Shots - Health Blog
1:48 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

When It Comes To A1C Blood Test For Diabetics, One Level No Longer Fits All

Credit Isaac Santillan / iStockphoto.com
A person with diabetes may need to test blood glucose levels up to 10 times a day.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 2:38 pm

If there's one thing that people with diabetes get pounded into their heads, it's that they've got to keep their A1C level under control. That's the blood glucose measure that's used to decide how well a person is managing their diabetes.

But new diabetes management guidelines announced today will cut many people with diabetes some slack.

Where old guidelines from the American Diabetes Association said that people should maintain an A1C of 7, the new guidelines say that patients should work with their doctors to determine an appropriate A1C target.

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The Two-Way
1:32 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

PHOTO: President Obama Sits In Rosa Parks Bus

Credit Pete Souza / The White House
President Barack Obama sits on the famed Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford Museum following an event in Dearborn, Mich. on Wednesday.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 1:34 pm

During his trip to Detroit, yesterday, President Obama visited the Henry Ford Museum and had the opportunity to sit in the bus where in 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to make way for a white customer. That moment sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and fueled the civil rights movement that made it possible for Barack Obama to become president.

Today, the White House's photographer Pete Souza tweeted a picture of the moment:

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The Two-Way
12:57 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Florida Governor Appoints Task Force To Review 'Stand Your Ground' Law

Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed a task force on Thursday charged with reviewing the state's gun laws, including the so-called "stand your ground law," that came into controversial focus after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

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World Cafe
12:48 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Latin Roots: The Lasting Fad Of Boogaloo

Credit Courtesy of the artist
The Joe Cuba Sextet.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 4:01 pm

Today's episode of Latin Roots features Felix Contreras, co-host of Alt.Latino, NPR's online music program about Latin Alternative music. Also a reporter and producer for NPR's Arts Desk, Contreras specializes in jazz, world music and Latino arts and culture. A part-time musician who plays Afro-Cuban percussion in several Latin and jazz bands, Contreras is uniquely qualified to discuss Latin Alternative music. In today's episode, he speaks about boogaloo, how it developed and how it impacts Latin music today.

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World Cafe
12:39 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

Grimes On World Cafe

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Grimes.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 12:49 pm

Grimes is the one-woman project of Claire Boucher, a talented and eclectic Canadian singer. Born and raised in Vancouver, she moved to Montreal for college but left to pursue her craft when her work as Grimes began to take off. Marrying lo-fi punk with dreamy pop, Grimes quickly became a fixture in Montreal's underground music scene. Boucher incorporates elements of dance, video and still images into her live performances, creating otherworldly and entrancing multimedia experiences in the process.

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The Two-Way
12:13 pm
Thu April 19, 2012

String Of Attacks Kills More Than 30 In Iraq

Credit Ahmad Al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images
Iraqis inspect a car destroyed in a car bombing in Baghdad's Haifa Street, as dust creates a yellow haze across the city on Thursday.

A string of bombings struck Baghdad today and left at least 30 people dead. It was the most violent day the city has seen in close to a month.

As The New York Times points out, while this kind of violence is common in the country, today's attacks were "a reminder, after weeks of relative calm, that an organized insurgency remained active."

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Shots - Health Blog
11:51 am
Thu April 19, 2012

Staying Active Fends Off Alzheimer's, Even In People Over 80

Credit iStockphoto.com
This would count. But even washing the dishes helps fend off dementia in old age.

Originally published on Thu April 19, 2012 12:39 pm

Activity cuts the risk of Alzheimer's disease and slows cognitive decline, even in the very old, according to a new study.

There's been plenty of evidence for the "use it or lose it" theory of brain capacity. But this study is one of the first to show that activity of all sorts benefits people over age 80, even if they're not "exercising."

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Politics
11:10 am
Thu April 19, 2012

Alberto Gonzales: GOP Turns Off Latinos From Party

The DREAM Act calls for a path to citizenship for some undocumented students. In the past, Republicans have opposed versions of the bill, but some prominent figures like former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales say the GOP needs to find its own voice on the issue. He speaks with host Michel Martin.

Shots - Health Blog
10:46 am
Thu April 19, 2012

Flossing Is Good For The Gums, But Doesn't Help The Heart

Credit iStockphoto.com
It's still a good idea. But it won't protect you against heart disease.

Originally published on Mon April 23, 2012 10:24 am

Think flossing and brushing is helping to fight off heart disease and stroke? Think again.

An expert panel of dentists and cardiologists, writing in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, says there is no evidence that treating or preventing gum disease has any direct effect on heart health.

That's a big turnaround. For the past decade, the medical establishment has been telling people that cardiovascular disease can be caused by poor oral hygiene. Why the change?

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Middle East
10:22 am
Thu April 19, 2012

For Syria, A 'Lawrence Of Arabia' Moment

In the final scenes of the classic film Lawrence of Arabia, the Arab rebel fighters are wrapped up with internal, petty squabbles in Damascus as the great powers maneuver for the future of Syria.

Now, nearly a century after the events depicted in that movie, there's a similar Lawrence of Arabia moment playing out in Syria.

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