Health & Safety

Those who avoid gluten may not be food faddists after all. Researchers are finally homing in on markers for gluten sensitivity in the body.

A Protein In The Gut May Explain Why Some Can't Stomach Gluten

6:01pm December 09, 2015

by Jill Neimark

Some people who don't have celiac disease say they feel better on a gluten-free diet. Researchers have long been puzzled as to why. A study suggests it could be because of a protein called zonulin.

An Angolan Muslim walks near the ruins of a mosque in Viana, a suburb of Luanda, the Angolan capital. Community members claim that the edifice was destroyed by bulldozers in 2013 after police surrounded the mosque, arguing it did not have the proper docum

Donald Trump Isn't The Only One Calling For Restrictions On Muslims

5:10pm December 09, 2015

by Anders Kelto

Angola has cracked down on its tiny Muslim population and been accused of destroying some mosques. But the southern African nation has not called for a ban on Muslim immigrants.

AIDS activists poured cat litter on an image of Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli during an October protest in New York.

Senate Questions 'Egregious' Price Hikes For Specialty Medicines

4:27pm December 09, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

Some companies have bought the patents for old drugs, then abruptly upped the prices — from $13 per pill to $750 in one case. Irate senators call it price gouging.

Senate Hearings Investigate Rising Price Of Medications

2:42pm December 09, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

Drug prices are a hot topic in politics. One company raised the price of a $1.50 drug to $750. Drugs to cure hepatitis C routinely cost more than $10,000 — and more for a full course of treatment.

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Norovirus is the most common cause of the stomach misery we call food poisoning.

When Norovirus Came To Dinner, My Family Felt The Pain

2:34pm December 09, 2015

by Emily Sohn

Was it the enchilada pie? After three members of her family became miserably ill with gastroenteritis, a woman is determined to track down the microbial culprit. But the mystery may remain unsolved.

A coal mound stands outside a Kentucky Utilities Co. station.

India To U.S.: Cut Back On Your Consumption!

9:54am December 09, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

The Paris climate talks are said to be the best chance in 20 years to reach a global treaty. But India argues little will change unless fossil-fuel-reliant rich countries change their habits.

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A "speedball" mix of heroin and cocaine has caused overdose deaths for decades. Today, high-risk blends may alternatively include heroin or opioid pain pills plus Klonopin, Clonidine, or Fentanyl.

Drug Cocktails Fuel Massachusetts' Overdose Crisis

7:28pm December 08, 2015

by Martha Bebinger

A state analysis reveals that the majority of overdose deaths in 2014 came from heroin or prescription opioids taken in combination with cocaine, anti-anxiety medications or alcohol.

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While serving in Congress, Jay Dickey sponsored legislation that effectively restricts spending for research on firearms deaths.

Congress Still Limits Health Research On Gun Violence

6:48pm December 08, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

The wave of mass shootings in the U.S. is renewing a debate over treating gun violence as a public health issue. Congress has stood in the way of federal funding for studying injuries and deaths.

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Medical Students See Their Mentors As Marauding Monsters

4:48pm December 08, 2015

by Julie Rovner

Comics drawn by medical students show the intimidation and abuse they say they get from their supervisors. Depression is more common in young physicians, too. That's not good for doctor or patient.

A kissing bug is ready for its scanning electron micrograph extreme close-up. This insect bites humans, sucks their blood and infects them with a parasite, transmitted through feces.

Kissing Bug Disease: Latin America's Silent Killer Makes U.S. Headlines

4:17pm December 08, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

A classic horror story was written about it. Some think Charles Darwin died from it. The oldest mummies in the world have traces. And this year, it's in the news — but not always in an accurate way.