Medical Treatments

When kidneys fail to cleanse the blood, dialysis is often the solution. But the odds for success over the long haul depend in no small measure on the details of how the dialysis machinery is connected to the patient.

Health & Safety

Most Dialysis Patients Aren't Receiving The Best Treatment

10:03am June 25, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

More than 75 percent of new dialysis patients are at a higher risk of infection, blood clots and death because they aren't being prepared the best way for connection to blood-cleaning machines.

Marijuana at a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana Is Often Less Potent Than Advertised

3:59pm June 24, 2015

by Ina Yang

The pot brownie you bought to help your sleeping disorder may have a lot less active ingredient than promised, a study finds. And a review of other studies finds scant evidence of medical benefits.

To Ease Pain, Reach For Your Playlist

1:56pm June 24, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

Music can energize, soothe or relax us. And it can also help reduce pain. Researchers found that listening to a favorite song or story helped children manage pain after major surgery.

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Review Raises Troubling Questions About Marijuana's Safety, Effectiveness

8:05am June 24, 2015

by Patti Neighmond

A report finds mixed results when it comes to how well medical marijuana works to calm pain and control symptoms. And, an editorial says states legalizing pot for medical use may be jumping the gun.

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Retired California school teacher Mikkel Lawrence sits with his cat, Max. Lawrence has hepatitis C and has struggled to afford the medicine he needs to treat it.

Covered California Votes To Cap What Patients Pay For Pricey Drugs

5:30am June 24, 2015

by April Dembosky

The agency that administers Obamacare in California moved to make expensive medicines more affordable in 2016. In most plans, patients will pay no more than $150 or $250 a month.

"It would be disingenuous of me not to suggest that the link between the ... recommendations and insurance coverage hasn't put an additional focus on our work," says Dr. Michael LeFevre.

Health & Safety

Disputes Made Prevention Panel Stronger, Says Former Leader

5:51pm June 23, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Dr. Michael LeFevre, who stepped down as chairman of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in March, describes how the health law changed how the group works and communicates its findings.

Removing micropollutants from wastewater isn't cheap or easy.

Hunting Ways To Keep Synthetic Estrogens Out Of Rivers And Seas

1:26pm June 19, 2015

by Jessie Rack

Hormones from medical treatments wind up in wastewater, and that can be a problem. Some scientists think a version of a household chemical, hydrogen peroxide, could be part of the solution.

Cambrian Genomics says that what it calls a DNA printer is essentially a DNA sorter — it quickly spots and collects the desired, tailored stretch of DNA.

DNA 'Printing' A Big Boon To Research, But Some Raise Concerns

9:40pm June 17, 2015

by Rob Stein

Companies are assembling and churning out tailored stretches of DNA faster and more cheaply than ever before. The tool speeds research into diseases of plants and people. But what about eugenics?

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Hawaii ranks 49th in the nation for use of home health care services during the last six months of someone's life. Videos from ACP Decisions show patients what their options are at the end of life.

Videos On End-Of-Life Choices Ease Tough Conversation

9:39pm June 17, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

A program in Hawaii aims to reduce the number of older people who spend their final days of life in a hospital. Hawaii has one of the highest rates of hospital deaths for those over age 65 in the U.S.

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When health care providers have the latest information on various birth control methods, research suggests, more of their patients who use birth control choose a long-acting reversible method, like the IUD.

Updated Training Of Birth Control Counselors Boosts Use Of IUDs

9:35pm June 16, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

And when the use of intrauterine devices and hormonal implants by young women goes up, the number of unplanned pregnancies sharply drops, researchers find.