Medical Treatments

H5N1 bird flu virus is the sort of virus under discussion this week in Bethesda, Md. How animal viruses can acquire the ability to jump into humans and quickly move from person to person is exactly the question that some researchers are trying to answer b

How Much Should The Public Be Told About Research Into Risky Viruses?

5:42pm January 21, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The U.S. government this week is pondering how much the public needs to know about funding decisions for studies and experiments that involve tinkering with already dangerous viruses.

Abortion-rights supporters demonstrate last May in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. A high court decision in a case that could curtail or even overturn Roe v. Wade is set for opening arguments in March.

Roe v. Wade: Settled Law Or Bad Precedent? States Prep For An Overturn

12:47pm January 21, 2020

by Julie Rovner

A Supreme Court case in March will test the new five-member conservative majority. If justices strike federal abortion protections, look for a state-by-state quilt of abortion "deserts" and "havens."

The for-profit hospice industry has grown, allowing more Americans to die at home. But few family members realize that "hospice care" still means they'll do most of the physical and emotional work.

Health & Safety

Patients Want To Die At Home, But Home Hospice Care Can Be Tough On Families

11:07am January 21, 2020

by Blake Farmer

The for-profit hospice industry has grown, allowing more Americans to die at home. But few family members realize that "hospice care" still means they'll do most of the physical and emotional work.

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Patients Still Struggle To Balance High Costs Of MS Treatment, Despite Generic

9:00am January 20, 2020

by Sydney Lupkin

Drugs to treat multiple sclerosis can run $70,000 a year or more. Patients hoped competition from a generic version of one of the most popular brands would spur relief, but prices went up. Here's why.

Assessing The Injuries After Iranian Missile Attack

7:55am January 18, 2020

Eleven U.S. service members have been sent to hospitals abroad after suffering injuries in Iran's missile strike in Iraq. Scott Simon speaks to neuropsychiatrist Stephen Xenakis about what that means.

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Sepsis arises when the body overreacts to an infection, and blood vessels throughout the body become leaky. Researchers now estimate that about 11 million people worldwide died with sepsis in 2017 alone — that's about 20% of all deaths.

Health & Safety

Stealth Disease Likely To Blame For 20% Of Worldwide Deaths

4:40pm January 16, 2020

by Richard Harris

Sepsis, or blood poisoning, arises when the body overreacts to an infection. An analysis finds that it may be involved in 20% of deaths worldwide, twice the proportion previously estimated.

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The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft that ferried musclebound mice to the International Space Station and back can be seen at the top of this picture taken from the station on Dec. 20, 2019.

Scientists Sent Mighty Mice To Space To Improve Treatments Back On Earth

7:57am January 16, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

Forty mice spent more than a month in orbit to test two approaches to strengthening muscle and bone in microgravity conditions. The results could help people with muscle and bone diseases.

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A light micrograph of a primitive human embryo, composed of four cells, following the initial mitotic divisions that ultimately transform a single-cell organism into one composed of millions of cells.

Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns

9:10pm January 15, 2020

by Rob Stein

Aiming to find a cheaper, easier way than IVF to ensure human embryos are healthy before implantation, researchers paid women to be inseminated, then flushed the embryos from their wombs for analysis.

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The Food And Drug Administration reviews new drugs for approval much faster than it used to, but changes in the agency's standards have drawn questions.

Health & Safety

FDA Approves Drugs Faster Than Ever But Relies On Weaker Evidence, Researchers Find

11:45am January 14, 2020

by Sydney Lupkin

Changes in the way the Food and Drug Administration reviews new medicines means that there are more cures and treatments on the market. But there's also less proof the drugs are safe and effective.

Kratom products are legal in most states and are widely available. But the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration worry that kratom carries the risk of physical and psychological dependency and, in some people, addict

Health & Safety

The Kratom Debate: Helpful Herb Or Dangerous Drug?

5:26pm January 13, 2020

by Lesley McClurg

Some people struggling with opioid addiction who switched to kratom swear the herb salvaged their lives. But federal agencies and the brother of a man who died from his kratom use warn of its risks.

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