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.
September 19, 2024
Health News
The U.S. spends more on health care than other rich countries, but its system performs much worse, report finds
Americans have the shortest lives and the largest number of avoidable deaths, according to a Commonwealth Fund report that found the United States spends more on its health care system than nine other rich countries. Despite this spending, the report found the U.S. health care system performs 'dramatically lower.'September 19, 2024
Adult Health
Slap fighting, championed by UFC founder, leaves most participants with concussion signs, Pitt study warns
Slap fighting, a sport in which competitors exchange open-handed blows to the head, has been championed by Ultimate Fighting Championship founder Dana White. But most slap fighters show signs of concussion, new research from the University of Pittsburgh warns.September 18, 2024
Senior Health
Training your brain to memorize names and to-do lists may delay Alzheimer's symptoms
Research on the effects of braining training exercises has produced mixed findings. But a new study found that it may delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms. Seniors who spent two hours a week for eight weeks memorizing names and to-do lists showed improved memory and thinking skills up to five years later, researchers found.September 18, 2024
Adult Health
Exposure to zinc, copper and other metals linked to heightened risk of heart disease
Toxic metals like zinc, copper, cobalt, cadmium, uranium and tungsten found in daily environments can accumulate in the body and may worsen cardiovascular disease, a new study shows. People are exposed to cadmium through tobacco smoke and to the other metals through fertilizers, batteries, nuclear energy production and other factors.September 17, 2024
Illness
Superbugs will kill an estimated 39 million people worldwide by 2050
Antibiotic resistance is a global health concern that will cause an estimated 39 million deaths globally by 2050, a new study published in the Lancet shows. Researchers found superbugs killed 1 million people annually between 1990 and 2021.September 11, 2024
Illness
Cases of EEE, a rare but often deadly mosquito-borne illness, are higher than usual this year
Cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare but often fatal mosquito-borne illness, are higher than usual. Eight cases have been reported nationally, including one in New Jersey and four in Massachusetts. There is no cure for the virus, which can cause severe neurological disease.September 10, 2024
Fitness
Exercise helps the body store fat in a healthier way — under the skin and not near organs
Exercising doesn't just reduce fat — it helps the body store fat in a healthier way, according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Metabolism.September 5, 2024
Women's Health
To boost abortion access, Philly is allocating city funding to Planned Parenthood for the first time
Philadelphia is allocating $500,000 to Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania as part of an effort to boost access to abortion care, City Council Minority Leader Kendra Brooks said Thursday. Another $450,000 is being allocated to address period poverty and reproductive health care for low-income women.September 5, 2024
Health News
Adderall shortage prompts DEA to greenlight increased production of alternative ADHD medication
The Drug Enforcement Administration is allowing production of Vyvanse and its generic forms to increase due to the shortage of Adderall, which has diminished the availability of other medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Vyvanse is a scheduled drug, but approved for the treatment of ADHD.September 4, 2024
Illness
Cellphones do not cause brain cancer, WHO researchers conclude
People have longed feared that cellphones may cause brain cancer, because they emit electromagnetic radiation and people hold them close to their heads. But a research review of 63 studies concludes the mobile devices do not cause cancer.Just In
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