Your New Flu Vaccine Is On The Way, A Little Early

NPR - 7/30/2010 1:43 PM - Shots - Health News Blog

Flu season is in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere, with H1N1 the predominant strain in Australia and New Zealand. No one's predicting what our season will look like just yet.

Midwives Object To Analysis Of Risk To Babies Born At Home

NPR - 7/30/2010 11:56 AM - Shots - Health News Blog

An editorial in a leading medical journal says while studies have shown it's safe for moms to give birth at home, it's not clear the same is true for babies.  It advises women with high-risk pregnancies opt to deliver in a hospital.

High-Tech 'Band-Aids' Call Doctors

NPR - 7/30/2010 11:52 AM - Your Health

A new generation of wireless medical sensors mounted on an adhesive strip can call a doctor and transmit key data when they detect a problem. But federal regulators, who want to make sure the technology is safe, have yet to iron out regulations for these devices.

Calcium Supplements May Increase Heart Risk

NPR - 7/30/2010 10:23 AM - Shots - Health News Blog

Calcium supplements are widely prescribed, particularly among women over 50, as a way to reduce fractures and increase bone density. But a new study suggests those pills carry some potential risks for your heart.

Vertebrate Genomes Hide Ancient Viruses

NPR - 7/30/2010 10:00 AM - Research News

Reporting in the journal PLOS Pathogens, researchers write opossums have bits of the Ebola virus mixed into their genetic code and human genomes contain snippets of the Borna virus. Study author Anna Skalka says some of the virus genetic code was inserted 40 million years ago.

Will Reading The Doc's Notes Improve Your Health?

NPR - 7/30/2010 10:00 AM - Health Care

The Open Notes project connects some 25,000 patients with their doctors' medical notes through secure online portals. Participating doctors Tom Delbanco and Sara Fazio of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center discuss the program, and why it has some doctors worried.

Regulators Want Truckers On Road To Shape Up

NPR - 7/30/2010 7:51 AM - Health

Federal regulators have announced plans to step up scrutiny of sleep apnea and other health issues affecting truckers, who are more likely than average Americans to be overweight. The move has prompted a health craze -- or what passes for one -- among truckers.

Health Care Fight Heats Up Over New Tax Report Repeal Effort

NPR - 7/30/2010 6:17 AM - Shots - Health News Blog

A battle is being waged by small businesses, accountants, and members of Congress to repeal a new tax reporting requirement in the health law. But it could raise $16 billion for the government.

Chicken producers debate 'natural' label

AP - 7/30/2010 1:48 AM

By JULIANA BARBASSA 2010-07-30T08:48:04Z
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A disagreement among poultry producers about whether chicken injected with salt, water and other ingredients can be promoted as "natural" has prompted federal officials to consider changing labeling guidelines....

Just Buy It: Impulsiveness Tied To Brain Chemical

NPR - 7/29/2010 9:00 PM - Health

From proposing to a loved one to going on a shopping spree, many of life's decisions are guided by the brain chemical dopamine. Scientists now say dopamine might explain why some people are more impulsive than others when it comes to planning and thinking.

Senators Call On FDA To Rule On Alcoholic Energy Drinks

NPR - 7/29/2010 1:30 PM - Shots - Health News Blog

Eight months ago, the Food and Drug Administration asked makers of beverages containing alcohol and caffeine to prove the drinks are safe. So far, nothing's been made public.

Costly New Prostate Cancer Drug Works In Mysterious Ways

NPR - 7/29/2010 12:41 PM - Shots - Health News Blog

A new prostate cancer treatment that uses a patient's own white blood cells to effectively create a personalized vaccine has been approved. But no one really knows how it works.

Eating More Meat, White Or Red, Is Bad For The Waistline

NPR - 7/29/2010 8:53 AM - Shots - Health News Blog

People who ate the equivalent of one big steak a day gained four more pounds over five years than those who ate less meat. That's according to a new analysis of a major European diet study.

Dr. Atul Gawande: Make End Of Life More Humane

NPR - 7/29/2010 8:30 AM - On Aging

Technology can prolong the lives of the terminally ill -- but at what cost? Surgeon and New Yorker writer Atul Gawande examines the difficulties for medical professionals and families who must decide when to stop medical intervention and focus on improving a patient's last days.

Hands-only CPR, pushy dispatchers are lifesavers

AP - 7/29/2010 4:25 AM

By MIKE STOBBE 2010-07-29T11:25:08Z
ATLANTA (AP) -- More bystanders are willing to attempt CPR if an emergency dispatcher gives them firm and direct instructions - especially if they can just press on the chest and skip the mouth-to-mouth, according to new research....

DC pushes female condoms to fight HIV epidemic

AP - 7/29/2010 12:21 AM

By JESSICA GRESKO 2010-07-29T07:21:06Z
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Charlene Cotton will talk to anyone about sex. Several days a week she stands behind a table decorated with a bowl of flavored condoms and safer sex pamphlets, calling to women passing on the street, "Come check out my table. Don't be scared."...

During CPR, Locking Lips May Not Be Necessary

NPR - 7/28/2010 9:00 PM - Health

Many people are uncomfortable with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, so they don't attempt CPR at all. Two big studies show that a streamlined, hands-only CPR method could be just as good. Experts hope the findings will get more bystanders to try CPR -- and, in the end, save more lives.

NYC looks to stop spreading bedbug infestations

AP - 7/28/2010 6:53 PM

By SARA KUGLER FRAZIER 2010-07-29T01:53:10Z
NEW YORK (AP) -- One of every 15 New Yorkers battled bedbugs last year, officials said Wednesday as they announced a plan to fight the spreading infestation, including a public-awareness campaign and a top entomologist to head the effort....

How A New 747 Could Get Between You And Your Doctor

NPR - 7/28/2010 2:08 PM - Shots - Health News Blog

The Federal Communications Commission set aside a small band of radio waves for jet makers to test new planes. But medical device makers covet the same frequencies for a new generation of equipment.

New program rebuilding faces of soldiers, veterans

AP - 7/27/2010 3:44 AM

By MICHELLE ROBERTS 2010-07-27T10:44:27Z
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Master Sgt. Todd Nelson lost his right eye and ear in a flash when a car bomb in Afghanistan exploded, sending fire up his arm and over his head....

Tests aim to settle if fresher blood works better

AP - 7/27/2010 12:03 AM

By LAURAN NEERGAARD 2010-07-27T07:03:15Z
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Facing surgery? You could receive blood that's been stored for a week, or three weeks, or nearly six - and there's growing concern that people who get the older blood might not fare as well....

Full face transplant Spaniard displays new look

AP - 7/26/2010 12:32 PM

By DANIEL WOOLLS 2010-07-26T19:32:15Z
MADRID (AP) -- A Spanish man who underwent the world's first full face transplant appeared before TV cameras Monday for the first time since his surgery, thanking his doctors and the family of the donor....

Japanese women extend life expectancy to new high

AP - 7/26/2010 10:22 AM

By MARI YAMAGUCHI 2010-07-26T17:22:45Z
TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese women are expected to live almost 86 1/2 years, topping the world longevity ratings for the 25th straight year, the government reported Monday....

Medical device problems hurt 70,000+ kids annually

AP - 7/26/2010 3:42 AM

By LINDSEY TANNER 2010-07-26T10:42:05Z
CHICAGO (AP) -- More than 70,000 children and teens go to the emergency room each year for injuries and complications from medical devices, and contact lenses are the leading culprit, the first detailed national estimate suggests....

In midst of river cleanup, supporters are divided

AP - 7/25/2010 12:39 PM

By BOB SALSBERG 2010-07-25T19:39:30Z
LENOX, Mass. (AP) -- Once a dumping ground for chemicals, a stretch of the Housatonic River that winds near this Berkshires hamlet is being scoured in a lengthy, expensive cleanup. Now, dredging other parts of the riverbed is under consideration, but the fishers, bird watchers and swimmers who would benefit are wondering how much effort is too much....