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.
901
Medical Notes: Week of September 8, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of September 8, 2019 including: A new study shows that people are more likely to have heart disease if they're genetically predisposed to insomnia. Then, Vaping is being called a “gateway drug” for marijuana use… After...
1 min
902
Sudden Unexplained Death of a Child
Each year, some 400 US children over age 1, most of them toddlers, die overnight for no known reason. Families, longing for answers, often find that their families, friends, and even pediatricians are unfamiliar with this classification of death, or...
18 min
903
Tonsil Stones (2019)
Some people find that small “stones” are growing on their tonsils. They’re an accumulation of skin cells, food, and other debris. While they are not medically dangerous or painful, they often produce bad breath or sometimes pain. Two expert...
12 min
904
Medical Notes: Week of September 1, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of September 1, 2019 including: Death rates due to heart failure have been increasing since 2012 despite improvements in medicine and surgery. Then, Binge drinking is often seen as a problem among college students and...
2 min
905
A Closer Look at Food Waste
Experts believe about 40 percent of the food available in America is thrown away. Solving this environmental problem also creates an opportunity to help with food insecurity. It starts with consumers.
18 min
906
Giggling Epilepsy (2019)
Epilepsy can show itself in many ways, including as episodes of giggling and laughing. An expert discusses the case of a then nine-year old boy with such seizures, the danger they posed, and the novel way he was treated.
12 min
907
Medical Notes: Week of August 25, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of August 25, 2019 including: A blood test for early alzheimer’s disease could be just a few years away. Then, what makes a murderer? it could be less gray matter in the brain. And finally…hot tub owners may have the...
1 min
908
Copper Toxicity
High levels of copper in the body can produce mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and aggression. However, most doctors don’t test for copper levels and may prescribe medications like antidepressants instead. An author who suffered...
18 min
909
Medical Notes: Week of August 18, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of August 18, 2019 including: Several studies have found little heart benefit in taking a daily aspirin if you don’t already have heart disease… Then, drowning is america’s leading cause of accidental injury death for...
1 min
910
History’s Worst Plagues
Plagues can wipe out entire populations and create fear and great mystery in how they spread. An author who has explored plagues and dangerous diseases explains.
12 min
911
The Economics of Later School Start Times
Thirty years of research have shown that teenagers’ biology prevents them from getting to sleep much before 11pm, and with most high schools starting classes around 8 am, they are chronically sleep deprived. Experts discuss how students and even the...
17 min
912
Dog Breeds and Dog Bites
Nearly 40 percent of American homes have a dog, and while dogs may be “man’s best friend,” sometimes they bite, and sometimes with serious consequences. An expert who has studied dog bites discusses the reality of breed temperament, especially...
13 min
913
Medical Notes: Week of August 11, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of August 11, 2019 including a study in the British Medical Journal which shows Glucosamine can help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Then, statistics regarding HIV testing showing most people age 13-64 get tested...
1 min
914
TBI’s, Personality Change, and Marriage
Traumatic brain injury can profoundly change the injured in personality and termperament, as well as physically and cognitively. Spouses bear the brunt of these changes to the point many feel like they’re living with a stranger. Two experts and the...
17 min
915
Medical Notes: Week of August 4, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of August 4, 2019, including: A kid's picky eating could be a sign of autism. Then, medication dispensing limits are supposed to save money, but that may not be the case for birth control pills. Finally, shrinking screens...
1 min
916
School Crossing Safety
With the school year approaching, drivers need to be aware of children in crosswalk —and away from them. However, increasing distractions for both pedestrians and drivers sometimes make that difficult. A safety expert and a veteran school crossing...
11 min
917
Medical Notes: Week of July 28, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of July 28, 2019, including: A new study from Drake University show that EpiPens contained the required does of epinephrine more than two years after their expiration date. Then, a new virtual biopsy device that creates...
1 min
918
Not Enough Sleep: Even Worse For You Than We Th...
Getting less than six hours of sleep per night has long been known to be hazardous to health, but the discovery of the mechanisms behind those hazards is leading scientists to strengthen their warnings. Too little sleep or poor sleep carries heart and...
16 min
919
A Radical Diet To Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, but a well known cardiologist says if everyone would follow a plant-based, oil free diet, heart disease could be eradicated. Yet many cardiologists won’t prescribe such a diet, fearing it’s so...
14 min
920
Medical Notes: Week of July 21, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of July 21, 2019 including: A study showing gestational diabetes during pregnancy can raise the risk for type 1 diabetes in the child. Then, a specific antibiotic that might help women with symptoms from endometriosis, and...
1 min
921
Obesity and Cancer Risk
Studies are finding that obesity significantly increases a person’s risk for a variety of cancers. However, not all forms of fat carry equal risk. An expert discusses who is more at risk and why.
13 min
922
The Pro's And Con's of Mobile Health Apps
Mobile health apps are becoming very popular, though some are being shown to have little benefit. Few barriers exist to almost anyone entering the field whether they have health expertise or not. Privacy is also a concern. Experts discuss how people...
17 min
923
Fatty Liver Disease: Silently Growing
Most people associate cirrhosis of the liver with heavy alcohol use. But nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which also leads to cirrhosis, is growing rapidly, and may affect a quarter of the population. Experts discuss this silent disease and what...
17 min
924
Medical Notes: Week of July 14, 2019
Medical Notes for the week of July 14, 2019 including: A new study finds the people we trust most, friends and family may be at fault for triggering opioid addiction. Then, a new study finds that vitamin D may help cancer patients live longer, and...
1 min
925
Cancer Treatment and Sex
Cancer treatment has always focused on survival. Now doctors are increasingly focusing on side effects, including the effect of treatment on sexual function and satisfaction. However, many patients are shy about bringing up their difficulties, unaware...
13 min