First Person: My New Life As a Plasma Donor
History was not my ally when I entered Blood Centers of the Pacific in downtown San Francisco. The first time I’d donated blood, 10 years
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Keeping Friendships Alive
We spend a lot of time teaching children the importance of making friends. But we never outgrow the need for good companionship ourselves. In fact,
Adherence and the Gender Gap
If you’ve attended a large family reunion lately, it may come as no surprise that women tend to outlive men. In the United States, the
Sticking to Your Treatment: Overcoming Obstacles
The world would be a healthier place if everybody followed their doctor’s advice. People would get more exercise and eat healthier foods. They’d get regular
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
What is COPD? COPD — which stands for “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” — is a catch-all term for two common and very serious conditions: chronic
The Global Crisis in Adherence
When Dr. Paul Farmer arrived in Haiti in the 1980s, he was a confident young doctor determined to bring modern health care to a population
Quiz: What do You Know About Gaucher Disease?
In the last decade or so, Gaucher (pronounced go-SHAY) disease has made the leap from a medical mystery to a huge success story. People with
Quiz: Are You on Top of Pulmonary Hypertension?
High blood pressure is always worrisome, but it’s especially dangerous in the lungs. Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) can hamper breathing, damage the heart, and even
Shark Cartilage
What is shark cartilage? Just what its name implies: Shark cartilage is simply the skeletal material of a shark. But many people believe this substance
Health Benefits of Friendship
Humans have always relied on friendship. We never would have made it out of the Stone Age without cooperation and companionship. Nowadays, we may not
Kids and Guns
Guns are 100 percent safe for kids — as long as the guns are unloaded, locked away, and never touched. But as soon as a
Anger at 32,000 Feet
On a chartered flight from Cleveland to Las Vegas one July, flight attendants smelled smoke coming from one of the lavatories. Head flight attendant Robert
Blood Donation
In 1667, just 40 years after scientists discovered how the circulatory system works, doctors performed the first recorded transfusion. A teenage boy with a fever