Author: Melissa Patrick
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Suicide rates are rising in the U.S.; experts attribute high rate in rural Ky. to poor mental health access, stigma and ‘gun culture’
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News After a decade of decline, suicide is becoming more common in the United States, increasing by 24 percent from 1999 through 2014, according to the...
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UnitedHealth will leave Ky. next year, leaving much of the state with only one or two choices for health insurance on exchange
UnitedHealth Group Inc. won’t be participating in Kentucky’s individual insurance plans offered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year, which could leave about 20 percent of the state with...
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More than 100 at SOAR Substance Abuse Roundtable committed to work on prevention and treatment efforts in region
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News More than 100 people attended the Shaping Our Appalachian Region Substance Abuse Roundtable April 7 to learn about current research and emerging opportunities associated...
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Levels of suspected ‘hormone disruptors’ in teen girls dropped after they switched to products that didn’t contain them
A recent study found that after three days of not using personal-care products that contain “problematic substances,” the levels of chemicals that potentially disrupt hormones in the bodies of teenage...
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Zika update: Local anti-mosquito action needed; McConnell, Rogers at center of debate over Obama's request for more funds
Mosquitoes can carry Zika. (NPR photo) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News While all 388 Zika virus cases confirmed in the continental U.S., including six in Kentucky, have been in...
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UK study finds e-cigarettes aren’t replacing traditional cigarettes, but their sales rise as unregulated TV ads for them increase
A study led by a University of Kentucky researcher found that electronic cigarettes have not become a substitute for traditional cigarettes, but their use is increasing, especially as television commercials...
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National Drug Take-Back Day is April 30; dispose of unused or expired drugs at most State Police posts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kentuckians can get rid of their unused or expired prescription drugs Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of National Drug Take-Back Day. The service is...
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Top deputy in state health department named commissioner of Lexington health department
Kraig Humbaugh Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, senior deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, has been named the Lexington-Fayette County commissioner of health, starting in June. He will replace Dr....
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Want to avoid prostate cancer? Evidence suggests that one thing you could do, if you’re a smoker, is to stop smoking
As fewer men are smoking, fewer are dying from prostate cancer, and the trends appear to be related, especially in Kentucky. “From 1999 through 2010, decreasing prostate cancer mortality rates...
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Teens now more likely to use e-cigs than tobacco; health officials call for regulations and better education about the products
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The number of adolescents using electronic cigarettes has risen so much that more of them use e-cigs than tobacco products, says the federal Centers for...