November 2011 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Health Law's Popularity Rises ... Ever So Slightly

After hitting an all-time low in October, support for President Obama's signature health overhaul law seems to have rebounded — at least among Democrats. Overall, the law still has more detractors than backers, and a lot of people still aren't...

Published Wed, Nov 30 2011 11:55 AM by Shots - Health Blog

A Disco Beat Isn't Enough For CPR Stardom

Listening to the right song helps paramedics give CPR at the right rate. But don't install a jukebox in the ambulance just yet. Musical accompaniment may lead people to press incorrectly even when they press often enough. Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 03 2011 8:40 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Drug Shortages Affect More Than Half A Million Cancer Patients

So far this year, there have been shortages of more than 200 drugs, including treatments for cancer and high blood pressure. Cancer drugs have been hit the worst, and an analysis estimates 550,000 patients in the U.S. have been affected. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 15 2011 5:50 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Hospitals Offer Alternative Treatments: Acupuncture, Yes; Ginkgo, No

A survey finds 42 percent of hospitals offer at least one type of complementary or alternative medicine treatment. Those hospitals that offer the options cite patient demand as the top reason. Clinical effectiveness is the No. 2 reason. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 15 2011 8:18 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Emergency Room Closures Hit Minorities, Poor Hardest

When a California hospital closes its emergency room, many residents may feel the effect. And according to a new report, hospitals whose patients tend to be black or on Medicaid are more likely to shut down their ERs than others. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 16 2011 2:00 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Supreme Court To Decide Constitutionality Of Health Law

The legal showdown will decide once and for all if the administration's sweeping law to extend insurance coverage to millions of Americans will stand. The court has scheduled more than five hours of oral arguments for the case. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 14 2011 7:57 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Pumped-Up Hoodia Weight-Loss Claims Put Vacation House On Block

The Federal Trade Commission said it has reached a settlement with David J. Romeo and two companies he controlled that bans them from "making any weight-loss claims while marketing foods, drugs, and dietary supplements." Under the agreement...

Published Fri, Nov 04 2011 8:20 AM by Shots - Health Blog

'Personhood' Divides Anti-Abortion Groups

Some foes of abortion haven't supported efforts to define legal personhood as beginning with the fertilization of a human egg because of concerns about unintended consequences. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 09 2011 2:12 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Tests Find Formaldehyde In More Hair Straighteners

While some brands of hair straightener bill themselves as free of formaldehyde, some may contain significant concentrations of the chemical, an irritant and a cancer risk. An independent study confirms previous government reports that some hair products...

Published Fri, Nov 11 2011 9:40 AM by Shots - Health Blog

A Texas-Size Health Insurance Mandate For Heart Tests

A Texas law signed by Gov. Rick Perry made it mandatory for health insurers to reimburse patients up to $200 for CT scans and ultrasound tests to look for heart trouble. Texas, it turns out, is No. 4 in the nation when it comes health insurance mandates...

Published Wed, Nov 16 2011 8:29 AM by Shots - Health Blog

When to Worry About Smart Kids and Drugs

Do children with high IQs grow up to be drug abusers? That was the startling headline on a new research study. But lack of parental supervision and untreated mental health problems are far more likely to be issues, and those are things that parents can...

Published Fri, Nov 18 2011 7:09 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Poor Economy May Be Coloring Views Of Nation's Health

A nationwide poll found that 45 percent of people thought the health of Americans had become worse during the past five years, and 40 percent thought it had stayed about the same. Only 13 percent thought it was better. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 07 2011 11:55 AM by Shots - Health Blog

This Is A Spinal Tap

In the popular imagination, spinal taps get top symbolic billing when it comes to medically induced pain and foreboding. But a Mayo Clinic neurologist explains they are no big deal when performed properly. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 11 2011 12:36 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Unhappiest Hospital Patients Are In New York City, Chicago And Florida

Patients in those places gave some of the lowest evaluations of their hospital stays, Medicare data show. The surveys asked patients how well their doctors and nurses communicated, whether their pain was always handled welland whether their rooms were...

Published Tue, Nov 08 2011 8:55 AM by Shots - Health Blog

The Pill: Not Just For Pregnancy Prevention

Among the reasons for using oral contraception other than the most obvious one are reducing cramps associated with periods, regulating periods, which for some women can prevent menstrual-related migraine headaches. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 15 2011 12:55 PM by Shots - Health Blog

November 2011 - NPR Health Blog

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