New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, said the national rate of methamphetamine overdose deaths shot up significantly between 2011-2018. Rates rose for both men and women, but more so among men. While much attention is focused on the opioid crisis, a methamphetamine crisis has been quietly but actively, picking up. Dr. McKenna says that use of methamphetamine Read More
New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, wants you to know that you have a greater chance of having a stroke if you sit for long periods of time. McKenna says, spending more free time seated combined with a lack of exercise is associated with an increased risk of stroke in adults. How much sitting is Read More
New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States – regardless of gender. The American Cancer Society estimates that 235,760 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly 132,000 people Read More
New Orleans Coroner, Dr. Dwight McKenna, says consistently sleeping seven hours per night is associated with optimal cognitive function and mental health for middle-aged adults. Dr. McKenna says sleep is important for physical and psychological health and serves a neuroprotective function by clearing waste products from the brain. Both lack of exercise and insufficient sleep Read More
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
