Health Newsfeed – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts

Anchor lead: The majority of US adults haven’t been tested for HIV, Elizabeth Tracey reports All adults should be tested for HIV at least once, the CDC has recommended for several years. Yet their own recent analysis found that nationally, less than 40% of adults have been tested. Even in areas known to be at […]

Anchor lead: Why do some parents object to vaccinating their children? Elizabeth Tracey reports California’s recently reported experience with eliminating personal belief exceptions and tightening school policies has resulted in substantially more kindergartners coming to school with up to date vaccines. But about 5% still aren’t. Amber D’Souza, an epidemiology and vaccine expert at Johns […]

Anchor lead: California laws prove that vaccine rates in kids can be boosted, Elizabeth Tracey reports Removing personal belief exemptions and tightening the required vaccines for school entry have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of kindergartners in California who come to school up to date on immunizations, a recent study reported. Amber […]

Anchor lead: People may now consider the HPV vaccine up to the age of 45, Elizabeth Tracey reports Certain human papilloma viruses, or HPV, cause cancer. Now a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel recommends the HPV vaccine for everyone through age 26 and for some adults up to age 45. Amber D’Souza, an […]

Anchor lead: A new device may make treating a common eye disease much easier, Elizabeth Tracey reports Macular degeneration or AMD is an eye disease that is a leading cause of blindness in people older than fifty. One form of the disease can be treated by injecting the eye with a drug known as an […]

Anchor lead: Do you need two different medicines if you have a stent placed in your heart? Elizabeth Tracey reports When stents are placed in the heart’s blood vessels, medicines called antiplatelet drugs are used to prevent blood clot formation. Now a new study shows that for many, the traditional two medicine approach after stent […]

Anchor lead: Will San Francisco’s ban on e-cigarettes get the FDA to step up? Elizabeth Tracey reports Tobacco products fall under the purview of the FDA, but the agency has been slow to act in regulating them, including e-cigarettes. Now that San Francisco has outlawed the devices, Michael Blaha, a preventive cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, […]

Anchor lead: What are the implications of the new law to ban e-cigarettes in San Francisco? Elizabeth Tracey reports E-cigarettes will not be sold in San Francisco if a new law takes effect. Michael Blaha, a preventive cardiologist at Johns Hopkins, says at least one at risk group from the devices will likely benefit. Blaha: […]

Anchor lead: Stopping routine cancer screening is an option for some, Elizabeth Tracey reports Sometimes it is appropriate to stop routine cancer screening, since all screening tests are associated with harms as well as benefits. Nancy Schoenborn, a geriatrics expert at Johns Hopkins, looked at attitudes toward stopping routine screening of both care providers and […]

Anchor lead: When is it appropriate to stop routine cancer screening? Elizabeth Tracey reports Cancer screening may entail some risk, and for some people, it may be appropriate to discontinue the practice. According to the American Cancer Society, those with less than 10 years of expected life remaining are one such group. Nancy Schoenborn, a […]