January 2012 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Middle-Aged Brains Are Already Past Their Prime

A study of more than 7,000 British civil servants finds that age-related declines in cognitive ability start as early as 45. The results suggest that efforts to head off mental problems late in life need to begin in middle age, the study's authors...

Published Fri, Jan 06 2012 8:46 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Seeing Doctors' Notes Could Help Patients Change Ways

For patients, the effect of seeing their doctors' notes in black and white can be huge. A note labeling a patient as obese, for example, may be much more effective than a physician's advice to lose weight. Read More...

Published Tue, Jan 17 2012 8:35 AM by Shots - Health Blog

India Marks A Year Free Of Polio

The absence of a new polio case in India is a milestone in the decades-long effort to wipe the poliovirus from the face of the planet. Only a few years ago, India reported more polio cases than any other country in the world. Read More...

Published Fri, Jan 13 2012 1:48 PM by Shots - Health Blog

The Sleep Apnea Business Is Booming, And Insurers Aren't Happy

Sleep apnea is a condition that can raise the risk of several serious illnesses, including heart disease. Testing for the condition is a lucrative business, and sleep labs have sprung up across the country. But as spending skyrockets, insurers are rethinking...

Published Sun, Jan 15 2012 9:01 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Drugmakers Boost Prices, Despite Political Risks

This month, the biggest companies raised list prices for brand-name drugs an average of 4.5 percent. Back in Jan. 2008, the same companies raised prices an average of 2.8 percent. Read More...

Published Fri, Jan 13 2012 10:56 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Home Births Grow More Popular In U.S.

Advocates of home births applaud the trend, but some doctors caution there are risks when deliveries come with complications. The federal data suggest the trend appears to be driven primarily by the choices of older, white women. Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 26 2012 9:36 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Women Report More Pain Than Men From Same Ailments

Women don't suffer in silence. They report feeling more pain than men from such common conditions as ankle sprains and sinus infections, a Stanford study finds. A better understanding of gender differences in pain could lead to better treatments....

Published Mon, Jan 23 2012 12:26 PM by Shots - Health Blog

L.A. Mayor Makes Condom Use The Law In Porn Films

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the controversial ordinance into law this week. After the city clerk posts the rule, it would take effect in 41 days. Some makers of adult films have said they would shoot elsewhere rather than comply. Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 25 2012 10:54 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Texas Asks Feds To Delay Health Insurance Rebate Plan

Under the Affordable Care Act, health plans that spend too much on administrative costs instead of medical care are required to offer rebates to customers. Some states, such as Texas, aren't ready for this change just yet. Read More...

Published Mon, Jan 09 2012 9:01 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Gaps In Health Coverage Can Disrupt Preventive Care

People who go on and off health insurance fare as badly as people without coverage when it comes to preventive care. A study finds that gaps in coverage lead people with diabetes to skip tests that help keep the illness in check. Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 04 2012 1:08 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Feds: Standardizing Electronic Health Payments Could Save $4.5 Billion

A proposed federal rule would set uniform standards for how health insurance companies are to pay electronic claims for health care services. It would encourage the use of electronic, rather than paper, claims. Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 05 2012 11:53 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Many Older Women May Not Need Frequent Bone Scans

Many older women currently get scans every two years to check for signs of osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that can cause painful spine fractures and broken hips. But a new study suggests perhaps half of women over 67 might not need such bone scans...

Published Wed, Jan 18 2012 3:30 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Study: Weight-Loss Surgery Can Cut Deaths From Heart Attacks, Strokes

Morbidly obese people who had bariatric surgery had fewer heart attacks and strokes than similar people who didn't have the surgery, Swedish researchers found. Even so, a U.S. surgeon cautions that the benefits of the procedure don't necessarily...

Published Tue, Jan 03 2012 1:48 PM by Shots - Health Blog

In US, Hospital Round Trips More Common For Heart Attack Patients

In the U.S., hospitalized heart attack patients go home sooner than in other countries. They are also more likely to return to the hospital within a month of being discharged. Read More...

Published Wed, Jan 04 2012 9:10 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Diabetes' Economic Toll Goes Far Beyond Medical Bills

Researchers found that even after adjusting for family background, obesity and various illnesses, young people with diabetes were more likely to drop out of high school than those without the illness. They were also more likely to skip or fail to complete...

Published Mon, Jan 09 2012 1:21 PM by Shots - Health Blog

January 2012 - NPR Health Blog

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