Medical Treatments

Migraine headaches are one example of a chronic illness that typically doesn't respond to quick fixes.

For Many People, Medical Care Works Best When It's Incremental

5:12pm January 17, 2017

by NPR Staff

We often imagine the best medical care as a miracle cure. Atul Gawande argues that for chronic illness, the best care may be a long, slow process of improving health a little bit at a time.

Luke Whitbeck, 2, sits on his mother's lap while the nurse prepares his treatment at a pediatric infusion center in Hawthorne, N.Y., in October 2016.

High Prices For Orphan Drugs Strain Families And Insurers

3:30pm January 17, 2017

Three decades ago, Congress set up a system to encourage drug companies to develop treatments for rare diseases. The law has worked, but at a high cost.

Health & Safety

Kitty Dukakis: Electroshock Therapy Has Given Me A New Lease On Life

7:25am January 17, 2017

David Greene talks to Kitty Dukakis and her husband, former Mass. Gov. Michael Dukakis, about their campaign to destigmatize electroshock therapy. She has used it to alleviate severe depression.

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When Ashley Theriot died unexpectedly at the age of 32, her friend ask her family if they'd donate Theriot's kidney. They agreed, and now that kidney — and 7 more of her organs — have new lives.

Health & Safety

Through Organ Donation, One Woman's Death Gives Life To Others

8:08am January 14, 2017

by Scott Simon

When Ashley Theriot died unexpectedly at the age of 32, her friend asked her family if they'd donate Theriot's kidney. They agreed, and now that kidney — and seven more of her organs — have new lives.

The highly rated variety of medical marijuana known as "Blue Dream" was displayed among other strains at a cannabis farmers market in Los Angeles in 2014.

Marijuana's Health Effects? Top Scientists Weigh In

7:40pm January 12, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine sorted through 10,000 studies to determine the good and bad health effects of marijuana. Tight drug restrictions impede research, they say.

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Chart: Obesity-Related Insurance Claims Have Risen In Youth Under 22

Obesity-Linked Diagnoses On The Rise Among Kids And Teens

2:13pm January 12, 2017

by Julie Appleby

A new analysis of U.S. health insurance claims is worrisome, pediatricians say: More and more young people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Folic acid in food might not be enough to prevent birth defects, a federal advisory panel says. Thus the recommendation for supplements.

Women Still Need Folic Acid Supplements To Prevent Birth Defects

4:23pm January 10, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

Taking folic acid while pregnant reduces the risk of birth defects. But there may not be enough of the vitamin in enriched grain products, a federal advisory panel says.

Stanford bioengineering professor Manu Prakash looked to a children's toy to create a hand-powered centrifuge for processing blood tests.

Children's Whirligig Toy Inspires a Low-Cost Laboratory Test

4:01pm January 10, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

A paper version of a spinning children's toy can replace laboratory centrifuges to process blood tests. The "paperfuge" may help diagnose malaria and other diseases.

Mammograms are good at finding lumps, but it can be hard to determine which could become life-threatening and which are harmless.

Danish Study Raises More Questions About Mammograms' Message

5:27pm January 09, 2017

by Rob Stein

Research from Denmark suggests about one-third of lumps detected by routine mammograms would never have become dangerous. That puts women at risk of needless surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

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Scientists are trying to mine electronic health records.

Electronic Health Records May Help Customize Medical Treatments

12:48pm January 09, 2017

by Richard Harris

Most people's doctors put their health information in an electronic health record. Scientists are mining those records for clues to what treatments work best for individuals.

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