Nancy Shute
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Advance directives don't guarantee that a person's wishes for end-of-life care will always be honored. Some states let people use physician orders that override legal requirements to perform CPR.
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The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ordered health care providers to test recent travelers at risk for Ebola virus. So far none of those tests have come up positive.
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The Food and Drug Administration is still figuring out what to do about electronic cigarettes. But to reduce the odds kids will get hooked on nicotine, some cities are moving to restrict them.
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The words people use to describe their drinking behavior can say a lot about how they perceive drinking, a perception that may not match reality, researchers say. And the language may also reveal risks that may not be obvious to the drinkers themselves.
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A worker's smoke breaks cost an employer even more than the increased costs of health care. Some employers charge higher health insurance premiums to employees who smoke or refuse to hire them altogether.
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A measles epidemic in Wales that has infected more than 1,000 people is the fallout from a fraudulent paper linking the vaccine and autism published almost 15 years ago, health officials say.
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Doctors have seen a sharp increase in the number of women choosing breast surgery to prevent cancer. But the genetic mutation that contributed to Angelina Jolie's decision is relatively rare, and the vast majority of women who choose prophylactic mastectomy don't face the same level of risk.
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Four in 10 teenagers admit that they text while driving. Not only is that behavior dangerous, but those same teens are more likely to skip the seat belt and drive while drinking, too.
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Athletes who have headaches or any other concussion symptoms should be removed from play immediately, according to tougher standards just issued by neurologists. The move comes in response to research showing short- and long-term damage from head injuries.
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Adderall and other stimulant drugs help students stay focused, a benefit that hasn't been lost on people without ADHD. Now the nation's neurologists say children and teens shouldn't be be prescribed these drugs for "neuroenhancement."