Health & Safety

Members of Congress and their staffs seeking health insurance this year could choose from among 57 gold plans (from four insurers) sold on D.C.'s small business marketplace.

What Happens To A Congressman's Health Insurance If Obamacare Goes Down?

12:50pm April 12, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

Under the Affordable Care Act, most members of Congress and staff who want to buy health insurance must buy it on the exchange. That requirement is not affected by bills aimed at replacing the ACA.

A study suggests spinal manipulation can reduce lower back pain for some people.

Spinal Manipulation Can Alleviate Back Pain, Study Concludes

7:19pm April 11, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Physically manipulating the spine appears to offer a modestly effective alternative to medication for lower back pain, according to a new evaluation of scientific studies.

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Amianthus, a variety of asbestos. Exposure to the fibers can cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

Asbestos Deaths Remain A Public Health Concern, CDC Finds

5:40pm April 11, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Exposure to the tiny fibers in asbestos can lead people who work around the material to develop mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

Physician assistant James Williams, right, describes the treatment of burn patients as "a very tactile type of medicine."

Civilians With Severe Burns Treated At Texas Military Hospital

4:50pm April 11, 2017

by Wendy Rigby

The U.S. military's burn center in San Antonio is responsible for treating service members who are badly burned. But, to stay sharp, the medical teams there also treat civilians.

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The new report from leading U.S. scientists shines a spotlight on how the research enterprise as a whole creates incentives that can be detrimental to good research.

Top Scientists Revamp Standards To Foster Integrity In Research

4:21pm April 11, 2017

by Richard Harris

The National Academy of Sciences has toughened up its guidelines to call cutting corners, dubious statistics and not fully sharing research methods "detrimental" to science.

Fisherman in Papua New Guinea, living on their boats, wait for the tide to change before going out to fish. Tuberculosis is a major health threat in the Pacific Ocean nation.

Surprising And Sobering: 7 Facts About Global Health

4:09pm April 11, 2017

What's an often overlooked killer in the world of global health? Why is heart disease both rising and falling? How did the Model T solve a health problem?

A common blood test checks for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens (PSA) in a man's blood, as an indicator that he may have prostate cancer.

Federal Task Force Softens Opposition To Routine Prostate Cancer Screening

2:01pm April 11, 2017

by Rob Stein

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force proposes each man decide with his doctor whether to undergo routine PSA testing, citing recent evidence of benefits and ways to minimize downsides of screening.

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A shop owner holds a live chicken for sale in a Hong Kong market.

Why Chinese Scientists Are More Worried Than Ever About Bird Flu

10:23am April 11, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

A rapidly evolving strain of bird flu has killed a record number of people this year in China. Scientists are concerned about its potential to spur a global pandemic.

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Chicago's Fire Department has only half as many ambulances as it has fire vehicles, but it gets 20 times more medical calls than fire calls these days.

Why Send A Firetruck To Do An Ambulance's Job?

8:15am April 11, 2017

by Monica Eng

Chicago's fire department gets 20 times more medical calls than fire calls, but it has twice as many firetrucks as ambulances. Other cities also face this disparity and there are calls for change.

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There is a hot zone in the back of the brain that can reveal what we are dreaming, according to new research.

A 'Hot Zone' In The Brain May Reveal When, And Even What, We Dream

8:08pm April 10, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When people have dreams, an area near the back of the brain seems to wake up. And specific patterns of brain activity in that area can even reveal what we're dreaming about.

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