February 2011 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Drugs To Prevent Weak Bones Linked To Unusual Fractures In Women

The strange fractures that may be associated with certain osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates occur low on the thighbone, where the femur is usually strongest. Bone specialists say the benefits of the drugs still outweigh their risks. Read More...

Published Wed, Feb 23 2011 5:28 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

GOP Counts The Ways To Defund Health Law

House Republicans have come up with more than half a dozen ways to throttle spending on overhaul. Democrats in the Senate can block them, and President Obama still wields the veto pen. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 22 2011 2:05 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Virus Passed During Oral Sex Tops Tobacco As Throat Cancer Cause

The more oral sex someone has had, the greater their risk of getting oral cancers that grow in the middle part of the throat. Transmission of the human papillomavirus is the reason, a leading researcher says. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 22 2011 1:03 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Supreme Court Upholds Liability Shield For Vaccine Makers

In a closely watched case, the high court ruled 6-2 that federal law shields vaccine makers from suits filed in state courts seeking compensation for injuries or deaths allegedly due to design problems with the vaccines. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 22 2011 11:55 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

One Solution For The Revolving Admissions Door At Hospitals

To reduce the odds a patient will have to return to the hospital, some health systems are trying to do a better job coordinating care. Starting in 2012, the federal health law will penalize hospitals for excess readmissions for some conditions. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 22 2011 6:28 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Your Health Podcast: Sidewalk Rage And Dangerous Cheese

This week in your health: pedestrian aggression, the long-term benefit of children learning self-control early, and a link between baldness and prostate cancer. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 7:04 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

New Contraception Rules Spark 'Conscience Clause' Debate

Religious exemptions that allow health care workers to decline certain services to patients if they have a religious exemption should not include contraception. That's the bottom line of the administration's new regulations on the "conscience...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 3:03 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

In Funding Hunt, FDA Looks To Fees From Generic Drugmakers

In an environment of increasingly tough budgets, the Food and Drug Administration is stepping up calls for the drug, medical device, and food industry to kick in some money. Right now, the agency is focusing on generic drug makers. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 10:31 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Psychotherapy and Exercise Look Best To Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A study of four different treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome finds that psychotherapy and gradual increases in exercise were clearly better than specialist care or an approach called "adaptive pacing," favored by some patients. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 9:59 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

L.A. Hospital Transplants Wrong Kidney Into Patient

The mistake at USC University appears to have happened when two kidneys from different donors got mixed up. The transplant program has been halted while the problems are investigated and corrected. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 6:41 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

The Doctor Will Tweet You Now

A look at doctors on Twitter found about half their tweets had something to do with health or medicine. About 3 percent of their tweets were found to be unprofessional, according to a new analysis. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 17 2011 1:38 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

From The Archives: Take Only What You Can Eat!

In 1944, the U.S. Navy was worried about sailors wasting food. But, a poster from the time that encourages moderation on the chow line resonates today for a different reason. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 17 2011 8:23 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Nearly 10,000 Kids A Year Injured In Cribs, Bassinets And Playpens

Falls are the biggest problem and caused two-thirds of injuries. Cribs accounted for 83 percent of the problems over the 19-year study period. About 1 in 5 injuries were concussions or other head injuries that didn't break the skin. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 17 2011 6:36 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Health Hardliners To GOP: Most Americans Are 'Over-Insured'

The conservative group FreedomWorks recommends a system of vouchers to replace Medicare, Medicaid and provisions of the new health law. Read More...

Published Wed, Feb 16 2011 1:26 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Health Hard-Liners To GOP: Most Americans Are 'Over-Insured'