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Avastin Falls Short In Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer

Cancer-fighter Avastin just came up short as a treatment for ovarian tumors. Two studies found that the drug, which blocks the formation of new blood vessels, didn’t extend the lives of patients with ovarian cancer. Avastin did slow the progression of the cancers a little bit. But the patients getting Avastin as part of treatment [...]

Is There Really Such A Thing As Brain Food?

There has long been a hope that people in search of a fountain of youth for the brain could look no further than their dinner plate. Just last month, researchers reported that people who eat baked or broiled fish at least once a week may be protecting their brains from Alzheimer’s and other brain problems. [...]

Inhalable Caffeine: Party Drug Or Handy, Pocket-Sized Boost?

If you’ve ever lamented the time and effort it takes to brew or procure a cup of coffee, this might perk you up. “Breathable Energy. Anytime. Anyplace.” That’s the campaign slogan for AeroShot, a plastic inhaler, roughly the size of a lipstick tube, filled with a powdery, calorie-free mix of caffeine, B vitamins, and citrus [...]

Singing Therapy Helps Stroke Patients Speak Again

Debra Meyerson was hiking near Lake Tahoe 15 months ago when a stroke destroyed part of the left side of her brain, leaving her literally speechless. It happens to more than 150,000 Americans a year. But now Meyerson is learning to talk again through an approach that trains the undamaged right side of her brain [...]

Philadelphia Practice Flight Helps Autistic Kids Fly

Air travel horror stories typically involve lost luggage, missed connections and overzealous security staff. But families affected by autism face other challenges in navigating airports and planes. A Philadelphia program is bringing families, airport employees and airlines together to help autistic kids fly more comfortably. Airports are loud, hectic places: blaring announcements, glaring lights and [...]

Feds Trash Old Proposal On Animal Antibiotics

Have you ever come across a dust-covered “to-do” list, filled with tasks that you never actually finished because they were unpleasant, you just weren’t in the mood, or you found something easier to do instead? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has one of those lists. It’s 34-years-old. And the agency decided this week to [...]

Americans Say Security Checks Are A Bigger Health Concern Than Flights

If you’re heading for the airport humming I’ll Be Home For Christmas, all of us at Shots hope your trip goes without a hitch. With all the comings and goings of the holiday season on our minds, we recently asked Americans a few questions and air travel and health. And the latest NPR-Thomson Reuters Health [...]

Report: Cuts In Federal Funding Put Public Health Preparedness At Risk

Do you remember the E. coli outbreak that started in an Oregon strawberry patch this August? Probably not, because public health officials there pinpointed the farm responsible for the affected fruit with the first (and only reported) death, and confirmed the source of the bacteria less than two weeks later. Oregon’s State Public Health Officer [...]

Medicare Can’t Rescue Congress On Fix For Doctors’ Pay

Here we go again. With official Washington trapped in partisan gridlock, doctors who treat Medicare patients are once again facing the prospect of a big cut in pay that almost no one supports. And this time Medicare officials say they won’t be hold onto the bills for longer than the usual 10-day processing time to [...]

Ditch This Massager, If It Shows Up Under The Christmas Tree

The ShoulderFlex massager looks harmless enough. But don’t be fooled. The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to use the product because it could kill or injure them. There were reports of one person being strangled by the device and another near-death by strangulation, the FDA says. Clothing, hair and jewelry can get [...]