Medical Treatments

Officer Brian Cregg checks in with a man who says he is homeless and living in his car in Concord, N.H. In Concord, as in many parts of the Northeast, widespread use of meth is new, police say, and is changing how they approach interactions with people wh

Is It A Meth Case Or Mental Illness? Police Who Need To Know Often Can't Tell

7:53pm October 22, 2019

by Martha Bebinger

Calming techniques officers learn during training for intervening in a mental health crisis don't seem to work as well when a suspect is high on meth. Police say meth calls can be much more dangerous.

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A blood transfusion bag hangs in an operating room in a hospital in the Republic of Congo. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have a huge gap between blood supply and demand, new research found.

Hospitals Around The World Have A Dire Shortage Of Blood

4:13pm October 22, 2019

by Tim McDonnell

The first global analysis of blood supply and demand finds that many developing countries are relying on risky emergency donations.

Scientists are exploring a new technique, called prime editing, that is more precise than CRISPR and which uses certain enzymes, including reverse transcriptase, to edit DNA.

Scientists Create New, More Powerful Technique To Edit Genes

7:28pm October 21, 2019

by Rob Stein

A new technique, dubbed 'prime editing,' appears to make it even easier to make very precise changes in DNA. It's designed to overcome the limits of the CRISPR gene editing tool.

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Health & Safety

The Placebo Effect Works And You Can Catch It From Your Doctor

6:59pm October 21, 2019

by Emily Vaughn

Doctor-patient interactions can make a big difference to the effectiveness of treatments. In a new study, even a fake pain treatment helped when doctors believed it was real.

Though complications from the flu can be deadly for people who are especially vulnerable, including pregnant women and their newborns, typically only about half of pregnant women get the needed vaccination, U.S. statistics show.

Get Your Flu Shot Now, Doctors Advise, Especially If You're Pregnant

7:27am October 21, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are particularly vulnerable to flu complications yet lag the elderly in getting vaccinated.

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A recent study looked at funding rates for R01 grant applications, which are designed to support "health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH." In general, population-based projects were less likely to be funded than exploratio

What's Behind The Research Funding Gap For Black Scientists?

2:21pm October 18, 2019

by Emily Vaughn

Black scientists more often seek grants for community health studies, but molecular-level research proposals win more funding. More diversity throughout the process could help close the gap, says NIH.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with 1,500 self-funded health plans, sued Sutter Health for antitrust violations. The closely watched case, which many expected to set precedents nationwide, ended in a settlement Wednesday. Above, Sutter

Health & Safety

Hospital Giant Sutter Health Agrees To Settlement In Big Antitrust Fight

6:01pm October 16, 2019

by Jenny Gold

Health care costs in Northern California, where Sutter Health dominates, are 20% to 30% higher than in Southern California, even after adjusting for cost of living. Settlement terms aren't yet public.

Doctors Faced With Tough Decisions Due To Shortage Of Drug Used To Treat Cancer

4:26pm October 16, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Dr. Yoram Unguru, a hematologist and oncologist in Baltimore, about a shortage of vincristine, a drug used to treat childhood cancer.

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Alex, at 4 years and 11 months old, throws a toy football.

A Boy's Mysterious Illness Leads His Family On A Diagnostic Odyssey

1:07pm October 16, 2019

by Richard Harris

Alex Yiu was born a seemingly healthy baby. But by age 2, his muscle control and speech were deteriorating. His baffling condition took a decade to diagnose. The reanalysis of a DNA test was the key.

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The overprescription of opioid pain medications such as these oxycodone pills has been blamed for an addiction epidemic in the U.S. — and has spurred a flurry of activity in American courts.

Your Guide To The Massive (And Massively Complex) Opioid Litigation

5:58pm October 15, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The largest-ever federal action related to the U.S. opioid crisis is on the cusp of its first trial next week — and it's complicated. So here's a brief(ish) explainer breaking it all down.