Laura Kelly

Mediterranean diet named No. 1 eating plan for 2019

The Mediterranean diet was named the best eating plan for 2019, according to an annual ranking by U.S. News and World Report published Wednesday.

January 2, 2019

Fentanyl test strips help drug users detect deadly doses

Health care advocates want to put a cheap drug test in the hands of users to combat soaring rates of overdose deaths from the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is contaminating nearly every illegal drug on the street.

December 26, 2018

Opioid addiction treatment includes other drugs

Only 17.5 percent of those with addictions use one of the three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration that help stop cravings and prevent opioids from working during relapses.

December 26, 2018

States report uptick in patients with flu symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting that the flu season is well underway, with several states recording a high number of cases and at least seven child deaths across the country.

December 26, 2018

Opioid abuse numbers show health crisis worsening

Accidental overdose, heroin, struggle with addiction -- those words follow the loving remembrances by families to describe their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They plead that others don't suffer the same fate.

December 25, 2018

Health officials look to taxing e-cigarette products to curb teen vaping issue

The debate over taxing e-cigarette products could pick up in the new year as public health officials look for innovative ways to curb the teen vaping epidemic.

December 25, 2018

Flexible fitness, food goals replace diet and exercise as resolutions for new year

It's no surprise that Americans want to get healthier in the new year by working out more and eating less, but a recent survey shows that people are prioritizing small, achievable goals over strict resolutions.

December 20, 2018

German policeman guilty of ‘stealthing,’ removing condom during sex

A German court has convicted a police officer of sexual assault for "stealthing," removing a condom during sex without consent.

December 20, 2018

Car crashes, gun injuries leading causes of death for children: Report

Car crashes and gunshot wounds are the leading causes of death for America's children, with deaths from preventable and accidental injuries numbering more than six times greater than those from disease, according to a report published Thursday.

December 20, 2018

Health officials: Increase in teen vaping higher than any other substance use

A typical 12-year-old is more likely to vape with a Juul in the bathroom than find a pencil to borrow for class, a high school senior said Tuesday as federal health officials declared teen e-cigarette use an epidemic.

December 18, 2018

Teens vaping more, drinking alcohol less: Report

The teen vaping epidemic is increasing while the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs among adolescents is declining or holding steady, according to new federal statistics published Monday.

December 17, 2018

U.S. marks highest obesity rates, other grim statistics in national health report

Obesity in the U.S. has reached a new high with a 5 percent increase since last year, according to a report published Wednesday ranking the healthiest states in the country.

December 13, 2018

People with eczema at risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts: Study

People with eczema are 44 percent more likely to think about suicide and 36 percent more likely to attempt it, according to a study published Wednesday.

December 12, 2018

Virginia residents protest proposed solar farm in Spotsylvania

A group of Northern Virginia residents is protesting the proposed construction of a large solar farm in their rural community, saying the project is more dangerous to the environment and surrounding towns than beneficial.

December 10, 2018

New research shows HIV promotes cancer growth

People living with HIV are at a greater risk of dying from certain cancers because their infected immune systems promote the aggressive growth of tumors, according to new research.

December 5, 2018

Researchers develop quick, easy cancer detection test

Australian researchers said Wednesday that they have created a test that can detect cancer quickly and easily, with the goal of revolutionizing early detection.

December 5, 2018

Ground beef recall joins romaine lettuce with bacterial warning

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday issued a recall of 5.2 million pounds of ground beef over fears of salmonella contamination, adding tainted meat to a list of nearly two dozen foods caught up in multistate outbreaks of food-borne illness this year.

December 4, 2018

FDA recalls blood pressure medication for cancer-causing risk

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for the blood pressure medication Valsartan because it has the possibility to cause cancer.

December 4, 2018

China declares fentanyl illegal amid Trump pressure

One week before the midterm elections, seven members of Congress jetted to China with specific marching orders from the Trump administration and Ambassador Terry Branstad: Urge Beijing to crack down on fentanyl, the No. 1 killer in the U.S. overdose crisis.

December 3, 2018

Doctors warn against ‘screen time’ Christmas toys

Pediatricians are telling parents to go old school in buying gifts for children this holiday season and focus on simple toys that stimulate creativity instead of complicated gadgets.

December 3, 2018