60-Second Health: Recent Episodes
Scientific American
Scientific American reporter Dina Fine Maron gives a weekly one-minute report on the latest health and medical news. To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast
The common food additives altered mice microbiomes to encourage gut inflammation and overeating. Dina Fine Maron reports
Although clinical guidelines assume just two years for hot flashes and night sweats, a large study finds a median symptom duration of more than three times that length. Dina Fine Maron reports
High-tech pedometers do a decent job of counting steps accurately. Dina Fine Maron reports.
Some 42 percent of U.S. adults who drink have been prescribed a drug that may interact negatively with alcohol. Dina Fine Maron reports
Strains of the lab workhorse roundworm C. elegans that lived longer added more time being frail and had the same portion of their lives being healthy as normal worms. The work has implications for life-extension ideas such as caloric restriction. Dina Fine Maron reports
Researchers tracked 70,000 for decades to find lifestyle clues for better cardiovascular condition. Dina Fine Maron reports
Volunteers who read from an iPad before bed took longer to fall asleep and had less restful nights than when they read from a printed book. Dina Fine Maron reports.
Nonpasteurized milk is fueling more outbreaks and hospitalizations. Dina Fine Maron reports
Careful tracking of more than 50,000 women during the six weeks after the procedure finds that serious adverse effects are rare. Dina Fine Maron reports
People with type 2 diabetes in middle age had greater cognitive impairment in the following decades than did their nondiabetic counterparts. Dina Fine Maron reports
The World Health Organization issues a new report on the neglected public health issue of drowning
A 10-second makeout session can also transfer some 80 million oral bacteria. Dina Fine Maron reports
A first-of-its-kind study finds it’s possible to analyze snake DNA left in a bite victim’s wound to identify the species—and thus the correct antivenom. Dina Fine Maron reports
Diagnostics, vaccines and new drugs could vastly improve the way future Ebola outbreaks manifest in Africa, according to emerging infectious disease expert Jeremy Farrar. Steve Mirsky reports
Should Ebola continue to crop up in the U.S., having fewer people coming to emergency rooms with the similar symptoms of flu will help the public health system respond. Steve Mirsky reports
Physically active children are healthier and score better on intellectual tests than their sedentary peers. Dina Fine Maron reports
In a bid to boost fitness, new park benches in Moscow will let sitters see their weight and receive health tips. Dina Fine Maron reports
A study in mice suggests that chemical changes that occur during dry roasting may increase the odds of an allergic reaction. Dina Fine Maron reports
A new study reveals that bacteria associated with staph infections can hitch a ride in workers’ noses. Dina Fine Maron reports
Sisters spend double the time caring for parents as their brothers. Dina Fine Maron reports
In Chicago monitoring Twitter for reports of food poisoning led to 133 restaurant inspections for health violations, with 21 establishments shut down. Dina Fine Maron reports
Patients in low-income zip codes were up to 10 times more likely to lose a leg or foot than diabetic patients in more affluent zip codes. Dina Fine Maron reports
An analysis of 130,000 runners in events during a seven-year span revealed that competitors were 10 times more likely to experience heat stroke than serious cardiac problems. Dina Fine Maron reports
When refilled prescriptions for post–heart attack care resulted in the same medication looking different in shape or color, patients were significantly more likely to stop taking their meds. Dina Fine Maron reports
Headbanging can cause pain or even whiplash. But a 50-year-old Motörhead fan developed a more serious condition, bleeding in the brain that required surgical repair, after headbanging at a concert. Dina Fine Maron reports
The ReWalk exoskeleton allows some people paralyzed from the waist down to walk again, with the aid of crutches. Dina Fine Maron reports
Mice regularly exposed to UV light produced feel-good endorphins and behaved like addicts. If humans do, too, it could explain why we seek sun, despite damage. Dina Fine Maron reports
A helmet placed on the head of a stroke victim sends low-intensity microwaves through the brain to quickly determine whether a blockage or hemorrhage is taking place, making faster treatment possible. Wayt Gibbs reports
Researchers who compared peer-reviewed articles to the Wikipedia pages for the 10 most costly medical conditions in the U.S. discovered incorrect information on nine out of 10 pages. Dina Fine Maron reports
Compared with 50 years ago, today's heroin user is whiter, more suburban and had prescription opioids for a gateway. Dina Fine Maron reports
Low-power laser light shined on damaged rat teeth activates growth factors that cue stem cells to generate the tooth constituent dentin, leading to regeneration. Dina Fine Maron reports
Children of smokers who popped vitamin C during pregnancy had better lung function than kids of other women who also smoked during pregnancy. Dina Fine Maron reports
Just a few nail drying sessions under the highest output UV bulbs used in some salons could age the skin and bump up the risk of skin cancer. Dina Fine Maron reports
Sneeze and cough particles form a cloud whose turbulence pulls in surrounding air, which allows the goop to maintain buoyancy and move farther than expected. Cynthia Graber reports
Exposure to bright light in the morning appears linked to reduced appetite and lower body weight, regardless of sleep patterns. Sophie Bushwick reports
Residues of the antimicrobial agent triclosan can paradoxically boost bacterial growth in our bodies, by giving microbes a comfortable biofilm in which to rest. Christopher Intagliata reports
The number of Americans aged 60 or more who issued advance directives governing their end-of-life care went from 47 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in 2010. Dina Fine Maron reports
Bones are filled with a viscous fluid that’s key to their function as support structures, and which could inform osteoporosis research. Dina Fine Maron reports
Stan Conte, vice president of medical services for the L.A. Dodgers, advised parents and coaches of young athletes to not consider Tommy John surgery on healthy arms for the sake of improving performance. He spoke at the SABR conference in Phoenix on March 13. Steve Mirsky reports
After flu shot regulations upped Connecticut kids' vaccination rate, their hospitalization risk went down. Dina Fine Maron reports
The mere presence of a TV in a child's bedroom is linked with weight gain—regardless of how many hours per week a youngster watches it. Dina Fine Maron reports
Volunteers who handled receipts containing the hormone-altering compound bisphenol A for two hours showed elevated BPA levels in their urine. Dina Fine Maron reports
A meta-analysis finds that concussions accounted for between 6 and 9 percent of all injuries sustained on soccer fields. Dina Fine Maron reports
The CDC reports that locally acquired Dengue killed a Texas woman in 2012 who had been misdiagnosed with West Nile virus. Dina Fine Maron reports
People who drank vodka with a diet mixer had breath alcohol levels 18 percent higher than when they drank alcohol with full-calorie soda. Sophie Bushwick reports
Between 1999 and 2010 changes in seafood consumption meant that blood levels of mercury in women of childbearing age dropped by a third, and the percentage of such women who have worrisome blood levels of mercury dropped by two thirds. Dina Fine Maron reports
In annual physicals teens and docs failed to talk sex a third of the time and usually too briefly when the subject was addressed. Dina Fine Maron reports
Middle-aged to elderly adults with no history of exercising still saw significant health benefits from even small additions of regular physical activity to their schedules. Dina Fine Maron reports
A population model suggests that a small dietary change, such as eating a daily piece of fruit instead of the equivalent calories in less healthful fare, may stave off as many heart-related deaths as would statins. Christopher Intagliata reports
Swaddling infants is safe when done correctly. But done wrong, it raises the risk of osteoarthritis and the need for hip replacement in middle age. Dina Fine Maron reports
Based on the number of searches for info about smoking cessation on Google, it appears more people consider quitting on Mondays than any other day. Dina Fine Maron reports
An analysis of TV drug ads finds that six of 10 for prescription drugs and eight of 10 for OTC drug ads are misleading. Katherine Harmon reports.
No measurable increase in risk for neurological conditions could be found in a large cohort of pre-adolescent children who had been vaccinated on schedule when infants. Wayt Gibbs reports
In a study of patients asked to tolerate discomfort, different placebo treatments achieved different levels of relief, in keeping with individual expectations. Katherine Harmon reports
Understanding that, for example, anorexics and autists both tend to have high interest in systems could inform treatment choices. Erika Beras reports
Women who ate half of 1,400 daily calories at breakfast lost almost 80 percent more weight than women who ate half their 1,400 calories at dinner. Katherine Harmon reports
The lone star tick has been fingered as the carrier of a recently characterized infectious disease called Heartland virus. Katherine Harmon reports
Our feline friends might be carrying hazardous organisms in their waste, so be careful when scooping that poop. Katherine Harmon reports
Sleep deprivation raises levels of hormones associated with hunger, and provides more awake hours for eating. Katherine Harmon reports
A small group of type 2 diabetes patients lost significant amounts of fat around their hearts and in their livers and abdomens with regular exercise, even without dietary changes. Katherine Harmon reports
Run-of-the-mill neutral running shoes do not lead to more injuries for beginning joggers whose feet pronate or supinate. Katherine Harmon reports
Overweight patients are more likely to take weight-loss advice from overweight doctors, but the advice from thin doctors may be of higher quality. Katherine Harmon reports
Participants in a media-assisted weight-loss program had some success, and those who tweeted about their efforts lost a bit more. Karen Hopkin reports
Exercisers who worked out to a video featuring a verbally encouraging gym buddy showed lower stamina than those who watched the muted video. Amy Kraft reports
Rather than significantly hardening tooth enamel, fluoride may cut cavities by making it harder for oral bacteria to stick around. Karen Hopkin reports
Two or more drinks cut REM sleep, which is important for memory and health. Katherine Harmon reports
New smart phone apps that purport to assess patients' skin lesions as cancer or not are unreliable, according to a new study. Katherine Harmon reports
The errors known as surgical "never events," which are never supposed to happen, still occur some 4,000 times annually in the U.S. Katherine Harmon reports
The American Chemical Society has produced a YouTube video with info to help you survive the holiday eating season. Katherine Harmon reports
Weather prediction models armed with citizens' flu symptom query data enable researchers to predict flu outbreaks. Katherine Harmon reports
A study finds that patients who enter information online about common infections get decent diagnoses from docs, although antibiotics may be overprescribed. Katherine Harmon reports.
Patients know that health care workers should wash their hands, but are are often reluctant to ask a doctor or nurse to lather up. Katherine Harmon reports
Just a couple of hours of physical activity each week adds years to average life expectancy. Katherine Harmon reports
A small study finds that sleep-deprived fat cells are less sensitive to insulin, a condition that often precedes diabetes. Katherine Harmon reports
Young adults at risk for getting a sexually acquired infection were more likely to use a condom if they followed a social media's sex education campaign. Katherine Harmon reports
Patients are more likely to follow doctors' orders if they have access to their notes. Katherine Harmon reports
Obese kids have higher cardiovascular risks as adults, and sugary beverages are stoking that obesity epidemic. Katherine Harmon reports
Making bad choices harder is actually the best way to help people get healthier, say public health experts. Katherine Harmon reports
This year has had the most recorded cases of West Nile virus on record in the U.S. Public health experts offer tips to avoid the virus. Katherine Harmon reports
Produce grown organically cuts pesticide use and the promotion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But nutrient levels appear similar to conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Katherine Harmon reports
Being in good shape in your 30s through 50s not only increases life span but also improves quality of life for decades to come. Katherine Harmon reports
Better sidewalks and other changes to the physical environment could encourage more activity and improve the overall health of the public. Katherine Harmon reports
A Mayo Clinic doc says physicians may miss the signs of extreme deconditioning and prescribe medication instead of long-term exercise programs. Katherine Harmon reports
Six months after color coding its food choices as least, somewhat or most healthful, Massachusetts General Hospital saw its cafeteria users substantially decreased their least healthful food choices and increase the more healthful ones. Katherine Harmon reports
The most common chronic condition among all Olympic athletes is asthma. But many don't start suffering symptoms until their later years, suggesting that endurance training could be a trigger. Katherine Harmon reports
M.I.T. researchers used real traveler patterns, geographical information and airport waiting times to predict what U.S. airports are most likely to spread an epidemic from its origin. Katherine Harmon reports
Dieting women who kept a diligent food diary lost more weight than other women in a cohort. Skipping meals and eating out slowed weight loss. Katherine Harmon reports
Normal mice fed protein stopped eating much sooner than mice that lacked the receptor to sense they were eating protein. Katherine Harmon reports
Sixteen ounces of coffee a day cut the risk of heart failure, but 40 daily ounces of coffee upped the odds of ticker trouble. Katherine Harmon reports
A new study locates the bacterial hot spots of your hotel room. Tip: don't turn anything on. Katherine Harmon reports
Hospital sounds raised volunteer sleepers' heart rates, and the effects on sick patients may be impeding recovery. Katherine Harmon reports
Daily aspirin could lower the risk of dying from some nonvascular-related diseases, including specific cancers. Katherine Harmon reports
A small study shows that a little blood loss might improve cardiovascular health for obese people with metabolic syndrome. Katherine Harmon reports
A large survey finds evidence that millions of Americans had at least one episode of sleepwalking in the last year. Katherine Harmon reports
Car commutes are linked to increased metabolic health problems, and the longer the ride the worse the issues. Katherine Harmon reports
The conventional wisdom that pacifiers can interfere with early breast-feeding efforts might not hold milk. Katherine Harmon reports
The anterior cerebral artery widens just before brain freeze, sending warming blood to the brain but increasing the pressure to painful levels. Katherine Harmon reports
Fast food chains say it's hard to hold the salt, but outlets in other countries are already cutting back on sodium. Katherine Harmon reports
Women who wish to conceive later in life have benefited from improvements in reproductive technology. But even those have expiration dates. Katherine Harmon reports
Boys get more outside playtime than girls, and almost half of parents do not take their preschool-aged kids out to play once a day. Katherine Harmon reports
People who ate chocolate frequently consumed more calories and more saturated fat, yet had lower average body mass indexes than those who did not eat chocolate. Katherine Harmon reports
People take smaller bites of food that has a strong smell. Could more aroma help people lose weight? Katherine Harmon reports
Yoga may increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and neurotransmitter levels, helping to decrease symptoms of some stress-related illnesses. Katherine Harmon reports
Signals to improve muscle tone alter the expression of genes after just one workout. Katherine Harmon reports
The teen brain suffers more long-term damage from concussions than does the child or adult brain. Katherine Harmon reports
Chromosome-protecting telomeres are shorter in people with depression--which has been linked to irregular stress hormone levels. Katherine Harmon reports
After a heart attack, cells from the patient's bone marrow can help improve heart function. Katherine Harmon reports
A smart-phone app in development for depression patients tracks contacts and movement, and prompts activities when patterns show withdrawal. Katherine Harmon reports
Men with more brown fat burn more calories in the cold to keep warm. Katherine Harmon reports
When dishes were the same color as the food served, people took bigger portions. Katherine Harmon reports
A penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened drinks would cut consumption, obesity and health care costs. Katherine Harmon reports
A meta-analysis finds that keeping kids active also boosts their academic performances. Katherine Harmon reports
Obesity and high-fat diets might alter brain function, changing, in particular, the hypothalamus and hunger. Katherine Harmon reports
Norovirus, famous for ruining cruises, sickened successive crews and passengers on an Air New Zealand plane. Katherine Harmon reports
After decades of working on health problems in Haiti and other poor countries, Paul Farmer suggests equity is the best way to better health. Katherine Harmon reports
In rural Nepal volunteer motorcyclists are transporting snakebite victims to medical care soon enough to cut deaths by 95 percent. Katherine Harmon reports
A specialized form of brain imaging finds that soccer players who head the ball more than 1,000 times a year face risks similar to those with head trauma. Katherine Harmon reports
Many meat and poultry products probably carry drug-resistant bacteria before cooking. Katherine Harmon reports
One in five Americans has their daily life affected by hearing loss--and earbuds blaring loud music may be just a small factor. Katherine Harmon reports
Common grapefruits have a compound that can negatively interact with some medications. A new hybrid grapefruit solves the problem. Katherine Harmon reports
A computer training program improves how oncologists respond to negative patients. Katherine Harmon reports
People who took at least one of their blood pressure medications before going to bed had a reduced risk of circulatory problems compared with morning pill poppers. Katherine Harmon reports
Hair care pros often spot possible skin cancers on the scalp. Dermatologists recommend they be trained to do it more and better. Katherine Harmon reports
People with genetic variant 9p21, which predisposes them to heart disease, lowered their risk with a healthful diet. Katherine Harmon reports
Researchers looking to expand our knowledge of viruses should dip into some raw sewage. Katherine Harmon reports
Many U.S. physicians think that their patients and their patient's purses could get by with less medical care. Katherine Harmon reports
The influenza virus is hiding and changing in animal populations. Virologist Ab Osterhaus explains how that could make it more lethal and how we have to keep a constant eye on its development. Katherine Harmon reports
Dealing with any one of five key lifestyle risk factors can lower the risk of developing diabetes by about a third. Katherine Harmon reports
Yellowing of the eye lenses changes the array of incoming light wavelengths, which can affect circadian rhythms, including sleep patterns. Katherine Harmon reports
For picking off pimples, few reliable studies exist to show clear benefits of one treatment over another. Katherine Harmon reports
Married women gain weight but survive bypass surgery better than unmarried people do. Katherine Harmon reports on two studies
A nightcap may force the body to work harder at repair during sleep, making for a less restful night. Katherine Harmon reports
Eating-behavior expert Brian Wansink offers tips on fooling yourself into eating less. Katherine Harmon reports
The alternative therapy of colon cleansing typically does little good, and may cause significant harm. Katherine Harmon reports
Hospitals are hiring Disney to help them create environments that patients prefer. Katherine Harmon reports
People who have trouble understanding health and medical information are more likely to get hospitalized. Katherine Harmon reports
A new study says high sodium and low potassium intake are the twin culprits in many cardiovascular syndromes. Katherine Harmon reports
The Nurses' Health Study finds that the risk of death from sudden cardiac arrest in white women can be lowered by 92 percent through lifestyle maintenance alone. Katherine Harmon reports
In the last decade, more than a billion people have seen improved water safety and sanitation. But 800 million are still at risk of water-borne disease. Katherine Harmon reports
Many blood pressure assessments rely on too few measurements in an intimidating environment. Katherine Harmon reports
Having pets in the house during a baby's first year was associated with a lower risk for allergies through the child's teens. Katherine Harmon reports
Mice fed an alternating high-fat and low-fat diet lived almost as long as mice on a constant low-fat diet--and longer than mice on a constant high-fat diet. Katherine Harmon reports
A study in a hospital in Turkey found that three quarters of cell phones belonging to patients and visitors carried staph bacteria. Katherine Harmon reports
On the drawing board are cars that would monitor the health markers of its passengers. Katherine Harmon reports