The Link Between Obesity and Cancer
Studies are finding that obesity significantly increases a person’s risk for a variety of cancers. However, not all forms of fat carry equal risk. An expert discusses who is more at risk and why.
Medical Notes: January 16, 2022
About 25% of pregnant women have skipped taking care of their health needs due to cost. A new machine learning platform can analyze a short video clip created while taking selfies and accurately predict whether the person is at risk of Parkinson’s disease. Then, air pollution significantly lessens brain performance. And finally, if you want to help the planet, plant trees.
Can 911 Respond to Mental Health Crises?
Up to 15% of calls to 911 involve people having a mental health breakdown, yet many call centers, especially in rural areas, have no one with any training on what to do or who to dispatch in those cases.
Hoarding Disorder: More Than Just Too Much Junk
Hoarding disorder affects at least five percent of Americans, and despite TV programs showing its effects, it is still widely misunderstood.
Dealing With Lifelong Disease
Life-threatening, lifelong chronic diseases from infancy are at the top of the list of medical challenges. A woman who has dealt with cystic fibrosis her entire life discusses how mindset is often the biggest factor in living a full life with such a disease, and sets out her recipe for shoring up one’s approach.
Medical Notes: January 2, 2022
A new finds that patients showing up at rural hospital ERs have extremely similar outcomes compared to patients in urban-area ERs. Then, new research sheds light on why more girls don't go into STEM. Plus, pandemic depression linked to sitting and lack of activity. And finally, Alexa and Siri aren't very helpful when it comes to health.
Saving Preschool Education
Preschool teachers have left the profession in huge numbers, closing some schools and threatening others. With nowhere to safely leave their children, millions of people are unable to return to work, sabotaging economic recovery. An expert discusses the low wages behind the 10% (or more) drop in early educators and how current legislation may finally turn the industry around.
Medical Notes: December 26, 2021
Some theories claim that Covid-19 was created in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, but a study now has turned up more evidence confirming the wet market theory. Plus, what restaurants and supermarkets you have in your neighbor can predict your health. And finally, if transmission of Covid is more likely inside than outside, does that mean the wind is protecting you outdoors? The answer, apparently, is …
Easing the Opioid Epidemic: How to Respond
Drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 Americans in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, as pressures built and users sometimes had to get their fix from unfamiliar sources. Experts discuss how the pandemic cost lives beyond Covid, and how surgical painkiller drug substitutions are beginning to keep some people from going down the opioid path.
New Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Category
Many people who need hearing aids never get them, in part because they currently require a prescription and expensive treatment. An expert discusses the FDA’s new proposed category of over-the-counter hearing aids.
Medical Notes: December 19, 2021
Johns Hopkins says we're a lot better off than we were last year at this time. Plus, you may be getting a lot of gift cards as presents for the holidays due to supply chain issues. And finally, a study finds that you can decontaminate used face masks by popping them in the oven.
The Damage of Too Little Sleep
Getting less than six hours of sleep per night has long been known to be hazardous to health, but the discovery of the mechanisms behind those hazards is leading scientists to strengthen their warnings.
Building the Covid Vaccine
The vaccine for Covid-19 was developed with record speed while still following required safety protocols. A noted investigative reporter discusses the development process he uncovered for his exhaustive book and explains why the hundreds of interviews he did have reassured him that the vaccine is safe.
Medical Notes: December 12, 2021
An antidepressant called Fluvoxamine significantly reduces the chance someone getting Covid would need hospitalization. Match.com dating survey finds singles today are seeking emotional maturity rather than looks. STING drug shown to be an effective glioblastoma treatment in some dogs. And finally, OSU Wexner survey finds Americans are planning to remain cautious during the holidays.
Medical Notes: December 5, 2021
Research shows Black women have a higher risk of triple-negative breast cancers than previously known—nearly triple the risk of white women. Plus, online dating violence begins as early as age 12. And finally, science proves that when you’re nice to others, they’re more likely to be nice to you.
Kids’ Covid Vaccines: Fact and Fiction
Covid-19 vaccines are now approved for children as young as 5, but while people are afraid of getting the vaccine themselves, they’re even more nervous about getting it for their children. Misinformation is accelerating against use of the vaccine in kids. Experts discuss and correct the most prevalent myths.
Medical Notes: November 28, 2021
There are now two new pills that can prevent people from getting severely ill after contracting Covid-19. Then, a new type of magnetic brain stimulation is showing promise as a treatment for depression. And finally, if you crave one type of food over another blame your genes.
Homeless Americans: Myth vs. Reality
Around a half million people are homeless in the US on any given night, but the street homeless who are most visible often incorrectly influence our assumptions about the homeless. A noted researcher discusses myths and truths about their addictions, employment, residences, and more, and why people often become homeless.
Medical Notes: November 21, 2021
A new analysis in the journal JAMA Network Open finds that most insurance companies are no longer waiving co-pays and deductibles for Covid hospitalization. Plus, a study finds depression rates are even higher now than they were in 2020. 17% of four and five year-olds get put on medication when diagnosed with ADHD. And finally, teenage girls have been especially stressed during the pandemic …
Staffing Struggles Threaten Survival of Rural Hospitals
Rural hospitals have long struggled to maintain staffing levels of nurses and other professionals that are adequate for good care. The pandemic has made it much worse, as staffers have quit and patient loads have increased. Experts discuss the roots of the staff shortage, the effects on care safety, the extreme cost of efforts to attract and retain staff, and the threat to hospital survival posed …
Peripheral Artery Disease
Many people are unfamiliar with arterial blockages away from the heart. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, affects African Americans much more than other populations for unknown reasons. An expert physician discusses PAD, the possible consequences, warning signs, and a clinical trial of treatments.
Medical Notes: November 14, 2021
Major surgery such as a heart bypass may increase the risk of dementia. Then, a study finds that gun violence is up by 30% since the start of the pandemic. Also, could the anxiety of being heard by someone else play a role in stuttering? And finally, research says about half of pregnancies in the United States are unintended.
Preventing Military Suicides
Among active duty and veterans of the War on Terror, suicides have claimed four times more lives than combat since 9-11, according to a recent study. The study’s author discusses why the toll is higher than for previous conflicts, and he and another expert in tragedy recovery discuss what the military, VA, and loved ones can do to prevent suicide.
The Struggles of Twinless Twins
Twins share a bond that can’t be understood by non-twins. When one twin suddenly dies, it can leave a huge hole and in the life of the other. A twinless twin who became a therapist specializing in twin loss discusses the issue.
