Health & Safety

Rajiv Kumar (left), a pediatric endocrinologist, with patient Blake Atkins. The California teenager, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, uses Apple's HealthKit to monitor his blood sugar levels and share the information with his mother and doctor.

Health & Safety

Here's How An iPhone Helps One Teen (And His Mom) Manage Diabetes

3:42pm November 18, 2015

by Christina Farr

These are the early days of innovation that allows diabetes patients to conveniently and securely gather and share data via a smartphone. One California teenager is an early user of Apple's HealthKit.

A group at MIT built this tiny package of sensors to collect vital signs as it travels through the digestive system.

A Tiny Pill Monitors Vital Signs From Deep Inside The Body

3:34pm November 18, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Sensors that work inside the body are gaining new skills. The latest version can track heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as temperature, as it travels through the digestive system.

A Butterball turkey for sale in November 2014, in Centreville, Va. Terms like "premium" and "raised without hormones" tell you little about the quality of the turkey or how it was raised.

Premium, Young And Natural: The Turkey Labels We Cluck-Cluck Over

2:58pm November 18, 2015

by Anders Kelto

Turkeys these days are often plastered with an array of terms that can confuse and even mislead consumers. Here's a glossary of jargon for the wannabe informed Thanksgiving turkey buyer.

Modeled after Manhattan, Conch Bay is a massive development project in northern China. But at least for now, it's more ghost town than bustling metropolis.

We Know China Has Ghost Cities, But Where Are They Hiding?

2:07pm November 18, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

The locations of the infamous empty housing complexes have been secret, but ghost city hunters are now using smartphones and GPS receivers to track them down.

Was it good for you? Yes, as long as we're doing it at least once a week.

Is Sex Once A Week Enough For A Happy Relationship?

12:37pm November 18, 2015

by Nancy Shute

A study of thousands of people, most in committed relationships, finds that having sex about once a week correlates best with happiness and well-being. More didn't turn out to be better.

Testing for prostate cancer has declined after a recommendation in 2012 said it shouldn't be routine.

Health & Safety

Prostate Screening Drops Sharply, And So Do Cancer Cases

7:32pm November 17, 2015

by Rob Stein

A decrease in PSA testing came after a controversial recommendation against routine screening. As a result, many fewer cases of the most common cancer to hit men are being diagnosed, research finds.

Queue Listen Now

Top Silicon Valley High Schools Respond To Rising Suicide Rate

7:19pm November 17, 2015

At two top-tier high schools in Palo Alto, Calif., the suicide rate is four times higher than the national average over the last 10 years. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Hanna Rosin, who's reported for The Atlantic, on what might be behind the trend and how the schools are responding.

Queue Listen Now

Justice Department Announces Criminal Charges Against Dietary Supplement Firms

5:54pm November 17, 2015

by Laura Wagner

More than 100 companies are accused of selling products that contain unlisted ingredients or make health claims without adequate scientific evidence.

A Syrian migrant who was on a raft from Turkey arrives at the Greek island of Lesbos.

Will The Paris Attacks Affect Fundraising For Syrian Refugees?

5:08pm November 17, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

After years of struggling for donations, aid groups were seeing record responses. Then came Paris.

Atropine is a drug used to treat multiple eye disorders including nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Could Atropine Eyedrops Help Reduce Nearsightedness In Children?

4:57pm November 17, 2015

by Angus Chen

Atropine, a medication commonly used to dilate the eyes for exams, can slow nearsightedness in children, a study finds. A dilute solution worked and had fewer side effects like blurry vision.