Medical Treatments

Errors in diagnosis, such as inaccuracies or delays in making the information available, account for an estimated 10 percent of patient deaths, a blue-ribbon report says.

Health & Safety

Report: Errors In Diagnosis Are Common And Will Take Teamwork To Fix

8:03pm September 22, 2015

by Julie Appleby

Mistakes in diagnosis are a factor in 10 percent of patient deaths, the Institute of Medicine says. Better training, computer systems and coordination of care are needed to curb the problem.

Doris Keene (right) talks with her acupuncturist before a treatment at Portland's Quest Center for Integrative Health. Keene says the treatments have eased her chronic back pain at least as effectively as the Vicodin and muscle relaxants she once relied o

To Curb Pain Without Opioids, Oregon Looks To Alternative Treatments

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Acupuncture and massage haven't been proven to ease pain better than drugs — and may cost more. But Oregon hopes these sorts of alternatives to pills will reduce the societal costs of opioid abuse.

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Texting gentle reminders on heart-healthy habits helped people make real changes.

Text Reminders Help People Lower Cholesterol, Blood Pressure

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

Plain old text messages — you know, the ones you don't need a smartphone to receive — helped people with heart disease make changes like smoking less and exercising more.

Surgeon Seeks To Help Women Navigate Breast Cancer Treatment

3:51pm September 22, 2015

Thirty years ago no one uttered the words "breast cancer" in public. Now there's no shortage of information, but the glut can make it hard for women to make choices about care.

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Six years after he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease, Greg O'Brien is thinking differently about the future. Even as he fights to hold on to his memory, he and his wife, Mary Catherine, are discussing how to let go.

As Alzheimer's Symptoms Worsen, Hard Conversations About How To Die

4:54pm September 21, 2015

by Rebecca Hersher

Six years after he was diagnosed with both cancer and Alzheimer's, Greg O'Brien is beginning to talk to his doctor, and to his family, about his "exit strategy" for the final years of his life.

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Tablets of Lipitor and its generic equivalent, atorvastatin, are among the drugs commonly prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes among people at risk.

Health & Safety

Doubts Rise About Surge In Statin Prescriptions For Oldest Americans

3:16pm September 21, 2015

by Lisa Gillespie

About a third of people over the age of 79 are taking a cholesterol-lowering statin to prevent the first occurrence of a heart attack or stroke. Proof is scant that the benefits outweigh the risks.

The Essure contraceptive device is placed in the fallopian tubes, where it causes scarring that blocks sperm from reaching eggs.

FDA Revisits Safety Of Essure Contraceptive Device

10:23am September 21, 2015

by Rob Stein

It's the only available, nonsurgical permanent birth control option that's FDA-approved. But thousands of women have complained of serious side effects like severe pain, heavy bleeding and depression.

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Rough night? Depending on specific tweaks to their genes, some fruit flies have trouble falling asleep, and others can't stay asleep. Getting too little shut-eye hurts their memory.

How Research On Sleepless Fruit Flies Could Help Human Insomniacs

5:59pm September 18, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Research on fruit flies with different types of insomnia has revealed the same brain pathways that interfere with sleep in people. The result may be better sleeping pills that don't leave you groggy.

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It's now possible to edit the DNA in a human embryo. The next question is, should we?

British Scientists Seek Permission To Edit DNA In Human Embryos

1:09pm September 18, 2015

by Rob Stein

After Chinese scientists announced in April that they had edited the genes in human embryos, many researchers said it shouldn't be done. Scientists in London say they want to do it for research only.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual flu vaccination for people 6 months and older.

Health & Safety

CDC Says Flu Vaccine Should Be More Effective This Season

9:24am September 18, 2015

by Rob Stein

Public health officials were surprised last year when the dominant strain of circulating flu mutated after the flu vaccine had been formulated. The current version looks like a better match.