Medical Treatments

A woman waits to get AIDS drugs on April 8 at a clinic in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, about 55 miles north of Johannesburg. New WHO guidelines say patients should start HIV treatment much earlier, before they become extremely sick.

South Africa Weighs Starting HIV Drug Treatment Sooner

6:22am July 16, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

The recommended change would mean that patients would begin treatment before they get extremely sick. In Africa, where millions of people are infected with HIV, a move to earlier treatment would be challenging for the public health system.

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Health & Safety

Deadly Painkiller Overdoses Affecting More Women

5:59pm July 12, 2013

by Patti Neighmond

A new study shows women are dying from overdoses of prescription painkillers at a much higher rate than ever before. Men still suffer more overdoses but women are catching up, fast. Since 2007, more women have died from drug overdoses than from motor vehicle crashes.

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Streptococcus bacteria, like this strain, can be found in our guts.

Gut Bacteria We Pick Up As Kids Stick With Us For Decades

12:38pm July 09, 2013

by Rob Stein

An experimental "gut check" test can tell us more about the bacteria that live inside us. By studying the way the microbial populations change over time, researchers think they may have a new tool for monitoring health.

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"Liver buds" grow in petri dishes. The rudimentary organs are about 5 mm wide, or half the height of a classic Lego block.

Scientists Grow A Simple, Human Liver In A Petri Dish

9:48am July 04, 2013

The tiny organs created from stem cells aren't complete, but they act like regular livers when transplanted into mice, Japanese scientists say. Still, it will be years before the synthetic organs could help people with liver problems, even if further research all works out as hoped.

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How does the doctor decide what to write on the prescription pad?

Health & Safety

Top Medicare Prescribers Rake In Speaking Fees From Drugmakers

5:38pm July 03, 2013

by Charles Ornstein, Tracy Weber and Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica

Paying doctors to prescribe particular drugs is illegal. But drugmakers pay some doctors to talk with their peers about prescription drugs. The speakers say they aren't influenced by the money they get for promoting the drugs. But data show many of them are top prescribers of the medicines.

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Patients sit with their eyes bandaged at an Aravind Eye Care clinic in Madurai, India after cataract surgeries. Aravind performs more than 300,000 cataract surgeries annually.

One Man's Quest To Make Medical Technology Affordable To All

2:47pm July 03, 2013

by John Ydstie

David Green says capitalism practiced with empathy is the right way to make health care available to the masses. The social entrepreneur is working on medical devices and services that can make a difference in the developing world.

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Sound World Solution's hearing device lets a user customize its settings using a Bluetooth connection and a smartphone.

To Make Hearing Aids Affordable, Firm Turns On Bluetooth

10:38am July 02, 2013

by John Ydstie

Traditional hearing aids can be too expensive for many people. But a new type that uses Bluetooth technology costs only about $300. The company that makes the new devices aims to reach millions of people around the world who need hearing aids but have trouble paying for them.

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In the current New Yorker, Michael Specter explores the conflict among some people who suffer from Lyme disease, and the doctors who study it.

'The Lyme Wars' That Tiny Ticks Have Wrought

4:50pm June 26, 2013

Since Lyme disease was first identified in the late 1970s, it has become the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the country. Journalist Michael Specter talks about his New Yorker article on the disease and its controversial history.

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Health & Safety

Surgeons Nuland And Gawande Look To The Future Of Medicine

2:56pm June 25, 2013

As the Affordable Care Act rolls out and technology changes certain procedures, the role of doctors continues to shift. As part of TOTN's "Looking Ahead" series, Dr. Sherwin Nuland and Dr. Atul Gawande discuss the future of the practice and profession of medicine.

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Hospitals and organ banks could get more leeway in decisions about donations.

Proposed Changes In Organ Donation Stir Debate

11:55am June 24, 2013

by Rob Stein

Donation after cardiac death involves removing organs minutes after life-support has been stopped for patients who still have at least some brain activity. Is that enough time to make sure a person won't recover?

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