Oliver Sacks Was A Boundless Explorer Of The Human Brain
Oliver Sacks, the acclaimed British-American neurologist and author, has died of cancer at the age of 82.
Health & Safety
When He Says Yoga Saved His Life, He's Not Exaggerating
A boy loses his father. A family loses its livelihood. The boy runs drugs and picks pockets so his siblings can eat. He is convinced he will die. And then ... he takes a yoga class.
Is Football Worth The Brain-Injury Risk? For Some, The Answer Is No
When he killed himself at 50, former NFL player Dave Duerson's brain showed serious damage, likely from hits during his football career. His son now questions the gamble of playing the game.
Help Wanted: Last Pediatrician On Mendocino Coast Retires
For 35 years, Dr. Bill Mahon has tended newborns and broken bones, given kids checkups and spinal taps. But luring new doctors with big debt and urban dreams to the redwoods is harder than it sounds.
FDA Warns Tobacco Companies Advertising 'Natural' Cigarettes
Unless a cigarette is safer than others, it can't be labeled "natural" or "additive-free," the Food and Drug Administration told three manufacturers.
Poll Finds Most Women Believe Mammograms Should Be Done Annually
While the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says most women should get screening mammograms every two years, an NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll finds women think they should go every year.
Ebola Flashback: Nancy Snyderman's Experience Was Different From Mine
The Today show medical editor gave a new interview about her controversial quarantine. It triggered powerful memories for an NPR journalist who was in Liberia around the same time.
As Heroin Addiction Grows, Maine Focuses On Drug Enforcement
A cap on the number of opiate addiction patients that doctors can treat means many who want to take Suboxone can't get access to it. In Maine, the governor has reduced funding for the treatment.
Italy, Land Of Pizza And Pasta, Is Gluten-Free Friendly
Only 1 percent of Italians have celiac disease, similar to the rest of the world. But since gluten is everywhere, there's high public awareness about it and more than 4,000 gluten-free eateries.
How The Prescription Painkiller Fentanyl Became A Street Drug
The synthetic opioid fentanyl is used for surgery and to treat severe pain. Abuse has always been a problem. Now that it's being used to cut heroin, the risk of overdose or death has soared.