60-Second Health

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Scientific American reporter Dina Fine Maron gives a weekly one-minute report on the latest health and medical news. To view all of our archived podcasts please go to www.scientificamerican.com/podcast

Scientific American

  • Feb 25, 2015 LATEST EPISODE
  • infrequent NEW EPISODES
  • 1m AVG DURATION
  • 145 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from 60-Second Health

Emulsifiers in Food Linked to Obesity in Mice

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2015 1:56


The common food additives altered mice microbiomes to encourage gut inflammation and overeating. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Menopause Symptoms Have Unappreciated Staying Power

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2015 1:40


Although clinical guidelines assume just two years for hot flashes and night sweats, a large study finds a median symptom duration of more than three times that length. Dina Fine Maron reports   

Wearable Step Counters Offer Exercise Leg Up

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2015 1:40


High-tech pedometers do a decent job of counting steps accurately. Dina Fine Maron reports.

Millions Risk Alcohol–Medication Interactions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2015 1:42


Some 42 percent of U.S. adults who drink have been prescribed a drug that may interact negatively with alcohol. Dina Fine Maron reports

Life Extension May Add Just Bad Time

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2015 1:37


Strains of the lab workhorse roundworm C. elegans that lived longer added more time being frail and had the same portion of their lives being healthy as normal worms. The work has implications for life-extension ideas such as caloric restriction. Dina Fine Maron reports  

6 Steps to Women’s Heart Health

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2015 1:41


Researchers tracked 70,000 for decades to find lifestyle clues for better cardiovascular condition. Dina Fine Maron reports

Avoid Back-Lit Reading before Bed

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2014 1:33


Volunteers who read from an iPad before bed took longer to fall asleep and had less restful nights than when they read from a printed book. Dina Fine Maron reports.  

Raw Milk Sicknesses Rise

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2014 1:43


Nonpasteurized milk is fueling more outbreaks and hospitalizations. Dina Fine Maron reports

Abortions in Medical Settings Rarely Have Major Complications

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2014 1:32


Careful tracking of more than 50,000 women during the six weeks after the procedure finds that serious adverse effects are rare. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Diabetes Prevention in Midlife Helps Protect Aging Brain

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2014 1:34


People with type 2 diabetes in middle age had greater cognitive impairment in the following decades than did their nondiabetic counterparts. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Drownings Kill 140,000 Kids Annually

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2014 1:36


The World Health Organization issues a new report on the neglected public health issue of drowning

Steamy Smooches Share Batches of Bacteria

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2014 1:33


A 10-second makeout session can also transfer some 80 million oral bacteria. Dina Fine Maron reports

Snake DNA Left in Bite ID's Serpent Assailant

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2014 1:34


A first-of-its-kind study finds it’s possible to analyze snake DNA left in a bite victim’s wound to identify the species—and thus the correct antivenom. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Plan Now for Future Ebola Outbreaks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2014 2:08


Diagnostics, vaccines and new drugs could vastly improve the way future Ebola outbreaks manifest in Africa, according to emerging infectious disease expert Jeremy Farrar. Steve Mirsky reports  

Ebola Efforts Helped by Flu Shots

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2014 1:09


Should Ebola continue to crop up in the U.S., having fewer people coming to emergency rooms with the similar symptoms of flu will help the public health system respond. Steve Mirsky reports  

Kids Who Exercise Don’t Sweat Tests

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2014 1:28


Physically active children are healthier and score better on intellectual tests than their sedentary peers. Dina Fine Maron reports

Smart Park Benches Weigh Sitters

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2014 1:25


In a bid to boost fitness, new park benches in Moscow will let sitters see their weight and receive health tips. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Dry Roasting May Up Peanut Allergic Potential

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2014 1:19


A study in mice suggests that chemical changes that occur during dry roasting may increase the odds of an allergic reaction. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Hang Out in Hog Workers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2014 1:31


A new study reveals that bacteria associated with staph infections can hitch a ride in workers’ noses. Dina Fine Maron reports

Graying Parent Care Falls to Daughters, Not Sons

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2014 1:31


Sisters spend double the time caring for parents as their brothers. Dina Fine Maron reports

Tweets Identify Food Poisoning Outbreaks

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2014 1:28


In Chicago monitoring Twitter for reports of food poisoning led to 133 restaurant inspections for health violations, with 21 establishments shut down. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Poor Diabetics Suffer More Amputations

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2014 1:40


Patients in low-income zip codes were up to 10 times more likely to lose a leg or foot than diabetic patients in more affluent zip codes. Dina Fine Maron reports

Heat Fells More Distance Runners Than Do Hearts

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2014 1:20


An analysis of 130,000 runners in events during a seven-year span revealed that competitors were 10 times more likely to experience heat stroke than serious cardiac problems. Dina Fine Maron reports

Prescription Refill Appearance Change Puts Patients off Meds

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2014 1:16


When refilled prescriptions for post–heart attack care resulted in the same medication looking different in shape or color, patients were significantly more likely to stop taking their meds. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Heavy Metal Headbanging Rare Risk Revealed

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2014 1:34


Headbanging can cause pain or even whiplash. But a 50-year-old Motörhead fan developed a more serious condition, bleeding in the brain that required surgical repair, after headbanging at a concert. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Robotic Exoskeleton Gets First-Ever FDA Approval

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2014 1:28


The ReWalk exoskeleton allows some people paralyzed from the waist down to walk again, with the aid of crutches. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Tanning Mice Get Physically Addicted

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2014 1:17


Mice regularly exposed to UV light produced feel-good endorphins and behaved like addicts. If humans do, too, it could explain why we seek sun, despite damage. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Hi-Tech Helmet Heads Off Stroke Damage

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2014 1:18


A helmet placed on the head of a stroke victim sends low-intensity microwaves through the brain to quickly determine whether a blockage or hemorrhage is taking place, making faster treatment possible. Wayt Gibbs reports  

Wikipedia Dicey as Medical Info Source

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2014 1:27


Researchers who compared peer-reviewed articles to the Wikipedia pages for the 10 most costly medical conditions in the U.S. discovered incorrect information on nine out of 10 pages. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Heroin Has Expanded Its User Base

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2014 1:33


Compared with 50 years ago, today's heroin user is whiter, more suburban and had prescription opioids for a gateway. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Laser Light Coaxes Damaged Rodent Tooth Repair

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2014 1:23


Low-power laser light shined on damaged rat teeth activates growth factors that cue stem cells to generate the tooth constituent dentin, leading to regeneration.  Dina Fine Maron reports  

Vitamin C Helps Pregnant Smokers Have Healthier Babies

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2014 1:21


Children of smokers who popped vitamin C during pregnancy had better lung function than kids of other women who also smoked during pregnancy. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Some Nail Salon Dryers Bombard Skin with UV

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2014 1:25


Just a few nail drying sessions under the highest output UV bulbs used in some salons could age the skin and bump up the risk of skin cancer. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Snot Clouds Achieve Unexpected Buoyancy

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2014 1:14


Sneeze and cough particles form a cloud whose turbulence pulls in surrounding air, which allows the goop to maintain buoyancy and move farther than expected. Cynthia Graber reports

Morning Light Exposure Tied to Lower Weight

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2014 1:19


Exposure to bright light in the morning appears linked to reduced appetite and lower body weight, regardless of sleep patterns. Sophie Bushwick reports  

Hand Soap Ingredient Can Up Body Bacteria Burden

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2014 1:20


Residues of the antimicrobial agent triclosan can paradoxically boost bacterial growth in our bodies, by giving microbes a comfortable biofilm in which to rest. Christopher Intagliata reports  

Many More Americans Issue End-of-Life Instructions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2014 1:22


The number of Americans aged 60 or more who issued advance directives governing their end-of-life care went from 47 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in 2010. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Goo Keeps Bones Strong but Supple

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2014 1:24


Bones are filled with a viscous fluid that’s key to their function as support structures, and which could inform osteoporosis research. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Dodgers Doc: No Noninjury Tommy John Surgery to Improve Performance

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2014 1:15


Stan Conte, vice president of medical services for the L.A. Dodgers, advised parents and coaches of young athletes to not consider Tommy John surgery on healthy arms for the sake of improving performance. He spoke at the SABR conference in Phoenix on March 13. Steve Mirsky reports  

Flu Vaccine Keeps Connecticut Kids from Hospitals

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2014 1:19


After flu shot regulations upped Connecticut kids' vaccination rate, their hospitalization risk went down. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Bedroom TV Linked to Kid Weight Gain

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2014 1:25


The mere presence of a TV in a child's bedroom is linked with weight gain—regardless of how many hours per week a youngster watches it. Dina Fine Maron reports

Store Receipts on Thermal Paper Can Transfer BPA

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2014 1:20


Volunteers who handled receipts containing the hormone-altering compound bisphenol A for two hours showed elevated BPA levels in their urine. Dina Fine Maron reports

Concussions Abound in Soccer, Too

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2014 1:19


A meta-analysis finds that concussions accounted for between 6 and 9 percent of all injuries sustained on soccer fields. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Dengue Fever Makes U.S. Inroads

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2014 1:18


The CDC reports that locally acquired Dengue killed a Texas woman in 2012 who had been misdiagnosed with West Nile virus. Dina Fine Maron reports  

Diet Soda Mixers Up Breathalyzer Readings

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2014 1:20


People who drank vodka with a diet mixer had breath alcohol levels 18 percent higher than when they drank alcohol with full-calorie soda. Sophie Bushwick reports

The Mercury's Falling...in Women's Seafood Consumption

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2014 1:16


Between 1999 and 2010 changes in seafood consumption meant that blood levels of mercury in women of childbearing age dropped by a third, and the percentage of such women who have worrisome blood levels of mercury dropped by two thirds. Dina Fine Maron reports

Teens and Docs Abstain from Sex Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2013 1:17


In annual physicals teens and docs failed to talk sex a third of the time and usually too briefly when the subject was addressed. Dina Fine Maron reports

Older Couch Potatoes Benefit from Even a Little Exercise

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2013 1:17


Middle-aged to elderly adults with no history of exercising still saw significant health benefits from even small additions of regular physical activity to their schedules. Dina Fine Maron reports

Apple a Day Could Keep Statins Away

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2013 1:18


A population model suggests that a small dietary change, such as eating a daily piece of fruit instead of the equivalent calories in less healthful fare, may stave off as many heart-related deaths as would statins. Christopher Intagliata reports

Resurgence of Swaddling Brings Hip Fears

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2013 1:17


Swaddling infants is safe when done correctly. But done wrong, it raises the risk of osteoarthritis and the need for hip replacement in middle age. Dina Fine Maron reports

Mondays Top Quit-Smoking Google Searches

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2013 1:17


Based on the number of searches for info about smoking cessation on Google, it appears more people consider quitting on Mondays than any other day. Dina Fine Maron reports

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