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The Lead
Taking Meds Goes High-Tech
May 21, 2013 | Comments
Startups are coming up with new technologies, such as "digital pills" and social games with rewards, aimed at getting people to take medicine only as directed. A range of startup companies are trying to use technology to come up with more cost-effective ways to get medication used properly.
Medical Research Impacted by Sequester Cuts
May 20, 2013 8:49 am | Comments
Chris Matthews talks with Francis Collins the director of the National Institute of Health about...
FDA Unveils a New Tool to Fight Counterfeit Products
May 17, 2013 8:54 am | Comments
CD-3 is a new tool in the Food and Drug Administration’s fight against counterfeit products. CD-...
Immunotherapy Targets Cancer Cells
May 16, 2013 8:53 am | Comments
Cancer cells typically put up a chemical shield to protect against the body's disease-fighting T...
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Can Calcium Supplements Lower Heart Attack Risk in Women?
May 23, 2013 9:11 am | CommentsA new study finds that women taking 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day have a 22 percent lower risk of dying, contradicting previous studied linking calcium to an increased risk of heart attacks. There are questions whether it is better to get calcium from supplements or food sources
Scientists Take Step Toward Human Cloning
May 17, 2013 8:37 am | CommentsScientists have used cloning technology to transform human skin cells into embryonic stem cells, an experiment that may revive the controversy over human cloning. These cloned cells can be used to create fresh tissue in the lab to repair damage done by various ailments.
FDA Recommends Lower Dosage of Ambien
May 15, 2013 8:39 am | CommentsThose who take products containing zolpidem, best know by the drug’s brand name Ambien, are now being advised by the Food and Drug Administration to take less of the medication. Patients who take the drug, especially the extended release version, are advised not to drive the next day as levels of the drug remain high in the body
Two New Viruses Threaten Global Outbreaks
May 14, 2013 9:38 am | CommentsHealth officials are getting worried that two new viruses could spread around the world. One is a new strain of Bird Flu in China and the other has spread through the Middle East to France and Britain. The viruses are blamed for at least 50 deaths.
Why You Shouldn't Treat Kids' Colds With Drugs
May 13, 2013 5:25 pm | by Wall Street Journal | CommentsMany parents are still using cold medications for their young children despite warnings against the practice. Anna Mathews and Emory University pediatric emergency medicine fellow Sarah Lazarus join Lunch Break with a look at the latest research.
Labor Drug Study Triggers Mommy-Blog Firestorm
May 13, 2013 8:49 am | CommentsA new study about a popular drug used to help so many moms speed up labor and could have some potentially negative effects. According to researchers, pitocin showed a potential link to some full term infants having increased admissions to neonatal intensive care units.
Medical Experiment May Give Old Hearts a New Life
May 10, 2013 12:28 pm | by CBS | CommentsDoctors have seen promising results in an experiment that transfers a hormone from healthy mice to mice with heart failure. The hormone, GDF11, declines with age in mice, and the scientists took GDF11 from young, healthy mice giving it to old mice with heart failure. Dr. Jon LaPook reports the team's next step is to see if it has the same effect in humans.
Digital Doctors: Medical Professionals Ditch Pen and Paper
May 9, 2013 2:38 pm | CommentsNew health care laws are urging doctors to keep only digital records, yet only 40 percent of physicians in the U.S. have converted their paper files. To increase those numbers the government subsidizes local experts to help doctors convert.
Health Clinics in Retail Stores a Growing Trend for Patients
May 9, 2013 1:46 pm | by CBS News | CommentsMore and more Americans are using health clinics inside retail stores instead of going to the doctor or emergency room. Several well-known retailers have clinics in selective stores with about 1,400 open right now. Randall Pinkston reports on why these clinics have become so popular.
Nationwide Discrepancy in Hospital Costs
May 9, 2013 8:44 am | CommentsA new survey has found great discrepancies in the fees hospitals charge for certain procedures. The survey tracked the cost of 100 of the most common procedures and found huge prices differences not only across the country but between nearby facilities. The survey also found that the increased prices did not result in better care.
Prostate Test Could Cut Need for Surgery
May 8, 2013 1:46 pm | by Wall Street Journal | CommentsA new genetic test can help distinguish between aggressive and low-risk forms of prostate cancer, which could enable many men to delay or forgo surgery to treat it. Over 220,000 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with prostate cancer anually.
Giant, Meningitis-Carrying Snails Turn Up in Texas
May 8, 2013 8:31 am | CommentsScientists are warning residents of Houston, Texas, not to handle giant African land snails, which have been spotted in neighborhood gardens, because they can carry meningitis. The snails also carry other diseases which can cause sickness and even death.
Robots as Pharmacists?
May 7, 2013 8:48 am | CommentsA robotic pharmacy at the UCSF Medical Center could be the next big thing for hospitals. The robot counts, dispenses and packages pills with perfect accuracy. Doctors at the Medical Center say the machine has been a game-changer – eliminating errors and mistakes.
Hospitals to be Penalized for Avoidable Readmissions
May 7, 2013 8:39 am | CommentsHospitals are under new pressure not only to treat their patients, but to make sure they don't come back. CBS News’ Bigad Shaban reports on how the Affordable Care Act is addressing the issue of unnecessary hospital readmissions and how hospitals are trying to lower readmissions by providing patients with more education and support as they leave the hospital.
Niacin Mistaken for Candy
May 6, 2013 8:46 am | CommentsTwo students at a Michigan elementary school had to be rushed to the hospital after mistakenly eating the supplement Niacin. A fellow student brought the Niacin in to school and offered it as a candy thinking the Niacin tablets were Mentos.
