A community coming together to fight an invisible disease

East County News Service

February 22, 2019 (San Diego) -- March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.  Bloomin’ Uterus, an El Cajon-based organization, will be hosting two free events in San Diego March 16 and 30 to raise awareness of this disease. Registration is required for both events.

February 13, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• For Some Kids, Measles Becomes a Time Bomb With No Cure (The Daily Beast
• Trump Highlights Health Agenda And Vows To Lower 'Unfair' Drug Prices (NPR)
• Madagascar facing devastating measles outbreak (CNN )
• Measles outbreak declared in Philippines (BBC News US )
• Whose Hearts, Livers and Lungs Are Transplanted in China? (The Epoch Times)
• Scans Show Female Brains Remain Youthful As Male Brains Wind Down (NPR)
• China Investigating Reports Of HIV-Tainted Medication (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Critics call on Apple and Google to shut down Saudi app that can restrict women’s travel (Washington Post)
• Deadly earthquake traveled at “supersonic” speeds — why that matters (National Geographic)
• As Magnetic North Pole Zooms Toward Siberia, Scientists Update World Magnetic Model (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by James Kecskes

February 8, 2019 (San Diego) - It’s February – the time of year when our attention turns to matters of the heart. What better time to get your blood pressure checked?

On Thursday, Feb. 14, people can get their blood pressure checked for free at any of nearly 300 locations across the U.S. and Mexico for Love Your Heart Day. Many faith-based organizations are getting in on the action by hosting blood pressure checks this weekend on Feb. 9 and 10.

East County News Service

February 1, 2019 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host “A Healthy Outlook on Aging, Medicines, Alcohol, Tobacco” from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, February 27.  The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. Advance RSVP is not necessary. Handouts will be available.

January 30, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• ​​​We may finally know what causes Alzheimer’s – and how to stop it  (New Scientist)
• More young Californians dying of flu than in years past (Los Angeles Times)
• Harris backs 'Medicare-for-all' and eliminating private insurance as we know it (CNN)
• There's arsenic and lead in many brands of fruit juice. Should you be concerned? (NPR)
• 2018 was second worst year for measles cases in more than two decades (CNN)
• Washington state officials declare state of emergency as measles outbreak continues (NPR)
• Survey finds higher risk of stroke among e-cigarette users (NPR)
• FDA identifies contamination source in blood pressure medications used by millions (Washington Post)

SCIENCE & TECH

• Amazon facial-identification software used by police falls short on tests for accuracy and bias (Washington Post)
• Russia tries to force Facebook and Twitter to relocate servers to Russia (Ars Technica)
• To Keep African Swine Fever Out, Denmark Is Planning A Southern Boar(der) Fence (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

January 28, 2019 (San Diego) – The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has announced a recall of thousands of cases of Fresh Peaches, Fresh Plums and Fresh Nectarines packed by Jac. Vandenberg Inc. The fruits were sold at major retailers in several states, including Costco in California.

January 24, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• The cause of Alzheimer’s could be coming from inside your mouth, study claims (Science Alert)
• New Medical Device May Eliminate Need for Some Knee Replacement Surgery   (  (Healthline)

SCIENCE & TECH

• How do you bring wildlife back to the city? (BBC)
• How anonymous tweets helped ignite a national controversy over MAGA-hat teens (Washington Post
• Family says hacked Nest camera warned them of North Korean missile attack (Washington Post)

For excerpts and full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Newsom proposes $7.5 million to fight black infant mortality.

By Dan Morain, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

January 21, 2019 (San Diego) - African-American women experience a far higher risk of pregnancy-related death than women in other ethnic groups, and black infants die at far higher rates, a threat that has promped Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose spending an extra $7.5 million to confront the issue next fiscal year.

• UC San Diego researchers use stem cells, 3D-printing to treat spinal cord injuries (10 News)
• What happens when a lifesaving drug becomes intolerably expensive? (Washington Post)
• Government Shutdown Curtails F.D.A. Food Inspections (New York Times)
• China could lift life expectancy by nearly three years if it meets WHO smog standards: study (Reuters)

• There's a simple reason why your new smart TV was so affordable: It's collecting and selling your data (Business Insider)
• Ocean Warming Is Accelerating Faster Than Thought, New Research Finds (New York Times)
• Broadcasting from Deep Space, a Mysterious Series of Radio Signals (New York Times) 
• Shifting north magnetic pole forces unprecedented navigation fix (Reuters)
• China’s Moon Plants That Sprouted Are Already Dead (Newsweek)

East County News Service

January 15, 2019 (San Diego) – The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood and platelet donors across San Diego County.  Blood and platelet donations dropped by 27,000 over the holiday/flu season. These are perishable supplies that must be replaced to meet the needs of patients in need of life-saving medical treatment.

East County News Service

January 14, 2019 (La Mesa) – Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is seeking applicants for two of its 2019 scholarship programs, one for nursing students and another for students pursuing careers as health technicians.

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service 

January 3, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Israeli researchers raise $1 million for revolutionary eye drops that could replace glasses (Nocamels)
• In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role (New York Times)
• Big Pharma ushers in new year by raising prices of more than 1,000 drugs (CBS)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• A rising threat to wildlife: electrocution (New York Times)
• 19 insanely cool gadgets that are going to sell out this year (Prime8)
• China ‘lifts mysterious veil’ by landing on moon’s dark side (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

January 1, 2019 (San Diego) – Bre Payton, 26, a conservative writer for the Federalist magazine and frequent guest commentator on Fox News and other networks, died Friday in San Diego from H1N! (swine) flu and meningitis. Her friend, Morgan Murtaugh, was staying over the holidays at Payton’s San Diego apartment and found her unconscious on Friday, December 27th, shortly after Payton was diagnosed with the flu, the New York Times reports.

Hear our interview with Bernard Mauricia, Vice President of Marketing at The Seany Foundation: click here to listen or download

Get Well Soon Retreat January 26 is latest program to help families of pediatric cancer patients

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2018 (San Diego) – “We have to be able to go out and advocate for kids with cancer to just be kids, and for families to be able to breathe…to have tools and resources to support them through their cancer journey,” says La Mesa resident Bernard Mauricia, vice president of marketing at The Seany Foundation.

The foundation runs Camp Reach for the Sky, funds cancer research and support programs for families of children with cancer. The organization also has several events coming up including a Get Well Soon Retreat in January.

The San Diego-based foundation has a mission to fund meaningful projects that enhance the lives of children and young adults affected by cancer.  The Seany Foundation is named for Sean Lewis Robins (1983-2006), who was diagnosed at age 16 with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He spent seven years battling the disease, becoming an inspiration to others with his mantra, “When nothing is certain, everything is possible!”