NPR Health Blog

FDA Scientists Feel A Little Better About Where They Work

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration are feeling more optimistic about the future of their agency than they were back in 2006, according to a survey just out from the Union of Concerned Scientists. But they still report concerns about outside...

Published Wed, Mar 07 2012 8:05 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Detailed Genetic Tests Reveal Cancer's Complexity

Detailed tests in kidney cancer patients. help explain why some treatments may not be successful. And they underscore the challenge in developing personalized tests and drugs for effective cancer therapy. Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 08 2012 10:56 AM by Shots - Health Blog

FDA: Skin-Lightening Creams Pose Mercury Threat

Some skin-lightening cosmetics contain dangerous amounts of mercury, the FDA warned consumers. Though illegal to sell in the U.S., the foreign-made products are popular in communities where fair skin is considered a mark of beauty. Read More...

Published Fri, Mar 09 2012 6:59 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Medicare Boosting Coverage For Mental Health Issues

Medicare now covers screening for depression without any cost sharing when patients visit their primary care doctor. That's a big deal, because the condition often goes undiagnosed in the elderly. Read More...

Published Tue, Apr 03 2012 5:46 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Doctors Urge Their Colleagues To Quit Doing Worthless Tests

Nine national medical groups have identified 45 diagnostic tests, procedures and treatments that they say often are unnecessary and expensive. The head of one of the specialty groups says unneeded tests probably account for $250 billion in health care...

Published Wed, Apr 04 2012 5:45 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Drug Spending Levels Off, But Not For The Usual Reasons

Seniors are traditionally the biggest consumers of prescription drugs, but they aren't using as many. Greater use of generics also played a role in last year's slow growth. Read More...

Published Wed, Apr 04 2012 1:51 PM by Shots - Health Blog

New Type Of Resistant Malaria Appears On Thai-Burmese Border

Malaria parasites resistant to the last, best drug treatment, called artemisinin combination therapy or ACT, are infecting people along the border of Thailand and Myanmar. And it arose independently of the resistant malaria found in Cambodia. Now health...

Published Thu, Apr 05 2012 3:10 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Study Warns Of Autism Risk For Children Of Obese Mothers

Half of the mothers in the study had a child with an autism spectrum disorder, while the rest had a child with a developmental delay unrelated to autism, or no developmental problem. But an author of the study says it's not clear whether there's...

Published Sun, Apr 08 2012 9:08 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Calif.'s Prescription-Drug Monitoring System Feels Pain From Budget Cuts

Dozens of states electronically track the prescriptions for powerful narcotics like Vicodin and OxyContin to root out pill-shopping patients and unscrupulous doctors. But in California, a relentless budget crisis is threatening that system and causing...

Published Tue, Apr 10 2012 12:43 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Panel Proposes A New Tax To Pay For Public Health

An Institute of Medicine panel says a tax of half a percent or so on medical transactions could help the nation's public health agencies tackle pressing goals, such as reducing adult obesity. In the long run, that could result in big savings in health...

Published Tue, Apr 10 2012 3:58 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Water In The Time Of Cholera: Haiti's Most Urgent Health Problem

Life for most Haitians is a constant struggle for clean water. And now that cholera has invaded Haiti, safe drinking water has become Haiti's most urgent public health problem. The disease has killed more than 7,000 people since late 2010. Read More...

Published Thu, Apr 12 2012 12:15 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Port-Au-Prince: A City Of Millions, With No Sewer System

Cholera was introduced into Haiti 18 months ago. So far more than a half-million people have gotten sick and 7,000 have died. Public health authorities say the disease will stay in the environment for a long time, because Haiti has the worst sanitation...

Published Fri, Apr 13 2012 8:19 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Arrests Made In $75 Million Prescription Drug Heist

Federal authorities brought charges yesterday against 22 people they say were part of an organized crime ring that stole $100 million of prescription drugs and other goods. Such drug thefts still pose threats to consumers and the pharmaceutical industry...

Published Fri, May 04 2012 10:37 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Moms Often Overlook Toddlers' Weight Problems

More than two-thirds of the mothers participating in a recent study were inaccurate in their assessments. And the biggest problem was moms who thought their overweight toddlers were just fine. Read More...

Published Mon, May 07 2012 3:09 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Shopping Bags Can Also Carry Stomach Flu Virus

Norovirus particles can fly through the air, land on things like plastic bags and survive there for weeks, according to an investigation of a stomach flu outbreak in Oregon. The researchers say this proves you don't have to have direct contact with...

Published Wed, May 09 2012 6:54 AM by Shots - Health Blog

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