Your risk is on the rise: Secondhand marijuana and vape are harmful
THE smell used to give it away — that nasty, unmistakable scent of cigarette smoke. And you knew, somehow, your neighbor’s smoke was drifting in your house. But what if…
Category: Health
Covering the most noteworthy news stories in the health and wellness industry for the Filipino community.
Read More
The startlingly high cost of the ‘free’ flu shot
by Phil Galewitz IN the Byzantine world of health care pricing, most people wouldn’t expect that the ubiquitous flu shot could be a prime example of how the system’s lack…
Flavor bans multiply, but menthol continues to divide
by Ana B. Ibarra AS states and communities rush to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products linked to vaping, Carol McGruder races from town to town, urging officials to…
The Philippines’ Health and Wellness CONFEX roadshow is officially coming to America
The Health and Wellness CONFEX, a global campaign that seeks to promote the Philippines as a world-class health and wellness center, is officially coming to America! Originally launched in Dubai in 2018, this…
DOH: Pork and processed pork products are safe to eat
The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, October 24, assured the public that eating pork products contaminated with African swine fever (ASF) does not affect human health. “It is…
PH retirement system among worst in the world
A recent study revealed that the retirement or pension system of the Philippines is the 4th lowest out of 36 countries. According to the 2019 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index…
UN body: PH the country with fastest growing epidemic of HIV
A study conducted by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) found that the Philippines has the “fastest growing epidemic” of the sexually transmitted disease, with a 203 percent rise…
HHS awards $16-M to help primary care practices address patients’ unhealthy alcohol use
THE U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), announced on Tuesday, October 22, a $16 million initiative to help primary care…
California to provide financial boost to help buy health coverage
by Bernard Wolfson IF you are among the Californians who buy your own health insurance, a surprise may await you as the enrollment period for 2020 coverage opens this week….
As vaping illnesses rise, so do pleas to quit-smoking help lines
by Anna Almendrala “I stopped for a few days and then I ended up buying new pods. The withdrawals got to me.” “My friends are the ones who got me…
Trump’s new order for Medicare packs potential rise in patients’ costs
by Julie Appleby Vowing to protect Medicare with “every ounce of strength,” President Donald Trump last week spoke to a cheering crowd in Florida. But his executive order released shortly…
Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation banning ‘Pay for Delay’ to fight runaway prescription drug costs
SACRAMENTO – Building on the state’s first-in-the-nation investments in the California budget and the Governor’s executive actions to lower prescription drug costs, Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, October 7, signed…
Report: HIV cases rise in the Philippines, as more people turn to dating apps
HIV in the Philippines is spreading faster than any other country in the world, and health advocates are saying that dating apps — along with the lack of education —…
Duterte on swine fever: Contain it, stop it
Malacañang on Monday, September 30, said President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Agriculture (DAR) to stop the spread of African swine fever. “Contain it, stop it,” presidential spokesperson Salvador…
Dangers of skin-lightening cream highlighted after woman falls into coma
by Anna Almendrala SHE had been buying face cream through a friend of a friend for 12 years. This time, it was Pond’s “Rejuveness,” a version of the company’s anti-wrinkle…
States target vaping with bans
by Ana B. Ibarra In California, the action is local STATES are piling on. Michigan took the first statewide shot at vaping early this month when it announced a ban…
California Department of Public Health issues advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping
Health advisory warns about imminent public health risks SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping, no matter the…
Ambassador Romualdez visits LA hospital spearheading Fil-Am community health research
DURING a recent trip to Los Angeles, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez visited Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which is leading a research program into the health needs…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs executive order to confront youth vaping epidemic
SACRAMENTO – On Monday, September 16, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to confront the growing youth epidemic and health risks linked to vaping. The executive order directs…
Exilis Body Contouring: A fast, non-surgical way to achieve your body goals
EVEN though summer is fading away, it’s never too late to continue working out and getting back on track — especially when we here in Southern California get to enjoy…
New original series on untold global Filipino stories kicks off with shame-free sex education
It’s estimated that over 10 million Filipinos are living outside of the Philippines — 4.5 million of whom are in the United States alone. While Filipinos globally may be known…
African swine fever reaches the Philippines
Health officials assure public that pork meat still safe for consumption The Department of Agriculture on Monday, September 9, confirmed that the African swine fever was the cause of death…
Number of Americans without insurance rises in 2018
by Phil Galewitz FOR the first time in a decade, the number of Americans without health insurance has risen — by about 2 million people in 2018 — according to…
Lawmakers send contested vaccine bill to CA governor
by Ana B. Ibarra CALIFORNIA lawmakers dropped this year’s most controversial public health bill into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lap on Wednesday, but it’s not clear whether he will sign the…
Starving seniors: How California’s aging are falling through the cracks
by Laura Ungar and Trudy Lieberman SAN JOSE, Calif. — In the neighborhoods around San Jose, more than 1 in 9 seniors struggle to get enough to eat. They are…
HHS purchases smallpox vaccine to enhance biodefense preparedness
AS part of ongoing preparedness efforts against biodefense threats, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will purchase smallpox vaccine, called ACAM2000, to build and replenish vaccine stored…
15-year-old Fil-Am leukemia patient celebrates 5 years of survival
A young Filipina American leukemia patient returned to the hospital where she received a stem cell transplant, but this time it was to celebrate five years of survival. Myla Cunanan,…
WHO: PH ranks 3rd with the highest number of measles cases
THE Philippines ranked third worldwide with the highest incidence of measles over a 12-month period up to June this year with 45,847 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)….
Trump administration hits brakes on law to curb unneeded Medicare CT scans, MRIs
by Phil Galewitz Five years after Congress passed a law to reduce unnecessary MRIs, CT scans and other expensive diagnostic imaging tests that could harm patients and waste money, federal…
Underarm botox is the best gift you can give yourself before summer ends
YOU would think that there is nothing worse than getting baked under the Southern California sun with its record-breaking heatwave, gusty winds, hot air and low humidity but there is!…