KVCR Health News

Human Scent Is Even Sweeter For Malaria Mosquitoes

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:13:00 -0700

People smell yummy to mosquitoes. So yummy, in fact, that our scent is a big way the pesky insects track us down. But just how much mosquitoes like Eau de Human may not be entirely up to the bugs.

Mosquitoes are more attracted to human odors when they're infected with the malaria parasite, scientists reported Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

Scientists Clone Human Embryos To Make Stem Cells

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:33:00 -0700

Scientists say they have, for the first time, cloned human embryos capable of producing embryonic stem cells.

The accomplishment is a long-sought step toward harnessing the potential power of embryonic stem cells to treat many human diseases. But the work also raises a host of ethical concerns.

Angelina Jolie's Mastectomy Decision And Weighing Cancer Risks

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:18:00 -0700

On Wednesday's Morning Edition, David Greene talks with writer and breast cancer survivor Peggy Orenstein about actress Angelina Jolie's decision to have a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer.

Angelina Jolie And The Rise Of Preventive Mastectomies

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:18:00 -0700

Angelina Jolie just became part of a medical trend: More women are deciding to have their breasts removed to reduce the risk of cancer.

Over the past decade, doctors have noticed a big increase in the number of women choosing prophylactic, or preventive, mastectomies.

Teens Who Text And Drive Often Take Other Risks

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:30:00 -0700

Almost half of teenagers cop to texting while driving. And those texting teens are more likely to make other risky moves while in the car, too.

That includes not wearing seat belts, drinking and driving, and riding with a driver who's been drinking, a study just published in the journal Pediatrics finds.

Wrigley: Maybe We Won't Sell Caffeinated Gum After All

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 -0700

Less than two weeks after launching its Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, the Wrigley Company decided that maybe the world wasn't ready for amped-up chewing gum after all.

On April 30, the day after Alert Energy launched, the Food and Drug Administration said it was going to take a "fresh look" at caffeinated foods, particularly their effect on children and teenagers.

Supreme Court Says Cities Can Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:55:00 -0700

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In a case that originated in the city of Riverside, California’s highest court has come down on the side of cities and counties in the fight over the location, or even the existence, of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Parents' Saliva On Pacifiers Could Ward Off Baby's Allergies

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:16:00 -0700

That word "microbiome" — describing the collection of bacteria that live in and on our bodies — keeps popping up. This time, researchers say that children whose parents clean their pacifiers by sucking them might be less likely to develop allergic conditions because of how their parents' saliva changes their microbiomes.

Pfizer Goes Direct With Viagra Sales To Men

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:01:00 -0700

The ubiquitous blue-toned TV ads for Viagra look downright tame compared with Pfizer's latest gambit for the impotence remedy.

Pfizer is now selling the drug directly from the official Viagra website.

Girls May Get More 'Teaching Time' From Parents Than Boys Do

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:44:00 -0700

For some years now, teachers and parents have noted something about boys and girls. Starting in elementary school, young girls often score better on reading and math tests than young boys do.

The differences are uneven on different tests and do not describe the experience of every child, but empirical studies do document a difference.

Ratting Out TB: Scientists Train Rodents To Diagnose Disease

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:28:00 -0700

Rats are notorious for spreading nasty diseases. Think the plague, lassa fever and even salmonella.

But could some jumbo-size African rodents help health workers diagnose diseases more quickly? They just might.

A group in Tanzania is training rats to detect tuberculosis in people. The critters in question are African giant pouched rats. They are about twice the size of your average house gerbil — and half as pretty

How Doctors Would Know If Syrians Were Hit With Nerve Gas

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:04:00 -0700

President Obama affirmed Tuesday that there's evidence Syrians have been attacked with chemical weapons — in particular, nerve gas. But that's not the same as proof positive.

"We don't know how they were used, when they were used, who used them," Obama said. "We don't have a chain of custody that establishes what exactly happened."

How To Turn Down The Heat On Fiery Family Arguments

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:18:00 -0700

All parents are bound to disagree, argue or even raise their voices with each other.

But psychologists say parents can minimize the negative impact of their arguments on their children. It's just a matter of using a few simple techniques to turn down the heat and repair the damage after it's over.

E-Cigarettes Bring Smokers Back Inside, For Now

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:56:00 -0700

Smoking used to be sexy. Look at Mad Men or Humphrey Bogart. But that was then. These days, Americans are buying fewer cigarettes. Just this week, U.S. tobacco companies released their first quarter earnings, and, unsurprisingly, cigarette sales were down from last year.

A $5.5 Billion Road Map To Banish Polio Forever

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:16:00 -0700

Polio isn't going easily into the dustbin of history.

The world needs to push it in, throw down the lid and then keep an eye out to make sure it doesn't escape.

That's the gist of a new plan released Thursday by the World Health Organization and other foundations at a vaccine meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Failure Of Latest HIV Vaccine Test: A 'Huge Disappointment'

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:15:00 -0700

The largest current study of an AIDS vaccine, involving 2,500 people, is being stopped.

After an oversight committee took a preliminary peek at the results this past Monday, they concluded there was no way the study would show that the vaccine prevents HIV infection.

A Tale Of Mice And Medical Research, Wiped Out By A Superstorm

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:01:00 -0700

When Superstorm Sandy inundated lower Manhattan last year, thousands of lab animals drowned and many scientists lost months or even years of work. One of those scientists is Gordon Fishell, a brain researcher at New York University.

Gynecologists Question Use Of Robotic Surgery For Hysterectomies

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:43:00 -0700

Bolstered by a recent study that found doctors performing hysterectomies performed using a pricey robot didn't produce better results for patients than ordinary — and cheaper — procedures, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently threw down a latex gauntlet against the use of robots.

Sandwich Monday: Rip'n Chick'n

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:42:00 -0700

The fried chicken chain Popeye's, named because Popeye famously ate cans of fried chicken to make himself big and strong, is offering "Rip'n Chick'n." In so doing, they've accomplished what the great poets thought impossible: rhyme "chicken" and "ripping," and serve people a hand-shaped piece of chicken.

Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:45:00 -0700

The job hunt is complicated enough for most high school and college graduates — and even tougher for the growing number of young people on the autism spectrum. Despite the obstacles that people with autism face trying to find work, there's a natural landing place: the tech industry.

Frozen Food Gets Ready For Its Image Upgrade

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:50:00 -0700

Alarmed by a nation that increasingly equates fresh with healthy, the frozen food industry has a message for you.

"What we call fresh in the supermarket is really better termed raw," says Kristin Reimers, a registered dietitian and manager of nutrition for ConAgra Foods. "A lot of times, those vegetables have been transported for days, and then sit. It could be a matter of weeks between when they're picked and consumed."

Study Finds No Harm In Occasional Drink During Pregnancy

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:18:00 -0700

Is the occasional glass of wine or beer OK for moms-to-be?

According to a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, there doesn't seem to be any measurable risk.

The study found that drinking up to two alcoholic beverages per week during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in children. But even the study's authors caution that abstaining from alcohol is still best for mothers-to-be.

For Those About To Rock, We Salute Your Ears

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:19:00 -0700

If you went to Coachella last weekend, you probably had a ball. But will your ears pay the price?

While short-term hearing loss caused by loud noise can be unnerving, it may not be an automatic sign of permanent damage.

Inside The Brains Of People Over 80 With Exceptional Memory

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:11:00 -0700

Most research on memory loss in the elderly focuses on dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other brain diseases.

But neuroscientist Emily Rogalski from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine knew there is great variation in how good memory is in older people. Most have memory loss to varying degrees, but some have strong memories, even well into old age.

As New Flu Cases Rise In China, U.S. Steps Up Its Response

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:33:00 -0700

The toll from a new flu strain is mounting in China.

Forty-three people have been sickened and 11 have died from the virus, the World Health Organization said Friday.

The pace of infections has quickened over the past few days, with three to five cases reported daily.

Annals Of The Obvious: Women Way More Tired Than Men

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:25:00 -0700

Feeling run down? Dog-tired?

Who isn't, right?

But who's more exhausted: men or women?

How Much Does It Hurt? Let's Scan Your Brain

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:16:00 -0700

Scientists reported Wednesday that they had developed a way to measure how much pain people are experiencing by scanning their brains.

The researchers hope the technique will help doctors treat pain better, but the work is also raising concerns about whether the technique might interfere with doctors simply listening to their patients.

Surprise: Organic Apples And Pears Aren't Free Of Antibiotics

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:03:00 -0700

Apples and especially pears are vulnerable to a nasty bacterial infection called fire blight that, left unchecked, can spread quickly, killing fruit trees and sometimes devastating whole orchards.

Arsenic In Beer May Come From Widely Used Filtering Process

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:23:00 -0700

Beer lovers might be alarmed to hear that beer can pick up small amounts of arsenic as it's filtered to be sparkly clear.

But researchers in Germany reported Sunday that they've found arsenic in hundreds of samples of beer, some at levels more than twice that allowed in drinking water.

Listen Up To Smarter, Smaller Hearing Aids

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:53:00 -0700

One day in the fall of 2010, composer Richard Einhorn woke up and realized there was something horribly wrong with his hearing.

"There was an enormous, violent buzzing in my ears," he says. "And I realized that my right ear had gone completely deaf."

The Real Sounds Of Hearing Loss

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 08:48:00 -0700

It's easy enough to restore 20/20 eyesight with glasses or contacts. But even state-of-the-art digital hearing aids can't perfectly restore hearing for people whose inner ears have been damaged by noise exposure, medications or just the wear and tear of aging.

Change In Donors Is Remaking Global Giving

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:47:00 -0700

The face of international aid for health and development is changing.

Less money is now coming from wealthy, industrialized nations and more is flowing from private foundations, corporations and even countries that only a few years ago were recipients themselves.

Edible Spray Paint: Give Your Foods The Midas Touch

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:54:00 -0700

If that old James Bond villain Gold Finger had been a gourmand, I think I know what tool would be in his kitchen arsenal.

Ess Lack, or Food Finish, is an edible spray paint that turns your meals into metallic bites of luxury. Lobster not decadent enough for you? Why not turn that crustacean golden?

Could Wind Turbines Be Toxic To The Ear?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:39:00 -0700

The U.S. is embracing wind energy, with wind turbines making up half of the new electricity added to the power grid last year. But a smattering of people who live near the turbines say they're a nuisance — and making them ill.

As Stroke Risk Rises Among Younger Adults, So Does Early Death

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:21:00 -0700

Most people (including a lot of doctors) think of a stroke as something that happens to old people. But the rate is increasing among those in their 50s, 40s and even younger.

Three Years On, States Still Struggle With Health Care Law Messaging

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 13:17:00 -0700

It is hard to imagine that after three years of acrimony and debate we could still be so confused about President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Is it actually possible Americans know less about Obamacare now than they did three years ago? Apparently that is the case, and the news comes just as the most sweeping effects of the law are about to kick in.

Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:13:00 -0700

When workplace safety expert Eric Esswein got a chance to see fracking in action not too long ago, what he noticed was all the dust.

It was coming off big machines used to haul around huge loads of sand. The sand is a critical part of the hydraulic fracturing method of oil and gas extraction. After workers drill down into rock, they create fractures in that rock by pumping in a mixture of water, chemicals and sand.

In Honduras, Fighting HIV/AIDS Through Music And Theater

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0700

In the village of Corozal in Honduras, men ready boats for fishing excursions and boys play soccer on a beach lined with thatched huts.

On a sandy lot next to the town's main street, two teenage boys begin playing drums while women sing. For centuries, this has been the signature sound of celebration for the Garifuna, an Afro-Caribbean people on the Atlantic coast of Central America. Now this music has an additional purpose: to prevent HIV.

Number Of Early Childhood Vaccines Not Linked To Autism

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:49:00 -0700

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A large new government study should reassure parents who are afraid that kids are getting autism because they receive too many vaccines too early in life.

The study, by researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found no connection between the number of vaccines a child received and his or her risk of autism spectrum disorder

Why More Patients Should Blog About Illness And Death

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:17:00 -0700

I entered the world of illness blogs for the first time when I learned through Facebook that a friend from middle school passed away last Friday from acute myeloid leukemia. In the three months between his diagnosis and his death, the friend, whom I'll call Tom, blogged beautifully and intimately on CaringBridge, a Web tool designed to help the seriously ill tell their stories and manage communication with friends and family.

Catalog Of Gene Markers For Some Cancers Doubles In Size

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:09:00 -0700

The largest gene-probing study ever done has fished out dozens of new genetic markers that flag a person's susceptibility to breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

The 74 newly discovered genetic variants double the previously known number for these malignancies, all of which are driven by sex hormones.

Maybe Isolation, Not Loneliness, Shortens Life

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:00:00 -0700

Loneliness hurts, but social isolation can kill you. That's the conclusion of a study of more than 6,500 people in the U.K.

The study, by a team at University College London, comes after decades of research showing that both loneliness and infrequent contact with friends and family can, independently, shorten a person's life. The scientists expected to find that the combination of these two risk factors would be especially dangerous.

How An Unlikely Drug Helps Some Children Consumed By Fear

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:54:00 -0700

As far back as he can remember, George McCann lived in fear. When he was asleep he would have horrific nightmares filled with violent images. When he was awake, he often felt threatened by people, including members of his own family. And when he felt threatened, he would become aggressive, even violent.

Talk Globally, Go Locally: Cellphones Vs. Clean Toilets

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:16:00 -0700

Mobile phones have become ubiquitous across Africa and Asia, but lowly toilets haven't.

Right now, 6 billion people around the world have cellphones. But only 4.5 billion people have access to a clean commode, the United Nations said Thursday.

How A Sleep Disorder Might Point To A Forgotten Future

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:07:00 -0700

What you do while you're asleep may say something about your cognitive function later in life.

Here's why. Mayo Clinic researchers report that having a condition called REM sleep behavior disorder, in which you act out dreams in your sleep, appears to be a harbinger for something called Lewy body dementia years later — at least in men.

Alzheimer's 'Epidemic' Now A Deadlier Threat To Elderly

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:52:00 -0700

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Alzheimer's disease doesn't just steal memories. It takes lives.

The disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and figures released Tuesday by the Alzheimer's Association show that deaths from the disease increased by 68 percent between 2000 and 2010.

Some People Really Can Taste The Rainbow

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:18:00 -0700

Plenty of us got our fill of green-colored food on St. Patrick's Day. (Green beer, anyone?) But for some people, associating taste with color is more than just a once-a-year experience.

To Control Asthma, Start With The Home Instead Of The Child

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:11:00 -0700

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Nothing sends more kids to the hospital than asthma.

So when doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston noticed they kept seeing an unusually high number of asthmatic kids from certain low-income neighborhoods, they wondered if they could do something about the environment these kids were living in.

Power Shift Under Way As Middle Class Expands In Developing World

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:13:00 -0700

"The meek shall inherit the earth" — that seems to be the latest message from the United Nations Development Program.

Their 2013 Human Development Report chronicles the recent, rapid expansion of the middle class in the developing world. It also predicts that over the next two decades growth in the so-called "Global South" will dramatically shift economic and political power away from Europe and North America.

A Daily Habit Of Green Tea Or Coffee Cuts Stroke Risk

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:07:00 -0700

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Whether it's green tea that warms you up, or coffee that gives you that morning lift, a new study finds both can help cut the risk of suffering a stroke.

The study, published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, included 82,369 men and women in Japan.