Health & Safety

An analysis of many studies finds a small spare tire may be associated with longer life. But skeptics say that conclusion is rubbish.

Research: A Little Extra Fat May Help You Live Longer

9:09am January 04, 2013

by Allison Aubrey

An analysis from the Centers For Disease Control and Research finds that being overweight, but not obese, is associated with lower risk of death. But no one is suggesting you ditch your exercise or diet goals.

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A compromise bill that passed the Congress at the last minute included provisions that will reverberate through the nation's health care system.

Bargain Over Fiscal Cliff Brings Changes To Health Care

8:46am January 04, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Health care has been a major focus in recent budget battles. New legislation provides a temporary fix in payments for doctors, but it will be paid for by a decade of cuts to hospitals. And a program for long-term-care insurance won't ever get off the ground.

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Tamara Burney's kindergartners eat lunch in the Hillview Elementary cafeteria in Jefferson County, Ala.

For Many Kids, Winter Break Means Hungry Holidays

6:10pm January 03, 2013

by Dan Carsen

Most kids look forward to their school's winter break. But millions of students in the U.S. get free or reduced-price meals at school, and when school is closed, many of those children eat less until classes are back in session.

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Kalydeco is one of the first drugs that is effective at combating the root causes of a genetic disease.

Health & Safety

Drug Fulfills Promise Of Research Into Cystic Fibrosis Gene

7:53pm January 02, 2013

by Joe Palca

The success of Kalydeco, a drug to treat cystic fibrosis, has been decades in the making — since the discovery of the gene associated with the disease. The time from gene discovery to successful drug may be shortening, but there are only a handful of drugs like Kalydeco on the market.

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Dr. Jame Abraham used positron emission tomography, or PET, scans to understand differences in brain metabolism before and after chemotherapy.

Health & Safety

Another Side Effect Of Chemotherapy: 'Chemo Brain'

12:00pm January 02, 2013

by Patti Neighmond

For years, researchers have struggled to understand the mental fog that envelops some patients getting chemotherapy. Now a study has found that the cancer treatment significantly decreases brain activity in regions responsible for memory, attention, planning and prioritizing.

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Chiara Andolina, a malaria researcher in Thailand, feeds her mosquito colony by letting the insects bite her right arm. These mosquitoes are picky and will dine only on live human blood.

Health & Safety

Mosquito Maven Takes Bites For Malaria Research

11:47am January 02, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

A scientist in Thailand raises mosquito colonies so she can study a new malaria drug. The insects are quite spoiled — they'll eat only live human blood. So she feeds them "breakfast" each day from her right arm.

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Pete Stark, Health Policy Warrior, Leaves A Long Legacy

11:25am January 02, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The California congressman lost his seat this fall. Stark has been part of almost every piece of health legislation enacted while he was in office. The 113th Congress will be the first one in 40 years to convene without him as a member.

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Posting a picture like this on the fridge might seem like good motivation for weight loss. But scientists say it might instead inspire weight gain.

Can Skinny Models Undermine Your Dieting Goals?

11:16am January 02, 2013

by Shankar Vedantam

Many people turn to superfit models for weight-loss inspiration. There's growing evidence that this is a mistake. New research from the Netherlands explores whether repeated exposure to images of skinny models helps or hinders dieters.

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Betty Daniel gets a routine yearly mammogram from mammography tech Stella Palmer at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago in 2012.

Health & Safety

Breast Cancer: What We Learned In 2012

10:08am January 02, 2013

by Richard Knox

The 2012 mammography debate was a continuation of a controversy touched off three years ago when a government task force said women under 50 don't need regular mammograms. And one recent analysis found that regular screenings haven't reduced the rate of advanced breast cancers.

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Health & Safety

Hobby Lobby Plans To Defy Health Care Mandate

9:44am January 01, 2013

The federal health care law requires employee insurance plans to cover emergency contraceptives. That's something the owners of the craft store chain Hobby Lobby say they can't do. An attorney for the stores said the Christian owners consider the emergency contraceptives tantamount to abortion. Starting Tuesday, the company could be fined as much $1.3 million a day for defying the mandate.

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