Your Health

Leana Wen, Baltimore's health commissioner, says when women skip prenatal care because they can't afford it, their health and their children's health suffers.

I'm Pregnant. What Would Happen If I Couldn't Afford Health Care?

5:00am March 11, 2017

by Leana Wen

Prenatal care costs more than $10,000 on average. Dr. Leana Wen wonders what choices she would make if she didn't have health insurance to cover that, and how those choices would affect her baby.

Scott Gottlieb, FDA deputy commissioner for policy, speaks to reporters at the Reuters Health summit in New York in 2005.

Trump Chooses Dr. Scott Gottlieb To Head Food And Drug Administration

8:14pm March 10, 2017

by Joe Neel

Gottlieb is seen as a mainstream pick for an agency that oversees a quarter of the U.S. economy, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food, cosmetics and other areas of human and animal health.

A new study of the dental plaques of three Neanderthals reveals surprising facts about their lives, including what they ate, the diseases that ailed them and how they self-medicated (and smooched). (Above) An illustration of Neanderthals in Spain shows th

Some Neanderthals Were Vegetarian — And They Likely Kissed Our Human Ancestors

2:12pm March 09, 2017

by Rhitu Chatterjee

A new study of the dental plaques of three Neanderthals reveals surprising facts about their lives, including what they ate, the diseases that ailed them and how they self-medicated (and smooched).

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Colored scanning electron micrograph of baker's yeast, conventionally grown in the lab. So far, researchers have been able to synthesize six of the yeast's 16 chromosomes from scratch, and think they may be able to complete all 16 by 2018.

Scientists Closer To Creating A Fully Synthetic Yeast Genome

2:03pm March 09, 2017

by Rob Stein

An international consortium of researchers has synthesized about a third of the genetic code of baker's yeast. It's an important milestone in science's quest to create complex "synthetic life."

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Memory athletes like Sue Jin Yang — competing here in the 17th annual USA Memory Championship, in New York City, in 2014 — wear headphones to block out distractions as they memorize the order of deck of cards.

Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer

5:26pm March 08, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

After six weeks of training, people could memorize twice as much. Areas of the brain had begun communicating in new ways — a lot like what happens inside the heads of world memory champions.

An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet.

Is Dieting Passe? Study Finds Fewer Overweight People Try To Lose Weight

3:49pm March 08, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

Some health experts worry about what this trend means for chronic diseases linked to obesity. Others see an upside: Diets often fail, but a healthy body image can lead to healthy outcomes.

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New research finds eating soy milk, edamame and tofu does not have harmful effects for women with breast cancer, as some have worried. In fact, for some breast cancer survivors, soy consumption was found to be tied to longer life.

For Breast Cancer Survivors, Eating Soy Tied To A Longevity Boost

6:30pm March 07, 2017

by Allison Aubrey

New research finds eating soy milk, edamame and tofu does not have harmful effects for women with breast cancer, as some have worried. In fact, for some women, soy consumption was tied to longer life.

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About 35 percent of the patients at this clinic in York, Pa., receive Medicaid. The clinic offers STD testing, cancer screening and contraception services as well as abortion services.

Public Clinics Fear Federal Cuts To Planned Parenthood Would Strand Patients

6:00pm March 07, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

A goal for many Republicans is to cut federal funding for health services at Planned Parenthood and divert those funds to public health centers. How ready are those centers to pick up that work?

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Even if you don't get an annual pelvic exam, every woman age 21 to 65 who has a cervix should get a Pap smear every three to five years, federal health officials advise.

Are Routine Pelvic Exams A Must? Evidence Is Lacking, Task Force Says

4:44pm March 07, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

There's not enough good evidence to make the call as to whether an annual pelvic exam is a good screening tool, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., spearheaded efforts to produce the GOP health care bill.

Health & Safety

7 Provisions To Watch In The GOP's Proposed Health Care Law

3:50pm March 07, 2017

by April Fulton

The Republican proposal preserves popular items from Obama's health law, including letting young adults stay on their parents' plan until age 26. But it shrinks financial aid for low-income Americans.