Why Don’t We Have a Cure for Alzheimer’s? (Update)
Promising drugs keep failing in trials. Allegations of fraud have cast a shadow over the field. An expert explains why Alzheimer’s treatments have been so hard to find — and why one clue may lie in the...
View ArticleHow Important Is Breastfeeding, Really?
In this special episode of Freakonomics, M.D., host Bapu Jena looks at a clever new study that could help answer one of parenting’s most contentious questions. The post How Important Is Breastfeeding,...
View ArticleWhat Medicine Gets Wrong About Race
Some diagnostic tests give distorted results for Black patients. How are doctors trying to change that? The post What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race appeared first on Freakonomics.
View ArticleIs Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?
Half the world’s population uses social media — and a new study suggests that it causes anxiety and depression. Can anything be done, or is it too late? The post Is Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?...
View ArticleHow Do Pandemics Change Health Care?
At the start of the 20th century, there weren’t many hospitals in the U.S. That changed in 1918, thanks to the Great Influenza pandemic. Its effects on health care are still being felt today. Which...
View ArticleDoes Health Insurance Make You Healthier?
It’s a surprisingly hard question to answer. Bapu talks with a health economist about a natural experiment that led to some unexpected findings. The post Does Health Insurance Make You Healthier?...
View ArticleWhy Did This 60-Year-Old Man Collapse at the Supermarket?
Bapu tries to stump master clinician Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal with a medical mystery. The post Why Did This 60-Year-Old Man Collapse at the Supermarket? appeared first on Freakonomics.
View ArticleWhat Can We Do About the Hardest Patients? (Replay)
A small number of patients with multiple, chronic conditions use a lot of resources. Dr. Jeffrey Brenner found a way to identify and treat them. Could it reduce health-care spending too? The post What...
View ArticleThe E.R. Doctor’s Dilemma
Figuring out which patients to hospitalize and which to safely send home can be tricky. Is there a way to make this decision easier for doctors — and get better outcomes, too? The post The E.R....
View ArticleHome Sweet … Hospital?
We take it for granted that, when people are acutely ill, they should be in the hospital. Is there a better way? The post Home Sweet … Hospital? appeared first on Freakonomics.
View ArticleWhy Are There Still So Few Female Surgeons?
Success and failure are hard to measure in medicine. Bapu looks at how surgeons are judged after a bad outcome — and whether men and women are treated the same. The post Why Are There Still So Few...
View ArticleWhat Do COVID-19 and Cancer Have in Common?
mRNA vaccines helped bring the pandemic under control. Could they also train the immune system to fight cancer? The post What Do COVID-19 and Cancer Have in Common? appeared first on Freakonomics.
View ArticleWhat’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases?
Breakthroughs in biotech that seem like science fiction are becoming reality. Why aren’t more patients benefiting from them? The post What’s Stopping Us From Curing Rare Diseases? appeared first on...
View ArticleWho Pays for Multimillion-Dollar Miracle Cures?
The most expensive drugs in the world are treatments for genetic diseases. And more of these cures are on the horizon. How will anyone be able to afford them? The post Who Pays for Multimillion-Dollar...
View ArticleHow Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?
It’s not a new question, but it’s a tricky one to study. Bapu explains why, and talks about how an N.F.L. labor dispute helped him get some answers. The post How Does Playing Football Affect Your...
View ArticleWhat Is Sugar Really Doing to You?
Americans eat a lot of sugar — and it’s hard to determine how it affects our health. Bapu explains how a new study uses data from the 1950s to help solve the mystery. The post What Is Sugar Really...
View ArticleIs a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine?
In hospitals, a softer pillow or a nicer room might be more than just amenities — they could improve outcomes for patients. The post Is a Spoonful of Sunlight the Best Medicine? appeared first on...
View ArticleThey Make Minimum Wage. They Could Save Your Life.
Doctors and nurses get most of the attention — but a new study suggests we can improve health care by raising wages for a group of workers who are often overlooked. The post They Make Minimum Wage....
View ArticleDo Kids Cause Divorce?
Couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. Is having kids one of them? Bapu talks about research that investigates what happens to parents who unexpectedly have twins. Plus, an announcement about...
View ArticleTom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache
A sneak peek at Bapu’s new book, Random Acts of Medicine, available now from Doubleday, and an announcement about the show. The post Tom Brady, A.D.H.D., and a Really Bad Headache appeared first on...
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