Radio Health Journal
The latest in health, science, technology, and the intersection of medicine and public policy.
As much as 16 percent of the population suffers from Trypophobia, which makes them uneasy at the sight of holes clustered together, as in a honeycomb. Two experts and a sufferer discuss this phobia, which can be remarkably debilitating.
The availability of consumer DNA tests and databases has allowed long-hidden family secrets to be revealed, including mistaken paternity and unknown siblings. It has also taken the anonymity away from some cases of sperm donation. Two experts discuss the ethics of overturning this promised secrecy and the impact that the revelation of secrets can have on …
Dr. Joel Salinas has mirror touch synesthesia, a condition involving cross-wiring in the brain. The result is that visual stimuli prompt a response in his touch system. He literally feels it when people experience pain. Salinas discusses how this strange condition works and how he is able to use it in diagnosis.
The Trump Administration has proposed wholesale import of drugs from Canada to ease high US prescription drug prices. But since Canada is 1/10th the size of the US, could it supply enough drugs to make a difference?
Experts believe about 40 percent of the food available in America is thrown away. Solving this environmental problem also creates an opportunity to help with food insecurity. It starts with consumers. Experts explain where waste comes from and how people can cut down on its production.
Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, 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. Experts discuss.
Mobile health apps are becoming very popular, though some are being shown to have little benefit. Few barriers exist to almost anyone entering the field whether they have health expertise or not. Privacy is also a concern. Experts discuss how people can protect themselves and find apps that do what they want.
Most people associate cirrhosis of the liver with heavy alcohol use. But nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which also leads to cirrhosis, is growing rapidly, and may affect a quarter of the population. Experts discuss this silent disease and what people can do to prevent and treat it.
Strep infection may prompt a severe reaction in some children, causing their own immune system to attack cells in the brain. What appear to be extreme psychological symptoms result from what is really a physical disorder. The disorder, known as PANDAS, is often misdiagnosed. Experts discuss.
Most people procrastinate at least now and then. But when we put something off, we’re usually facing not a time management problem, but an emotion management problem. Experts discuss what’s going on in our heads when we procrastinate.
Suddenly, cannabis-related, hemp-derived CBD is almost everywhere. CBD’s FDA status is murky, and we know very little about its benefits, thanks in part to its former place on DEA Schedule 1. How much has been proven about its supposed health qualities? What are the risks? Experts discuss in depth.
Since the 1980’s, almost all production of generic drugs has moved overseas, where FDA inspectors have a much tougher time making sure they’re following rules for safety. An investigative journalist describes the ways she’s found that many drugmakers cut corners, putting safety at risk, and details what consumers can do to protect themselves.
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