Health & Safety

Guinea Is Seeing More Ebola Cases: Can The Trend Be Stopped?

2:08pm November 07, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The country where the outbreak began is now seeing an uptick in the number of new patients. Marc Poncin of Doctors Without Borders explains why — and what's being done to bring things under control.

Republicans' First Order Of Business May Be Chipping Away At Obamacare

6:33pm November 06, 2014

Now that the Republicans control the House and Senate, they've got their eyes on the Affordable Care Act. Which parts will President Obama veto and which parts will he inevitably have to give up?

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Which flu vaccine should you get? That may depend on your age and your general health.

Health & Safety

Flu Season Brings Stronger Vaccines And Revised Advice

6:33pm November 06, 2014

by Patti Neighmond

Health officials estimate that every flu season, 1 in 5 Americans will get the bug. This year, changes in flu vaccines and in federal guidelines could help those most susceptible to the virus.

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Go Big Green! Dartmouth is testing the VGo robot to help diagnose concussions when neurologists aren't at the game.

Sideline Robot Helps Trainers Spot Football Concussions

6:03pm November 06, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

It's common for some clinics in rural America to consult medical specialists by video for difficult cases. Dartmouth is testing a robot that connects trainers to a neurologist who is miles away.

The majority of voters in San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., voted in favor of a soda tax, but the measure didn't gain the required two-thirds majority required in San Francisco.

Berkeley Decides To Try Taxing Away Its Soda Habit

5:46pm November 06, 2014

by Lisa Aliferis

Many cities and states have tried, but Berkeley, Calif., is the first to pass a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The goal is to reduce sugar consumption to improve public health.

A man who breaks a wrist after age 50 is more likely to die prematurely than a woman with the same injury.

Have You Broken A Wrist? Men Are At Risk Of Osteoporosis, Too

5:45pm November 06, 2014

by Nancy Shute

A broken wrist may not seem like much, but it can be the first sign that you're headed for a broken hip or spinal fracture. Men often don't realize they are at risk of osteoporosis as they age.

In 49 U.S. states, spotting the squished disc in this spinal MRI is still much easier than learning the price of the MRI in advance.

How Much Is That MRI, Really? Massachusetts Shines A Light

5:45pm November 06, 2014

by Martha Bebinger

A state law now requires insurers to reveal prices of their medical tests, and the variation is amazing, bargain hunters say. An MRI of the back is $614 at one place, $1,800 at another.

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Saah Exco was found alone on a beach in Liberia's West Point slum, naked and abandoned and likely an Ebola victim.Research suggests the story of one needy individual motivates charitable donors more than statistics about millions of sufferers.

Why Your Brain Wants To Help One Child In Need — But Not Millions

4:14pm November 06, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Donations to fight Ebola are lower than expected. One psychologist thinks the reason may be the impact of hopelessness. A really big problem makes people less likely to give.

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Poet Cameron Conaway (left, in gray cap) visits malaria-hit areas in the Chittagong Tract Hills, Bangladesh, in June 2012.

If You Think You'll Never See A Poem About Malaria, You're Wrong

1:46pm November 06, 2014

by Nsikan Akpan

In a new collection, a mixed martial arts fighter-turned-poet exposes the social and medical challenges caused by malaria in Bangkok, Thailand.

A Kenyan senior citizen leans on his cane. As people age in parts of Africa, they report declining levels of satisfaction with their life.

You're Growing Older ... Is Your Life Getting Better Or Worse?

12:51pm November 06, 2014

by Susan Brink

After a middle-aged slump, most folks in the U.S. and other wealthy countries report greater happiness. But in less well-off nations, people report a sharp, never-ending decline in satisfaction.