Alex Smith
Alex Smith began working in radio as an intern at the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. A few years and a couple of radio jobs later, he became the assistant producer of KCUR's magazine show, KC Currents. In January 2014 he became KCUR's health reporter.
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New treatment guidelines don't assuage concerns that some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are being prescribed medication too soon, before behavioral interventions are tried. -
New ADHD guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend children five or older take medication and get therapy as soon as they are diagnosed. Some experts say this is the wrong approach.
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Naltrexone, commonly used for opioid and alcohol use disorders, may also help patients with chronic pain — when prescribed in microdoses. But few doctors or patients seem to know about it. -
Many parents testified that their children's allergies had been brought under control by the treatment. But some experts are still concerned about its safety. -
Loretta Boesing is on a mission to make sure prescription drugs delivered by mail are safe and effective. The life of her son — and others who order medicine by mail — could depend on it, she says. -
A pediatrician is working to make sure every hospital in Kansas can give babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome the soft start they need, ideally right next to their mothers. -
Only about half the people with Alzheimer's symptoms get a diagnosis, partly out of fear of an incurable decline, doctors suspect. But Jose Bolardo says facing the future allows him to plan for it. -
Branson, Mo., welcomes more than eight million tourists each year, but the economic boom has passed by many of its low-wage workers who struggle to find safe and affordable housing.
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Nonopioid treatments for common conditions that leave people in chronic pain fare as well as opioid treatments and have fewer risks and side effects. -
Civil liberties groups in Missouri and at least five other states are suing to get more inmates treated with hepatitis drugs that are highly effective but quite expensive.
