Health & Safety

Breasts deemed "dense" in a mammogram tend to have less fatty tissue and more connective tissue, breast ducts and glands, doctors say. About 40 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 74 have dense breasts.

Got Dense Breasts? That Can Depend On Who Is Reading The Mammogram

6:28pm July 18, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

A big study suggests that radiologists vary widely in their assessment of density, a risk factor for breast cancer. And density is just one component of breast cancer risk, the researchers underscore.

Cleopas Kapembwa Chisanga of Zambia, who is HIV positive, is the subject of a new video and will be broadcasting from this week's International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa.

A New Generation Learns How To Live With HIV

5:36pm July 18, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

You can hear their stories in a series of videos — and listen to their youth-oriented coverage of the International AIDS Conference.

Rise And Fall Of Theranos In A Biotech Cartoon

11:42am July 18, 2016

Hollywood has already cast Jennifer Lawrence to star in a movie about the embattled biotech firm. How did founder Elizabeth Holmes go from self-made billionaire to an estimated worth of $0? Read on.

Wellness Programs Take Aim At Workplace Stress

11:32am July 18, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

A recent poll shows stress tops the list for people concerned about the impact of their job on their health. Workplace wellness programs often address stress, but many employees don't sign up.

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Exercise physiologist Courtney Conners checks Mario Oikonomides' vital signs before his cardiac rehab workout at the University of Virginia Health System clinic.

Cardiac Rehab Saves Lives. So Why Don't More Heart Patients Sign Up?

10:39am July 18, 2016

by Julie Appleby

Research shows exercise-based cardiac rehab programs help heart patients heal faster and live longer. But fewer than a third take part. Time and cost are the main barriers, doctors and patients say.

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International AIDS Conference Returns To Durban, South Africa.

7:58am July 18, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

When the conference was held there in 2000, HIV was terrifying. It was spreading rapidly and an infection was viewed as a death sentence. Now, conference attendees celebrate a sea change around HIV.

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Treating The Police, Fearing The Police: Dallas Surgeon Brian Williams Reflects

2:52pm July 17, 2016

by NPR Staff

Brian Williams, a trauma surgeon who treated some of the Dallas police officers who were ambushed during a recent protest, acknowledged sadness over the attack and his own fear of the police.

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Reporter Found Lack Of Medical Care As Undercover Prison Guard At For-Profit Facility

8:29am July 17, 2016

Private prisons generally don't have to reveal what goes on inside. Mother Jones' reporter Shane Bauer went underground as a prison guard. NPR's Lynn Neary discusses his investigation.

World AIDS Conference Returns To Durban, South Africa. How Has The Conversation Changed?

8:29am July 17, 2016

The port city is hosting the International AIDS conference for a second time. NPR's Jason Beaubien tells NPR's Lynn Neary that much progress has been made in combating AIDS, but more needs to be done.

Health & Safety

Documentary: Blind Grandmother Gets Back Sight Stolen By Cataracts

5:03am July 17, 2016

by Marc Silver

Cataracts are the No. 1 cause of blindness. In the West, a simple surgery can reverse the vision loss. An HBO documentary looks at the effort to do the same for people in the developing world.