Health

A new survey from West Health and Gallup finds that Americans see a major difference in approach when it comes to physical healthcare versus mental healthcare in the U.S. The same survey also found that more than 80% of Americans are seeing a rise in mental health issues over the last 5 years. KTVU's Cristina Rendon discusses the findings with Timothy Lash, President of West Health Institute, which spearheaded this survey.

In a major shift, marijuana could soon be reclassified as a less dangerous drug in the U.S. Last fall, federal health officials had recommended to reschedule marijuana and now, the U.S. Department of Drug Enforcement plans to move forward with reclassifying. Changing its status from a Schedule One drug to a Schedule Three drug could have a ripple effect across the country. KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the possible change with Tamar Todd, Lecturer of marijuana law and policy at UC Berkeley.

A new investigative report is shining a light on the number of people dying in police custody after being given sedatives. Those drugs, administered by paramedics, are meant to calm people who are agitated or combative during an arrest. The AP collaborated with PBS's Frontline and The Howard Center of Investigative Journalism to dig into the numbers. They found between 2012 and 2021, more than 1,000 people died following police restraint and nearly 10% of those who died, were sedated by injection. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes discuss the report with Carla K. Johnson, a medical journalist with the Associated Press and one of the lead reporters involved in this investigation.

Today Governor Newsom announced the state is buying a generic version of overdose-reversal drug Narcan at a reduced price to boost supply across California and combat the rising number of opioid-related deaths. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Michael Snow from The HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County (HEPPAC) about the impact of this purchasing agreement and how the Naloxone Distribution Program aims to fight the opioid epidemic.

April marks National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month. KTVU's Alex Savidge sits down with Dr. Naomi Adler, Emergency Room physician at Kaiser Permanente to talk about the obstacles survivors face, and the available resources for healing.

KTVU's Jana Katsuyama speaks with Kaiser Permanente East Bay OBGYN Dr. Carla Wicks about some of the steps we can take to correct racial bias and disparity in women's healthcare.

After 5 years with COVID-19, health experts say there is still much to learn about the virus that causes the disease. At the height of the pandemic, hospitals were overwhelmed with patients with severe cases of the respiratory virus including life-threatening complications. It was believed that a certain type of lung cell made some people more susceptible to severe infection but now that is no longer the case. KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Stanford scientists Catherine Blish and Mark Krasnow about their critical new research that found a different suspected source of vulnerability. Illustration by Emily Moskal.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 22,000 Americans are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year, but it doesn't have to be a death sentence. KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Kaiser Permanente Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Velotta and his patient Francisca Ortiz about her fight against esophageal cancer at age 61 and how she found out something was wrong in the first place.

KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the nuanced challenges of combating addiction and preventing additional overdose deaths with Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress.

According to the San Francisco Health Department, 64 people died from accidental overdoses in February of this year including 47 from fentanyl. Now a new study shows the number of people using meth and also fentanyl here in California is at an all-time high. 72% of drug test results in 2023 from those who used fentanyl also contained meth, resulting in more than a 2000% increase since 2013. KTVU's Joey Horta discusses the report with Angela Huskey, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Millennium Health, whose researchers gathered the data.

April is Stress Awareness Month, and recognizing what stress looks and feels like is the first step to reducing it in your life. KTVU's Cristina Rendon breaks down the best ways to manage stress on a daily basis with Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Rita Ng, Oakland Medical Center Physician in Chief.

April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, where organizations in the Bay Area and across the country work to draw attention to the issue and resources available for survivors. According to the CDC, more than half of women and a third of men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Leah Kimble-Price, Executive Director at Bay Area Women Against Rape about the best ways to support survivors this month and all year round.

For National Choking Awareness Day, Federico's Grill and Washington Hospital Healthcare System hosts "Kiko's Gift: A Legacy of Life and Love for Community". The event aims to train and teach restaurant workers how to recognize and respond to a choking emergency and prevent loss of life at the dinner table. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Kimberly Hartz with Washington Hospital Healthcare System about Kiko Rodriquez' legacy, who tragically died in a 2022 choking accident.

Stress is a major health problem taking a physical and mental toll on Americans and when it comes to management, many are struggling to cope. According to the American Psychological Association's most recent survey, nearly 3 in 5 adults or 62% say they do not regularly talk about their overall stress levels because they do not want to burden others. Ahead of National Stress Awareness Month in April, KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Dr. Pam Orren, clinical psychologist at Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek about the most common causes of stress, how they impact our overall health and what we can do to bring our stress levels down.

KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Michele Goodwin, constitutional law expert and professor at Georgetown University about the legal case against Mifepristone brought before the Supreme Court.

A Bay Area teen who recently survived cardiac arrest at just 13 years old spoke at the Heart Ball this weekend in Sacramento where she helped raise $250,000 for the American Heart Association. Heather Freligh and the friends who helped save her life back in September were also recognized by the 911 for Kids Foundation. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined in studio by Heather and her dad Derek as well as her friend McKenna Adamo, one of the young women who jumped into action to help her when she collapsed at school, for more on their advocacy plans moving forward.