Health

Legislative leaders say there’s growing momentum to legalize the controversial cannabidiol, or CBD, for all Hoosiers.

Supporters of proposed House legislation say the measure would kick start Indiana’s industrial hemp industry. The bill would conform state law with the 2014 federal farm bill, which legalized hemp product and any of its derivatives – which includes CBD.

While Indiana’s health ranking ticked up on a recent annual report, health leaders say there’s more work to be done. A new data tool that highlights specific issues may provide some insight into focus areas. The tool from the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana breaks down top health priorities by county.

The United Health Foundation’s annual state rankings are out. Indiana was ranked 38th in the country, up one spot from last year.

The analysis provides a benchmark for states and in Indiana does see improvements like drops in smoking rates and childhood poverty. Low health provider access continues to be an issue says Dr. Julia Daftari with United Health Care in Indiana.

An annual report card to assess states’ readiness to face health threats like disease, natural disaster or bioterrorism finds Indiana near the bottom. The state scored three out of 10 in analysis from the Trust for America’s Health.

Indiana scores a three out of 10 on its ability to address a number of health threats. Paul Kuehnert, assistant vice president for programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says these threats are very real.

“Whether they are from a unique flu bug, from a bioterrorist threat or from something like a natural disaster,” Kuehnert says.

A small group of youth workers in the state had the opportunity to learn more about how to help these children whose emotional and mental wellbeing is often impacted.

One in 10 Indiana children have a parent who is incarcerated. That’s one of the highest rates in the nation.

Indiana University scientists have identified a new link between a genetic disorder and one of its under-studied characteristics. The research focuses on the abnormal tissue growth of people with what’s called Fragile X Syndrome.

The syndrome is an inherited genetic disorder that is most known for causing intellectual disabilities. IU researcher Arthur Luhur has focused on the biological factors.

“Nobody really knows what happens to the tissues inside the organs with all the focus being on the neuronal problems,” says Luhur.

A new pain medication, part of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly’s non-opioid pain management platform, took another step forward.

The drug is called galcanezumab. It’s one of three being crafted by Eli Lilly to treat chronic and serious pain. The medicine has shown promising results in a series of trials says Dr. Robert Conley, Lilly global development leader for migraine.

“Around 60 percent of our patients lost more than half of their headache days and some patients even got to 100 percent loss of headache,” says Conley