KOMO News - Health

More doctors, hospitals using electronic records

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:26:57 -0700

The Obama administration says more doctors and hospitals are embracing technology as adoption of computerized medical records reaches a "tipping point" in America.

Seattle students report getting pot from dispensaries

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:57:06 -0700

Marijuana use among Seattle's high-school students is holding steady, and more than a third of students who use the drug say they got it from a medical marijuana dispensary, according to results from a Seattle Public Schools survey released Tuesday.

Sports seem OK for many with heart-zapping device

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26:18 -0700

New research is challenging medical guidelines that say people with a heart-zapping device in their chests should avoid intense sports like basketball and soccer in favor of golf or bowling.

What do we eat? New food map will tell us

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:42:11 -0700

Until now, the only way to find out what people in the United States eat and how many calories they consume has been government data, which can lag behind the rapidly expanding and changing food marketplace. Researchers are trying to change that.

FDA has safety concerns on Merck insomnia drug

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:37:58 -0700

Federal health regulators say an experimental insomnia drug from Merck can help patients fall asleep, but it also carries worrisome side effects, including daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking.

Measles surges in UK years after vaccine scare

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:25:20 -0700

More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease.

Local researcher: Ovary removal to prevent cancer is ‘reasonable option’

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:14:03 -0700

A Seattle researcher says preventative ovary removal can be a reasonable option for women and has little psychological impact.

Hep C rising in baby boomers, but can they be treated?

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:55:33 -0700

The CDC is recommending baby boomers get tested for Hepatitis C, regardless of other risk factors. But, treatment may not be readily available for newly diagnosed patients, and the Affordable Care Act could make things even worse.

Drug companies blast county's pill disposal plan

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:16:11 -0700

The county's plan to make drug companies pay for medication disposal faced opposition in a public hearing.

Tiny preemies get a boost from live music therapy

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:18:24 -0700

As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes.

Saudi health workers sickened by SARS-like virus

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:14:40 -0700

A deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS has apparently spread from patients to health care workers in eastern Saudi Arabia, health officials said Wednesday.

County may force drug companies to pay to get rid of your pills

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:59:57 -0700

The King County Board of Health wants to create a program for residents to easily get rid of their unwanted medications, and it’s expecting drug manufacturers to pay for it.

Doctor with cerebral palsy offers hope

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:57:39 -0700

Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez gently but sternly admonishes a teenage cerebral palsy patient who clearly hasn't been doing his exercises, stressing the importance of keeping muscles loose and limber.

Women have new options for breast cancer surgery

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:07 -0700

Treating breast cancer almost always involves surgery, and for years the choice was just having the lump or the whole breast removed. Now, new approaches are dramatically changing the way these operations are done, giving women more options, faster treatment, smaller scars, fewer long-term side effects and better cosmetic results.

Study questions if bed rest prevents premature birth

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:58:11 -0700

New research is raising fresh concern that an age-old treatment for troubled pregnancies - bed rest - doesn't seem to prevent premature birth, and might even worsen that risk.

Huge drug cost disparities seen in health overhaul

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:13:02 -0700

Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn.

Government stops study seeking to prevent type of stroke

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:36:51 -0700

The government has halted a study testing treatments for a brain condition that can cause strokes after early results suggested invasive therapies were riskier than previously thought.

New law could help high-school students save lives

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:47:02 -0700

Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1556 into law this week, which will require all Washington state high schools to include CPR training in their health education curriculum.

Obama to promote benefits of health care law

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:50:12 -0700

Obama is launching a new effort to rally the public around his hotly disputed health care law, a strategy aimed at shoring up key components of the sweeping federal overhaul

'Everyday is your birthday after you've been through all that'

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:12:40 -0700

Angelina Jolie's bold decision to undergo a double mastectomy is raising awareness about a genetic mutation that puts some women at high risk of breast cancer.

Nations agree to new chemical ban, export controls

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:21:55 -0700

Officials in charge of three key international treaties said delegates agreed by consensus to a gradual phase out of the flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane, or HBCD, which is used in building insulation, furniture, vehicles and electronics.

Sufferers seek relief from debilitating pain of 'suicide disease'

Thu, 09 May 2013 22:50:50 -0700

There is a pain so intense, so excruciating, that people who suffer from it are known to take their own lives.

Study: Fish oil doesn't help prevent heart attacks

Thu, 09 May 2013 08:32:19 -0700

Eating fish is good for your heart but taking fish oil capsules does not help people at high risk of heart problems who are already taking medicines to prevent them, a large study in Italy found.

FDA approves once-a-day inhaler from Glaxo

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:12:41 -0700

The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved a new once-a-day inhaler drug from GlaxoSmithKline for patients with chronic lung disease.

Local doctor talks skin cancer awareness

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:02:15 -0700