Dec 24 Why and when denial is good for caregivers By Sherri Snelling, Next Avenue A persistent state of denial paralyzes caregivers and can ultimately impede the advocacy and support your loved one needs. And yet, some experts believe denial can be an effective tool for caregivers. Going there temporarily can let you focus on… Continue reading
Dec 23 Watch FDA plans to end prohibition on blood donation by gay men, with conditions By PBS News Hour The FDA is set to ease a 31-year ban on blood donations by gay men, put in place in the early days of the AIDS crisis. The policy revision will allow gay men to donate blood one year after their… Continue watching
Dec 23 LGBT advocates say FDA gay blood donor policy revision is long overdue, but ‘not enough’ By Joshua Barajas The FDA said in a statement that it will "recommend a change to the blood donor deferral period for men who have sex with men from indefinite deferral to one year since the last sexual contact."… Continue reading
Dec 22 Watch 5:37 Why changes in health care costs vary widely around the U.S. By PBS News Hour More than 2.5 million people have selected a health care plan through the federal health exchange so far in the new enrollment season. This year, signing up on HealthCare.gov has been easier, but how easy will it be to pay… Continue watching
Dec 19 Hugs help protect against the common cold, research finds By Nora Daly A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that frequent hugging helps reduce individuals’ susceptibility to infections associated with stress, and reduces the severity of symptoms if an infection is contracted by providing increased social support. Continue reading
Dec 18 Climate change could cut 18 percent of world food production by 2050 By Rebecca Jacobson, Inside Energy Farmers are already suffering from droughts worsened by global climate change. A study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that by 2050, global climate change could cut world food production by 18 percent. Environmental scientists suspect… Continue reading
Dec 18 The secret ingredient for getting through holiday stress? Gratitude By Leah Eskenazi, Family Caregiver Alliance Navigating through a jolly holiday season and wishes for a wonderful new year when living with a chronic, debilitating health condition or caring for someone might have you thinking, “this is no holiday!” But researchers are documenting how expressing thanks… Continue reading
Dec 18 Public easily swayed on attitudes toward health care law, poll finds By Julie Rovner, KFF Health News Just days before the requirement for most large employers to provide health insurance takes effect, a new poll finds the public easily swayed over arguments for and against the policy. Continue reading
Dec 16 Watch 8:46 Getting ‘to zero’ in the fight against Ebola By PBS News Hour This year’s Ebola outbreak has claimed the lives of more than 6,800 people, according to the World Health Organization. “If you leave a single case untreated and then if you let that transmission continue, it could explode again,” Dr. Jim… Continue watching
Dec 16 Can government policies correct race and ethnicity disparities in child health? By Ashira Morris When Dolores Acevedo-Garcia and Pamela K. Joshi set out to study the racial and ethnic equity of federal policies impacting child health, they didn’t expect it to be terribly difficult. After all, they figured, there are federal mandates that require… Continue reading