NPR Health Blog

Summertime And Healthy Kids Are Never Easy

Join us Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. EDT for a chat on Twitter with pediatrician Robert Block, the current president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We'll talk about summer health and vaccines. Look for the hashtag #nprkids. Read More...

Published Tue, Jun 05 2012 10:23 AM 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

Mental Illness Is Up Close In One Actor's Family

Jessie Close was diagnosed with depression in the 1980s, bipolar disorder in the 1990s and then in 2004, after a trip to the hospital, she was finally diagnosed as "bipolar I with psychotic tendencies." Her experience helped motivate sister...

Published Mon, Jun 04 2012 1:53 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Potty Talk For The Greater Good

Among advocates for improving sanitation through better toilet access, the only question is whether to play it straight or joke about the john. Pretty much everyone seems to give in to humor. Read More...

Published Mon, Jun 04 2012 12:48 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Beset With Bedbugs? Don't Bother With Bug Bombs

Bug bombs may sound like a high-powered way to deal with a bed bug infestation. But research shows the pesticide fog they create doesn't have much effect on the tiny pests. Read More...

Published Mon, Jun 04 2012 8:13 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

The Paleo Diet Moves From The Gym To The Doctor's Office

The so-called paleo way of eating is moving into the doctor's office. But experts say no one can actually practice what some are calling "evolutionary medicine" because it's only a theory. Read More...

Published Sat, Jun 02 2012 3:42 AM by Shots - Health Blog

As Nations Develop, Cancer Takes Hold

The wealthiest parts of the globe account for about 40 percent of cancer cases, yet have only 15 percent of the world's population. By 2030, cases of cancer will have risen in all countries, but those in the middle stages of development today can...

Published Fri, Jun 01 2012 1:47 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Planned Parenthood Controversy Hangs Over Komen's Fundraising Races

Participation is down in races to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity. Some Komen supporters remain skeptical about the group, even though a decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood was reversed quickly. Read More...

Published Fri, Jun 01 2012 8:05 AM by Shots - Health Blog

More Americans Are Checking Prices Before Getting Health Care

Among recent health care consumers, 16 percent said they'd looked for prices beforehand, compared with 11 percent who'd answered that way two years ago. The most common source is a doctor's office, cited by 50 percent of people who checked...

Published Thu, May 31 2012 2:11 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Sick in America: Hispanics Grapple With Cost And Quality Of Care

When it comes to out-of-pocket costs for health care, 42 percent of Hispanics say they're a "very serious" problem, according to a recent NPR poll. The finding runs counter to the widespread impression that African-Americans are worst-off...

Published Thu, May 31 2012 8:57 AM by Shots - Health Blog

As Psychiatric Wards Close, Patients Languish In Emergency Rooms

A study found psychiatric patients waited an average of eleven and a half hours in hospital emergency rooms before being treated or released. That's in part because many hospitals have decided it's not economically viable to keep psychiatric wards...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 11:53 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Old People Smell Different, Not Worse

Old people do have a unique smell. Researchers found that volunteers could reliably distinguish the body odor of the elderly from a whiff of the young or middle-aged. And, it turned out, the aroma from younger men smelled the worst. Read More...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 2:31 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Oregon's Medicaid Experiment Represents A 'Defining Moment'

The federal government is giving the state almost $2 billion to overhaul the health system. Part of the money will provide a new program to aid the sickest patients, and the governor wants to create organizations in each town that will connect health...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 1:46 PM by Shots - Health Blog

As Big Employers Pinch Pennies, Health Savings Accounts Take Off

Enrollment in health savings accounts grew 18 percent last year as employers continued to steer workers into high-deductible medical plans. Read More...

Published Wed, May 30 2012 12:50 PM by Shots - Health Blog

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