New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says changes in our climate are affecting pollen counts, pollen sources, even the spread of plants, and as a result, allergies are more frequent and more severe. So, no, its not just your imagination: your allergies are getting worse. Dr. McKenna says, compared with 1990, pollen season today kicks Read More

New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, is focusing on lifestyle medicine. Dr. McKenna says early detection of chronic disease has too often been defined as prevention; and despite early detection, trends of obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension continue to go up. Today, more than half of American adults now live with at least one Read More

Many people are asking New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, what is immunotherapy? Dr. McKenna says immunotherapy is different from other cancer therapies that work in the bloodstream. Instead of destroying both cancer cells and healthy cells, as chemotherapy does, immunotherapy drugs help the immune system recognize cancer cells as invaders and work to get Read More

In 2021, there were (492) accidental drug deaths in New Orleans, a 35% increase compared to (365) in 2020. In 2021, 77% were male, and 23% were female, similar to previous years. In 2021, (304) 62% were black, (164) 33% were white, (13) 3% were hispanic, (6) 1% were asian, and (5) 1% were other/unknown. Read More

New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says opioid related drug overdose deaths are on the rise. In fact, deaths in the United States exploded to an estimated high of 69,031 in 2020 and 49,860 in 2021 according to a new report from the CDC. Most deaths, Dr. McKenna says involve synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. Read More

If you like a drink every now and then, there are things you should know about how alcohol impacts your heart. According to New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, the widely held notion that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol is good for cardiovascular health is not supported by the research. The World Heart Read More

According to New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, and the CDC, If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did safely prior to the pandemic while wearing a mask. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Learn how COVID-19 spreads and practice these actions to Read More

New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says it’s not unusual for people to gain up to 5 to 7 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Dr. McKenna says even if you gain one pound during the holiday season, the weight adds up and can reach 10-20 pounds over a decade. Dr. McKenna says it’s Read More

May 17, 2021 This notice is to inform the public that the New Orleans Coroner’s Office has declared an emergency under R.S. 38:2212(P)  that a major roof leak occurred during the overnight freeze on February 16, 2021, resulting in severe damage to the office’s only X-ray machine. As a result, The Coroner’s Office has been renting an X-ray Read More

According to Orleans Parish Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, stroke ranks second behind heart disease as the leading cause of death across the world. This accounts for 1 of every 19 deaths and remains a serious concern for medical experts and patients who suffer. According to the Center For Disease Control: • In 2018, 1 in Read More