Sep 16 Vaccination rates for older adults falling short By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News Three out of four Americans older than 60 don’t get a shingles vaccine, but that's not the only shot that public health officials are struggling to persuade older Americans to get. Continue reading
Sep 15 Watch 6:27 A doctor's memoir shows race matters in the hospital room By PBS News Hour In medical school, Dr. Damon Tweedy says he learned about health problems being more common in the black community, but he didn’t hear the reasons why. In “Black Man in a White Coat,” Tweedy examines racial disparities in medicine, for… Continue watching
Sep 15 Panel backs aspirin for heart health in only certain adults By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press A government task force says a daily low-dose aspirin could help certain people in their 50s and 60s prevent a first heart attack or stroke -- and they might get some protection against colon cancer at the same time. Continue reading
Sep 14 Watch 9:04 Why researchers are racing to test an Ebola vaccine for apes By PBS News Hour Over the years the Ebola virus has wiped out a significant number of great apes, threatening to reduce those populations to vulnerable levels. In Louisiana, a controversial effort is underway to conduct vaccine tests on captive chimpanzees in order to… Continue watching
Sep 14 These new heart failure treatments show promise, but at a huge price By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News Two new treatments for congestive heart failure cost too much in the short term and would drive up spending by insurers and government programs, a nonprofit group said in an analysis released Friday, just days after the same researchers took… Continue reading
Sep 11 Watch 4:29 Study: Lower targets for blood pressure can prevent heart attacks and strokes By PBS News Hour For patients over 50, having blood pressure below the commonly recommended targets can drastically reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. That’s according to a major blood pressure study from the National Institutes of Health, which called the information… Continue watching
Sep 10 When the hospital is boss, that's where doctors' patients go By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News Why did hospitals binge-buy doctor practices in recent years? To improve care coordination, lower costs and upgrade patient experiences, say hospitals. To raise costs, gain pricing power and steer patient referrals, say skeptics. Researchers at Stanford University tested those opposing… Continue reading
Sep 10 New federal food safety rules issued after deadly outbreaks By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Food manufacturers must be more vigilant about keeping their operations clean, according to new safety rules released Thursday by the government in the wake of deadly foodborne illness outbreaks linked to ice cream, caramel apples, cantaloupes and peanuts. Continue reading
Sep 08 Obama administration on track for 2015 health insurance sign-ups By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press About 9.9 million people have signed up and paid for health insurance under President Barack Obama's health care law, the administration said Tuesday, a slight dip from a previous count but on track toward the administration's year-end goal of 9.1… Continue reading
Sep 07 West Nile virus cases hit record numbers in California last year By Barbara Feder Ostrov, Kaiser Health News The number of these serious California cases was 83 percent higher than the previous record number reported in the state in 2005, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading