its disposal to protect infants against the highly contagious virus. RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory infections in young children and can be especially severe for infants under 6 months of age. It is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S.,

FDA's greenlighting of maternal RSV vaccine represents a major step forward in protecting young babies against the virus

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