NPR Health Blog

Slippery Banana Peels Could Be A Savior For Polluted Water

Researchers have found that the oft-maligned banana peel can grab heavy metals like copper and lead out of polluted water. Chopped-up peels performed as well or better than many other filtering materials like silica or carbon. This newly discovered banana...

Published Thu, Aug 11 2011 1:01 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Hackers Hijack Websites In Online Pharmacy Scam

People searching online for information on prescription drugs have a 1 in 3 chance in being secretly hijacked to an online pharmacy instead, according to new research. Legitimate health information sites are being crowded out of search results by these...

Published Fri, Aug 12 2011 1:08 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Vampire Bats. Bites. Rabies. Oh My!

After a 19-year-old man died of rabies in New Orleans, doctors found that the virus was transmitted by a vampire bat. Rabies cases are rare in the U.S. with most cases caused by bites from plain old insect-eating bats. Read More...

Published Mon, Aug 15 2011 11:59 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Perry Hopes To Turn Medical Liability Record Into Votes

Texas Gov. and presidential candidate Rick Perry is passionate on one point about health care. Fixing the nation's health care system must include a major reform of the medical malpractice system. Read More...

Published Fri, Aug 26 2011 1:06 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Bird Flu Flies Again, Prompting UN Advisory

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization warned of a "possible major resurgence" of H5N1 influenza, including a mutant virus that appears to be unfazed by available vaccines. Read More...

Published Mon, Aug 29 2011 11:58 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Taming High Health Costs Takes Taming High-Tech

Two economists doubt accountable care organizations, a key tool for improving costs and quality under the federal health overhaul, will be able to temper the medical system's lust for the latest expensive technology. Costs and quality of care are...

Published Tue, Aug 30 2011 10:49 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Cellphones Could Help Doctors Stay Ahead Of An Epidemic

Researchers tracked the movements of cellphone users through their SIM cards in Haiti during the cholera epidemic. Their study shows that cellphone data could help doctors and others better provide relief during a disaster or epidemic. Read More...

Published Tue, Aug 30 2011 9:01 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Can Potatoes Give Your Health A Boost? A Chemist Thinks So

Potatoes may lower blood pressure if they're cooked right, according to new research. Beneficial compounds in potatoes may survive microwaving better than deep-frying. And avoiding the extra fat may make the weight gain linked to potatoes in other...

Published Wed, Aug 31 2011 2:47 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

FDA Chides Pfizer For Omitting Drug Risks On Lipitor Website

The company's website linked to pages about several drugs without mentioning any of the risks they pose in the promotional text, FDA said. Pfizer said it has removed the "cited content" and is working on a response to the agency. Read More...

Published Fri, Sep 02 2011 9:00 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Kids Of Parents Who Smoke At Home Miss More School

Children living with a smoker in the house miss about one extra school day per year. And if two adults in the house smoke, children miss 1.54 more days compared to kids from nonsmoking households. Read More...

Published Tue, Sep 06 2011 7:15 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Conservatives Step Up Attacks On Public Funding For Birth Control

Some opponents object to subsidizing contraception on moral grounds; others say it's simply too expensive in an era of tight budgets. The recent battles over the federal budget and the health law may help explain why critics seem to be growing more...

Published Tue, Sep 06 2011 9:01 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Weight-Loss Program Beats Doctor's Advice To Shed Pounds

People who joined Weight Watchers lost twice as much weight in a year as people who were advised by their doctors, a new study finds. Paying for diet and exercise programs for baby boomers at risk of diabetes could save Medicare billions of dollars in...

Published Thu, Sep 08 2011 5:39 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

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