Health Insider: Fighting allergies after Arizona’s super-bloom this spring
PHOENIX — Arizona’s super-bloom has been a treat for the eyes but not for the sinuses. Pollen counts have continued to surge across the Valley and will continue to evolve as we head into summer. ABC15 Health Insider Dr. Shad Marvasti is sharing tips to help keep allergies at bay. In the video above, he […]
Cancer drug shortage is forcing doctors to decide which patients get treatment
Just six weeks ago, Greg DeStefano began a new chemotherapy combination. The 50-year-old, from Northbrook, Illinois, had recently been diagnosed with his fourth round of cancer and doctors were hopeful the medication would treat the tumors growing in his neck. DeStefano was responding well, but then, in late May, he got a call from his […]
Recently published University of Arizona Health Sciences study uncovers new details about long COVID
TUCSON, AZ — A recently published study from University of Arizona Health Sciences could provide insight into how to treat long COVID going forward. According to the study, the most common symptoms found were fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness. The symptoms can vary, and so can the length of time the symptoms last. Long COVID […]
Nonprofit says it discovered high levels of BPA in athletic apparel
There are fresh concerns about the potential health impacts caused by athletic apparel. The Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit organization, says it tested 14 brands of leggings, shorts, sports bras and athletic shirts for BPA — an industrial chemical used in the manufacturing of plastics. The results, the nonprofits says, showed the clothing could expose […]
Fresh Start receives $1.3 million grant from JPMorgan Chase to help women of color with mental health
PHOENIX — Fresh Start Women’s Foundation announced Wednesday that it is offering expanded services throughout the Valley for women of color through a $1.3 million, three-year grant from JPMorgan Chase. The Phoenix-based nonprofit provides resources to help women overcome adversity and achieve self-sufficiency. As part of its Impact Program, it is expanding its resources to […]
FDA changes blood donor rules for gay and heterosexual donors
The Food and Drug Administration said it has finalized its recommendations for blood donations that will likely allow more gay men to donate blood. The new recommendations will also have an impact on heterosexual people. The FDA previously had stipulated that any man who had sex with another man within the past three months would […]
FDA advisers vote unanimously in favor of allowing 1st over-the-counter birth control pill
Medical and scientific experts advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have voted in favor of allowing a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription. “The large body of evidence on the safety and effectiveness is very reassuring,” said one adviser, Dr. Kathryn Curtis. The FDA will now take this nonbinding recommendation into […]
Study shows exercise reduces risk of 13 cancers
Here’s a new incentive to get your workout in. A new study finds exercise can reduce the risk of 13 different cancers and you don’t have to move like an Olympian to have an impact. The American Cancer Society asked 1.4 million people to keep physical activity logs and track the impact of weight loss, […]
New draft guidance drops breast cancer screening age from 50 to 40 for women with average risk
Most women with average risk should start screening for breast cancer at age 40, and they should get screened every other year through age 74, according to new draft guidance Tuesday from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federally appointed group whose decisions guide insurance policies. Prior task force recommendations said women should start […]
COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, CDC data shows
COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the third leading cause of death in the first two years of the pandemic, but there were about half as many deaths from it in 2022 […]