In case you haven't seen it, The Atlantic posted a fun Halloween Q&A with "scare specialist" Margee Kerr, PhD, a Pittsburgh haunted house's staff sociologist and an …
Month: October 2013
Letting go of control during chronic illness or pain
A friend who recently had inpatient surgery on her sinuses texted that she was on a 10-day yoga time-out. And no pranayama, either, of course, …
Practicing Qigong may help older prostate cancer survivors fight fatigue, pilot study finds
Recovering from a severe illness can take a toll on a person. For older men who have survived prostate cancer and undergone androgen deprivation therapy, …
Tips from a doctor (and a mom) for a safe Halloween
Happy Halloween! Whether you're trick-or-treating or heading to a party tonight, make sure you and yours stay safe and healthy. Recently we spotlighted a list …
Along came a spider: Spider venom could be the basis for a non-addictive pain blocker
I like reading and writing so all of the spiders in my house are exceptionally well-read. I think. They're all buried under a pile of …
A new era in scientific discourse? PubMed gets comments
PubMed, the massive index of biomedical research articles, has begun an experiment: Enabling the posting of comments on the articles’ citations. This might not seem like …
When life gives you lemons: Study suggests the benefits of a positive outlook are context dependent
Going to the dentist can be stressful. As a kid, I survived sitting with a mouthful of metal by staring unblinkingly at a poster of …
Step by step, Südhof stalked the devil in the details, snagged a Nobel
It took him a few decades, but - in league with a handful of colleagues scattered around the world - Stanford neuroscientist Tom Südhof, MD, …
Many lupus patients on Medicaid fail to take medication as prescribed, study shows
A study of medication compliance in people who have lupus has found that poorer patients on Medicaid were often not taking medications as prescribed. Lupus …
"Me time": Obtainable if you’re a resident with kids?
Another terrific, candid first-person piece over on the Mothers in Medicine blog. In this one, a mom expresses the challenges of having no "me time" and wonders …
What happened inside New Orleans' Memorial Hospital? A conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sheri Fink
What happened at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck and paralyzed the city? Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink details the hospital's struggles …
Ask Stanford Med: Expert in reproductive medicine responds to questions on infertility
Infertility is a reality faced by 10 to 15 percent of U.S. couples. For some, the topic is emotionally charged. And while many may have …
How technology is improving medical education
Way back when Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD, was in med school, students used books to study. (He finished in 2009.) In a recent blog post …
A guide to coping with a common male birth defect
One of the most common birth defects in boys occurs when the urethral tube fails to completely close, leaving the urethral opening somewhere along the …
Stanford researchers examine disparities in use of quality cancer centers
In past studies, hospitals recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have demonstrated better quality of care and better outcomes for cancer than other general …
Microbes in your mouth could be a distinguishing characteristic
Oral hygiene still matters (keep your floss handy), but did you know that your mouth's microbial signature may also play a role in your dental …