Dollar General gets into health care with three mobile clinics near southwestern Kentucky, says it will expand if successful

Cunningham, Tenn., is the site of one of three Dollar General mobile health-care clinics. (Google Maps) Dollar General Corp., a Scottsville, Kentucky-born company that moved its headquarters to suburban Nashville but has become ubiquitous across the commonwealth, has expanded into health care. The retailer has established...

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Covid-19 cases increase and flu cases decrease in Ky.; Biden says he will end public health emergencies for pandemic May 11

N.Y. Times graphs of infection rates with top 3 jurisdictions, excluding Virgin Islands; click to enlarge. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News New coronavirus cases in Kentucky increased by 23 percent last week, continuing an up-and-down pattern that creates a rough plateau. Meanwhile, influenza cases decreased...

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CDC: Only 5 Ky. counties have high risk from coronavirus; FDA panel recommends one annual Covid-19 vaccination for everyone

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Only five Kentucky counties, all but one along the Virginia border, have a high level of Covid-19 risk, according to the latest weekly map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The map showed only slight shifts among...

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Ky. Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission subcommittees consider five grant applications, with nly two getting a yes vote

Commission subcommittees vote on grant applications. From left: Dr. Allen Brenzel, Eric Friedlander, Von Purdy, Scott Hornbuckle, Carlos Cameron, State Treasurer Allison Ball, Lorran Ferguson and Rep. Danny Bentley. (Photo by Melissa Patrick) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky...

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How to avoid vision problems from diabetes, which 13.6% of Kentuckians have, 7th in U.S.; 33.8% more have pre-diabetes

Diabetes can cause blindness. (smirart/iStock/Getty Images) By Joseph Brown University of Kentucky Diabetes is a disease so prevalent in the U.S. that it is considered to be an epidemic. In Kentucky, according to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 13.6% of the adult population has diagnosed diabetes,...

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Craft says empty chair at table was a 'close family member' who 'was able to overcome the addiction and move on with their life'

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Flu keeps declining, but shot recommended while activity remains

Kentucky Department for Public Health graph By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Influenza cases in Kentucky continue to decline, dropping again for the sixth week in a row, according to the state's latest weekly flu report.  "The flu is somewhat declining, but it still remains at an elevated level," Gov. Andy...

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Healthgrades recognizes 3 Ky. hospitals as among America's best

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington was the only Kentucky hospital included in the list of "America's 100 Best Hospitals" by Healthgrades, an online source for information about physicians and hospitals. This is the fifth consecutive year Saint Joseph has made the list, having previously...

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UK gets $3.7 million to figure out why Ky. Appalachian counties have low Covid-19 vaccination rates, and how to get them up

State Dept. for Public Health map, adapted by Kentucky Health News; for a larger version, click on it. By Christopher Carney University of KentuckyResearchers from three colleges at the University of Kentucky and the state Department for Public Health are leading a five-year, $3.7 million project to study Appalachian...

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Coronavirus cases increase again in Ky.; state's infection rate ranks fourth among the states; Covid-19 hospitalizations rank 21st

N.Y. Times graphs show Kentucky's new-case rate is fourth among the states; click image to enlarge. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News After going up 76% in the week just preceding, new coronavirus cases went up another 22% last week, and the number of deaths increased 59%. Meanwhile, influenza cases dropped...

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Going smoke-free in 2023? Medication doubles your odds of success

Daria Kulkova, iStock/Getty Images Plus By Audrey Darville University of Kentucky Most people who smoke attempt to quit at least once a year, so it’s no surprise that quitting smoking is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions year after year. If you plan to quit in 2023, there are support tools available...

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Dietitian says even 10% weight loss has health benefits; weight-loss drugs, diets and pediatric guidelines are in the news

American Heart Association photo By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News As the end of January approaches and that New Year's resolution to lose weight may have already been forgotten, it's important to remember that if you are overweight, it's worth the effort to hang onto that resolution. Even losing up to 10 percent...

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Study: If you're obese or diabetic, and get over 20% of calories from fast food, you're more likely to get a deadly liver disease

Photo from WomenFitness.net People who are obese or diabetic and get 20 percent or more of their calories from fast food are more likely to get non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a potentially life-threatening condition, says a new study from the University of Southern California. The study, published in the...

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University of Kentucky researchers find Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters protects mothers and babies

Ilhem Messaoudi, chair of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine's Department of Microbiology,  Immunology and Molecular Genetics. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo. By Lindsay Travis University of Kentucky University of Kentucky researchers have found that maternal vaccination against COVID-19 works to protect...

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Kentucky's child-vaccination rates are sixth worst in the nation

Choreograph, iStock /  Getty Images Plus By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News When it comes to influenza and Covid-19 vaccinations, Kentucky's children are less protected than children in other states.    Kentucky's children have the sixth lowest rate of vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza,...

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Black Kentuckians need more information about colon cancer screening, especially the availability of in-home tests, study finds

Most focus-group participants had not been offered  stool-based testing as an option for colorectal cancer  screening, stressing the need for more community- based outreach. (Photo by fizkes, iStock/Getty Images Plus) By Elizabeth Chapin University of Kentucky A recent study at the University of Kentucky's Markey...

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Covid-19 cases up nearly 76% in Ky.; hospital numbers inched up

New York Times chart, adapted by Ky. Health News; to enlarge, click on it; to download, right-click. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky reported a nearly 76 percent increase in new coronavirus cases last week, and hospital numbers inched up. The state Department for Public Health's latest weekly report...

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Opinion: Covid-19 is mutating and apparently winning, so we need to take preventive measures well beyond vaccinations

Graphs by the New York Times, adapted by Kentucky Health News By Kevin Kavanagh There is no such thing as “herd immunity” for Covid-19. In this context it is a concept as antiquated as “the Earth is flat.” The theory was based upon the work of William Farr in 1840 who proposed a bell-shaped curve which illustrated...

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