Health
Dr. Keith Grams from Rochester Regional Health offered critical safety tips for handling fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July. Firework-related injuries caused 11 deaths and over 14,000 injuries in 2024, including 1,700 ER visits for sparklers. Grams emphasized the importance of keeping children supervised and maintaining a safe distance during displays. He also warned […]
Jamie Peterson of Rochester, NY, is raising awareness about lead poisoning after her son Ryder tested with an alarmingly high blood lead level of 182—nearly four times the emergency threshold. Peterson moved into a rental property in 2021, unaware it contained lead hazards. Her son, then 18 months old, showed developmental delays and was diagnosed […]
Dr. Joel Durinka of Orchard Park, NY, has been charged with health care fraud as part of a $14.6 billion nationwide takedown involving over 320 individuals. Accused of billing Medicare for $29.6 million in unnecessary brace orders and $5.6 million in fraudulent telehealth visits, Durinka also allegedly fabricated medical records. He faces charges of conspiracy […]
A massive heat dome affecting over 90 million Americans is amplifying air pollution, posing a “double whammy” health threat. Scientists warn that extreme heat can trap polluted air, preventing its dispersion, and climate change-driven wildfires worsen the situation by releasing dangerous particulate matter. Ground-level ozone and PM2.5 levels rise during such events, triggering respiratory, cardiovascular, […]
With extreme heat gripping much of the U.S., health experts stress the importance of recognizing and treating heat exhaustion. The condition occurs when the body overheats and loses water and salt through excessive sweating, leading to dizziness, nausea, cramps, and a rapid heart rate. High-risk groups include outdoor workers, athletes, older adults, children, and those […]
A new law in New York requires school districts to develop heat mitigation plans to ensure classroom temperatures don’t exceed 88 degrees. While central air isn’t mandated, districts must take action at 82 degrees using solutions like fans, window shades, and moving students. East Rochester Schools already have most buildings cooled and plan to expand […]
Kraft Heinz announced it will remove all artificial food dyes from its U.S. product lineup by 2027 and will immediately halt the creation of new products using synthetic dyes. Already, 90% of its items use natural coloring. Remaining products containing artificial dyes include beverages and desserts like Kool-Aid and Jell-O. The move aligns with recent […]
The New York State Senate passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act (35-27), marking the first time the bill made it through both chambers. The legislation would permit mentally capable adults with a terminal diagnosis of six months or less to request life-ending medication. Though controversial, Democratic lawmakers defended its safeguards, citing a decade of […]
Marijuana use has reached a new high among older adults in the U.S. In 2023, roughly 7 percent of adults 65 and older reported using the drug in the past month, according to an analysis led by researchers with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at New York University’s School of Global Public […]
A new long-term study out of Finland has officially confirmed what your metabolism, your hangovers, and that weird back pain have been trying to tell you: your late 30s and 40s are the most important decade for your long-term health. Researchers followed a group of people born in 1959 in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä […]
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