Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Emulsifiers in Food Linked to Obesity in Mice
25 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The common food additives altered mice microbiomes to encourage gut inflammation and overeating. Din...
Menopause Symptoms Have Unappreciated Staying Power
17 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Although clinical guidelines assume just two years for hot flashes and night sweats, a large study f...
Wearable Step Counters Offer Exercise Leg Up
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
High-tech pedometers do a decent job of counting steps accurately. Dina Fine Maron reports.
Millions Risk Alcohol–Medication Interactions
29 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Some 42 percent of U.S. adults who drink have been prescribed a drug that may interact negatively wi...
Life Extension May Add Just Bad Time
20 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Strains of the lab workhorse roundworm C. elegans that lived longer added more time being frail and ...
6 Steps to Women’s Heart Health
13 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers tracked 70,000 for decades to find lifestyle clues for better cardiovascular condition. ...
Avoid Back-Lit Reading before Bed
23 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Volunteers who read from an iPad before bed took longer to fall asleep and had less restful nights t...
Raw Milk Sicknesses Rise
16 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Nonpasteurized milk is fueling more outbreaks and hospitalizations. Dina Fine Maron reports
Abortions in Medical Settings Rarely Have Major Complications
09 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Careful tracking of more than 50,000 women during the six weeks after the procedure finds that serio...
Diabetes Prevention in Midlife Helps Protect Aging Brain
03 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
People with type 2 diabetes in middle age had greater cognitive impairment in the following decades ...
Drownings Kill 140,000 Kids Annually
25 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The World Health Organization issues a new report on the neglected public health issue of drowning
Steamy Smooches Share Batches of Bacteria
20 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A 10-second makeout session can also transfer some 80 million oral bacteria. Dina Fine Maron reports
Snake DNA Left in Bite ID's Serpent Assailant
12 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A first-of-its-kind study finds it’s possible to analyze snake DNA left in a bite victim’s wound...
Plan Now for Future Ebola Outbreaks
31 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Diagnostics, vaccines and new drugs could vastly improve the way future Ebola outbreaks manifest in ...
Ebola Efforts Helped by Flu Shots
24 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Should Ebola continue to crop up in the U.S., having fewer people coming to emergency rooms with the...
Kids Who Exercise Don’t Sweat Tests
09 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Physically active children are healthier and score better on intellectual tests than their sedentary...
Smart Park Benches Weigh Sitters
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In a bid to boost fitness, new park benches in Moscow will let sitters see their weight and receive ...
Dry Roasting May Up Peanut Allergic Potential
24 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A study in mice suggests that chemical changes that occur during dry roasting may increase the odds ...
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Hang Out in Hog Workers
16 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A new study reveals that bacteria associated with staph infections can hitch a ride in workers’ no...
Graying Parent Care Falls to Daughters, Not Sons
26 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Sisters spend double the time caring for parents as their brothers. Dina Fine Maron reports
Tweets Identify Food Poisoning Outbreaks
20 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In Chicago monitoring Twitter for reports of food poisoning led to 133 restaurant inspections for he...
Poor Diabetics Suffer More Amputations
12 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Patients in low-income zip codes were up to 10 times more likely to lose a leg or foot than diabetic...
Heat Fells More Distance Runners Than Do Hearts
31 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
An analysis of 130,000 runners in events during a seven-year span revealed that competitors were 10 ...
Prescription Refill Appearance Change Puts Patients off Meds
24 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When refilled prescriptions for post–heart attack care resulted in the same medication looking dif...
Heavy Metal Headbanging Rare Risk Revealed
14 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Headbanging can cause pain or even whiplash. But a 50-year-old Motörhead fan developed a more serio...
Robotic Exoskeleton Gets First-Ever FDA Approval
01 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The ReWalk exoskeleton allows some people paralyzed from the waist down to walk again, with the aid ...
Tanning Mice Get Physically Addicted
24 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Mice regularly exposed to UV light produced feel-good endorphins and behaved like addicts. If humans...
Hi-Tech Helmet Heads Off Stroke Damage
17 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A helmet placed on the head of a stroke victim sends low-intensity microwaves through the brain to q...
Wikipedia Dicey as Medical Info Source
10 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers who compared peer-reviewed articles to the Wikipedia pages for the 10 most costly medica...
Heroin Has Expanded Its User Base
04 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Compared with 50 years ago, today's heroin user is whiter, more suburban and had prescription opioid...
Laser Light Coaxes Damaged Rodent Tooth Repair
28 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Low-power laser light shined on damaged rat teeth activates growth factors that cue stem cells to ge...
Vitamin C Helps Pregnant Smokers Have Healthier Babies
20 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Children of smokers who popped vitamin C during pregnancy had better lung function than kids of othe...
Some Nail Salon Dryers Bombard Skin with UV
06 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Just a few nail drying sessions under the highest output UV bulbs used in some salons could age the ...
Snot Clouds Achieve Unexpected Buoyancy
29 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Sneeze and cough particles form a cloud whose turbulence pulls in surrounding air, which allows the ...
Morning Light Exposure Tied to Lower Weight
18 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Exposure to bright light in the morning appears linked to reduced appetite and lower body weight, re...
Hand Soap Ingredient Can Up Body Bacteria Burden
09 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Residues of the antimicrobial agent triclosan can paradoxically boost bacterial growth in our bodies...
Many More Americans Issue End-of-Life Instructions
04 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The number of Americans aged 60 or more who issued advance directives governing their end-of-life ca...
Goo Keeps Bones Strong but Supple
27 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Bones are filled with a viscous fluid that’s key to their function as support structures, and whic...
Dodgers Doc: No Noninjury Tommy John Surgery to Improve Performance
18 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Stan Conte, vice president of medical services for the L.A. Dodgers, advised parents and coaches of ...
Flu Vaccine Keeps Connecticut Kids from Hospitals
11 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
After flu shot regulations upped Connecticut kids' vaccination rate, their hospitalization risk went...
Bedroom TV Linked to Kid Weight Gain
04 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The mere presence of a TV in a child's bedroom is linked with weight gain—regardless of how many h...
Store Receipts on Thermal Paper Can Transfer BPA
25 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Volunteers who handled receipts containing the hormone-altering compound bisphenol A for two hours s...
Concussions Abound in Soccer, Too
12 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A meta-analysis finds that concussions accounted for between 6 and 9 percent of all injuries sustain...
Dengue Fever Makes U.S. Inroads
03 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The CDC reports that locally acquired Dengue killed a Texas woman in 2012 who had been misdiagnosed ...
Secondhand Smoke Exposure Doubled Asthmatic Kids' Hospital Readmissions
28 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A study of more than 600 asthmatic children at one Ohio hospital found that if the kids’ saliva te...
Diet Soda Mixers Up Breathalyzer Readings
14 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
People who drank vodka with a diet mixer had breath alcohol levels 18 percent higher than when they ...
The Mercury's Falling...in Women's Seafood Consumption
06 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Between 1999 and 2010 changes in seafood consumption meant that blood levels of mercury in women of ...
Teens and Docs Abstain from Sex Talk
31 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In annual physicals teens and docs failed to talk sex a third of the time and usually too briefly wh...
Older Couch Potatoes Benefit from Even a Little Exercise
24 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Middle-aged to elderly adults with no history of exercising still saw significant health benefits fr...
Apple a Day Could Keep Statins Away
17 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A population model suggests that a small dietary change, such as eating a daily piece of fruit inste...
Resurgence of Swaddling Brings Hip Fears
21 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Swaddling infants is safe when done correctly. But done wrong, it raises the risk of osteoarthritis ...
Mondays Top Quit-Smoking Google Searches
12 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Based on the number of searches for info about smoking cessation on Google, it appears more people c...
TV Drug Ads May Cause Disinfo Swallowing
22 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
An analysis of TV drug ads finds that six of 10 for prescription drugs and eight of 10 for OTC drug ...
Different Placebos Can Have Different Effects
27 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In a study of patients asked to tolerate discomfort, different placebo treatments achieved different...
Anorexics Display Behaviors Common in Autism
20 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding that, for example, anorexics and autists both tend to have high interest in systems co...
Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal for Dieters
15 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Women who ate half of 1,400 daily calories at breakfast lost almost 80 percent more weight than wome...
Use Care with Cat Caca
18 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Our feline friends might be carrying hazardous organisms in their waste, so be careful when scooping...
Skimping on Sleep Packs On Pounds
09 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Sleep deprivation raises levels of hormones associated with hunger, and provides more awake hours fo...
Exercise without Diet Still Benefits Type 2 Diabetics
25 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
A small group of type 2 diabetes patients lost significant amounts of fat around their hearts and in...
New Runners Need Not Sweat over Shoes
20 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Run-of-the-mill neutral running shoes do not lead to more injuries for beginning joggers whose feet ...
Patients Prefer Diet Skinny from Big Docs
14 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Overweight patients are more likely to take weight-loss advice from overweight doctors, but the advi...
Confessional Tweeting May Help Dieters
06 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Participants in a media-assisted weight-loss program had some success, and those who tweeted about t...
Fluoride Loosens Bacterial Enamel Grip
22 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Rather than significantly hardening tooth enamel, fluoride may cut cavities by making it harder for ...
Nightcap Drink Disrupts Important Sleep
29 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Two or more drinks cut REM sleep, which is important for memory and health. Katherine Harmon reports
Skin-Cancer Spotting Apps Miss Their Marks
16 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
New smart phone apps that purport to assess patients' skin lesions as cancer or not are unreliable, ...
Surgical "Never" Events Happen Nevertheless
08 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The errors known as surgical "never events," which are never supposed to happen, still occur some 4,...
Video Helps with Weight Info Basics
19 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The American Chemical Society has produced a YouTube video with info to help you survive the holiday...
Flu Web Searches Predict Disease Outbreaks
11 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Weather prediction models armed with citizens' flu symptom query data enable researchers to predict ...
E-Visits to Doctors Might Streamline Care
28 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A study finds that patients who enter information online about common infections get decent diagnose...
Patients Should Ask Docs to Scrub
13 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Patients know that health care workers should wash their hands, but are are often reluctant to ask a...
Exercise Lengthens Life Regardless of Weight
06 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Just a couple of hours of physical activity each week adds years to average life expectancy. Katheri...
Your Fat Needs Sleep, Too
16 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A small study finds that sleep-deprived fat cells are less sensitive to insulin, a condition that of...
Facebook Community Can Help Cut STIs
12 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Young adults at risk for getting a sexually acquired infection were more likely to use a condom if t...
Peeking at Doctors' Notes Helps Patients
03 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Patients are more likely to follow doctors' orders if they have access to their notes. Katherine Har...
Kids Gulp 7 Trillion Calories Per Year
27 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Obese kids have higher cardiovascular risks as adults, and sugary beverages are stoking that obesity...
Make Healthy Choices Easier Options
20 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Making bad choices harder is actually the best way to help people get healthier, say public health e...
Experts Offer Tips to Lower Risk of West Nile
11 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
This year has had the most recorded cases of West Nile virus on record in the U.S. Public health exp...
Organic Benefits Don't Include Enhanced Nutrition
05 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Produce grown organically cuts pesticide use and the promotion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But...
Better Sidewalks Could Bring Improved Public Health
21 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Better sidewalks and other changes to the physical environment could encourage more activity and imp...
Doc Calls Deconditioning a Condition
15 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A Mayo Clinic doc says physicians may miss the signs of extreme deconditioning and prescribe medicat...
Color-Coded Food Helps Consumers Make Healthful Choices
07 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Six months after color coding its food choices as least, somewhat or most healthful, Massachusetts G...
Many Olympians Suffer from Asthma
01 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The most common chronic condition among all Olympic athletes is asthma. But many don't start sufferi...
Food Diary Helps Cut Pounds
17 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Dieting women who kept a diligent food diary lost more weight than other women in a cohort. Skipping...
Mice Hit Protein to Stop Hunger
10 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Normal mice fed protein stopped eating much sooner than mice that lacked the receptor to sense they ...
Meta-Study: Moderate Coffee Cuts Cardiac Failure
26 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Sixteen ounces of coffee a day cut the risk of heart failure, but 40 daily ounces of coffee upped th...
Hotel Rooms House Bountiful Bacteria
19 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A new study locates the bacterial hot spots of your hotel room. Tip: don't turn anything on. Katheri...
Hospital Noise May Disrupt Patient Improvement
13 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Hospital sounds raised volunteer sleepers' heart rates, and the effects on sick patients may be impe...
Aspirin Could Lower Some Cancer Mortality Risk
07 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Daily aspirin could lower the risk of dying from some nonvascular-related diseases, including specif...
Bloodletting Makes Comeback for Metabolic Syndrome
30 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A small study shows that a little blood loss might improve cardiovascular health for obese people wi...
Waves of Walkers Wander without Waking
22 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A large survey finds evidence that millions of Americans had at least one episode of sleepwalking in...
Car Commutes Can Counter Conditioning
15 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Car commutes are linked to increased metabolic health problems, and the longer the ride the worse th...
Pacifiers Won't Make Newborns Shun Breast
01 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The conventional wisdom that pacifiers can interfere with early breast-feeding efforts might not hol...
Blood Flow Fingered in Ice Cream Headaches
25 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The anterior cerebral artery widens just before brain freeze, sending warming blood to the brain but...
U.S. Fast Food Contains More Salt
17 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Fast food chains say it's hard to hold the salt, but outlets in other countries are already cutting ...
Biological Clock Ticks Despite Technology
11 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Women who wish to conceive later in life have benefited from improvements in reproductive technology...
Kids Fail to Get Outdoors
05 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Boys get more outside playtime than girls, and almost half of parents do not take their preschool-ag...
Frequent Chocolate Eaters Have Lower BMIs
28 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
People who ate chocolate frequently consumed more calories and more saturated fat, yet had lower ave...
How Yoga Might Relieve Stress-Linked Ailments
13 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Yoga may increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and neurotransmitter levels, helping to de...
Exercise Instantly Affects DNA
06 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Signals to improve muscle tone alter the expression of genes after just one workout. Katherine Harmo...
Teen Brain Takes Biggest Sports Hits
29 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The teen brain suffers more long-term damage from concussions than does the child or adult brain. Ka...