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November 16, 2012 Back in 1995, about 4.5 percent of adults in the U.S. had been diagnosed with diabetes. By 2010, the prevalence had zoomed to 8.2 percent. An interactive map shows how much worse diabetes has become in less than a generation.

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November 16, 2012 Given the pressure of evolution, why have genes behind schizophrenia, autism and others disorders persisted? A study that looks at the likelihood someone is to have kids tries to figure it out.

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October 3, 2012 Ultraviolet light can burn your skin and raise the risk for skin cancer. New research has helped uncover how the rays can weaken skin's outer layer, compromising its ability to protect the body.

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October 2, 2012 Some lab studies suggested vitamin D supplements might enhance immunity. But a clinical test in New Zealand found that taking vitamin D didn't reduce the frequency or duration of colds for the people who took the supplements.

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October 2, 2012 KHNUnder the federal health law, adult children can remain on parents' insurance plans until they reach age 26. Parents may find out about their daughters' prescriptions for birth control pills from notices of insurance benefits.

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October 1, 2012 KQEDThe next version of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders proposes to lump nail biters and other pathological groomers with people who have obsessive compulsive disorder. But some psychiatrists see nail biting as a much more benign habit.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

September 28, 2012 Passionate advocates believe that squatting over the toilet is a more healthful position than sitting down on one. They say the posture can alleviate problems like hemorrhoids. One company is making stools to help people get closer to the squat.

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September 28, 2012 The list of items that early Antarctic explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton and Robert F. Scott packed in their medical kits reads like a "witch's grimoire." Along with strange items like fish swim bladders and 'gold-beater's skin" were psycho-active drugs believed to be medically useful.

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September 27, 2012 After Canadian doctors warned patients with medical conditions that could impair driving about the risks, there was a 45 percent drop in the annual rate of accidents for the group. But the patients also were seen more often for depression afterward and were less likely to return for care to the doctors who warned them.

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September 11, 2012 Too many bad nights' sleep can raise the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure. Researchers say highway noise should be added to the list of environmental pollutants.

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September 10, 2012 Emerging science shows that people respond more favorably to warnings about climate change when it's portrayed as a health issue rather than as an environmental problem. Should the symbol for danger be a child instead of a polar bear?

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

September 7, 2012 Nearly a third of spending on health care in the U.S. is wasted. There's lots of inefficiency, excess overhead and some outright fraud, too. But the biggest slice of the waste pie is unnecessary care.

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September 6, 2012 There are conflicting guidelines on when women should get mammograms and mounting questions on when the PSA blood test for prostate cancer is worthwhile. We asked how people are sorting things out.

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August 29, 2012 So far, two Missouri farmers are the only known cases of the tick-borne virus in the world. But experts are sure they'll find more. The men recovered but suffered serious illness that required hospital care and weeks of convalescence.

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August 29, 2012 Every state except Alaska and Hawaii has reported West Nile virus in people, birds or mosquitoes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects human cases will rise through October. In Texas, the worst-hit state, deaths reached 31.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist