October 2011 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Despite His Public Prominence, Jobs Waged Health Battle Privately

Even now, there is more we don't know about Steve Jobs' health struggle than we know. From a rare type of cancer to a liver transplant performed under great secrecy, details about the Apple CEO's illnesses and treatments remained hidden. Read...

Published Thu, Oct 06 2011 1:33 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Impotence Drug Approved To Treat Enlarged Prostate Symptoms

Cialis, a popular remedy for impotence, has now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. It's the ninth drug okayed for relieving those symptoms but the only one approved for both...

Published Fri, Oct 07 2011 1:44 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Losing Weight: A Battle Against Fat And Biology

Most people who lose weight end up gaining it back — and it's not just a matter of willpower. In fact, once we begin to shed those first few pounds, says one expert, "the biology really kicks in and tries to resist the weight loss." Read...

Published Mon, Oct 31 2011 1:52 AM by Shots - Health Blog

How Hairdressers Can Help Fight Skin Cancer

Over a lifetime, our heads and necks receive a ton of exposure to the sun's UV rays. But most medical checkups don't include exhaustive exams of our hair and head. So public health researchers want to recruit hair stylists to help. It turns out...

Published Tue, Oct 18 2011 8:05 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

IQ Isn't Set In Stone, Suggests Study That Finds Big Jumps, Dips In Teens

A new study documents significant fluctuations in the IQs of a group of British teenagers. The findings bolster the theory that the IQ test isn't a measure of a person's "fixed" intellectual capacity but rather, a gauge of acquired knowledge...

Published Wed, Oct 19 2011 11:29 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Look Around: 1 In 10 Americans Takes Antidepressants

Antidepressant use has surged almost 400 percent since the early 1990s. Women and adolescent girls are 2 1/2 times more likely than men and adolescent boys to be taking one of the pills. Read More...

Published Thu, Oct 20 2011 6:47 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Biggest Study Yet Finds No Cancer Risk From Cellphones

When researchers dug into Danish cancer data, teasing out cases involving people who'd had cellphones with those who hadn't, they found no increased risk of brain tumors. Swedish researchers also noted in an editorial that national rates of glioma...

Published Fri, Oct 21 2011 7:46 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Big-Name Drugs Are Falling Off The 'Patent Cliff'

Dozens of popular high-end pharmaceuticals — from Lipitor to Nexium to Plavix — are going off-patent in the coming months and years. That will lead to a big drop in drug costs. But analysts say that could be offset by a price increase in other areas....

Published Mon, Oct 24 2011 2:22 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Key Panel Recommends Routine HPV Vaccination For Boys

Experts voted to recommend to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all 11- and 12-year-old boys be vaccinated with Gardasil, Merck's vaccine against human papillomavirus. Vaccinations could start as early as age 9. Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 25 2011 10:19 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Supplements Look Risky In Study Of Older Women

Use of many common supplements — iron, in particular — appeared to increase the risk of dying, and only calcium supplements appeared to reduce mortality risk. The increased risk amounted to a few percentage points in most instances. Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 11 2011 1:03 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Avastin For *** Cancer: Hope Versus False Hope

A cancer specialist on an expert panel that voted against keeping Avastin's approval for *** cancer intact explained his decision. He couldn't imagine recommending a drug that only limits progression of cancer without lengthening patient's...

Published Thu, Oct 13 2011 7:27 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Early Deadline For Medicare Enrollment This Year

The annual enrollment period for privately run Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug benefits starts Saturday, rather than in mid-November as in past years. The deadline for enrollment has also been pushed up — to Dec. 7 from Dec. 31. Read More...

Published Fri, Oct 14 2011 7:05 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

October 2011 - NPR Health Blog

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives