Health/Science/Tech

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX – On this World AIDS Day, the Dallas County number of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases is rising. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more on the worrisome trend, and some efforts to reverse it.

There was a time, says Mark Brown - not his real name - when a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was a death sentence. Brown, who is gay and in his 40s, says it was not that long ago.

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX –

Thanksgiving's past with plenty of Christmas, New Year's and holiday party food and drink still ahead. But in our KERA Health Checkup, Dr. Christopher Ray of the Center for Healthy Living and Longevity at the University of Texas at Arlington told Sam Baker you can avoid the potential weight gain by keeping track of the calories you intake and balancing them with exercise - or just plain simple movement.

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX –

In a recent report, the American Pediatrics Association and other medical groups advised cholesterol screening for all children nine to 11 years old. In our KERA Health Checkup, Sam Baker talked about this with Dr. Jeff Schussler, a cardiologist with Baylor University Medical Center. He says some nine to 11 year old children already are being screened.

By BJ Austin, KERA News

Dallas, TX – A new report about children's health in Dallas County shows nearly one third live in poverty and child abuse and neglect cases increased 39% over the past decade. KERA's BJ Austin says authors of the report hope the "numbers" will be a call to action.

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX –

For some it's simply ringing in the ears, but some 40 to 50-million people suffer from chronic or prolonged tinnitus. In a KERA Health Checkup, Sam Baker talked about this with Dr. Kenneth Pugh. The head of audiology at U-T Dallas' Callier Center for Communicative Disorders described what tinnitus is.

By Shelley Kofler, KERA News

Dallas, TX – Almost one third of children in Dallas County live in poverty. That's one of the disturbing findings in the annual Children's Medical Center study released this morning. as KERA's Shelley Kofler reports.

According to the report 29 percent of Dallas County children last year were living below the poverty line. That's more than 192,000 children, enough to fill Cowboys Stadium more than twice.

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX –

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX –

It's such a simple act, but washing our hands can make a big difference on health. In our KERA Health Checkup, Sam Baker talked about this with Dr. Anna Bowen, a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control.

By Shelley Kofler, KERA News

Dallas, TX – In today's KERA Checkup we want to remind you of a statewide service that will help you find low-cost health providers. KERA's Shelley Kofler says the first step is picking up your phone.

Dial 2-1-1 anywhere in Texas and you'll be connected with a trained specialist who knows about the low-cost medical services in your community.

By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host

Dallas, TX – naa

Students in Denton and Ellis counties have recently tested positive for tuberculosis. But TB isn't unusual for North Texas. Dallas County, for instance, had 188 cases of the disease last year. In a KERA Health Checkup, Sam Baker talked with Dr. Garry Woo. He's the Medical Director in charge of Tuberculosis Control for Dallas County Health Services.

By Shelley Kofler, KERA News

Dallas, TX – Imagine walking into a room with so many loud voices you can't understand any of them. Then you activate your smartphone app and you clearly understand the conversation you want to hear. That technology is already being tested in clinical trials at the University of Texas at Dallas. KERA's Shelley Kofler reports on how it's helping cochlear implant patients hear the world around them.

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX – A diagnosis of cancer can be terrifying. For some, so are the fears from treatment side-effects. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports on nanotechnology research at TCU aimed at new drug delivery methods that eliminate side effects.

By Sujata Dand, KERA News

Dallas, TX – The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than three million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C. In Dallas, University Of Texas Southwestern's Dr. William Lee first started seeing patients more than twenty years ago, when the cure rate was just five percent. Now his patients are seeing a cure rate of close to 70 percent thanks to two new drugs that received FDA approval this summer. KERA's Sujata Dand has more on this groundbreaking research.

By BJ Austin, KERA News

Dallas, TX – This week, KERA 90.1 is airing a series of reports: 'Engineering Hope: Groundbreaking Research That Could Change Our Lives'. In today's report KERA's BJ Austin visits a lab where researchers from North Texas universities are developing the next generation of prosthetic limbs for injured soldiers. It's cutting-edge research that could allow amputees to move more naturally and sense feeling with their artificial limbs.

Dallas, TX – Priority one for state lawmakers meeting in Austin next week is to plug a $25 billion budget shortfall. Just how big is that? Well, if you shut down all the prisons, laid off every state trooper, eliminated every service except public education, higher education and health care, you still wouldn't cut $25 billion.

Governor Rick Perry and others have suggested Texas drop out of Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low income children, elderly and the disabled. It's Texas's fastest growing expense.