Your Health

Medical errors are a leading cause of death and injuries in U.S. hospitals, according to the Institute of Medicine.

Secret Data On Hospital Inspections May Soon Become Public

1:20pm April 18, 2017

by Charles Ornstein

The federal government wants to require that private accreditors release reports of problems they find during hospital inspections. Right now, the reports are kept confidential.

'Powwow Sweat' Promotes Fitness Through Traditional Dance

10:34am April 17, 2017

by Emily Schwing

Native Americans are 60 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. The Coeur D'Alene Tribe in Idaho is using traditional dance to get fit and lose weight. They call it "Powwow Sweat."

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Parents can phrase advice to their teens about coping with stress in ways that also help teenagers imagine the perspectives of others.

'When I Was Your Age' And Other Pitfalls Of Talking To Teens About Stress

10:00am April 16, 2017

by Juli Fraga

Helping teenagers develop cognitive empathy, the ability to understand another person's perspective, can allow them to cope with stress better. But whether they accept help can be all in the phrasing.

An anesthesiologist writes about the profound moment a patient wakes up from surgery.

The Poetic Intimacy Of Administering Anesthesia

5:00am April 16, 2017

by Meredith Rizzo

An anesthesiologist and poet says her medical work is well-suited to poetry, as patients move in and out of consciousness under the doctor's watch.

Carl Goulden, of Littlestown Pa., developed hepatitis B 10 years ago. Soon his health insurance premiums soared beyond a price he and his wife could afford.

U.S. Health Care Wrestles With The 'Pre-Existing Condition'

8:04am April 15, 2017

by Elana Gordon

Insurers and politicians struggle constantly to thread the needle between making sure people have good health insurance and figuring out who should pay, especially for those who need a lot of care.

A study suggests spinal manipulation can reduce lower back pain for some people.

Spinal Manipulation Can Alleviate Back Pain, Study Concludes

7:19pm April 11, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Physically manipulating the spine appears to offer a modestly effective alternative to medication for lower back pain, according to a new evaluation of scientific studies.

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Amianthus, a variety of asbestos. Exposure to the fibers can cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

Asbestos Deaths Remain A Public Health Concern, CDC Finds

5:40pm April 11, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Exposure to the tiny fibers in asbestos can lead people who work around the material to develop mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

A common blood test checks for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens (PSA) in a man's blood, as an indicator that he may have prostate cancer.

Federal Task Force Softens Opposition To Routine Prostate Cancer Screening

2:01pm April 11, 2017

by Rob Stein

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force proposes each man decide with his doctor whether to undergo routine PSA testing, citing recent evidence of benefits and ways to minimize downsides of screening.

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There is a hot zone in the back of the brain that can reveal what we are dreaming, according to new research.

A 'Hot Zone' In The Brain May Reveal When, And Even What, We Dream

8:08pm April 10, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

When people have dreams, an area near the back of the brain seems to wake up. And specific patterns of brain activity in that area can even reveal what we're dreaming about.

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Most new drugs don't work when tested in people. One of the big reasons is the use of animals in research.

Drugs That Work In Mice Often Fail When Tried In People

10:50am April 10, 2017

by Richard Harris

Most potential new drugs don't work when tested in people. It's a major disappointment and it drives up the cost of developing new drugs. One big reason is the use of animals in medical research.

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