Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
June 4, 2024
Adult Health
Heart disease is the top cause of death in the U.S., and more than 60% of Americans will have it by 2050
More than 6 in 10 American adults will have some kind of cardiovascular disease by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. The projected increase is based on rising rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension, among other factors.June 4, 2024
Women's Health
Maternal deaths are far more common in the U.S. than in other high-income countries, report shows
There were 22 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. in 2022, more than double and sometimes triple the rate of other high-income countries, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Foundation. There also are wide racial disparities – the maternal mortality rate among Black women in 2022 was nearly 50 deaths per 100,000 live births.May 31, 2024
Children's Health
Girls are starting their periods earlier in life, and that may lead to adverse health issues later
Girls are getting their first periods at younger ages and it is taking longer for their menstrual cycles to regulate, new research confirms. These findings are significant because early menarche – getting your first period before age 11 – is linked to obesity, insulin resistance and high cholesterol in adulthood, and depression and anxiety in adolescence.May 30, 2024
Prevention
People who live near Limerick power plant can get free potassium iodide tablets on June 12
People who live near nuclear power plants are advised to keep potassium iodide tablets on hand in case of a radiological emergency. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is distributing free KI tablets to residents that live within 10 miles of the Limerick Generating Station in Montgomery County on Wednesday, June 12.May 29, 2024
Illness
Tattoos tied to increased risk of lymphatic cancer, study finds
People with tattoos are 21% more likely to develop lymphatic cancer, a new study suggests. But the number of tattoos or the amount of the body covered by tattoos did not seem to affect lymphoma risk. Previous research shows that when tattoo ink is injected into the skin, it activates the immune system, and ink particles travel away from the skin into the lymph nodes.May 29, 2024
Children's Health
Exposing infants to peanuts makes them less likely to have allergy in adolescence, study shows
Giving peanuts to infants as young as 4 months old reduced the risk of them developing an allergy in adolescence by 71%, according to findings published Tuesday in the journal NEJM Evidence.May 27, 2024
Health Stories
Advances in melanoma treatment saved this Lansdale man's life and changed his outlook
After being diagnosed with melanoma, Jake Schuster received immunotherapy infusions and a checkpoint inhibitor. Three years later, he remains cancer free. Immunotherapy and targeted therapies like BRAF and MEK inhibitors are being credited with reducing skin cancer death rates.May 23, 2024
Healthy Eating
Decaf coffee often contains chemical that may cause cancer, advocacy groups say
Decaffeinated coffee often contains methylene Chloride, a chemical that has been linked to cancer and other health issues. In January, the FDA filed a petition advocating for banning the chemical in food.May 22, 2024
Addiction
More Americans now use marijuana every day than alcohol, study finds
For the first time, the number of Americans who say they use marijuana every day outnumbers the number who say they consume alcohol daily, according to 2022 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.May 22, 2024
Children's Health
There's a better treatment for lazy eye than the standard approach, study finds
Most children with amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, only may need to wear glasses for several weeks – and not several months – before patching, according to a new study published in The Lancet.Just In
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