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Pharmaceuticals

Despite push for a universal flu vaccine, the 'holy grail' stays out of reach | STAT

It is the holy grail of influenza science: a universal flu vaccine that could provide protection against virtually all strains instead of a select few. A burst of recent headlines have suggested that we might get one soon.

Opioid overdose among children nearly doubles, study says | CNN

The number of children admitted to hospitals for opioid overdose has nearly doubled since 2004, according to a new study.

Safety, quality and clinical practice

Elder abuse: Sometimes it's self-inflicted | The New York Times

The man was living alone with his two dogs, in a remote area outside San Antonio, when someone called the Texas state hotline to report that a supposed friend was financially exploiting him.

African-Americans face higher rates of kidney disease as experts look at diet, stress, socioeconomic factors | The Baltimore Sun

African-Americans are three times more likely than whites to have the disease. While they make up 13.2 percent of the U.S. population, they account for more than 35 percent of those on dialysis for kidney failure.

Information technology

Like it or not, personal health technology is getting smarter | NPR

With sensors that can collect data on body movements, heart rate, blood pressure and other metrics, the list of health trackers that go beyond activity trackers like Fitbits gets longer each year.