Author: Mara Gordon
Sunnu Rebecca Choi for NPR Are you looking for an honest answer to a medical question? Dr. Mara Gordon, a family physician in Camden, N.J., answers reader health questions monthly. Write us at: thrive@npr.org. Question: I’m sick of hearing about my weight when I go to the doctor. I’ve heard that body mass index isn’t even that helpful in determining how healthy I am, but my doctor still zones in on my BMI. What other metrics should my doctor and I be using to assess my health? Unfortunately, it’s pretty common to meet doctors who nag you about your weight.…
Scientists are still trying to identify what a healthy gut microbiome looks like, but new research may offer a clue. Sponsor Message MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Scientists have known for a while that there are a lot of microscopic things living inside our guts, and they also know that these organisms hold enormous potential to improve our health. But researchers are still wrestling with some big questions, like how do you tell a healthy gut from an unhealthy one? New research in the journal Science points toward one way. NPR’s Will Stone reports.WILL STONE, BYLINE: Envision a vast ecosystem in your…
A shot for a flu vaccination. A late February meeting of scientists from around the world is figuring out the recipe for the best vaccine for the upcoming fall flu season. Jens Kalaene/picture alliance/via Getty Images Jens Kalaene/picture alliance/via Getty Images For the past week, about 50 flu scientists from around the world were crammed into a conference room at a Hilton hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. Their goal was to design a flu shot that will confer the best protection for the next flu season —starting in the fall of 2026. Each day, they pored over reams of data —…
Oona Zenda/KFF Health News A woman with multiple sclerosis wanted to be able to walk up the stairs without losing her balance. Her doctor prescribed medicine that helped, but then insurance approval for the drug expired. “Why do I need a prior authorization for something that I am already prior authorized to take? If my doctor says that they want me on a medication, why does my insurance have another say in that?” — Jaclyn Mayo, Lunenburg, Massachusetts Jaclyn Mayo has multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system and can mess with coordination and balance. To get…
President Trump talked about drug prices and transgender youth in his State of the Union address Tuesday, but he left out most of his actions on health in the long speech. Kenny Holston/The New York Times/Pool via AP Kenny Holston/The New York Times/Pool via AP President Trump said last month that he wants to “make health care into a Republican issue” heading into the midterm elections. But his remarks at Tuesday’s State of the Union skipped over many health-related topics he has previously highlighted, from abortion restrictions to medical breakthroughs. “It just was not a health care speech by any…
Dr. Casey Means, nominee for surgeon general, testifies during a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images President Trump’s surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means testified before Senate committee on Wednesday in her bid to be confirmed as the nation’s top doctor. The hearing was a long time coming for Means — a wellness influencer, entrepreneur and author — who had to delay the confirmation hearing in late October because she was pregnant and went into labor. During her testimony, Means praised Health Secretary Robert…
Nurses Brandy Frye (left) and Susan Fleishman work the night shift at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital in British Columbia. Both said they left their longtime U.S. jobs last year to get away from the policies and hateful rhetoric of President Trump. Taylor Pradine/KFF Health News Taylor Pradine/KFF Health News Last month, Justin and Amy Miller packed their vehicles with three kids, two dogs, a pet bearded dragon, and whatever belongings they could fit, then drove 2,000 miles from Wisconsin to British Columbia to leave President Trump’s America. The Millers resettled on Vancouver Island, their scenic refuge accessible only by ferry…
China’s first batch of emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar is loaded onto an airplane in Beijing in March 2025. In response to a request from the Myanmar government, China gave emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts. Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images Chen Yehua/Xinhua via Getty Images Foreign aid has long been a way for the United States and China to gain soft power and influence — providing public services in low-income countries that help them tackle poverty and disease, and engaging with people to build cooperation over the long run. For decades, the two countries had adopted separate…
Dustin Vidrine stands outside his house in Lafayette, La. Annie Flanagan for NPR Annie Flanagan for NPR Dustin Vidrine’s sight is disappearing — shrinking, really. He has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, inherited eye disease that runs in his family. By the time he was in his 20s, he noticed that his vision had narrowed. It was especially apparent when he was looking at a computer or TV. “The bigger the screen, the harder it was to see because I’m only seeing one portion of detail at a time,” says Dustin, 34, of Lafayette, La. “I would have to read like…
Participants in the Fear of Flying Clinic walk up the boarding stairs and into a 787 as part of a four-day course to help ease their anxiety around air travel. Getting exposed to the sights and sounds of airplanes is one piece of that training. Evan Roberts Evan Roberts It’s 20 minutes before Alaska Airlines Flight 626 takes off from San Francisco International Airport for Seattle. Colette Vance closes her eyes and calms herself with rosary beads, hoping that her claustrophobia doesn’t trigger a panic attack. It happened the year prior, when she was flying back to North Carolina for…