Your Health

Younger people are more likely to shop around for prices on prescription drugs, according to the latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll.

Why Do People Stop Taking Their Meds? Cost Is Just One Reason

11:46am September 08, 2017

by Katherine Hobson

The latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll finds that one-third of people say they're stopped taking a prescription drug without telling their doctor. And that could be putting their health at risk.

Michael Jacobson (right) and Bonnie Liebman, CSPI's director of nutrition, launching a campaign against over-salted food in the late 1970s.

A Pioneer Of Food Activism Steps Down, Looks Back

4:28pm September 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

Michael Jacobson invented a new style of food activism. For four decades, he led the fight against "junk food." He's now stepping down as president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The ineffable mysteries of attraction may be hard to measure with an algorithm.

When It Comes To Romantic Attraction, Real Life Beats Questionnaires

2:48pm September 06, 2017

by Angus Chen

Questionnaires of the sort used by dating apps don't come close to predicting initial attraction compared with meeting someone in real life, a study finds. The ineffable mystery of romance remains.

Dr. Ruth Berggren stands outside Charity Hospital in New Orleans in 2005, where she had earlier cared for patients during Hurricane Katrina.

A Doctor Who Weathered Katrina Now Tends Victims Of Harvey

3:23pm September 05, 2017

by Shefali Luthra

Dr. Ruth Berggren spent six days struggling to keep patients alive in in New Orleans' Charity Hospital after Hurricane Katrina hit. She's now caring for evacuees from Hurricane Harvey.

Young bodies may more easily rebound from long bouts of sitting, with just an hour at the gym. But research suggests physical recovery from binge TV-watching gets harder in our 50s and as we get older.

Get Off The Couch Baby Boomers, Or You May Not Be Able To Later

8:43am September 04, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

If you sit too much during middle age — at work and at home — your ability to exercise or even walk in late decades is at risk, a study hints. And, of course, your risk of heart disease climbs, too.

Queue Listen Now

The challenge comes at a time when many Americans are cutting back on sugar due to obesity and diabetes risks.

Coca-Cola Offers A Sweet Quest: A Million Bucks To Replace Sugar

5:10am September 04, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

The company is holding a contest to find a new and natural, low-calorie sweetener. The challenge comes at a time when many Americans are cutting back on sugar due to obesity and diabetes risks.

Doctors say don't delay getting the flu shot this year.

Fall Weather Headed Your Way? Time For Flu Shots

4:15am September 04, 2017

by Tara Haelle

The American Academy of Pediatrics reminds us that shots — not a nasal spray — are the most effective way to protect kids 6 months and older against the flu.

Has Salt Gotten An Unfair Shake?

5:00am September 03, 2017

by Bret Stetka

For years, we've been told that less salt is better. But some scientists say that the world's universal seasoning has been maligned and that moderate salt intake is healthier for many people.

Dr. Winston Watkins, an internist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston, volunteered to do a shift in the ER to give his colleagues a break.

Health & Safety

In A Houston Emergency Room, It Was A Week Like No Other

8:47am September 02, 2017

by Rachel Osier Lindley

At the only emergency department providing care in downtown Houston, staff stayed in the hospital throughout the week to care for patients. It was an emotional experience.

A patient is evacuated from Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, Texas, on Thursday.

Texas Expedites Help From Out-Of-State Health Care Providers

11:09pm September 01, 2017

As the medical and mental health needs of people affected by Harvey become apparent, Texas has made it easier for out-of-state health workers to come lend a hand.

Queue Listen Now