|
Doctors Say Costs, Not Care, Have Become Focus As health care costs have soared, many physicians have struggled to manage the business end of health care and provide quality care for their patients. Two doctors, each with more than 30 years of experience, talk with NPR about the changes they've seen in health care, and where the system might be headed. Pain Management And Prescription Painkillers The deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith focused attention on prescription pain killers. Michael Jackson, too, may have been taking pain medication. Doctors walk a fine line in treating patients who are seeking relief from chronic pain. FDA Recommends New Limits On Acetaminophen An FDA advisory panel yesterday warned about the risk of acetaminophen, a painkiller in Tylenol, Nyquil and other drugs. The panel also called for a ban on Vicodin and Percocet, two drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics. Can The Mississippi Delta Survive Rising Seas? Reporting in Nature Geoscience, two coastal scientists write that rising sea levels, combined with slow Mississippi Delta growth, could drown the Louisiana coast by 2100. Delta expert Ivor van Heerden, who is not involved with the research, discusses the findings. More People Suffering From Kidney Disease, Most Are in the Dark
Chronic kidney disease is on the rise in the US, but lack of awareness is thwarting efforts by health officials to catch and control it before such extreme measures as dialysis or organ transplant become necessary.. Politicians Reconsider Drilling Off Florida Coast For years, oil production has been largely banned in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. In large part, that's because of concerns that a spill could devastate the state's tourism industry. But now, some elected officials seem willing to take another look at offshore drilling after years of opposition. Sleep Deprivation Plays Role in Obesity
Pizza, soft drinks and fries may not be vying with an less obvious cause of childhood obesity: lack of sleep. Research findings from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital suggest that kids who don't get enough shuteye may be at increased risk for problems with their weight.. |