Author: LocalHealthGuideEditor
SNOHOMISH COUNTY LOSING INFANTS TO UNSAFE SLEEP
From 2020 to 2022, Snohomish County lost 19 infants (babies younger than 12 months) because of unsafe sleep. During that same two-year period, zero infants died due to car crashes, falls, burns or drownings. Most sleep-related deaths are preventable.
Nobel prize in medicine awarded to mRNA pioneers – here’s how their discovery was integral to COVID vaccine development
Dr Katalin Karikó and Dr Drew Weissmanhave been awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries into mRNA biology. The pair were the first to discover a way of modifying mRNA that allowed it to successfully be delivered to cells and replicated by them. Their discovery was not only integral to COVID-19 vaccine development, but may also lead to the development of many other therapies – such as vaccines for cancer.
Early indicators of dementia: 5 behaviour changes to look for after age 50
Five signs to look for: Apathy, affective dysregulation, lack of impulse control, social inappropriateness, and abnormal perceptions or thought.
Should you get your vitamin D levels checked?
When is low vitamin D a potential concern? And when might you need to get your levels tested?
Can counting steps help you lose weight?
Tracking daily step counts can be a useful tool for weight management – an exercise scientist parses the science
Federal shutdown should not immediately threaten food aid for WA mothers and kids
WIC provides food assistance to mothers and children up to 5 years old. In July, about 130,400 people received benefits from the program in Washington, including around 25,600 infants and 76,400 kids older than 1 year.
Do blue-light glasses really work? Can they reduce eye strain or help me sleep?
Blue-light glasses are said to reduce eye strain when using computers, improve your sleep and protect your eye health. You can buy them yourself or your optometrist can prescribe them.
But do they work? Or could they do you harm?
We reviewed the evidence. Here’s what we found.
Study Adds to Debate about Mammography in Older Women
Studies have shown that routine screening mammography does reduce breast cancer deaths in women aged 40 to 75. But screening also comes with downsides, which include the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. A new study suggests that the risk of overdiagnosis with routine screening mammography is substantial for women in their 70s and older.
Monitoring brainwaves to track how patients with depression respond the treatment
Depression recovery can be hard to measure − new research on deep brain stimulation shows how objective biomarkers could help make treatment more precise Christopher Rozell, Georgia Institute of Technology and Sankaraleengam Alagapan, Georgia Institute of Technology It can be challenging…
Commonly prescribed antidepressants and how they work
Antidepressants are among the most searched-for medications online. But there is a lot of information out there to sift through. The National Library of Medicine has pulled together some useful information about common types of these medications.
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall/Winter Virus Season
Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.
How Washington state is treating housing as health care
pple Health and Homes is a multi-agency state program launched last year that focuses on providing housing to people with health and behavioral health challenges. What’s unique is that the program taps Medicaid dollars to pay for housing subsidies, tenant services and more.
Prescriptions for fruits and vegetables can improve the health of people with diabetes and other ailments, new study finds
Patients’ blood sugar levels, blood pressure and weight improved.
How Advance Care Planning Neglects Black Americans
Advocates say such advanced care plans are especially important for Black Americans, who are more likely to experience racial discrimination and lower quality care throughout the health care system. Advance care planning, they say, could help patients understand their options and document their wishes, as well as reduce anxiety for family members.
Some states back hospital mergers despite record of service cuts, price hikes
In much of the country, a single hospital system now accounts for most hospital admissions.