““Theories that diseases are caused by mental states and can be cured by will power are always an index of how much is not understood about a disease.”
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Bridging sound and science: Music’s role in healing
Health experts explore how a song could become the prescription of the future.
Indoor air quality is a concern as evidence emerges about airborne transmission
Public health experts for months have warned about the possibility of airborne transmission with the coronavirus. What does that mean for indoor air during summer’s hot months?
Paramedics are the new front line in health care
After 28 years of responding to emergency calls, Jeff Woolsey is now the city's community paramedic. It's his job to help prevent those emergency calls from coming in.
This is what the coronavirus can do to your brain
Doctors are seeing strokes, seizures, loss of smell, other neurological symptoms in virus patients.
Coronavirus vaccine: When will we have one, who gets it and will it work?
Getting past the “new normal” and back to the way things were before the coronavirus pandemic hit hinges on the development and widespread availability of a vaccine.
A blood test to detect Alzheimer's disease moves closer to reality
A simple blood test may be able to tell you whether you have Alzheimer's disease and, in some cases, it can detect the disease decades before symptoms set in.
Telehealth surges during coronavirus outbreak
Medical practices around the country are closing their offices and opening their laptops to provide health care to millions of Americans who are under guidance to stay home to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Will we ever find a cure for dementia?
Scientists all over the world are pumping more possibilities than ever before into dementia’s drug pipeline.
When strep triggers attack on brain, kids see ‘terrifying’ symptoms
About two years ago, Laura Murdock noticed a sudden change in her son's behavior. Almost overnight, her 8-year-old became anxious, obsessive-compulsive, and in some instances, irrationally angry. What she didn’t know at the time, and didn’t find out until October 2018, was that a strep infection was causing her son's strange symptoms. And she's not alone.
Health, wealth, housing: 2019 report ranks healthiest communities in DC area
The annual County Health Rankings provides a snapshot of the health of nearly every county in the country’s 50 states, including D.C. And this year’s report gives special attention to the link between health and housing.
Warning signs of Alzheimer’s — and what to do when you notice them
Every 65 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease. While there is no cure, experts say early detection and diagnosis is important for a number of reasons.
Sharing struggles, breaking stigmas: Live storytelling shines spotlight on mental health
In the U.S., one in five adults live with a mental illness. Yet, despite the statistics, there is still a stigma when it comes to talking about mental health. One Northern Virginia resident is hoping to break that — and she's doing it with live storytelling.
DC docs, nurses fly to fix hearts — just in time for the holidays
For patients living in low-income countries with limited access to care, it’s not uncommon for strep throat to go undiagnosed. And when it does, it can lead to serious problems, including a type of heart disease that’s responsible for more than 300,000 deaths each year. But a local team of medical professionals is working to change that.
Study: Healthy lifestyle may reduce risk for dementia, despite genetic risk factors
Exercising regularly, maintaining a nutritious diet and other factors associated with a healthy lifestyle may reduce one’s risk for developing dementia, even if genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are at play.
Dangers of childbirth: DC works to save dying mothers
In the U.S., new and expecting moms die at a rate that's higher than other developed countries, and cases of close calls are on the rise. D.C. is among a handful of states with the highest maternal mortality rates. In our three-part special report, Dangers of Childbirth, WTOP’s Rachel Nania looks into why.