May 2012 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

All Routine PSA Tests For Prostate Cancer Should End, Task Force Says

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says the testing doesn't save enough lives to justify the risk of unnecessary surgery and radiation. But one testing supporter says, "If all PSA screening were to stop, there would be thousands of men who...

Published Mon, May 21 2012 5:20 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Woman Charged In Death Of Fetus Is Out Of Jail

Shuai, a Chinese immigrant who lives in Indiana, is still facing charges of murder and feticide following a failed suicide attempt in Dec. 2010, when she was 33 weeks pregnant. Read More...

Published Tue, May 22 2012 2:19 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Will Men And Their Doctors Change Course On PSA Tests?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said the harms, such as false alarms and unnecessary surgeries that leave some men impotent and incontinent, outweigh the benefits of routine PSA blood testing for prostate cancer. But it's far from clear that...

Published Wed, May 23 2012 12:33 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Arrests Made In $75 Million Prescription Drug Heist

Federal authorities brought charges yesterday against 22 people they say were part of an organized crime ring that stole $100 million of prescription drugs and other goods. Such drug thefts still pose threats to consumers and the pharmaceutical industry...

Published Fri, May 04 2012 10:37 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Moms Often Overlook Toddlers' Weight Problems

More than two-thirds of the mothers participating in a recent study were inaccurate in their assessments. And the biggest problem was moms who thought their overweight toddlers were just fine. Read More...

Published Mon, May 07 2012 3:09 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Shopping Bags Can Also Carry Stomach Flu Virus

Norovirus particles can fly through the air, land on things like plastic bags and survive there for weeks, according to an investigation of a stomach flu outbreak in Oregon. The researchers say this proves you don't have to have direct contact with...

Published Wed, May 09 2012 6:54 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Are Democrats Reaching On Latest 'War On Women' Claim?

When House Republicans sought to offset the cost of a federal student loan bill by cutting funding from a $15 billion preventive health fund, the proposal drew howls from Democrats. Was it a fair criticism? Read More...

Published Tue, May 01 2012 12:56 PM by Shots - Health Blog

First Of Controversial Bird Flu Studies Is Published

The paper describes experiments that suggest just a few genetic changes could potentially make a bird flu virus capable of becoming contagious in humans and causing a dangerous pandemic. A fierce debate has raged over this study for months, because of...

Published Wed, May 02 2012 11:41 AM by Shots - Health Blog

What's Up, Doc? When Your Doctor Rushes Like The Road Runner

When it comes to time, there is a stubborn feeling among patients that doctors are in too big of a hurry. That is troubling – and frustrating – to physicians who feel that they are already packing more into every work day and are stretched thin by paperwork...

Published Thu, May 24 2012 1:01 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Backers Of Cost-Free Coverage For Birth Control Fault Legal Challenges

Defenders of an Obama administration rule requiring most health insurance plans to offer access to contraception without copays say there's no validity to arguments it violates religious freedom. Read More...

Published Fri, May 25 2012 12:26 PM by Shots - Health Blog

With PSA Testing, The Power Of Anecdote Often Trumps Statistics

A federal task force's recommendations against routine blood tests for prostate cancer raises big questions about how to interpret medical evidence and what role expert panels should play in how doctors practice. But those questions aren't easy...

Published Mon, May 28 2012 12:22 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Employers Less Likely To Drop Coverage Than You Might Think

Only 8 percent of U.S. employers surveyed have plans to drop health coverage altogether. But half of the companies questioned by consulting firm Oliver Wyman do plan on make big changes to the coverage they offer. Read More...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 7:33 AM by Shots - Health Blog

As Psychiatric Wards Close, Patients Languish In Emergency Rooms

A study found psychiatric patients waited an average of eleven and a half hours in hospital emergency rooms before being treated or released. That's in part because many hospitals have decided it's not economically viable to keep psychiatric wards...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 11:53 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Why Do Bike-Share Riders Skip Helmets?

Researchers found that only 20 percent of riders using shared bicycles wear helmets, despite the risk of injury. We took to the streets of Washington, D.C., to ask bicyclists, with and without helmets, about their choices. Read More...

Published Thu, May 03 2012 1:57 PM by Shots - Health Blog

FDA Gets Advice To Approve First Pill To Cut HIV Infections

A panel of experts said that Truvada, a daily pill, could help protect healthy people at high risk for HIV infection. The benefits, in their view, outweigh possible side effects, including kidney damage and a dangerous increase in acid in the blood. Read...

Published Fri, May 11 2012 7:14 AM by Shots - Health Blog

May 2012 - NPR Health Blog

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives