NPR Health Blog

Insurers Wait For Verdict On Health Care Law And Their Bottom Line

"I'm less concerned about how they rule and more concerned about when we can actually get at fixing this," says the head of Aetna, the nation's third-largest health insurer. He says at one level, the health care law represents a huge...

Published Fri, Jun 15 2012 9:03 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

Can A Colon Cancer Test Level The Playing Field For Native Alaskans?

Getting people screened for colon cancer is a challenge, especially in rural Alaska. So doctors are developing DNA-based tests to catch colon cancer early and less invasively. They hope the new tests will eventually replace or reduce colonoscopies. Read...

Published Thu, Jun 14 2012 1:53 PM by Shots - Health Blog

U.S. Olympic Team Sprints Ahead With Electronic Health Records

Transporting reams of athletes' medical information has become a major burden for the U.S. Olympic Committee. So the committee has decided to transition from paper to electronic records to track the complex medical care of Olympians. Read More...

Published Thu, Jun 14 2012 9:13 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Scientists Tackle The Geography Of Nature Vs. Nurture 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

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

Surgery Restores Sexual Function In Women With Genital Mutilation

French researchers report in a new paper that a reconstructive surgery they used to try and repair the genitalia of women circumcised at a young age has helped many of them experience sexual pleasure one year after the surgery. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 13 2012 1:48 PM 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

Disabled Woman Dies While Awaiting Second Chance At Kidney Transplant

A woman with intellectual disabilities who was denied a kidney transplant in 2006 died Tuesday in her sleep. The Oklahoma transplant center that turned her down said a woman with a mild intellectual disability did not have the mental competency to make...

Published Wed, Jun 13 2012 8:13 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Traces Of Virus In Man Cured Of HIV Trigger Scientific Debate

Researchers have found traces of HIV virus in the cells of a man who was the first to be cured of the infection with bone marrow transplants. The findings raise fresh questions about how to define a cure for HIV/AIDS. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 13 2012 1:41 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Putting Fear In Your Ears: What Makes Music Sound Scary

Young animals' cries for help and the soundtracks of spine-tingling movies have something in common: An irregular, scratchy sound signals something scary is afoot. Read More...

Published Tue, Jun 12 2012 5:30 PM 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

Doctors Have Trouble Keeping Up With Painkiller Abusers

More than 40 states have systems in place to monitor prescription drugs, but budget strains and unwieldy databases have hindered their use by doctors and pharmacists to curb drug abuse. Read More...

Published Tue, Jun 12 2012 7:55 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Thaw At Brain Bank Deals Setback To Autism Research

A freezer that went on the fritz damaged about one-third of the brains from autistic people being stored at a research depository near Boston. The malfunction, whose cause remains under investigation, could slow research into the disorder. Read More....

Published Mon, Jun 11 2012 1:46 PM by Shots - Health Blog

UnitedHealthcare Pledges To Keep Popular Coverage, Regardless Of Supreme Court

One of the largest private health insurers said it will continue to allow young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents' plans and will end lifetime dollar caps on claims, no matter what the Supreme Court decides. It's the first major insurer...

Published Mon, Jun 11 2012 6:35 AM by Shots - Health Blog

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