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Inside The Mind Of A Sociopath

The word "sociopath" often brings to mind criminals, killers, and people who are cruel and heartless. But writer and diagnosed sociopath M.E. Thomas wants to challenge that conventional wisdom. She says sociopaths are not inherently evil, and can be incredibly productive to society.

AMA Says It's Time To Call Obesity A Disease

The American Medical Association still has a considerable bully pulpit. And the group's vote Tuesday could give more oomph to efforts to have obesity interventions paid for by insurers and to get the public focused on the problem.

FDA Backs Off On Regulation Of Fecal Transplants

Fecal transplants are being used more often to treat life-threatening bacterial infections. But the Food and Drug Administration worried that the still-experimental procedure put patients at risk. Now it is dropping plans to restrict transplants after doctors and patients complained.

All Things Considered

Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps

Smartphone apps can help count calories or detect a heart attack. People are embracing them to manage many aspects of their health. But medical apps are largely unregulated now, so there's no easy way to be sure which ones are trustworthy and which ones aren't.

How To Make Museums More Inviting For Kids With Autism

A day at a museum promises fun for parents and kids alike. But for children who are on the autism spectrum, a seemingly simple museum exhibit may be too overwhelming to enjoy. Now, museums are coming up with ways to accommodate these visitors.

Some States Will Make It Easier To Get Insurance Answers

You're in luck, if you live in the District of Columbia or one of the 21 states that have put in place specialists to handle questions and complaints private health insurance. Otherwise the maze could prove daunting.

How Men's Choice Of Mates May Have Led To Menopause

Conventional wisdom holds that men prefer younger women as mates because they're more fertile than older women. But a mathematical analysis suggests that this preference may be the cause of menopause rather than a consequence of it.

Morning Edition

3-D Printer Brings Dexterity To Children With No Fingers

An enterprising carpenter and a creative puppeteer teamed up on a do-it-yourself project to build a mechanical hand for a little boy. They created an inexpensive prosthetic and published their designs on the Internet. So far, over 100 children have been outfitted.

Morning Edition

Hot Dogs, Bacon And Red Meat Tied To Increased Diabetes Risk

A fresh study looks at what happens after people change their meat-eating habits. Those who upped their intake — about 3.5 servings more per week — saw their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes during four years of follow-up increase by almost 50 percent.

After Long Search, Komen Foundation Replaces Brinker As CEO

Dr. Judith Salerno, a geriatrician, is replacing Nancy Brinker, the cancer philanthropy's founder and longtime chief executive. The change comes more than a year and a half after a decision to halt grants to Planned Parenthood plunged the group into controversy.

New Think Tank Aims To Solve End Of Life Issues

June 19, 2013

BOSTON — Atul Gawande, renowned writer and surgeon, is opening an innovations lab aimed at improving health care. He says Boston can be the Silicon Valley of health care innovation.

Sec. Polanowicz On The Health Of Our State

June 18, 2013
Governor Patrick swearing in John Polanowicz as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Governor’s Council Chambers at the State House on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. (Photo: Eric Haynes / Governor’s Office)

We’re joined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for Massachusetts, John Polanowicz, to discuss everything from controlling the state’s healthcare costs to implementing the usage of medical marijuana.

Solving The Organ Donor Shortage

June 18, 2013
Murnaghan Family

Are lab grown blood vessels, hearts and lungs the answer to the nation’s organ donor shortage? We’ll look at the brave new science.

Berwick Makes Campaign For Governor Official

June 17, 2013
Dr. Donald Berwick at WBUR in January (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A pediatrician and former Obama administration health care official, Donald Berwick since January has been meeting with voters and donors as he explored a potential campaign.

Cancer Clinics Turning Away Some Medicare Patients

June 17, 2013
Cancer patient Lynne Lobel, 47, watches a television program as she gets chemotherapy treatment at Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas, September 2005. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

The sequester budget cuts mean lower reimbursements for chemotherapy drugs for Medicare patients — a change that’s forcing some cancer clinics to turn away patients, in order to make ends meet.