Medical Treatments

Astrophysicist Szabolcs Marka has a radical idea: Use light as a barrier between mosquitoes and humans. He was awarded a $100,000 Grand Challenge grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to see if the idea really works.

Help Wanted: Unlikely Geniuses To Solve Public Health Problems

3:13pm October 09, 2014

by Linda Poon

The Grand Challenge is a new tradition in the world of public health: asking anyone (and everyone) to come up with innovations. The latest assignment: design cooler protective gear for Ebola teams.

Joe Kiani, addresses the second-annual Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit in January 2014.

Health & Safety

Medical Company May Be Falling Short Of Its Patient Safety Ideals

10:00am October 06, 2014

Masimo Corporation's chief executive is a leading voice in the movement to reduce medical errors, but the Food and Drug Administration says his company isn't properly investigating complaints.

A private security guard patrols the apartment building in Dallas where Ebola patient Thomas Duncan stayed. The family that hosted him is quarantined.

Here's How An Ebola Quarantine Works In The U.S.

4:37pm October 03, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

The family that hosted Ebola patient Thomas Duncan in Dallas is under quarantine. It's a time-honored public health tool to stop the spread of infectious disease. But it can be abused.

A man stands above a new Ebola treatment center in Monrovia, Liberia. Health workers in Liberia, the hardest-hit nation, have turned people away from treatment units because of shortages of beds and staff.

Experimental Drug Jams Ebola Gene To Fight The Virus

11:46am October 02, 2014

by Richard Harris

A drug being tested against Ebola makes use of new scientific insights that could prove useful for treating other illnesses, including one that is inherited.

Long-Term Birth Control Works Best For Teens, Pediatricians Say

11:46am October 02, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

When given their choice of contraceptives for free, almost three-quarters of sexually active teenage girls chose long-acting options like the IUD or hormonal implants, a study finds.

Health & Safety

5 Things We Learned From New Database Of Payments To Doctors

11:45am October 02, 2014

by Charles Ornstein

Royalty and licensing payments accounted for almost a third of the amount paid to doctors by drug and device companies. The total exceeded the amount spent on speeches, consulting and meals.

Wacoal iPants include small amounts of caffeine.

Putting Caffeine In Your Underwear Won't Make You Slimmer, Alas

3:10pm October 01, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Here's a government service: The Federal Trade Commission has told two companies to quit selling caffeinated women's undergarments because they don't actually slim your nether regions as advertised.

What We Don't Know About Heart Disease Can Kill Us

5:15pm September 30, 2014

by Nancy Shute

People in the United Kingdom failed big time when they took a poll on risk factors for heart disease. Think you're more up to speed? Try our quickie quiz and find out.

Health & Safety

Database Flaws Cloud Sunshine On Industry Payments To Doctors

3:09pm September 30, 2014

by Charles Ornstein

A federal website set to go live Tuesday will disclose drug and device companies' ties to doctors. The release marks a milestone, but could be misleading for patients checking up on their doctors.

Justin McCowan poses for a portrait outside of his house in Santa Monica, Calif., on Aug. 14.

Death Cuts Short The Life Of An Alzheimer's Research Volunteer

4:45pm September 29, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

Justin McCowan wanted to help find a cure for Alzheimer's because it's more common in people like him who have Down syndrome. He died in his sleep last week at age 40.

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