 | 2008 OCTOBER
October 8, 2008
Project Aims to Improve Life in Rural Turkey
In the farming village of Yatir in southeastern Turkey, little has changed over time. Rural areas, especially in the East, are some of the poorest parts of the country. A pilot project is aiming to bring more economic opportunities.
 
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| October 8, 2008
Study of Glowing Jellyfish Nets Nobel Prize for Trio
One Japanese and two American scientists won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for discovering and developing a glowing jellyfish protein that has revolutionized the way researchers study disease and normal development in living organisms.
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| October 6, 2008
European Scientists Share Nobel Prize for Medicine
Three European scientists will share this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine, for identifying two deadly sexually transmitted viruses, the Nobel committee announced Monday.
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| October 2, 2008
Doctors Aim to Better Diagnose Troubling Sleep Apnea
Twelve to 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea -- many without knowing it. Now, new research suggests that they are more than three times as likely to die from other ailments as people who sleep normally. NewsHour Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports.
   
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| SEPTEMBER
September 30, 2008
Campaigns Offer Two Very Different Visions for Health Care
In Rx for Change, a MacNeil/Lehrer Productions special, health care experts and campaign officials debate the state of the American medical system and which presidential candidate may do more to improve care.
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| September 30, 2008
China Detains 22 People Over Contaminated Milk
The Chinese government has said it detained 22 people suspected of operating an underground network that added the industrial chemical melamine to milk. The contamination has sickened more than 50,000 children in China.
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| September 26, 2008
Congress Passes Mental Health Parity Legislation
After slogging through Congress for nearly a decade, legislation on the fair treatment of mental health conditions reached a critical milestone this week when it cleared both houses of Congress.
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| September 22, 2008
China's Food Quality Chief Quits Over Tainted Milk Supply Scandal
The head of China's food quality watchdog agency quit Monday, as anger grew in China and in neighboring countries over a tainted milk supply scandal that has sickened more than 50,000 children.
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| September 19, 2008
FDA Hearings, New Research Reignite BPA Controversy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reiterated its position in a hearing this week that the chemical bisphenol A, used in many plastic household products, is safe in low levels.
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| September 10, 2008
Scientists Track Source of Salmonella Outbreak Mystery
A salmonella outbreak in May sparked a lengthy investigation that first called tomato crops the culprits, causing farmers to lose $100 million, and later found the true source to be Mexican peppers. Tom Bearden reports on the salmonella probe.
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| September 5, 2008
Genetic Map of Cancer Reveals Unexpected Complexity
Researchers have mapped the genetic blueprint of two of the deadliest forms of cancer, detailing the mutations that lead to tumors of the pancreas and brain.
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| September 2, 2008
Scientists 'Reprogram' Adult Mouse Cells to Produce Insulin
Researchers have discovered a way to convert one type of adult cell to another without stem cells, possibly paving the way for major advances in treating diabetes and other illnesses.
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| AUGUST
August 27, 2008
Mayor Gavin Newsom Answered Your Questions on Gay Marriage, Health Care
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has gained national attention for his championing of sometimes controversial social issues like gay marriage and universal health care. Newsom recently launched an exploratory committee for Governor of California. While attending the Democratic National Convention, he answered your questions.
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| August 26, 2008
Health Insurance Rates Rise, Poverty Unchanged in 2007
The number of people without health insurance in the United States fell last year for the first time since the beginning of the Bush administration, according to a report released by the Census Bureau Tuesday on poverty, income and health insurance.
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| August 22, 2008
90 Years Later, 1918 Flu Lives on in Antibodies, Research
Ninety years after the 1918 flu pandemic claimed the last of its approximately 50 million victims, antibodies to the virus live on in people exposed to it as children -- and the pandemic itself is still inspiring research and debate among scientists.
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| August 19, 2008
Educators Spark Dialogue on Underage Drinking
A coalition of college and university presidents recently urged lawmakers to discuss making age 18 the legal limit for drinking as a means to curb alcohol abuse among students. Two university officials take up the controversial initiative that has sparked a national debate.
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| August 13, 2008
Doctors Aim to Better Diagnose Troubling Sleep Apnea
Twelve to 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea -- many without knowing it. Now, new research suggests that they are more than three times as likely to die from other ailments as people who sleep normally. NewsHour Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports.
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| August 12, 2008
Can you explain "moral hazard" in how it increases the cost of health care?
Paul Solman answers this question and many more in the "Business Desk."
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| August 11, 2008
Disaster Feared as 130,000 Flee Fighting in Southern Philippines
Continued fighting between Muslim rebels and troops in the southern Philippines has raised fears of a humanitarian disaster as nearly 130,000 refugees have fled their homes.
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| August 8, 2008
AIDS Conference Highlights Successes in Treatment, Struggles in Prevention
Researchers and activists focused on the search for an HIV vaccine and other prevention methods, as well as broadening access to HIV care across the globe, at this week's International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, which concluded Friday.
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| August 7, 2008
Years After Anthrax Attacks, Bioterrorism Threat Still Looms
As the probe into the 2001 anthrax attacks comes to a close, the country still faces challenges preventing and responding to bioterrorism attacks. Experts assess U.S. preparedness.
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| August 6, 2008
Air Pollution in China
Atmospheric chemist Kenneth Rahn regularly travels to China to consult with scientists there about the country's air pollution problem. Rahn took your questions about pollution in Beijing during the run-up to the Olympic Games.
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| August 5, 2008
The Power of Access to AIDS Medication
Photographers captured images of HIV positive people in countries around the world before and after they began antiretroviral treatment.
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| August 5, 2008
Men over 75 Urged to Skip Prostate Cancer Screening
Medical care for older men may change after a federal task force recommended Monday that men older than 75 not get screened for prostate cancer, the second-deadliest-type among males. A National Institutes of Health official presents the concerns behind the recommendation.
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| August 5, 2008
Black Community in Washington, D.C., Struggles With HIV/AIDS Rates
The rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the U.S. has drawn new attention this week at the International AIDS Conference. Betty Ann Bowser examines the prevalance of AIDS among the African-American community in Washington, D.C.
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| August 4, 2008
Beijing's Pollution a Contentious Foe for Olympic Athletes
Despite efforts to curb China's air pollution, a thick haze swept over Beijing Monday, just days before the Olympic Games begin. Betty Ann Bowser examines the country's pollution woes and the impact on athletes.
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| August 1, 2008
Researchers Find Drug That Mimics Effects of Exercise
Scientists announced this week that they've found a chemical compound that allows mice to run 44 percent longer on a treadmill -- without doing any exercise. Lead researcher Ronald Evans discusses the results and what they could mean for humans.
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| August 1, 2008
Scientists Create Stem Cells From Lou Gehrig's Disease Patients
In a stem cell research breakthrough, scientists have reprogrammed skin cells from two elderly patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -- also called ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease -- to act like stem cells.
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| JULY
July 30, 2008
In Rwanda, U.S.-Backed Program Improves Access to AIDS Drugs
A U.S. program to curb AIDS in Africa is having success providing antiretroviral drugs to AIDS patients in Rwanda -- particularly pregnant women and newborns. Health correspondent Susan Dentzer begins a series of reports examining the impact of the American effort.
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| July 23, 2008
The Health Care Debate: Eliminate the for-profit middle man and all is solved?
Paul Solman answers this question and many more in the "Business Desk."
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| July 18, 2008
Biotech Companies, Investors Look to Adult Stem Cell Research
In June, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced that it was investing $3 million in a small San Diego-based biotech startup called EyeCyte, which will work to develop adult stem cell-based treatments for eye diseases.
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| July 17, 2008
U.S. Doctors Create Pediatric AIDS Network in Malawi
In Malawi, where some 83,000 children are infected with HIV, a new program brings U.S. doctors to the East African country and encourages African doctors to set up practices in their hometowns, instead of leaving for more prosperous countries.
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| July 14, 2008
Pioneering Heart Surgeon Michael DeBakey Dies at 99
Michael DeBakey, the prolific and influential heart surgeon who performed the first successful bypass operation, died July 11 in Houston at age 99. DeBakey's colleague and former student looks back on his medical legacy.
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| July 11, 2008
Doctors Seek to Improve End-of-life Care for Cancer Patients
Recent studies have indicated that barely a third of patients report having substantive conversations with their oncologists about end-of-life care, a statistic some physicians are looking to change. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports.
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| July 10, 2008
Medical Association Apologizes for History of Prejudice
The American Medical Association apologized on Thursday for its history of discrimination aimed at preventing African-Americans from gaining membership. Experts offer insight into the statement and the history behind it.
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| July 10, 2008
Katrina Trailer Makers Defend Record in Congressional Testimony
The companies that manufactured trailers for displaced New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina knew that the trailers contained unsafe levels of toxic formaldehyde, but failed to inform the public, congressional Democrats charged Wednesday.
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| July 9, 2008
Senate Rejects Cut to Doctors' Medicare Payments
The Senate passed a bill Wednesday blocking a 10.6 percent drop in Medicare payments to doctors treating elderly, troops and veterans. Susan Dentzer discusses the short and long-term implications of the move by Congress, which President Bush will likely veto.
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| July 7, 2008
Doctors Recommend Cholesterol Tests, Drugs for Kids
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended Monday that children with risk factors such as obesity and a family history of cardiac disease be screened for high cholesterol -- and said some should be treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs.
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| July 7, 2008
Aid to Africa Tops Agenda for G-8 Leaders
World leaders entered the second day of their annual G-8 summit prepared to focus on whether Africa is receiving enough aid amid soaring food and oil prices and concerns over climate change.
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| July 2, 2008
FDA Expands Search for Source of Salmonella Outbreak
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it still did not know the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 869 people and plans to expand its search beyond tomatoes, the first suspected culprit. A USA Today reporter updates the story.
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| July 1, 2008
Study: HIV Mortality Rates Continue to Drop as Treatments Improve
More than a decade after antiretroviral treatments for HIV first debuted, HIV mortality rates have declined dramatically and they continue to drop in countries where patients have access to the drugs.
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| JUNE
June 25, 2008
Transparent Fish Give Cancer Research a Boost
Richard White is an oncologist at Children's Hospital Boston and instructor at Harvard Medical School -- but lately, he's also gained fame as an animal breeder.
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| June 19, 2008
Three Years On, New Orleans Still Struggles With Hurricane Debris
Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the city is still coping with the toxic debris the storm left behind. Betty Ann Bowser reports from New Orleans on the ongoing controversy over the city's landfills.
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| June 13, 2008
Low Levels of Vitamin D Tied to Numerous Health Ailments, Studies Find
Men with low vitamin D levels are more likely to suffer heart attacks than men with healthy levels of the vitamin, according to a study released this week.
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| June 11, 2008
Protests Against Government, U.S. Imports Sweep South Korea
More than 100,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Seoul to protest a proposed deal allowing U.S. beef imports and taking to task the teetering government of President Lee Myung-bak. A regional expert explores the core issues behind the protests.
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| June 10, 2008
More Than 25 Million Americans Underinsured, Study Finds
More than 25 million Americans with health insurance did not have sufficient coverage for their medical expenses in 2007, according to a study released Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs.
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| June 10, 2008
Salmonella Concerns Prompt Widespread Tomato Recalls
Concerns over salmonella contamination have led the FDA to issue nationwide health warnings for tomatoes. This in turn has led to many vendors recalling or prohibiting the use of tomatoes in their products. A food safety journalist discusses the tomato health scare.
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| June 10, 2008
Tomatoes Pulled From Shelves Over Salmonella
Federal officials are trying to locate the source of a 17-state salmonella outbreak linked to three types of raw tomatoes while the list of supermarkets and restaurants pulling the affected tomato varieties from shelves and menus continues to grow.
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| June 5, 2008
World Leaders Pledge to Ease Food Crisis After Political Squabbling
World leaders at a United Nations food summit pledged Thursday to reduce trade barriers and boost agricultural production to combat the food crisis that is spreading hunger and violent unrest across the globe.
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| June 2, 2008
Researchers Examine Impact of Exercise on Aging
Scientists have coined a new term -- geroscience -- to describe research that aims to slow down aging and delay the onset of age-related diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Researchers are studying the underlying genetic causes of aging and effects of exercise.
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HEALTH
