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North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing forward with their plan to repeal a pandemic-era law that allowed the wearing of masks in public for health reasons, a move spurred in part by demonstrations against the war in Gaza that have included masked protesters camped out on college campuses. The legislation cleared the Senate on Wednesday in a 30-15 vote along party lines despite several attempts by state Senate Democrats to change the bill. The bill, which would raise penalties for someone who wears a mask while committing a crime, including arrested ...

Mount Nittany Health ExpressCARE celebrated with ribbon-cutting ceremony

STATE COLLEGE — On Monday, May 6, Mount Nittany Health held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Mount Nittany Health ExpressCARE. Open 7 days a week from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mount Nittany Health ExpressCARE is a new service that provides care for minor illnesses and injuries, ...

Breast cancer screenings important during pregnancy

Receiving the news that you’re pregnant can bring about many emotions, and in the weeks and months that follow, many mothers-to-be concentrate on picking a name, preparing their home for the baby, attending appointments, and ensuring they’re doing all that is necessary for their baby’s and their health. But one aspect of a woman’s health often gets missed during pregnancy — their regularly scheduled preventative breast cancer screenings. Although breast cancer diagnosis is rare in pregnant women, and the cancer is not caused by the pregnancy, it can happen. Breast cancer ...

Geisinger enrolls first patient in amyloid cardiomyopathy trial

DANVILLE, — Cardiologist Brendan Carry, MD, and a team of Geisinger physicians have enrolled the first patient in the U.S. into a cardiac amyloidosis trial. The team is also the first in the U.S. to screen for the trial. “If a patient qualifies for the clinical trial, it will allow us to provide a treatment option when they receive an amyloidosis diagnosis without having to travel outside of the region for care,” said Dr. Carry. “Geisinger is at the forefront of research and technological advancements that allow for better patient outcomes and improvements in their quality of ...

A gene long thought to just raise the risk for Alzheimer’s may cause some cases

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene. Scientists have long known a gene called APOE4 is one of many things that can increase people’s risk for Alzheimer’s, including simply getting older. The vast majority of Alzheimer’s cases occur after age 65. But research published Monday suggests that for people who carry not one but two copies of the gene, it’s more than a risk factor, it’s an underlying cause of the mind-robbing disease. The ...