archive

Monday, June 17, 2013

Shots - Health News

The Human Voice May Not Spark Pleasure In Children With Autism

Instructional assistant Jessica Reeder touches her nose to get Jacob Day, 3, who has autism,  to focus his attention on her during a therapy session in April 2007.

June 17, 2013 Scientists and parents have long been baffled by the fact that children with autism often don't pay attention to human voices. Researchers say that may be because speech doesn't activate a reward system in the brain for those children the way it does for typical children.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Shots - Health News

When Sibling Fights Go Beyond Harmless Kid Stuff

Beheading Barbie is the kind of aggression that can cause sibling distress.

June 17, 2013 Children who are the target of physical aggression or verbal abuse from siblings are more depressed and anxious than children who aren't victimized. Parents tend to consider sibling conflict normal, researchers say, but they should teach children how to fight fair to reduce psychological distress.

Summary

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Shots - Health News

Coping On Father's Day Without Dad

Marc Silver and his daughter Maya wrote a book about how teens deal with a parent sick with cancer.

June 16, 2013 Teens who've lost a dad to cancer are a lonely bunch on Father's Day. But when some of these teenagers bare their souls, it turns out they have learned lessons that make them wise beyond their years.

Summary

Friday, June 14, 2013

Shots - Health News

Doctors To Vote On Whether Cheerleading Is A Sport

University of Louisville cheerleaders hurled into the air during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Wichita State in April.

June 14, 2013 Cheerleading has become a competitive activity in its own right, and it carries a considerable risk of serious injury, including concussion, spinal damage and broken bones. American Medical Association delegates meeting in Chicago will consider a resolution to support the designation of cheerleading as a sport.

Summary

The Salt

Sorry, Dr. Oz, Green Coffee Can't Even Slim Down Chubby Mice

Raw, green coffee beans. To roast or not?

June 14, 2013 An extract from raw, green coffee beans has been called a "miracle" weight-loss aid. But a study in mice casts doubt on the supplement's fat-burning effects — and even offers preliminary evidence that it could be harmful.

Summary

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Shots - Health News

Judge Reluctantly Approves Government Plan For Morning-After Pill

This brand may have a near-monopoly in emergency contraception.

June 13, 2013 Women and teenagers should soon be able to buy emergency contraception with no age restrictions, according to a federal district judge's memorandum. But the Obama administration's plan will put just one brand-name formulation of the "morning after" pill on store shelves.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Could Brain Scans Reveal The Right Treatment For Depression?

Talk therapy is best for some people; antidepressants are better for others. Scientists say PET scans might help figure out early on what treatment a person needs.

June 13, 2013 Treating depression is a hit-or-miss process; the first treatment works less than half the time. Scientists say they may be able to use PET brain scans to tell whether antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy will work best. But tailored treatments are still far off.

Summary

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Shots - Health News

In Arizona, An Unlikely Ally For Medicaid Expansion

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, points during an intense conversation with President Obama after he arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz. She has since made light of the incident in trying to rally support for a Medicaid expansion in the state.

June 12, 2013 Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, one of President Obama's staunchest critics, has confounded conservatives in her own party by pushing for an extension of Medicaid coverage in the state.

Summary

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Shots - Health News

Go Easy On The Soy Sauce, Bro, It Could Kill You

Keep the soy sauce on your food, and use it in moderation.

June 12, 2013 While there's been quite a debate lately about whether salt in the modern American diet is risky, there's no question that a massive amount of salt ingested quickly can lead to death. A young man in Virginia who chugged a bottle of soy sauce survived after prompt, aggressive medical treatment.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Hands-Free Gadgets Don't Mean Risk-Free Driving

A University of Utah volunteer drives through Salt Lake City's Avenues neighborhood as a camera tracks her eye and head movement. Another device records driver reaction time, and a cap fitted with sensors charts brain activity.

June 12, 2013 Systems that turn a driver's speech into text are the most distracting. Drivers in a University of Utah test experienced a kind of inattention blindness that mean they sometimes overlooked potential hazards.

Summary

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Salt

Tender Beef, Without The Pathogens: USDA Proposes Labeling Rules

Meat tenderized the old-fashioned way. The industrial method is a mechanized process involving needles.

June 11, 2013 The mechanical process the meat industry uses to tenderize tough muscle fibers can also introduce dangerous pathogens into beef cuts. The thinking behind the proposed new labels: If you know your cut of meat has been mechanically tenderized, you'll be inclined to cook it a little longer.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea Rises In Great Britain

A public health poster from 1952 encourages Americans to get checked for sexually transmitted diseases. Gonorrhea is the second-most-common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S., with more than 300,000 cases reported in 2011.

June 11, 2013 Gonorrhea cases resistant to one of the last effective drugs increased by nearly six times from 2004 to 2011 in Great Britain. Hard-to-treat gonorrhea is a growing trend worldwide, as the bacterium begins to thwart our last defenses.

Summary

Shots - Health News

Administration's Plan For Morning-After Pill Pleases No One

Plan B One-Step might be the only emergency contraceptive available to all ages without a prescription.

June 11, 2013 The Obama administration's move to drop opposition to over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception is pleasing no one. It proposes making just one brand-name form available to all ages without a prescription.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Shots - Health News

How CT Scans Have Raised Kids' Risk For Future Cancer

Use of CT scans has doubled for children under five and tripled for older children.

June 11, 2013 Children are getting too many CT scans, a study says, and that's boosting their risk of cancer later on. Parents can ask for alternatives like ultrasound and MRI or ask for CT scans that use less radiation.

Summary

Shots - Health News

A Delay In Relief From Copays For Costly Drugs

Expensive prescriptions drugs can stretch people's finances, even if they have insurance.

June 11, 2013 KHNThe Affordable Care Act sets annual limits on the amount that people will owe out of pocket for prescription drugs starting in 2014. But sick people in some plans won't get relief until the following year because the federal government is giving certain health plans extra time to comply.

Summary

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • Health
     
  • Your Health
     
 
NPR On Science Podcast

On Science Podcast

If you missed the latest science, space and environment news, catch up with this podcast. On Science brings you the top stories from NPR's reporters. Visit this podcast's Web site.

Subscribe