Radio Health Journal
Each week, Radio Health Journal breaks down important news in medicine, science and technology with the help of world-renowned experts. Our three weekly segments will help guide you to a happier, healthier life – with some fun facts to share at dinner parties. Can magic mushrooms cure your depression? Have we outrun natural selection?
Hosted by Elizabeth Westfield, Greg Johnson and Maayan Voss de Bettancourt and produced by Kristen Farrah and Amirah Zaveri. New shows posted each Sunday by 5 a.m. EST. Subscribe, listen, and rate. If you’re looking for older episodes, you can find our entire segment catalog on our website radiohealthjournal.org. Also, check out the latest on Facebook and Instagram @radiohealthjournal and on X @RadioHealthJrnl.
551
Humanizing the ICU
Medicine in intensive care units has become so technically focused that many doctors believe they’ve lost their connection with the humanity of patients. The result is a high degree of post-ICU PTSD. A noted physician discusses how doctors can...
12 min
552
Kids’ Covid Vaccines: Fact and Fiction
Covid-19 vaccines are now approved for children as young as 5, but while people are afraid of getting the vaccine themselves, they’re even more nervous about getting it for their children. Misinformation is accelerating against use of the vaccine in...
16 min
553
Improving Vaccine Communication
The White House and many health officials have taken an aggressive approach to communicating the need for Covid-19 vaccines. Most people are prompted to get vaccinated by mandates and words that generate fear, but it’s clear that they backfire with...
10 min
554
Medical Notes: Week of November 28, 2021
There are now two new pills that can prevent people from getting severely ill after contracting Covid-19. Then, a new type of magnetic brain stimulation is showing promise as a treatment for depression. And finally… if you crave one type of food...
1 min
555
Homeless Americans: Myth vs. Reality
Around a half million people are homeless in the US on any given night, but the street homeless who are most visible often incorrectly influence our assumptions about all of them. A noted researcher discusses myths and truths about their addictions,...
16 min
556
Older Dads, Younger Kids
The average age when men first become fathers has risen to 31, and more men are also becoming dads in their 40’s and 50’s. A National Book Award-winning author discusses his experience as a first-time dad at 56, and now as a 75-year old father...
13 min
557
Medical Notes: Week of November 21, 2021
A new analysis in the journal JAMA Network Open finds that most insurance companies are no longer waiving co-pays and deductibles for Covid hospitalization. Plus, a study finds depression rates are even higher now than they were in 2020. 17% of four...
1 min
558
Staffing Struggles Threaten Survival of Rural H...
Rural hospitals have long struggled to maintain staffing levels of nurses and other professionals that are adequate for good care. The pandemic has made it much worse, as staffers have quit and patient loads have increased. Experts discuss the roots...
16 min
559
Peripheral Artery Disease
Many people are unfamiliar with arterial blockages away from the heart. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, affects African Americans much more than other populations for unknown reasons. An expert physician discusses PAD, the possible consequences,...
12 min
560
Medical Notes: Week of November 14, 2021
Major surgery such as a heart bypass may increase the risk of dementia. Then, a study finds that gun violence is up by 30% since the start of the pandemic. Also, could the anxiety of being heard by someone else play a role in stuttering? And finally,...
1 min
561
Preventing Military Suicides
Among active duty and veterans of the War on Terror, suicides have claimed four times more lives than combat since 9-11, according to a recent study. The study’s author discusses why the toll is higher than for previous conflicts, and he and another...
19 min
562
The Struggles of Twinless Twins
Twins share a bond that can’t be understood by non-twins. They’re often best friends and closest confidantes with an uncanny connection. When one twin suddenly dies, it can leave a huge hole and in the life of the other. A twinless twin who became...
13 min
563
Medical Notes: Week of November 7, 2021
Even if the Covid pandemic were to disappear tomorrow, a new study shows that the human toll of Covid would go on. Then, among college-educated women, unwed motherhood isn't as rare as it used to be. And finally…people with bipolar disorder may...
1 min
564
The Dangers of Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology is everywhere, from your smartphone to the grocery store to city streets. But do we really want to be constantly tracked? Law enforcement finds it immensely helpful, but many experts say it’s a massive invasion of...
19 min
565
Animal, Vegetable, Criminal: Wildlife Lawbreakers
Wild animals carry out “criminal acts” with amazing frequency, ranging from simple breaking and entering to theft to manslaughter. Wildlife managers spend much of their time trying to prevent these acts or clean up after them. Noted science writer...
12 min
566
Medical Notes: Week of October 31, 2021
An influential government task force issues new advice about low-dose aspirin. Plus, a study finds that people with natural immunity to Covid-19 don’t have it for very long. And finally, safe sex is still important--a quarter of people with STDs...
1 min
567
Endemic Covid: The Disease That Never Leaves
Many experts believe we have missed our chance to eliminate Covid-19, and that now it is very likely to become an endemic disease--one that persists, though at lower levels, and never goes away. Two noted infectious disease experts discuss what that...
18 min
568
Eczema In Infancy: A Gateway For Allergies And ...
Doctors have learned that childhood allergies and asthma may have their start in dry, dysfunctional skin in infancy, when allergens such as food particles enter the body through cracks in the skin. A noted pediatric allergist discusses this ”atopic...
12 min
569
Medical Notes: Week of October 24, 2021
A new study calls into question the six foot social distancing guidelines. Then, eating green vegetables and fiber can cut your risk of colon cancer in half, and spinach is especially effective. And finally…where you live may protect you from dementia.
1 min
570
Are Regular People Equipped To Make Complicated...
Patients have to make medical choices today that they never did before. But do they have enough information to make those choices? Are normal people able to understand the flood of information and the medical terms to make good choices? An expert...
19 min
571
Headaches: More Than You Think
Headaches affect far more lives far more severely than most people realize. A sufferer and an expert physician discuss headaches and their treatment.
13 min
572
Medical Notes: Week of October 17, 2021
The CDC has now issued an urgent advisory for pregnant or recently pregnant women to get vaccinated. Research shows not only do the vaccines have no effect on fertility, they also pass immunity to babies who were in the womb when mom was vaccinated. A...
1 min
573
The Language of Addiction: Why Words Matter
Addiction specialists are seeking to change the words we use to describe addictive behaviors, as they’ve learned the wrong language creates stigma and drives people away from treatment. Experts discuss the problem and solutions.
12 min
574
Synthetic Biology: Friend or Foe?
Scientists have merged biology, chemistry, genetics and other sciences to create new, synthetic organisms. The most visible use may be plant-based Impossible Burgers that taste like meat, but researchers believe “synbio” may eventually help...
17 min
575
Medical Notes: Week of October 10, 2021
An analysis finds vaccinations could have prevented more than 340,000 Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. A new study finds people with weakened immune system still get an immune response from Covid vaccination. And finally, turns out sugar is just as...
1 min