NPR Health Blog

The Big Squeeze: Calif. Weight Loss Clinics Under Investigation

The 1-800-GET-THIN marketing campaign and its affiliated surgical centers, which implant the Lap-Band for weight-loss, are being investigated by local, state and federal authorities. At least three wrongful death lawsuits have been filed and the Department...

Published Tue, Feb 21 2012 2:19 PM by Shots - Health Blog

High Court Punts On California Medicaid Ruling

California patients and doctors had sued to block the state's decision to cut Medicaid payment rates. But instead of ruling on the matter, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court, saying "changed circumstances" in the...

Published Wed, Feb 22 2012 2:59 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Study: Older Antipsychotics Shouldn't Be Used For Elderly

Elderly people taking Haldol, an older antipsychotic, were twice as likely to die within six months of starting the drug as those taking Risperdal, a commonly used newer drug. Older antipsychotic drugs shouldn't be used to dementia symptoms in the...

Published Fri, Feb 24 2012 8:39 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Junk Food Near Schools May Be Trivial Factor For Kids' Weight

Researchers in Maine found no significant relationship between the proximity of unhealthful food stores to schools and high school students' weight. But a critic said the study was too small to answer the question definitively. Read More...

Published Mon, Jun 20 2011 2:58 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Serious Surgical Mistakes Persist, Despite Safety Rules

Hospitals and outpatient centers have mandatory rules for surgeons to help them avoid operating on the wrong patient — or part of the patient. But patient safety experts say these devastating mistakes continue unabated and a more comprehensive approach...

Published Tue, Jun 21 2011 2:24 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Food Industry And Health Experts Face Off Over Package Labeling

The food industry's efforts to make finding nutritious food easier may instead make it more confusing for consumers to understand, say health and food experts writing in the New England Journal of Medicine . Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 22 2011 2:54 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

AMA Speaks Up On Comparative Effectiveness

The medical establishment was pretty slow accepting evidence-based practice guidelines that would standardize a starting place for care of many patients showing the same symptoms. Now, the departing president of the American Medical Association talks...

Published Fri, Jun 24 2011 8:13 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Botulism Outbreak Tied To Contaminated Prison Hooch

An old baked potato added to a batch of homemade booze at a Utah prison apparently led to the second-largest botulism outbreak in the U.S. since 2006. Eight inmates were sickened, and a year after treatment most still report lingering symptoms. Read More...

Published Fri, Oct 05 2012 8:07 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Arabian Coronavirus: Plot Thickens But Virus Lies Low

At first it seemed likely that the two known cases of illness from the new cousin-of-SARS virus may have been exposed in or near the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. But now it's pretty certain that a 49-year-old Qatari man who had traveled to Jeddah...

Published Fri, Oct 05 2012 2:27 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Tweet Chat: Chasing Down Polio, Eradication In Sight

Thanks to vigorous efforts to eradicate the poliovirus through vaccination, there are only three countries on the face of the earth where polio is still endemic. NPR reporters and editors hosted a chat on Twitter: #chasingpolio. Read More...

Published Fri, Oct 19 2012 8:32 AM by Shots - Health News

As Cheerleading Injuries Rise, Doctors Call For Stricter Safety Rules

The flips, pyramids, and tosses that make modern-day cheerleading so eye-popping make it far more risky than the splits-on-the-sidelines version that parent remember. Read More...

Published Mon, Oct 22 2012 12:21 PM by Shots - Health News

Meningitis From Tainted Drugs Puts Patients, Doctors In Quandary

Public health officials are trying to strike a balance between alerting, diagnosing and treating patients who might be at risk of fungal infections — and not over-alarming, over-diagnosing and over-treating those who aren't really at risk. The caution...

Published Wed, Oct 24 2012 1:58 AM by Shots - Health News

Organic Water: A New Marketing Wave

But marketing products as organic may attract customers, but the claim may be little much for water. A quick Google search and a spin through the Fancy Food Show turn up organic claims for bottled water. It might be time to separate out some popular marketing...

Published Wed, Jul 13 2011 5:47 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Who Should Get Pills To Prevent HIV?

Results from studies conducted in Africa confirm that drugs against HIV can reduce the risk of transmission of the virus between heterosexual partners. But where and with whom should the approach be used? Read More...

Published Thu, Jul 14 2011 8:17 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

As Cholera Surges In Haiti, Aid Withers Away

Between April and June, the Haitian health ministry reports more than 86,000 new cholera cases. Meanwhile, health workers say the international support that came to Haiti's aid during the peak of the epidemic last fall and winter has withered. Read...

Published Fri, Jul 15 2011 10:41 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

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