Past Articles by Scott Hensley
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New Norovirus Strain Rips Through The U.S. More than half of norovirus outbreaks reported during the last four months of 2012 in the U.S. were caused by a strain first identified in Australia. Restaurants and long-term care facilities have been hit hardest. |
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Merck Halts Sale Of Niacin Drug In 40 Countries Tredaptive was never approved in the U.S., but it has been sold in many countries around the world. A large, international study found the drug did not reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, yet did trigger some serious side effects. |
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Merck Halts Sale Of Niacin Drug In 40 Countries Tredaptive was never approved in the U.S., but it has been sold in many countries around the world. A large, international study found the drug did not reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, yet did trigger some serious side effects. |
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Merck Halts Sale Of Niacin Drug In 40 Countries Tredaptive was never approved in the U.S., but it has been sold in many countries around the world. A large, international study found the drug did not reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, yet did trigger some serious side effects. |
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Binge Drinking Among Women Is Both Dangerous And Overlooked About 13 percent of U.S. women go on drinking binges each month, say officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The damage from binge drinking runs the gamut from death to unintended pregnancy. Public health officials say binge drinking can be curbed with greater awareness and thoughtful interventions. |
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Binge Drinking Among Women Is Both Dangerous And Overlooked About 13 percent of U.S. women go on drinking binges each month, say officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The damage from binge drinking runs the gamut from death to unintended pregnancy. Public health officials say binge drinking can be curbed with greater awareness and thoughtful interventions. |
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Why Didn't Your Doctor Prescribe A Generic? Look In The Mirror. Doctors' apparent willingness to prescribe brand-name drugs instead of generics in response to patients' requests is associated with their acceptance of free food from drugmakers, a study finds. |
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Why Didn't Your Doctor Prescribe A Generic? Look In The Mirror. Doctors' apparent willingness to prescribe brand-name drugs instead of generics in response to patients' requests is associated with their acceptance of free food from drugmakers, a study finds. |
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As Norovirus Rages, A Robot Named 'Vomiting Larry' Gets His Closeup   Developed by British researchers, Larry the robot has helped scientists see that a little vomit can go a long way. He vomits on command. And his barf can be tagged with fluorescent dye that makes it easy for scientists to track. |
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As Norovirus Rages, A Robot Named 'Vomiting Larry' Gets His Closeup Developed by British researchers, Larry the robot has helped scientists see that a little vomit can go a long way. He vomits on command. And his barf can be tagged with fluorescent dye that makes it easy for scientists to track. |
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As Norovirus Rages, A Robot Named 'Vomiting Larry' Gets His Closeup Developed by British researchers, Larry the robot has helped scientists see that a little vomit can go a long way. He vomits on command. And his barf can be tagged with fluorescent dye that makes it easy for scientists to track. |
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Pap Tests For Cervical Cancer Are Often Wasted Too many women who don't need regular Pap tests are still getting them. Other women who could benefit from the tests aren't getting them, often those are women without health insurance. |
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Pap Tests For Cervical Cancer Are Often Wasted Too many women who don't need regular Pap tests are still getting them. Other women who could benefit from the tests aren't getting them, often those are women without health insurance. |
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Fire Risk Leads Praxair To Recall Grab 'n Go Oxygen Tanks Praxair has recalled its Grab 'n Go Vantage portable oxygen units. Turns out that if these cylinders get kicked or knocked over they can sometimes catch fire. The company is replacing o-rings between the built-in pressure valve and gas tank. |
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Fire Risk Leads Praxair To Recall Grab 'n Go Oxygen Tanks Praxair has recalled its Grab 'n Go Vantage portable oxygen units. Turns out that if these cylinders get kicked or knocked over they can sometimes catch fire. The company is replacing o-rings between the built-in pressure valve and gas tank. |
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Americans Support Physician-Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill The latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll finds that most Americans favor physician-assisted suicide for people with less than six months to live. But the survey found opposition to assisted suicide for people in severe pain who aren't terminally ill or for those with disabilities. |
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Americans Support Physician-Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill The latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll finds that most Americans favor physician-assisted suicide for people with less than six months to live. But the survey found opposition to assisted suicide for people in severe pain who aren't terminally ill or for those with disabilities. |
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Stores Recall 'Nap Nanny' After Feds Say It's A No-No Three models of the infant recliners are being recalled voluntarily by some of the nation's biggest retailers, including Amazon.com and Buy Buy Baby. The Consumer Product Safety Commission claims the products are hazardous. The maker has said the infant seats are safe when used as directed. |
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Stores Recall 'Nap Nanny' After Feds Say It's A No-No Three models of the infant recliners are being recalled voluntarily by some of the nation's biggest retailers, including Amazon.com and Buy Buy Baby. The Consumer Product Safety Commission claims the products are hazardous. The maker has said the infant seats are safe when used as directed. |
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Online Education Didn't Boost Colon Cancer Screening Much There is a strong consensus in favor of colon cancer screening. Educational efforts have fallen short when it comes to meeting public health goals. Why don't more people get tested? |
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Online Education Didn't Boost Colon Cancer Screening Much There is a strong consensus in favor of colon cancer screening. Educational efforts have fallen short when it comes to meeting public health goals. Why don't more people get tested? |
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How To Talk To Your Kids About The Conn. Shootings Doctors say parents should limit children's exposure to media coverage of disasters, like the mass shooting in Connecticut. Kids, especially older ones, will have questions, and it's fine for parents to answer them. But keep the answers simple and make sure they come with ample reassurance. |
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How To Talk To Your Kids About The Conn. Shootings Doctors say parents should limit children's exposure to media coverage of disasters, like the mass shooting in Connecticut. Kids, especially older ones, will have questions, and it's fine for parents to answer them. But keep the answers simple and make sure they come with ample reassurance. |
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Caution: Walking Under The Influence Of Mobile Devices Nearly a third of pedestrians crossing some of Seattle's most dangerous intersections were doing something distracting at the same time. People texting were four times more likely to cross the street without looking both ways. |
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Caution: Walking Under The Influence Of Mobile Devices Nearly a third of pedestrians crossing some of Seattle's most dangerous intersections were doing something distracting at the same time. People texting were four times more likely to cross the street without looking both ways. |
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How Miscommunication And A Simple Mistake Led To A Toxic Accident Somebody poured a solution of industrial strength bleach into a 55-gallon drum, triggering a release of toxic chlorine gas a Tyson Foods plant. Language barriers contributed to the accident, government investigators concluded. |
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How Miscommunication And A Simple Mistake Led To A Toxic Accident Somebody poured a solution of industrial strength bleach into a 55-gallon drum, triggering a release of toxic chlorine gas a Tyson Foods plant. Language barriers contributed to the accident, government investigators concluded. |
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How Miscommunication And A Simple Mistake Led To A Toxic Accident Somebody poured a solution of industrial strength bleach into a 55-gallon drum, triggering a release of toxic chlorine gas a Tyson Foods plant. Language barriers contributed to the accident, government investigators concluded. |
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Radiologists Say It's Time To Come Out Of The Dark Radiologists have an image problem with patients. Many of them don't know who the doctors are or what they do. A survey finds that only about half of patients receiving CT scans even knew radiologists are doctors. |
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Radiologists Say It's Time To Come Out Of The Dark Radiologists have an image problem with patients. Many of them don't know who the doctors are or what they do. A survey finds that only about half of patients receiving CT scans even knew radiologists are doctors. |
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More Evidence Suggests Shortcomings For Whooping Cough Vaccine There were more than 9,000 whooping cough cases in California in 2010, a 60-year high. There has been a resurgence of the disease across the country lately. Why? People going without vaccination is one factor. Another may lie in the vaccines themselves. |
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Evidence Mounts On Shortcomings In Whooping Cough Vaccine There were more than 9,000 whooping cough cases in California in 2010, a 60-year high. There has been a resurgence of the disease across the country lately. Why? People going without vaccination is one factor. Another may lie in the vaccines themselves. |
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Some Kids Bounce Straight To The Emergency Room The wildly popular mosh pits for the school-age set have become a common source of injuries that send kids to the hospital. Doctors call for safer designs for inflatable bouncers and better guidelines for their use. |
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Some Kids Bounce Straight To The Emergency Room The wildly popular mosh pits for the school-age set have become a common source of injuries that send kids to the hospital. Doctors call for safer designs for inflatable bouncers and better guidelines for their use. |
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OB-GYNs Say No Prescription Should Be Needed To Get The Pill Easier access to oral contraceptives could reduce unintended pregnancies, doctors say. But the Food and Drug Administration would have to allow purchases of the pill without a prescription, and that's not going to happen anytime soon. |
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OB-GYNs Say No Prescription Should Be Needed To Get The Pill Easier access to oral contraceptives could reduce unintended pregnancies, doctors say. But the Food and Drug Administration would have to allow purchases of the pill without a prescription, and that's not going to happen anytime soon. |
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Twitter Chat: States Face Deadline On Health Insurance Exchanges Come Friday, states will have to decide whether they will run their own insurance exchanges under President Obama's sweeping health law. We had a rapid-fire chat about the exchanges on Twitter and captures some of the highlights here. |
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Twitter Chat: States Face Deadline On Health Insurance Exchanges Come Friday, states will have to decide whether they will run their own insurance exchanges under President Obama's sweeping health law. We had a rapid-fire chat about the exchanges on Twitter and captures some of the highlights here. |
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What Health-Minded Smartphone Users Have In Common With Obama Voters Exit polls and a separate survey of cellphone users show similarities between Obama voters and people who tap their mobile devices to get health information. Latinos, African-Americans and young people were big in both groups. |
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What Health-Minded Smartphone Users Have In Common With Obama Voters Exit polls and a separate survey of cellphone users show similarities between Obama voters and people who tap their mobile devices to get health information. Latinos, African-Americans and young people were big in both groups. |
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New Pill For Rheumatoid Arthritis Gets FDA Nod Xeljanz, a new rheumatoid arthritis drug, is the first one that works by blocking enzymes called janus kinases. They play a communication role inside the body and are involved in inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. |
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New Pill For Rheumatoid Arthritis Gets FDA Nod Xeljanz, a new rheumatoid arthritis drug, is the first one that works by blocking enzymes called janus kinases. They play a communication role inside the body and are involved in inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. |
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With Obama's Victory, Health Law Stays On Track Over the next four years, the meat of the health law, Obama's signature domestic policy achievement during the first term, will take effect. The pace of implementation picks up now and will keep states, employers and the federal government busy. |
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For Simple Care, Retail Clinics Are A Popular Choice Lots of people are opting for the clinics, which are springing up inside big-box retailers and chain drugstores across the country. We found that people are open to the idea of trying the clinics. And those who have used them seem to like them a lot. |
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Malaria Drug Subsidies: Good Idea Or Wrong Path? A test of subsidies in Africa for the most effective malaria drug treatment is drawing fire. Supporters say the subsidies helped improve access and drive out less effective drugs. But critics say the approach is risky and a distraction from other efforts to fight the disease. |
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Superstorm Sandy Takes Toll On New York Hospitals When Sandy slammed into New York City, one of Manhattan's biggest hospitals buckled. After the power went out in Lower Manhattan, New York University Langone Medical Center's backup power generators failed, too, and more than 200 patients had to be evacuated. |
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Take A Listen To The Shots Podcast Are you prepared for some unorthodox audio from an ink-stained wretch still working on the transition to online journalism from print? If so, click through to listen to Shots, the podcast. This episode covers multivitamins and cancer, health report cards and how Americans feel about retail health clinics. |
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Tweet Chat: Chasing Down Polio, Eradication In Sight Thanks to vigorous efforts to eradicate the poliovirus through vaccination, there are only three countries on the face of the earth where polio is still endemic. NPR reporters and editors hosted a chat on Twitter: #chasingpolio. |
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More Clues About Hazards From Laundry Detergent Pods Kids exposed to laundry detergent pods appeared more likely to have vomiting, drowsiness or lethargy than those who were exposed to other forms of laundry detergent. An analysis of reports of poisoning by detergent pods finds they represent "an emerging public health hazard." |
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NPR's health blog, Shots, has a new look and feel to make it easier for you to navigate, particularly on smartphones and tablets. You'll notice bigger photos and graphics in stories, and a lot less clutter. On the landing page, you'll be able to see more stories at a glance. |
