Health

Research Reveals Yeasty Beasts Living On Our Skin

Rob Stein — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:18:00 +0000

Scientists have completed an unusual survey: a census of the fungi that inhabit different places on our skin. It's part of a big scientific push to better understand the microbes that live in and on our bodies.

"This is the first study of our fungi, which are yeast and other molds that live on the human body," says Julie Segre, of the National Human Genome Research Institute, who led the survey.

Trillions of microbes live everywhere in and on our bodies. Most of these viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms are harmless.

Boomer Housemates Have More Fun

Julie Rovner — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Today more than 1 in every 3 baby boomers — that huge glut of people born between 1948 and 1964 — is unmarried. And those unmarried boomers are disproportionately women.

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:26:00 +0000

A controversial petition by the dairy industry to allow milk sweetened with aspartame or other alternative sweeteners to be labeled on the front of the carton simply as MILK is drawing criticism from the nation's leading group of nutritionists.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging the FDA to reject the petition, which we first devastated. But the workers, patients and their families in the hospital escaped.

Nick Stremble, a registered nurse and manager at the hospital, told Shots Tuesday what he saw.

"My ER is destroyed," he said. "My department was at the Moore Medical Center.

A Catch For Insurers That Cut Deductibles For Healthy People

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Health insurance deductibles typically only go one direction: up.

It's not unusual for people these days to be responsible for paying thousands of dollars in medical claims before most plan benefits kick in.

Rewards to policyholders for claims that don't meet the annual deductible can be a boon for healthy people.

A Mother And Daughter Confront Their Breast Cancer Risk

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has been in the headlines, by her own choice for a change.

Genetic testing showed she was at high risk for breast cancer, so she decided to have a double mastectomy to improve her odds.

Getting Rid Of My Breasts, A Lot Of People Didn't Understand

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:00 +0000

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but maybe you just need a few moms in your corner. Every week, we check in with a diverse group of parents for their common sense and savvy advice.

Today, though, we are talking about a difficult decision that both mothers and daughters face, sometimes together.

Less Sleep For Teens Means Higher Risk For Car Crashes

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

Parents who want to keep their teenagers safe while they're driving might want to tuck them in bed early the night before.

Drowsiness is a well-known risk for adult drivers, but teenage drivers are more impaired than adults when facing an equivalent lack of sleep, an Australian study finds.

"Young people are particularly at risk for sleep deprivation," Alexandra Martiniuk, lead author of a study on sleep teens study's lead author, and a researchers at the George Institute in Sydney, said in an email to Shots

Texas Medicaid Debate Complicated By Politics And Poverty

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:01:00 +0000

When the sun rises over the Rio Grande Valley, the cries of the urracas — blackbirds — perched on the tops of palm trees swell to a noisy, unavoidable cacophony. That is also the strategy, it could be said, that local officials, health care providers and frustrated valley residents are trying to use to persuade Gov.

Latest Health Hurdle: Buying Insurance Without A Bank Account

editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:28:00 +0000

When movie stars become unbankable, they're no longer a slam dunk at the box office. When investments become unbankable, they're relegated to the Wall Street's junk pile. For ordinary Americans deemed unbankable — those who don't have a traditional checking or savings account — it can be hard to simply pay bills.

And that absence of a bank account is about to become a big problem for those who also lack health coverage — and for the health insurance companies trying to sell them coverage.