Study Finds Online Symptom Checkers Are Only Accurate Half The Time
A Harvard Medical School study found that online symptom checkers, such as WebMD and the Mayo Clinic, are only accurate about half the time.
Medical Treatments
Online Symptom Checkers Can't Replace The Real-Life Doc Just Yet
More than a third of U.S. adults turn to the Internet for help diagnosing their illnesses themselves. But how trustworthy are the results?
FDA Boosts Its Heart-Attack Warning On NSAIDs, Sows Confusion
High doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers do increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. But good luck trying to weigh risks and benefits for yourself.
Genetic Tweaks Are Restoring Hearing In Animals, Raising Hopes For People
The latest accomplishment for gene therapy involves mice with inherited deafness. Meanwhile, the drugmaker Novartis is conducting the first trial of gene therapy for people with hearing loss.
An Explicit Contract Makes Surrogacy Viable For An Oregon Woman
Carrying a child for someone unable to become pregnant can be a legal and ethical minefield. In Oregon, lenient laws and strict contracts have made surrogacy a more appealing option for women.
Teens Dying Of Cancer Face Intensive Treatments In The Final Days
Young cancer patients are more likely than older adult patients to be hospitalized or get chemo in the month before death, a study finds. Talking about end-of-life wishes is crucial, researchers say.
Some Antidepressants May Pose Increased Risk Of Birth Defects
Some antidepressants may be riskier than others when used during pregnancy. A study found the most widely used antidepressant, sertraline, wasn't associated with birth defects.
'No One Should Have The Right To Prolong My Death'
Jennifer Glass was a newlywed when she was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. "I'm doing everything I can to extend my life," she says, while advocating for a right-to-die law in California.
Lacking Votes, California Assembly Shelves Aid In Dying Bill
Proponents of a bill that would let doctors give dying people lethal prescriptions ran into opposition from Latino Democrats. Backers say they're not through trying for approval.
Despite National Progress, Colorectal Cancer Hot Spots Remain
Since 1970, the national colorectal cancer death rate has been cut in half. But progress has lagged in the Lower Mississippi Delta, Appalachia and counties in eastern Virginia and North Carolina.