Philly.com Health and Science

Karen Heller: A false promise of help

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

With the passage of Act 62 in July 2008, Pennsylvania appeared primed to become a leader in the treatment of autism, offering parents of autistic children up to $36,000 in annual health insurance benefits.

Senators vote today on fate of health bill

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - The Senate is poised to approve today the start of a historic debate over health-care legislation aimed at making coverage easier, less expensive to obtain, and harder to lose.

Flight to Ohio rescues 'puppy-mill' dogs

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

When a Philadelphia animal-welfare activist heard that nearly 400 Lancaster County dogs had been trucked to an auction in Ohio last month, he saw it as a chance to call attention to animal abuse in Pennsylvania.

Delco refinery is fined for air-quality violations

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

The ConocoPhillips refinery in Delaware County has been fined $38,137 for air-quality violations. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which announced the fine yesterday, the refinery failed to report emissions, incorrectly reported emissions, and exceeded emission limits.

Amid debate on mammograms, Pap advisory less controversial

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - First mammograms. Now - in an apparent coincidence - Pap smears. New guidelines by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say most women in their 20s can have a Pap smear every two years instead of annually to catch slow-growing cervical cancer.

Steve and Mia: What to do about 'Uncle Charlie'?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Q: With Thanksgiving coming up, I have a family dilemma. I am the mother of a 14-year-old daughter. Big family gatherings (this year at my mom's) always include my cousin and her husband. My kids call him "Uncle Charlie." Uncle Charlie has what

Pa. university students must pass fitness class

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:16:17 GMT

A Pennsylvania university's requirement that overweight students take a fitness course to graduate has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts.

White House at odds with bishops over abortion

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:59:32 GMT

The White House is on a collision course with Catholic bishops in an intractable dispute over abortion that could blow up the fragile political coalition behind President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Farm family staves off sprawl in Bucks

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

When 90-year-old Sam Snipes was a boy in the 1920s, Falls Township was a bucolic place with about 2,500 people. Nearly all the land was occupied by farms.

Less vaccine, but a lot of problems

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

ATLANTA - When the nation's swine flu vaccination program began in early October, health officials predicted it was going to be "messy." They were right.

Computer glitch causes hours of flight headaches

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

ATLANTA - For the second time in little more than a year, a glitch at one of the two centers that handle flight plans for the nation's air-travel system set off delays and cancellations for passengers around the country.

Doctors group advises Pap smear every two years for women in 20s

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - Most women in their 20s can have a Pap smear every two years instead of annually, say new guidelines that conclude that is enough to catch slow-growing cervical cancer.

Senators dig in for health-bill showdown

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - Digging in for a long struggle, Republican senators and governors yesterday assailed the Democrats' newly minted health-care legislation as a collection of tax increases, Medicare cuts, and heavy new burdens for deficit-ridden states.

The mammogram storm: Benefits vs. risks

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Common sense tells women that while mammography is an imperfect, inadequate defense against a disease that will kill 40,000 of them this year, it is better than nothing.

Paper money: Why patients pay so much for strips

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:06 GMT

After she lost her job as a social worker last year, and her health insurance with it, Vanessa Sheppard chose a risky way to save money: She stopped buying disposable test strips to check her blood glucose level.

Diabetic boy's parents fight school over exercise

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Jack McLaughlin is a bright, articulate Lionville Middle School sixth grader whose main mission these days, along with schoolwork, is keeping his blood sugar under control.

Fast food... with diabetes?

Amanda Gilanyi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:33:50 GMT

Yes, occasionally. But definitely skip the soda and other sweetened drinks. Here's how.

Diabetes on 54 cents a day

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:33:58 GMT

A diabetes patient can control blood sugar and help prevent heart attacks and strokes for about half a dollar a day. This and other cutting-edge diabetes news in today's Special Diabetes Section.

Weight-loss surgeries

Amanda Gilanyi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:46:06 GMT

VIPs with Diabetes

Leland Laury — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:33:47 GMT

These stars and leaders in their fields all live with diabetes - and talk publicly about their work to manage the disease.