Radio Health Journal
The latest in health, science, technology, and the intersection of medicine and public policy.
Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S., but a well known cardiologist says if everyone would follow a plant-based, oil-free diet, heart disease could be eradicated. Yet many cardiologists won’t prescribe such a diet, fearing it’s so difficult to follow that it’s a prescription for defeat.
A study showing that a person’s risk for old age illnesses can be accurately predicted years earlier based on chronic inflammation in the body. Then, nearly half of boys play sports, but only a little more than a third of girls do. And finally, a new study finds that for some people, a robotic food mindset may backfire.
A new CDC report shows that suicide among veterinarians is much higher than in the general population. Experts discuss the unique stresses that affect these professionals, including financial, compassion fatigue, euthanasia, and online harassment. They also discuss measures being taken to prevent mental health struggles and suicide.
Swinging small children around by their arms may be fun, but it can lead to a very common injury, “nursemaid’s elbow,” an elbow dislocation, and each instance makes the next more likely. Physicians who treat it—and have experienced it in their own children—discuss the injury, its treatment and prevention.
Some people still have fears of the Coronavirus vaccine. Then, Do you get migraines? Eating fish might be the solution. And finally, your sense of taste may be keeping you from making healthier food choices.
Birth mothers have historically been shunned and stigmatized, and often still do not receive the grief counseling and mental health services they need. Open vs. closed adoptions also differ. An expert psychologist and birth mother-author discuss.
One of the most popular searches on Google is for symptoms and what they mean. It’s created a much more well informed patient population, but one that may panic at the least pain or discomfort.
Scientists have finally found something good about having a cold—it makes you less likely to be infected by Covid-19. Then, childhood exposure to lead may affect your personality later. And finally, scientists have developed clothing that can prevent 100 percent of mosquito bites.
The recent rash of extreme weather worldwide, which has killed hundreds, is making scientists wonder if we have reached a turning point more quickly than we thought. Experts explain how climate change results in droughts, floods, and other severe weather and the signals it provides of danger immediately ahead.
Some people have an unusual merging of senses, where they routinely see colors in sounds or numbers, see time visually, or have other perception differences. Artists sometimes have synesthesia, and researchers are beginning to study it to see how it might be tapped to help the rest of us. Experts explain.
A new study shows that antibiotic exposure early in life could alter a child’s brain development. Then, the stress of the pandemic has led to a sharp increase in teenage eating disorders. And finally, researchers have found a potentially lifesaving heart attack treatment in a most unusual place.
Hospitals are now required to post prices for many procedures on their websites, including cash prices and what insurers pay. The intent of the federal rule is to allow patients to shop around, putting pressure on hospitals to compete on price. However, many hospitals have yet to follow the rule. Experts discuss the rule, its likely outcome, and how patients can use it to their advantage.
An expert who has studied dog bites discusses the reality of breed temperament, especially when children are around, how to prevent bites, and whether breeds with dangerous reputations deserve them.
A study confirms that just one night sleeping impacts your mental and physical well being. Then, some researchers are concerned that in-vitro fertilization may disturb the genetics of embryos. Then, if you’ve got allergies and suspect they’re worse than they used to be… you’re right. And finally, experts have been concerned that Americans have a poor work-life balance, made even worse by the …
Where Covid-19 vaccination is high, it’s a getting-back-to-normal world after the pandemic. But even some vaccinated people won’t return to normal for months or years because of the psychological effects. Experts discuss why this occurs and how people can help themselves return to mental health.
A new study shows that people over age 70 are three times more likely than younger people to die when they fall. Older people also take more medications with a fall risk, and which pose a risk themselves when someone taking them falls. Experts discuss these complications and why it’s important to prevent falls and other injuries.
A big majority of the US workforce wants to know if their co-workers are vaccinated against Covid… but they don’t want to reveal if they’ve gotten the vaccine themselves. Then, if young adults get Covid-19, they may recover… but end up exhausted. And finally… researchers have found another risk factor for dementia—tooth loss.
More people die of lung cancer than breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined. A decade ago, a lung cancer diagnosis was often a death sentence. But now treatments are being developed that mean it can often be treated, especially if screening detects it early. A patient/advocate and researcher discuss.
A study by Save the Children shows on a county-by-county basis that children in poor and rural counties, especially in the south, are much less likely to survive into adulthood, and when they do, they’re often forced to become adults too soon by poverty, pregnancy, and lack of education. A Save the Children expert discusses factors that hurt children and ways they might be alleviated.
Everybody loves a home-cooked meal, but what if your stove was slowly poisoning you? Then, if you were born 200 years ago, you’d be lucky to celebrate your 40th birthday. Plus, researchers have cured diabetes in mice by putting insulin-producing cells into a tiny device. Then, older people who have trouble falling asleep are more likely to have cognitive troubles later. Also, a study showing that …
Traffic engineers are learning that they can increase road efficiency and safety by eliminating left turns at many busy intersections, even those that have left turn arrows. This increases distance traveled for some people--some may have to make three right turns instead--but virtually everyone benefits in travel time, as package carrier UPS has learned. A traffic engineer and UPS official discuss …
Dementia has a much wider range than most people think, and people with dementia are usually functional for years. An expert discusses the course of the disease and how life can still be positive for years before it reaches the late, debilitating stage most people think of when they hear the word “dementia.”
Officials are worried we may start seeing a spike in Covid cases soon and it could become serious by fall. Then, Have you lost your sense of smell? Covid may not be to blame--it could be air pollution. Then, doctors can now use smartphone cameras to detect bacteria on the skin and in the mouth. And finally, for people suffering from hard-to-treat depression, new research suggests a …
Many patients arrive in the emergency room as a result of violence or car crashes—events in which police have an investigative interest. Sometimes, police needs clash with trauma care, and priorities are hashed out case by case. Experts discuss which priorities come first and when, and the procedures needed to smooth out sometimes contentious interaction.
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