Yuki Noguchi

Your saliva is "like a microbial fingerprint," says Purnima Kumar, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. But it also changes if you take a sip of water or coffee. dusanpetkovic/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption dusanpetkovic/Getty Ima... See more

The saliva circulating in your mouth contains troves of microbial information about the rest of your body and is easier to collect than blood samples. Today, a few drops of spit can help detect viruses like HIV and the one that causes COVID-19, or assess ... See more

LEILA FADEL, HOST: Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek died this week, less than two years after he announced he had colorectal cancer. He was only 48, and that type of cancer is becoming more deadly among people under 50. NPR's Yuki Noguchi is here to... See more

Jason Krynicki once lived in a much larger body and was teased mercilessly for it. Today, even though he has anorexia, he takes a monthly GLP-1 shot and is afraid to stop. Edwin J. Torres for NPR hide caption toggle caption Edwin J. Torres for NPR Get the... See more

Injectable GLP-1 drugs have been a game-changer for many people with obesity. But as researchers discover why the medicines fail for others, they are gaining insights about the complexity of the condition. Tatsiana Volkava/Getty Images hide caption toggle... See more