Health  

 

 

THE WORLD

Cancer's New Battleground — The Developing World


LISTEN TO THE REPORT
Why doesn't the battle against cancer feature in conversations about “global health”? Join Joanne Silberner, reporter for The World, Partners in Health and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to talk about it on Facebook.

Read the Archived Chat
Xconomy

Xconomy Report: When Health's a Game


By Gregory T. Huang, Editor, Xconomy Boston
Can playing video games make you healthier? That’s the idea behind the “gamification” of health care, a big trend we’re seeing in the Boston tech scene and beyond.
Medical Treatments

The First Total Artificial Heart Transplant

By Toni Waterman & Jordan Weinstein
At Brigham and Women's Hospital, retired high school teacher James Carelli Jr. talked about the pioneering heart surgery. In order to put himself through it, he needed faith.
Health

Freezer Failure a 'Major Setback' for Autism Research


By Cristina Quinn
One third of the world's largest collection of autism-affected brain samples has been lost at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.
Cooking

Video: Healthy New Gadgets from Ming Tsai


By Azita Ghahramani
The acclaimed chef wants to make it easier for families to eat healthy food — and has some kitchen tools that can help. Watch him demonstrate one of them in the Greater Boston green room.
Books

The Food Obsessive's Diet


MORE FOOD NEWS
By Will Roseliep
What to do when you eat for a living — but you need to lose weight? Cookbook author Peter Kaminsky found a foodie path to weight loss, which he documents in his new book.
Health Care

How Does Your Doctor Measure Up?


By Anne Mostue
Adding to its car, refrigerator and laptop reviews, Consumer Reports is now evaluating groups of primary care doctors. And it's starting with Massachusetts.
Health

How Work Is Messing Up Your Sleep



MORE NEWS
By Nancy Shute
People working more than one job or working more than 40 hours a week are sleeping less than most. Divorced and separated people are short on sleep, too, while working the night shift can wreck your sleep habits and hurt your health.
Health

From Fat Boston to Fit Boston?


By Adam Reilly
Mayor Tom Menino is introducing an ambitious program to get residents to collectively drop 1 million pounds in the next year. But will it fly?
Xconomy

Xconomy Report: (Re)generating Excitement


By Gregory T. Huang, Editor, Xconomy Boston
A couple of Cambridge companies are gaining ground with their regenerative medicine technology, which uses living cells and other natural materials to promote healing.
Social Issues

'Death with Dignity': One Family's Story


By Adam Reilly
This fall, Bay State voters will likely be asked to weigh in on the so-called Death with Dignity Act. Heather Clish’s father ended his life in Oregon using a similar law. She shared her family's experience with Greater Boston.
Government

At the State House: Legalizing Medical Marijuana


By Sarah Birnbaum
There is evidence that Massachusetts residents support legalizing marijuana for medical uses. But at a public hearing on a proposed ballot initiative on the issue, Beacon Hill was decidedly lukewarm.
Health Care

Mass. Ranks above Average on Medication Adherence


By Sarah Birnbaum
New research shows that Bay State residents are better at sticking to their prescribed drug regimen than most. Still, one-third of the patients with chronic health conditions stop taking their medication within a year.
Health Care

At MGH, Building from the Skeleton of a Heart


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: HEALTH CARE ON TRIAL
By Toni Waterman
Scientists at Mass. General Hospital are working on a technique to strip diseased hearts of their cells and then rebuild them into healthy organs.
Xconomy

Xconomy Report: Video Game Medicine


By Xconomy.com
Could your child leave his next checkup with a prescription for a video game? Akili Interactive Labs hopes its game will be the first approved by the FDA as a medical device.
Health

Human Genome Research in the Fight Against Cancer


WATCH THE ENTIRE TALK ON FORUM NETWORK
Quackenbush's Book, The Human Genome
The more we understand the human genetic structure, the better our understanding of how cancer occurs, and how we can detect it earlier.
Government

Put That in Your Ballot Box and Smoke It


By Sarah Birnbaum
Lawmakers held a public hearing Tuesday on a bill to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana.
Forum Network

Dr. Gary Small: Preventing Alzheimer's Disease


DR. SMALL ON TWITTER
Can reduced stress, weight loss and eating anti-oxidents prevent Alzheimer's disease? (Photo crabchick/Flickr)
Biology & Chemistry

Run! It's Good For Your Health


NOVA: Becoming Human
Daniel Lieberman, professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, explains how closely connected our health is to our level of activity.
Innovation Hub

High-Tech Health: Apps For Exercise, Diet And More

By Kara Miller
We’ll look at high-tech ways of getting healthy — a nutritionist in your pocket, a marathon coach on your mobile phone — and more.
Health Care

Drug Shortages Compromise Care, Doctors Say


WGBH NEWS: HOSPITALS FACE SHORTAGES
By Sarah Birnbaum
Hospitals' inability to keep sufficient stores of medication on hand is endangering patients' lives, officials said at a Monday State House hearing.
Biology & Chemistry

Super Bowl Sensors: The Findings Are In


WGBH NEWS: THE BIOSENSORS GO ON
By Cristina Quinn
Some unexpected data came out of WGBH News' Super Bowl biosensor experiment that could advance a researcher's work on addiction.
The Callie Crossley Show

The ABCs of Childhood Obesity


LISTEN TO THE SHOW
Learn why 17 percent of American children are now considered obese and what needs to change to reverse this public health predicament. Host Callie Crossley talks with children's health and nutrition experts. 
Sports

The State Of Biosensors And The Super Bowl


By Cristina Quinn
Did the high-stress Super Bowl make your heart pound? During the game, we strapped biosensors on fans to learn about the state of mobile-phone health technology.
Health Care

Mass. Group Applauds Course-Reversal On Planned Parenthood

By Jordan Weinstein
The director of the state Komen affiliate hopes local donors will see the impact of its state-level work.
Biology & Chemistry

Controversy Continues To Rage Over BU Biolab


GREATER BOSTON: TOUR THE BIOLAB
By Will Roseliep
A mid-February public hearing has been pushed back, but the public isn't keeping quiet on concerns over a center that could be studying deadly bioagents.
Health

Fighting Dengue Fever With Legos


By Cristina Quinn
Little Devices is addressing third-world problems with a technique MacGyver would love: tweaking common toys and gadgets to defuse illness and disability. But is the approach a step backwards?
World Health

Diagnosing Disease On A 'Postage Stamp'


By Cristina Quinn
Paper is everywhere — in your coffeemaker, on your desk, in the recycling bin. But what if it could save lives? One Cambridge company thinks a slip of paper holds the answer to diagnosing illness cheaply, anywhere.
Energy

Some Doubt State's Wind Turbine Safety Report


THE FALMOUTH EXPERIENCE: A WGBH SPECIAL REPORT
By Sarah Birnbaum
A panel of experts has issued a report saying that wind turbines do not pose serious health risks for residents. Opponents claim the report is biased.
Health

Lawmakers Debate Proposed Cellphone Ban


WGBH NEWS: SOME QUESTION NTSB PROPOSAL
By Sarah Birnbaum
Should Mass. ban handheld cellphone use behind the wheel? An advocate for the ban shared his family's tragedy at a Jan. 10 State House hearing.
Xconomy

Xconomy Report: Fight Fat With Fat


By Xconomy.com
A new Boston firm has raised $34 million to develop drugs that tap into a new understanding of brown fat, a tissue that could help people burn off the more-familiar white fat.
Transportation & Infrastructure

Phone Calls In The Car OK — If They're Hands-Free


MORE EMILY ROONEY
NPR: EXPERTS QUESTION NEED FOR BAN
By WGBH News
The Massachusetts-based advocacy group Safe Roads Alliance thinks the National Transportation Safety Board might be going too far in its recommendation that states ban all use of cellphones behind the wheel,
Health

For Health, A Dose Of Worms


By Gary Mott
Believe it or not, but the next big advance in treating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s may be... worms. 
Energy

Power Struggle, Part 3: The Emergency Plan


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Officials say there is no plan for how Cape Cod could be evacuated in the event of a radiation release — and they estimate only 10,000 people have potassium iodide pills to protect against radiation in a disaster.
Xconomy

Xconomy Report For Nov. 4, 2011

By Xconomy.com
On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook is recruiting at Harvard and MIT to tap into Boston's hot startup market — epitomized by fast-growing upstarts such as HubSpot, Gemvara, Kayak, TripAdvisor and Wayfair.
INNOVATION

Xconomy Report For Oct. 28, 2011

Biogen Idec, the world's largest maker of injectable treatments for multiple sclerosis, has met its goals in a second clinical trial of the company's first pill for the disease.
POLITICS

A Bill To Stall Drunk Drivers


WGBH NEWS: HEDLUND ARGUES FOR 'HAPPY HOUR'
By Sarah Birnbaum
MADD and families of drunk driving victims rallied in support of a bill requiring ignition locks for all convicted drunk drivers, including first-time offenders.
PUBLIC HEALTH

Legislature Considers Discount Coupons For Drugs


By Sarah Birnbaum
A Massachusetts Legislature committee held a public hearing Tuesday on a controversial bill that would allow drug manufacturers to offer discounts on brand-name drugs. 
PUBLIC HEALTH

Parents Should Safeguard Prescription Drugs, Study Says

By Sarah Birnbaum
Over half the Bay State parents in a recent study say their children have ready access to prescription pain relievers.
Health

Boston Doctors Fit Custom Knee Replacements


MORE GREATER BOSTON
By Toni Waterman

Doctors at Brigham and Women's hospital are practicing a new procedure that allows them to give patients with knee problems customized knee replacements. The new fittings were devised by a Burlington, Mass.-based company.

Health

How My Fears Around Pregnancy Evolved As I Got Older



MORE NEWS
By Lateefah Torrence
Lateefah Torrence tells about how she used to fear becoming an unwed and undereducated young black woman politicians loved to berate. But when she met her husband and they started to try getting pregnant, her fears changed.
WGBH SERIES

Facing Alzheimer's: The Caregivers' Challenge


By Sean Corcoran
The Alzheimer's caregivers’ story is often one of sustained stress, exhaustion and isolation. Rates of depression, poor nutrition and chronic disease among caregivers of Alzheimer's patients are higher than for non-caregivers — and the state has more than 120,000 of those patients. Read and listen to Sean Corcoran's coverage, which won regional Murrow and AP awards.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Supporting The Caregivers


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
Tracking devices, certain medications and group therapy programs are among the tools available in Massachusetts to support Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Art Therapy for Alzheimer's


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
Looking at paintings in a museum or singing songs around a piano is not going to stop Alzheimer's as it steals away memories and personality. But around the country, art and music therapy programs are becoming more common for people with memory impairment.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Caring Places


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
The goal of many people with Alzheimer's disease and their families is to find a way for the person to spend their final days in their home. Oftentimes the burdens associated with the disease makes that impossible, but a new kind of assisted-living home for the memory-impaired offers an alternative to the traditional nursing home.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Planning For Loss


FACING ALZHEIMERS: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
The Noonan family knows too well what it's like to watch a loved one die of Alzheimer's: Their mother had it, and passed it on to at least four of her ten children. They say advanced planning, although painful, has been key to helping the family handle the disease.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Plight Of The Caregivers


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
There are more than 120,000 people with Alzheimer's Disease in Massachusetts. Their caregivers each have stories of sustained stress, isolation and exhaustion -- with higher-than-normal rates of depression and chronic disease. This week, WGBH's Sean Corcoran takes a deep look at the challenges of caregiving.

The World

An Indian Toilet Museum’s Public Health Mission


HEAR THE STORY
The World’s Rhitu Chatterjee reports on a small museum in New Delhi that is at the center of an effort to improve sanitation for the 600 million Indians without access to modern toilets.
Health

WHO: Cellphones May Be Carcinogenic


By The Associated Press
An international panel of experts says cellphones are possibly carcinogenic to humans after reviewing details from dozens of published studies.
Health

FDA Probes Link Between Food Dyes, Kids' Behavior



MORE NEWS
By April Fulton
The Food and Drug Administration is meeting Wednesday and Thursday to examine whether artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity in children. Recent studies have drawn this link, causing some experts to call on the FDA to ban the dyes — or at least require a warning label.
Health

Why Some States Want Psychologists To Prescribe Antidepressants



MORE NEWS
By Michelle Andrews
Half a dozen states are considering changes in laws that would allow psychologists to prescribe medicines to treat mental illness.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: The Green Debate


LAWMAKERS RENEW PUSH FOR SIMPLER TURBINE PERMITTING
By Sean Corcoran
The effort to install land-based wind turbines on Cape Cod has slowed, largely because of opposition to a 400-foot tall turbine that was installed last spring in Falmouth.
Boston

Boston Divided On Condoms In BPS


By Jared Bowen
A group of students is pushing for the increased availability of condoms in Boston Public Schools. Some advocates think the popularity of hyper-sexual television shows like Skins makes this a good time to step up sex ed. -- but many are opposed to condoms being available in schools.
Health

Doctor Challenges Cause Of MS And Treatment



MORE NEWS
By Gretchen Cuda Kroen
An Italian scientist has a controversial new theory on what causes multiple sclerorsis — and how to treat it. Some patients, desperate to stop the disease's spread, have tried it, only to have it fail months later.
WGBH Local News

Study Finds Renters' Worries Impacts Health

By Sarah Birnbaum
A study released in Boston Thursday finds that falling behind on rent has a significant impact on health.  Health and housing advocates are calling on the state to provide additional funding to help families stay in their homes.  WGBH's Sarah Birnbaum reports.
Health Care

Beth Israel Chief Resigns


By Jess Bidgood
The chief of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, one of Boston's largest hospitals, is stepping down.
Health Care

Mass. Doctors Weary Of Medicare 'Meltdown'


MORE GREATER BOSTON
By Toni Waterman
Low reimbursement rates have already prompted some doctors to opt out of treating Medicare patients. In Massachusetts, rising business costs are compounding the problem.
Health

Rolfing Back In Vogue, But With Shaky Evidence


READ THIS ARTICLE
MORE NEWS
By Sarah Varney
A deep massage technique, called Rolfing Structural Integration, was last popular in the 1970s. Now, it's hip with the yoga-Pilates-acupuncture crowd. But scientists say the research supporting its effectiveness is limited.
Health

Anti-Stress Yoga For Everyone


WATCH A PREVIEW
THANK-YOU GIFTS AVAILABLE
In Easy Yoga for Arthritis, Peggy Cappy demonstrates yoga exercises designed to address arthritis problems. Today at 4pm and 10pm on WGBH 44.
LOCAL NEWS

Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks Banned In Mass.


By Jess Bidgood
An emergency regulation filed by the state's Alcoholic Beverages Congrol Commission has banned the sale of alcoholic beverages containing added caffeine, like Four Loko.
Travel

Walking Through Life With Bruce Feiler

Greater Boston host Emily Rooney talks with Bruce Feiler about his epic 10,000-mile journey, his fight against bone cancer, and how losing his ability to walk had a profound effect on his passion for living. SEE WHEN IT'S ON
THANK-YOU GIFTS ARE AVAILABLE
Health

Mass. Is Most Violent Northeastern State

By Sarah Birnbaum
A new report from the non-profit Massachusetts Health Council, released Tuesday morning at the State House, concludes that Massachusetts is the most violent state in the Northeast.
Health

Bow Down To The Medicinal Power Of Cranberries


READ MORE
By Allison Aubrey
Native Americans and pilgrims agreed on at least one thing: Cranberries were good medicine. Nearly 400 years later, scientists are only beginning to unlock the antioxidant and other medicinal benefits of this gorgeous berry.
Health Care

Health Care Reform Will Soon Affect Mass. Businesses

By Sarah Birnbaum
New nursing laws and copayment-free health care services were on the agenda as businesses came together for an information session on how health care reform will impact employers in Massachusetts.
Health Care

In Charlestown, Venture Capital Fuels Alzheimer's Research


PHOTOS: INSIDE THE LAB
PART 1: MASS. VENTURE CAPITALISTS INVEST IN ALZHEIMERS
By Sean Corcoran
Groundbreaking Alzheimer's research in Charlestown is being funded not by the government, but by a group of Massachusetts venture capitalists. 
Health

Nudging Grocery Shoppers Toward Healthy Food



Some grocery stores are using the same sensory marketing tricks to change people's buying habits that big food companies and restaurants have used for years. These new marketing tools can also promote public health.
Health Care

Mass. Venture Capitalists Invest In Alzheimer's Research


By Sean Corcoran
A small group of local business leaders who are using their proven investment techniques — and their personal fortunes — to assemble what they believe are the world's most promising researchers to slow, stop or reverse Alzheimer's Disease.
Health Care

Immigrants Bring Discrimination Case Over Insurance Experiment


MORE NEWS FROM WGBH
By Andrea Smardon
A stopgap experiment in health insurance for legal immigrants may be a preview into the future of state-subsidized health care.
Foodie Blog

Teach a Chef to Fish: Sustainable Seafood on the Front Lines at the Boston Seafood Show


By Cathy Huyghe

Sustainable seafood, along with locally grown ingredients, are two trends in the restaurant industry that are here to stay.

Foodie Blog

Roast Chicken (and a Few Tips) From a Time-Crunched Fitness Coach


Boston Organics
By Jennifer Dunn

Tips for edging toward a healthy life, even when there’s no time.

The Daily Dish

Healthy Habits Kitchen: A different kind of take-out


Daily Dish
By Cathy Huyghe

It isn’t just the cooking that makes healthy eating untenable. It’s also the shopping, organizing, and clean up that needs to happen in addition to the cooking.

The Daily Dish

Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer: Goodies for a cause


Daily Dish
Restaurants & Bakeries
By Cathy Huyghe

The thing about fundraisers is that you have to give something — cash, normally — in order to get. And what you get is often intangible: a good feeling or the sense that you’ve done something worthwhile.

The Daily Dish

Resveratrol the old-fashioned way


The Daily Dish Blog
Science
Small study of Glaxo "red wine" drug suspended
By Cathy Huyghe

There’s not a wine drinker among us who hasn’t heard of the potential health benefits of resveratrol — you know, the chemical compound found in the skin of red grapes and, it follows, in red wine as well.

The Daily Dish

Reducing your handicap on high-alcohol wines

By Cathy Huyghe

Given the choice between an 11% abv (alcohol-by-volume) wine or one that’s 15.5%, I’m much more likely to go for the one with less alcohol. It’s not that I’m a lightweight – I can handle the alcohol – but more often, it has to do with the sweetness of a non-dessert wine that such high levels of alcohol.

The Daily Dish Blog

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