marker for hidden heart disease. So says a study published in the most
recent edition of the British Medical Journal.
An electron microscope view of the tick-borne parasite, Babesia.
often-reported transfusion parasite in the US blood supply.
Adcetris, manufactured by Seattle Genetics Inc. has been approved by the FDA
for use against anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
types of cancers, including Bristol Meyers Squibb's Yervoy for melanoma.
REPORT: Maximum dose lowered for Tylenol
McNeil Labs, a division of Johnson & Johnson has announced it is lowering its recommended
daily dosages of Tylenol Extra Strength tablets from 8 pills-a-day, or 4,000 mg to 6 pills-
a-day, or 3,000 mg to reduce the risk of acetaminophen overdose. The action follows
several years of studies and testing over the concern that higher doses can cause liver damage.
(Photo courtey J & J)
Strokes spike in pregnant women, new moms
STUDY: Suicide spikes among middle-aged women
POLL: Half of men would dump woman who got fat
WORLD HEALTH ORG.: One-third of the world infected with hepatitis
HEALTH PANEL: Insurance companies should cover birth control for free
FDA: Warns about diabetes pill risks
Dapagliflozin pills manufactured by Bristol-Meyers Squibb and
AstraZeneca. The FDA says it is effective in treating diabetes,
but raises serious liver and cancer risks.
(File photo)
FINDING: AIDS pills can stop heterosexual infection
Two new studies involving over 5,800 couples found that this drug and another
called Truvada, both used since the mid-1990's to treat the symptoms of AIDS,
hold promise for preventing heterosexual infection. The Viread study was funded
by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
(Photo courtesy Gilead Sciences)
STUDY: Men with cancer more likely to die than women with cancer
Cutting salt may not help your heart after all
REPORT: Fewer people dying of colon cancer
FDA: Probes new death, infections from tainted wipes
FDA: Avastin not effective for breast cancer
The FDA Wednesday 06/29/111 issued a long-awaited ruling on a new application for
the world's largest-selling cancer drug. The Administration said its findings show that
it is not effective against breast cancer.
(File photo courtesy Genentech)
NEW STUDY: Mammograms can cut deaths by a third
REPORT: Violent TV linked to kids' sleep problems
MY WORD!: Cunard's Queen Mary 2 flunks CDC inspection
Perhaps the most well-known luxury cruise ship, the Cunard Line's Queen Mary II has failed to
pass a routine health inspection which was conducted in NYC when it docked there June 10.
The inspection report repeatedly used the words "filthy" and "dirty" in its assessment of food,
beverage and recreation areas on the ship. A sampling: Human hair found in an ice machine...
food and dining utensils stored next to bins containing dirty towels from a pool...numerous
food safety violations...dirty water in a kids wading pool...and "heavily soiled" draught beer
dispensing lines in several of the ships bars. Cunard says the violations have been corrected.
(File photo courtesy The Cunard Line)
HEALTH REPORT: Global diabetes epidemic balloons to 350 million
MIRACLE ASPIRIN: An aspirin a day may fight skin cancer
Aspirin continues to be considered more than just a pain and headache reliever. For years,
doctors have prescribed low-dose aspirin for heart patients. There are studys that indicate
it may help prevent colon cancer. Now, a study says it may be good for fighting skin cancer.
(File photo)
FDA: Most women with silicone implants need more surgery
NEW HEALTH LAW: Millions of middle-class Americans could qualify for Medicaid
FDA: Releases new, graphic cigarette warning labels, which include image of smoker's corpse
Three of the nine new smoking warning lables that will be going on cigarette packages
in the US beginning next year. Starting in Canada in 2000, over 30 other countries now
require similar images. The is at least one cigarette industry lawsuit, challenging the
new labels, pending. The FDA says 1,000 Americans die each day from smoking diseases.
(Images issued by the FDA)
STUDY: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not caused by a virus, scientists say
UN: Cancer, diabetes kill millions, cost trillions globally
STUDY: Kids' food allergies may be twice as common as thought
REPORT: 1 in 3 multivitamins don't have claimed nutrients
An independent organization called Consumerlab.com has reported results of tests it conducted
on 38 brands of multivitamins. It found 13 of them had too little, or even too much of the listed
ingredients or were improperly labeled. The report said it found that Centrum Chewables had
173% of vitamin A listed on the lable. Taking too much vitamin A can lead to liver damage.
Trader Joe's Vitamin Crusade tablets had the opposite problem, too little vitamin A, only
59% of what the label claimed. Consumer advocates have complained for years that
the vitamin and food supplement industry needs to be more strictly regulated.
(File photo)
New Cancer Society report says death rate in US continues to drop
REPORT: A pill can protect against sun damage
US says 2 common materials, formaldehyde & styrene, pose cancer risk
WHO'S TALKING TO ME?: Aussie study claims too much coffee makes you hear voices
NEW STUDY: Eating fruits, veggies makes you live longer
SAYS WHO?: Watching Jon Stewart might make you more creative
STUDY: Parkinson's disease, melanoma linked
GERMANY: Officials say bean sprouts are behind E. coli outbreak in Europe
Bean sprouts, grown in Germany, are now considered the most likely source of a
serious outbreak of E.coli infections in 7 European countries. Health officials are
expressing concern in that the disease is a new virulent strain.
(File photo)
WORLD HEALTH ORG.: Killer E. coli outbreak may be from new strain
Scientists with the World Health Organization believe a deadly form of E.coli responsible
for sickening thousands of people in Europe is a new strain. 18 people are known to have
died in the outbreak which started in Germany and has spread to at least 7 other countries.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)
GERMANY: More than 1500 people infected, 18 killed; cases reported in 7 other countries Two in US infected in German E. coli outbreak
REPORT: Cellphones 'possibly carcinogenic,'
A new report from the World Health Organization says an international panel of medical scientists
has determined that radio frequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phones may be linked to
glioma, a malignant form of brain cancer. There have been similar studies released in the past, but
this time WHO is taking a stronger position, indicating there may definitely be an association between
cell phone use and brain cancer. It follows a study released several months ago that linked brain wave
alterations with increased cell phone radiation exposure, as seen in the graphic below.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health tested 47 people by placing a cellphone at
each ear. First, both cell phones were turned off. Then the phone in the right ear was turned
on for 50 minutes. The call was muted. The brain scan on the right shows an increase in
glucose consumption, speeding up brain activity. The new research raises new questions
about the health effects of low level radiation emissions from cellphone antennas.
(Graphic courtesy Journal of the American Medical Association & the New York Times)
HEALTH WATCH: Hospitals scramble as drug shortages rise
The number of U.S. hospitals reporting shortages of certain medications has increased dramatically
in the last five years. Last year, they reported shortages of 211 drugs, a record high. So far this
year, hospitals have reported 89 shortages, forcing health care providers to use substitutes. The
vast majority of medicines in short supply are of the injectable variety, affecting treatment for
cancer, cardiac arrest and other serious diseases. Critics say that more expensive brand-
name medicines are rarely affected, only generic varieties. Drug companies explain that the
shortages are due for a variety of reasons, from recalls for contaminations, to diffculty
obtaining raw materials, to manufacturing plant upgrades.
(File photo)
STUDY: Anorexia may be more metabolic than mental
STUDY: Niacin doesn't stop heart attacks
ALARMING STUDY: Nearly 1 in 5 younger adults has hypertension
Top sunscreen? Cheapest is best, report finds
Black lung disease seen rising in U.S. miners
REPORT: The numbers of births at home are up, driven by 'natural birth' trend
STUDY: Hospital patients more likely to die on weekends
STUDY: Coffee may protect from prostate cancer
Security gaps leave patient digital records exposed
Scientists find genetic link to depression
So-called "master switch" for obesity & stage 2 diabetes found
FDA: Approves first new hepatitis C drug in 20 years
5 cups of coffee a day may cut cancer risk
MEDICAL ALERT: Bedbugs with 'superbug' germs found
RECALL: Johnson & Johnson calls back HIV drug Prezista for musty odor
Millions in U.S. visit ERs for headaches
CHINA: Twins born with two heads, single body
(Raw video courtesy ABC News)
Suspected tainted wipes used at VA hospitals across US
STUDY: Sex, coffee increase risk of a stroke
US on track for most measles cases in a decade
600,000 young adults join parents' health plans
1 in 12 in U.S. has asthma...and number is rising
STUDY: Less salt doesn't cut heart risks
STUDY: More U.S. women using "morning-after" pill
REPORT: Morning heart attacks deadlier than ones in afternoon
CDC: Smoking may be banned in all states by 2020
Armadillos being blamed for spread of leprosy in southern US
Armadillos are indigenous to the Southwest United States, particularly Texas.
Scientists have discovered that handling or eating them, as some people do,
exposes a threat of contracting leprosy.
(File photo)
Low vitamin D levels linked to diabetes risk
FDA: Says Merck drug successfully fights hepatitis
MEDICAL STUDY: Low sun exposure, mono linked to MS
HIV prevention pill trial halted; no benefit seen
FDA: First-of-a-kind medical device approved for treating brain cancer
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a new device that uses
electrical waves to treat brain cancer. Invented by Novocure and known as NovoTTF,
the device applies electrical energy fields to cancerous areas of the brain. Up to now,
drugs, radiation or surgery were the options of choice. The FDA says trials and
studies have shown that the NovoTTF presents far fewer side effects, although
longevity rates are about the same as traditional methods.
(Photo courtesy ClipArt)
How Viagra can mess up your marriage
Adults with ADHD? 1 in 4 may be faking it
ADHD & ADD drug shortage sends parents scrambling
On the left, Adderall XR, widely used as a substitute for Ritalin, on the right.
Both drugs are psychostimulants used to treat ADHD.
(File photos)
Popular drug for mild Alzheimer's largely a flop
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Antibiotic overuse causing 'super superbugs'
Two of the growing numbers of so-called "superbugs" that have been identified by
medical science as strongly drug-resistant. On the left, CRKP, a multi-drug-resistant
bacteria that strikes weakened patients, usually the elderly in hospitals and nursing
facilities. On the right, MRSA, which is a strain of staph bacteria that has become
particularly difficult to treat. It's spread by skin-to-skin contact.
(Composite image by WydeWorld.com from file photos)
STUDY: 11-hour work days harm your heart
Studies question heart bypass, angioplasty method
Two new medical studies have raised questions about standard heart operation methods.
One study concludes that bypass operations may not always be the best possible choice
for patients with already weak hearts. The other study challenges the way angioplasty and
stent implants have been conducted in the U.S. for decades, which is through a leg artery.
Many other countries gain access through an arm. The study concludes that doctors need
to be trained in the arm-access method.
(Graphic courtesy AP)
REPORT: Breast milk may hint at cancer risk
STUDY: Restless leg syndrome may be a sign of heart risks
REPORT: Men think they look better after sex, women worse
REPORT: Katrina survivors face increased heart attack risk
STUDY: Yoga reduces risk of irregular heartbeat
GEORGIA: 9 dead after infection outbreak in Ala. hospitals
Maker of IV bags pulls product off market after 9 Alabama hospital patients die
FDA: No warning needed on food dye over hyperactivity
FDA: Proposes calorie counts on menus
STUDY: PSA test doesn't cut death risk from prostate cancer
CONTROVERSIAL FINDINGS: 42 disease clusters found in 13 states
In the major study released by the National Resources Defense Council Monday,
researchers scoured medical records kept since 1976 and identified 42 disease
clusters in 13 states. The diseases included numerous types of cancer, birth
defects and other chronic illnesses. The year 1976 is significant in the findings
because that was the year that Congress passed the Toxic Substance Control Act.
Contaminated cantaloupe sicken people in Oregon, Washington and three other states
NEW MALADY: Docs warn about teens and 'Facebook depression'
FDA: Gives the OK to the first melanoma drug designed to extend survival
NEW STUDY: 'Superbug' spreading to Southern California hospitals
What the "superbug" looks like under a microsope. It's called Klebsiella pneumoniae,
or CRKP for short. The germ, which is a relative of e-coli bacterium, is resistant to most
antibiotics and can cause severe liver damage. 40% of patients, often the elderly, die of
the infection. The victims are mostly those who are in long-term care facilities.
(Photo courtesy Alamy)
ALARMING REPORT: Drug-resistant TB could infect 2 million by 2015
Medical pot ranks as blockbuster drug
STUDY: Links church-going to obesity
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health tested 47 people by placing a cellphone at
each ear. First, both cell phones were turned off. Then the phone in the right ear was turned
on for 50 minutes. The call was muted. The brain scan on the right shows an increase in
glucose consumption, speeding up brain activity. The new research raises new questions
about the health effects of low level radiation emissions from cellphone antennas.
(Graphic courtesy Journal of the American Medical Association & the New York Times)
food, drugs or sex.