A Look Back At The Top 5 Shots Posts In 2014
In a year filled with gripping health stories, here are the ones that were the most popular with Shots readers. Think beauty pageant queens, pronouns and Ebola.
Health & Safety
How Will You Work Out When CrossFit Is No Longer Hip?
Fitness programs typically don't have much staying power. People are already saying adios to Zumba and Pilates. The cheapest and simplest routines are more likely to be keepers. Think down dog.
Dreaming Up A Safer, Cooler PPE For Ebola Fighters
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are revamping the Ebola suit. They've come up with a design that's safer, cooler and easier to take off than the space suits currently in use in West Africa.
Mistaken Identities Plague Lab Work With Human Cells
A line of immortal cells, supposedly from a breast cancer patient, turned out to be from a type of skin cancer. The mix-up wasn't discovered until experiments around the world had been contaminated.
Old And Overmedicated: The Real Drug Problem In Nursing Homes
Way too many residents of U.S. nursing homes are on antipsychotic drugs, critics say. It's often just for the convenience of the staff, to sedate patients agitated by dementia. That's illegal.
Traffic Stops Persuade People To Avoid Drinking And Driving
Everyone knows it's dangerous to drink and drive, but a lot of people still do it. Strict enforcement of traffic laws makes it less likely that people will get behind the wheel when soused.
Prolific Prescribers Of Controlled Substances Face Medicare Scrutiny
In the face of abuse concerns, Medicare covered more prescriptions for potent controlled substances in 2012 than in 2011. Top prescribers often have faced disciplinary action or criminal charges.
Costly Hepatitis C Drugs Threaten To Bust Prison Budgets
Inmates in the U.S. have a high rate of infection with chronic hepatitis C — up to 35 percent or more by some estimates. New drugs introduced this year can cure the disease quickly, but at a cost.
To Stop Teen Drinking Parties, Fine The Parents
For some teenagers, parties with alcohol are almost a rite of passage. Surveys show the vast majority of parents in these homes know the alcohol is flowing. Cities are now cracking down on the adults.
A Drug Might Heal Spinal Injuries By Sparking Nerve Growth
A neurologist's unorthodox thinking led to an experimental drug that allows trapped nerve fibers to grow again. And that growth helps amplify signals that restored movement in laboratory rats.