Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Would Doctors Be Better If They Didn't Have To Memorize?

4:23pm April 29, 2015

by John Henning Schumann

For decades, first-year medical students have had to cram the details of the cellular metabolism cycle into their heads. Some med schools say it's time to quit cramming and focus on patients' lives.

Once a proponent of Medicaid's expansion under the Affordable Care Act, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is now trying to pressure Florida's Senate to abandon its support of expansion.

Florida's House Quits Early, At Impasse Over Medicaid Expansion

2:22pm April 29, 2015

Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott sued the federal government Tuesday, accusing it of coercing Florida to accept the expansion, or lose funding for other health programs for the poor.

Queue Listen Now

Why The Urologist Is Usually A Man, But Maybe Not For Long

11:48am April 29, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

Just 8 percent of doctors practicing urology are female. But urologists treat kidneys and urinary tracts, not just prostates and penises. That male-focused image may be scaring patients away.

Mmm. Smells just like your identical twin.

Why Do Mosquitoes Like To Bite You Best? It's In Your Genes

11:28am April 29, 2015

by Rob Stein

Researchers set hungry mosquitoes loose on identical and fraternal twins. They found that inherited genes do play a role in making you a mosquito magnet.

Queue Listen Now

How Getting Married Affects Health Insurance Tax Credits

10:33am April 29, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

If marriage is on the horizon, it might be wise to set aside some money for the taxman. An increase in family income after the vows can trigger repayment of a health insurance credit.

An adult deer tick, or Ixodes scapularis. The taiga tick is nearly a clone — only a tick expert could tell the difference.

Health & Safety

Don't Trust The Goats; Their Ticks Could Make You Sick

4:14pm April 28, 2015

by Poncie Rutsch

A goat is host to bacteria. A tick visits the goat, picks up bacteria and spreads them to a human. And the bacteria turn out to cause a previously undiscovered disease.

Chipotle's announcement that it has removed all GMOs from its menu items is part of a growing food industry trend. From left: Nestle chocolates, Chipotle tortillas, Diet Pepsi, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, a Subway sandwich. All of these companies have

Chipotle Says Adios To GMOs, As Food Industry Strips Away Ingredients

5:27pm April 27, 2015

by Carole Zimmer

Chipotle's move is the latest example of the food industry ditching ingredients, as consumers demand a say in what's in their dinner. Some of these ingredients are more questionable than others.

A typical interaction with a Lark weight loss coach.

Health & Safety

As Health Apps Hop On The Apple Watch, Privacy Will Be Key

3:34pm April 27, 2015

by Christina Farr

The notion of receiving nutrition advice from artificial intelligence on your wrist may seem like science fiction. But health developers are betting this kind of behavior will become the norm.

Chickens stand in their cages at a farm near Stuart, Iowa, in 2009. This week, bird flu hit a large poultry facility in Iowa. It's not clear how the virus is evading the industry's biosecurity efforts.

Millions Of Chickens To Be Killed As Bird Flu Outbreak Puzzles Industry

2:18pm April 27, 2015

by Dan Charles

A flu strain deadly to chickens and turkeys is striking farms in the West and Midwest. This week, it hit an Iowa facility with millions of egg-laying hens. No one knows how it's entering houses.

Queue Listen Now

For all the good aspirin can do in preventing second heart attacks and strokes, taking it daily can boost some risks, too — of ulcers, for example, and of bleeding in the brain or gut.

Maybe You Should Rethink That Daily Aspirin

1:48pm April 27, 2015

by Maanvi Singh

A small dose of aspirin taken regularly can help prevent a second heart attack or stroke. But too many healthy people are taking the drug for prevention, and for them, the risks may outweigh benefits.

Queue Listen Now