I cringed recently while driving to the clinic where I specialize in geriatric medicine when I heard a young radio announcer refer to old people as “wiggy,” a pejorative for…
Category: Anthropology
New NFL helmet accessory reduces concussions − but players and fans may not be ready to embrace safety over swag
Fall brings football season in the U.S. and, with it, the parade of distinctively decorated helmets that the players wear. Over time, the shape and size of these helmets have…
How HIV/AIDS got its name − the words Americans used for the crisis were steeped in science, stigma and religious language
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first used the term “AIDS” on Sept. 24, 1982, more than a year after the first cases appeared in medical records. Those early…
Got an unaffordable or incorrect medical bill? Calling your hospital billing office will usually get you a discount
What do you do when you disagree with or can’t afford a medical bill? Many Americans struggle to pay medical bills, avoid care because of cost worries or forgo other…
Is ‘coaching’ a shortcut to mental health care? Not so fast − here are key differences
Life coach, wellness coach, business coach, weight loss coach, breakup coach – the list goes on and on. All are different titles for similar jobs, with the same limitation: Anyone…
COVID-19, flu and RSV shots − an epidemiologist explains why all three matter this fall
The Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization on Aug. 22, 2024, for the newest, updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and…
Mitochondria keep your brain cells alive − helping them run smoothly may protect against Parkinson’s disease
In 1817, a British physician named James Parkinson published An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, describing for the first time cases of a neurodegenerative disorder now known as Parkinson’s disease.…
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states – a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in…
