NPR Health Blog

In Breakaway, Big Health Insurers Seek To Boost Washington Clout

Aetna, Cigna, Humana, UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint are looking to band together and increase their influence on the implementation of policy and overhaul of the nation's health system. Read More...

Published Thu, Dec 09 2010 4:06 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Just Thinking Harder Could Help You Lose Weight

If you imagine eating lots of M&Ms, scientists have found you won't consume as many real ones when given the chance The results, from a study published in the journal Science , illuminate how our thinking about food influences how much we eat...

Published Fri, Dec 10 2010 4:13 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

5 Public Health Gifts For The Person Who Has Everything

Stumped for what to get loved ones for the holidays. How about deworming tablets donated to the needy in their honor? Or would you prefer breastfeeding classes for women in Indonesia? We round up some do-good gifts you can still buy in time. Read More...

Published Sat, Dec 11 2010 6:01 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Tax On Sugary Drinks Could Help Middle Class Lose Weight

If the country added a 40 percent tax to the cost of store-bought sugary drinks, including sodas and sports drinks, it would cut about 12 calories from the daily total from beverages for the average American. Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 13 2010 1:29 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

End To Malaria Deaths In Sight, But Progress Is Fragile

Wider use of bed nets and spraying against mosquitoes have helped to drive down malaria infections and deaths. Better medicines to treat the illness have also helped, but public health officials worry about resistance to them. Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 14 2010 2:02 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Feds Get Dannon To Modify Health Claims For Activia, DanActive

Dannon has agreed to pay the government $21 million in a settlement after the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint about misleading ads for yogurt. The company won't Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 15 2010 12:41 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

FDA Moves To Pull Approval Of Avastin For *** Cancer

The Food and Drug Administration says data from recent clinical studies show the benefits of the drug Avastin for *** cancer patients don't outweigh the risks. Roche's Genentech unit disagrees and wants to keep marketing the drug for that use...

Published Thu, Dec 16 2010 12:30 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Could This Woman Persuade You To Donate Bone Marrow?

Models in blue wigs and short skirts helped attract potential bone marrow donors to a Massachusetts registry. Insurers were then billed as much as $4,300 for the lab tests. Read More...

Published Fri, Dec 17 2010 10:40 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

U.S. Has Plenty Of Doctors To Treat Kids, But Many Aren't Where They're Needed

The good news is that, in theory, there are lots of U.S. doctors for kids. But the reality is that some parts of the country, such as wealthy suburbs and cities, are chockablock with them while others, mainly rural areas, are bereft. Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 20 2010 7:22 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Managed Care Creeps Into The Doctor's Office

Managed care companies are getting into the business of running physician groups to keep costs down. And hospitals, physician groups and Wall Street investors are eying doctors who practice cheaper health care. Read More...

Published Tue, Jul 05 2011 1:20 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Early Morning Smokers Are More Addicted And At Greater Risk Of Cancer

To measure addiction, cancer researchers can count how many cigarettes are smoked per day and how many years someone's been smoking. Now, researchers are interested in when people have their first cigarette — the earlier in the day, it seems, the...

Published Mon, Aug 08 2011 2:55 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Big Spenders With Private Insurance Found In Unexpected Places

A Thomson Reuters analysis of what the privately insured spend on health care shows that it's wrong to presume that a region with high Medicare spending also has a cost problem from private insurance. Read More...

Published Wed, Aug 10 2011 6:58 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

For Stroke Prevention, A New Alternative To Warfarin

Pharmaceutical companies have been working hard to make drugs to elbow out warfarin as the stroke-prevention drug for 2.3 million Americans with atrial fibrillation. A new study finds one of the contenders, rivaroxaban, is as effective as warfarin in...

Published Wed, Aug 10 2011 3:30 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - 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

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