Medical Treatments

Can you prevent mental illnesses like schizophrenia or anxiety by taking a vitamin supplement?

Can Mental Illness Be Prevented In The Womb?

6:00am October 22, 2016

by Bret Stetka

Researchers are exploring changes in prenatal nutrition to lower risks for future mental disorders. The work is preliminary, but there is ample precedent for maternal diet affecting children's health.

Rishi Manchanda giving his TED Talk on TED MED 2014

How Can Your Home Make You Sick?

9:09am October 21, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

When Dr. Rishi Manchanda worked in a clinic in South Central Los Angeles, he saw that patients were getting sick because of toxic living conditions — so he tried a unique treatment approach.

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Lawmakers Question Price Hikes For Leukemia Drug

8:38pm October 20, 2016

by Richard Gonzales

The pharmaceutical company Ariad raised the price of a leukemia drug multiple times during a four-year period even as reports of serious cardiovascular side effects mounted.

An ambulance pulls out of the emergency entrance at Temple University Hospital in North Philadelphia.

Will A Study Save Victims Of Violence, Or Gamble With Their Lives?

6:07pm October 20, 2016

by Aaron Moselle

Victims of a shooting or stabbing in Philadelphia may soon become part of a study to figure out what kind of care is better--going straight to a hospital or getting more care at the scene.

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The bacteria that causes gonorrhea can cause infertility in women and men.

STD Infections Rise To New Highs After States Close Health Clinics

4:50pm October 20, 2016

by Angus Chen

The CDC reports a sharp rise in infections of sexually transmitted diseases, and says lack of funding for state and local health clinics that help prevent spread of the diseases is a key factor.

Research in mice shows that lowering oxygen levels could reset circadian clocks and cure jet lag.

Breathing Less Oxygen Reduces Jet Lag, At Least In Mice

3:49pm October 20, 2016

by Erin Ross

Jet lag and shift work impose painful changes on the body's circadian rhythms. Adjusting oxygen consumption might help, researchers say. But don't hold your breath; it's only been tested in mice.

A fainting episode, though usually no big deal, can sometimes be caused by a blood clot.

Health & Safety

When A Fainting Spell Is Caused By A Serious Blood Clot

2:21pm October 20, 2016

by Richard Harris

Blood clots are on the list of conditions that doctors are supposed to consider when figuring out unexplained fainting spells. An Italian study suggests physicians should be more alert to clots.

Although expanding Medicaid in Oregon didn't drive down the recipients' overall use of hospital emergency rooms, the state has seen a decline in avoidable use of ERs by 4 percent in the past two years, according to state statistics.

Emergency Room Use Stays High In Oregon Medicaid Study

6:35pm October 19, 2016

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Health officials hoped giving more people health insurance would curtail their use of expensive emergency rooms for routine medical care. But data from Oregon suggest their overall ER use didn't drop.

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A patient with Crohn's disease receives an IV infusion of Remicade, or infliximab.

Small Savings For Drugs Made To Mimic Biotech Blockbusters

3:56pm October 19, 2016

by Richard Harris

Pfizer is poised to start selling Inflectra, its version of the blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade. But the price of Inflectra is only 15 percent less.

Once-a-day HIV pills that combine multiple medicines, such as Truvada, are easier to take, but they can be more expensive than pills that contain only one active ingredient.

7 Insurers Alleged To Have Discriminated Against HIV Patients

4:36pm October 18, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

The plans sought to discourage costly HIV patients by not including their drugs on approved lists or by requiring substantial cost sharing, a Harvard Law School group says in federal complaints.