June 2012 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

How To Spot A 'Neglected Tropical Disease'

Here's a hint: Compare the number of scientific papers on a disease with the number of people affected by the illness. There's lots of research on diabetes and not so much on elephantiasis. Read More...

Published Thu, Jun 21 2012 9:52 AM by Shots - Health Blog

What's Different About The Brains Of People With Autism?

There's growing evidence that the difference involves the fibers that carry information from one part of the brain to another. Brain scans of people with autism show a lack of synchrony between different areas of the brain. Read More...

Published Sun, Jun 03 2012 11:43 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Two Questions For Your Doctor Before A Colonoscopy

Before a colonoscopy, ask the doctor about his or her detection rate for polyps. And find out how long, on average, the doctor takes to perform the test. About 10 minutes is the optimal duration, a recent analysis says. Read More...

Published Tue, Jun 05 2012 7:38 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Independent Grades For Hospitals Show Quality Could Be Better

Move over restaurants. Now hospitals are getting letter grades based on their patient safety performance from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that's looking to improve the quality and safety of health care. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 06 2012 8:20 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Scientists Tackle The Geography Of Nature Vs. Nature In Maps Of U.K.

Genes and the environment both shape health and development. But their effects are not always equal. Researchers in the U.K. say they've mapped hotspots where nature has a stronger influence, and others where nurture dominates. Read More...

Published Thu, Jun 14 2012 7:05 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Pure Ecstasy Is Safe, Canadian Doctor Says, But Don't Buy 'E' On The Street

But British Columbia's chief medical officer stresses that there's a big difference between pure ecstasy and the stuff that gets cut with other chemicals and makes up the vast majority of what's sold on the street. Read More...

Published Thu, Jun 14 2012 2:19 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Calif. Runs With Health Law Without Waiting On Supreme Court

The country's most populous state is already implementing the law, and it hasn't slowed down in recent weeks as the rest of the country waits to hear from the Supreme Court. Officials say the state isn't doing any contingency planning in the...

Published Fri, Jun 15 2012 2:27 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Pills On The Job: Companies Add Prescription Services

Some companies are adding drug dispensaries to their on-site health clinics. Others are offering concierge services that deliver drugs right to workers' desks. The companies hope to improve workers' compliance with doctors' orders by making...

Published Tue, Jun 19 2012 7:50 AM by Shots - Health Blog

A Few Drinks While Pregnant May Be OK

A Danish study suggest that light and moderate drinking during pregnancy may be not be hazardous for the fetus. But the researchers advise that to be absolutely safe, women should refraining from drinking while pregnant. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 20 2012 9:39 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Health Care Law Upheld: Now What?

Now that the Supreme Court has decided that the Affordable Care Act can stand, it's time to think about what the law actually means for your medical coverage. So let's review the changes the law has already wrought and those that still lie ahead...

Published Thu, Jun 28 2012 12:55 PM by Shots - Health Blog

The Day After A Health Care Crescendo, Each Side Plays A Familiar Refrain

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act are back to singing its praises and doling out money. Opponents are trying to focus on the one aspect of the case that they won, limiting government's ability to withhold Medicaid money from states. Read More...

Published Fri, Jun 29 2012 3:27 PM by Shots - Health Blog

New Fetal Genetics Test: Less Risk, More Controversy

Scientists have deciphered the entire genetic code of a fetus, taking a sample from the mother's blood. While less risky than current alternatives, it also leaps into the abortion debate, with parents eventually having the option to test for all kinds...

Published Thu, Jun 07 2012 5:52 PM by Shots - Health Blog

To Sniff Out Childhood Allergies, Researchers Head To The Farm

Soaring rates of allergies among children in recent decades have researchers puzzled. One theory says we're too clean, so kids' immune systems never learn how to deal with foreign invaders - even the harmless ones. Researchers now hope they'll...

Published Mon, Jun 11 2012 1:31 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Panel Questions Benefits Of Vitamin D Supplements

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded in draft recommendations released Tuesday that taking vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day doesn't reduce the risk for bone fractures among postmenopausal women. So the group is taking...

Published Tue, Jun 12 2012 9:38 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Finally, A Map Of All The Microbes On Your Body

The human body contains about 100 trillion cells, but only maybe one in 10 of those cells is actually human. The rest are from bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Now, scientists have unveiled the first survey the "human microbiome,"...

Published Wed, Jun 13 2012 12:48 PM by Shots - Health Blog

June 2012 - NPR Health Blog

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