inside the show
site tools
text size:
larger |
normal
search for stories
get audio help
RSS feeds: xml | rdf
weekly audio feed: podcast
tell me more about this
the chart
a frequently updated listing of interesting health stories
chart rss: xml | rdf | explain this
Don't call it the war room
The WHO is preparing its response team for the possibility of an influenza pandemic, even as the experts involved acknowledge it very well might not be enough. [WP]
posted 12:29 PM Nov 28
Go drugs!
The fact that drug reps tend to be good-looking and enthusiastic has been noted in the health biz for some time. So if drug companies are looking to recruit a bunch of these people, where might they find a bunch of them? [NYT]
posted 12:26 PM Nov 28
Medicare drug benefit sign-ups start
And it still doesn't seem to be any easier to understand. [WP]
posted 11:28 AM Nov 15
There just might be something about this exercise stuff
All sorts of research has indicated that exercise can help stave a range of health problems. And now a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that regular exercise helps people live longer. [WP]
posted 11:25 AM Nov 15
Research supports mammograms
There had been some doubt as to whether mammograms reduced death rates for breast cancer, but a study published in NEJM indicates the screens are useful. [NYT]
posted 4:41 PM Oct 27
Understanding the flu
Three physicians break down the health risks related to a typical influenza season and the effectiveness of the vaccine. Their conclusion: both the risk of death and the benefits of the vaccine are probably overstated. [WP]
posted 4:34 PM Oct 27
McDonald's pushes nutrition info... a little
The burger chain announced it will be adding nutritional info to its packaging, including little pictograms indicating what percentage of daily intake the items represent. [USAT]
posted 4:27 PM Oct 27
Nobel Prize for Medicine winners announced
This year's prize goes to two Australians who were involved in figuing out that H. pylori causes stomach ulcers. [AP]
posted 4:04 PM Oct 3
Speaking of food and cancer
A link to this article was posted on the front page of MSN today. Here's the thing about that...
posted 3:47 PM Oct 3
Not so fast
There have been a lot of theories regarding food and cancer. Unfortunately, many of them don't seem to be panning out. [NYT]
posted 3:44 PM Oct 3
Post-Katrina public health challenges abound
You name it -- medicine shortages, infectious diseases, accidents -- it's a problem right now throughout the affected area. [NYT]
posted 4:19 PM Aug 31
Healthy school lunches are possible
Just ask the folks in Opelika, Alabama. They made a commitment to serve healthier lunches ten years ago. The first step they took: getting rid of the deep fryers. And this is the South. [AP]
posted 5:21 PM Aug 30
Grass roots health coverage
Fewer than 10 percent of people in Africa have health insurance. Many governments there have been slow to extend what little coverage already exists, so people are forming their own health plans. [NYT]
posted 2:13 PM Aug 30
If bird flu strikes, who's in charge?
If you said public health officials, you'd be wrong. It's the Department of Homeland Security, according to the DHS secretary. [AJC]
posted 5:23 PM Aug 25
Another instrument disinfection mishap
This time it was in Virginia, and it involved an endoscope. No surprise, as The Health Show found out early this year, endoscopes are not easy to clean. [WP]
posted 5:19 PM Aug 25
Merck loses first Vioxx trial
The jury awarded more than $250 million in damages, but that figure will almost certainly be reduced. [AP]
posted 5:30 PM Aug 19
When MRIs attack
Sort of. MRI machines contain very powerful magnets (the "M" stands for magnetic), which can be a real problem if objects made of iron, nickel or cobalt are around. Accidents have become surprisingly common, prompting calls for stricter regulations. [NYT]
posted 10:06 AM Aug 19
Pseudoephedrine falls victim to meth war
This week Oregon became the first state in the nation to move the common over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine back behind the counter. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient for making methamphetamine and officials hope the new law will cut down on production of the illicit drug. The market may have other ideas. [AP]
posted 5:12 PM Aug 17
Zoned out
There are no sure-fire ways to eliminate jet lag, but there are a few things you can do to lessen its effects. Maybe. [BS]
posted 5:06 PM Aug 17
Word on the street
An investigation by the Seattle Times concludes that hedge funds are essentially buying information about drug trials from doctors -- before that information is made public. [ST]
posted 4:05 PM Aug 8
Can you see me now?
Two hospitals in Boston will soon be experimenting with online "house calls" for patients with acne. The Boston area has one of the nation's longest waits for seeing a dermatologist. The hope is this new arrangement could get patients seen faster. [BG]
posted 3:31 PM Aug 8
Sweet, sweeter, sweetest
The artificial sweetener biz is more than a hundred years old, and there's still nothing like sugar. [LAT]
posted 3:09 PM Aug 8
Milk for sale
And it's not 2%. A company called Prolacta wants to sell breast milk to hospitals. The California-based company also wants to develop breast milk therapies for sick babies. [BBC]
posted 4:38 PM Aug 4
Dentists to the rescue
Dentists haven't typically figured into plans for disaster response, but a professor from NYU asks, "Why not?" [NYT]
posted 4:11 PM Aug 2
Strike!
Rafael Palmeiro, one of major league baseball's most accomplished players, recently tested positive for steroids. His response: I didn't know what I was taking! Doping experts' response: you're kidding, right? [BS]
posted 3:19 PM Aug 2
listen
this week: Real · MP3
last week: RealAudio
Need help with the audio?
current show
1109
Sometimes a little knowledge can mean a heart wrenching decision. Advances in genetic testing have made it possible to tell who is at greater risk for cancer. But then what? On this week’s Health Show, we’ll hear about counseling for patients who have gotten some bad genetic news.
We’ll also hear about the nuts and bolts of the latest in genetic testing...and hear from the head of an organization that caters to the special needs of cancer patients in the L-G-B-T community.
GENETIC TESTING / GENETIC COUNSELING
Thousands of people have undergone tests to see if they carry genetic mutations that put them at increased risks for certain cancers. This year an estimated 100,000 women will get tested for genetic mutations in either the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 genes: the two most prominent genes so far linked to breast and ovarian cancer. A large percentage of these people will undergo some form counseling before and after the test, where a medical professional helps them review their family histories, assess risk factors, interpret results and discuss what options they have to mitigate their risks. Shia Levitt has more.
Genetic Testing - What's New Redux
Genetic testing was just one of the many topics we touched on last October when Dr. Janet Gargiulo, a medical oncologist at New York Oncology Hematology in Latham, New York, joined us to talk about what was new in Breast Cancer research and treatment.
This conversation was part of our October, 2008 series on what's new in the field of Breast Cancer research and treatment. You can hear the entire series here: Part 1 Part 2
The LGBT Cancer Network
Dealing with cancer in the best of circumstances is...well, let’s face it, there are never the best of circumstances when you deal with cancer. But if you’re gay and the hospital won’t allow your partner into your hospital room, or lesbian and don’t know about your increased ricks, or trans-gendered and insurance companies won’t take your calls...you need an extra helping hand. Liz Margolis is the executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network...and she’s been trying to extend that hand for a while. We spoke recently and I asked her about the network and it’s mission.
check it out