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HEALTH WATCH 
 
01/24/12
 
01/23/12
 

01/14/12

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT:

Director of UConn's Cardiovascular Research Center falsified red wine study

 

Dr. Dipak Das in a 2006 photo released Wednesday 01/11/12 by UConn officials. They

said an internal review found 145 instances over a period of 7 years in which Dr. Das

fabricated, falsified and manipulated his research data on the benefits of resveratrol,

a compound found in red wine that is supposed to have anti-aging and other health

benefits. The US Office of Research Integrity has launched an independent probe.

(Photo supplied by the University of Connecticut via AP)

 

01/08/12

NOVARTIS:

Issues recall for millions of bottles of Excedrin, NoDoz, Gas-X & Bufferin

The Swiss drug maker, Novartis has issued a giant recall of these 4 products and variations

of them because of possible cross-contamination. They may contain stray, broken or chipped

tablets from other Novartis products. In addition, Novartis has voluntarily closed down the plant

in Nebrask where the problem reportedly occured. The drug company said it will take a

$120 million charge against 4th quarter earnings related to the plant closing and recalls.

(Composite image by WydeWorld.com from Novartis ad material)

 
 
 
 
 

FRENCH STUDY:

Maggots beat surgeons at wound cleaning

 

Sterile maggots that can be used in wound-cleaning. A study conducted in France

found that they are better at consuming dead tissue on wounds of the limbs that

have trouble healing in the short term, than having that tissue removed surgically.

(Photo courtesy Alamy)

 

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH:

Marriage helps keep gay men healthier, says Columbia University study

 

YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH STUDY:

Ties tanning beds to 2nd type of skin cancer

 

The Yale study found that young people who tanned on the indoor beds had a 69% increased

chance of suffering from early-onset basal cell carcinoma (BCC), particularly women. In earlier

studies, scientists discovered that people who used tanning beds, regardless of the type or for

how long, were 74% more likely to develop melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.

(File photo)

 

JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHIATRY STUDY:

Working moms are healthier, happier

 

FLORIDA:

Woman's face catches fire during surgery

 

Before and after photos of 29-year-old Kim Grice who entered the North Okaloosa Medical Center

in Crestview, Florida for routine outpatient surgery to remove several growths on her head. During

the surgery, her face caught fire, and she was rushed to a special burn unit at the University of

South Alabama for emergency treatment. Medical experts say this is not an isolated incident, that

there are over 600 similar fires that break out in hospital operating rooms each year, a result of

the convergence of highly flammable alcohol, explosive oxygen and an ignition source.

(Photo courtesy the Grice family via msnbc.com)

 
 
 
 
ACETAMINOPHEN:
 
AIR FRESHENERS 
 
 
 

HEALTH STUDY:

Researchers claim that 3 cups of coffee a day can help keep skin cancer at bay

 

Is this a leading cancer preventive? A Boston study suggests it is.

(File photo)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yellow globules around the eyes, known medically as Xanthelasma, may be a

marker for hidden heart disease. So says a study published in the most

recent edition of the British Medical Journal.

(Photo courtesy Dermatology Atlas)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
An electron microscope view of the tick-borne parasite, Babesia.
There are currently no diagnostic tests that can be used to detect
the disease in potential blood donors.  It has become the most
often-reported transfusion parasite in the US blood supply.
(Photo courtesy Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire)
 
 
 
 
 
Adcetris, manufactured by Seattle Genetics Inc. has been approved by the FDA
for use against anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A full course treatment could cost more than $121,000.  It joins several other
drugs already being marketed in the same general price range to fight other
types of cancers, including Bristol Meyers Squibb's Yervoy for melanoma.
(Photo courtesy Seattle Genetics)
 

HEALTH WATCH: 'Brain-eating amoeba' kills third person

 

A microscope view of the brain-eating amoeba known scientifically as amoebic meningoencephalitis,

also known as Naegleria fowleri. 3 people, a 16-year-old Florida girl, a 9-year-old Virginia boy and

a young man in Louisiana who died in June, contracted the infection after swimming in or using

infected water. Doctors say the bug thrives in stagnant pond or stream water and enters the

victims' brain through the nose. Although rare, the disease is almost alway fatal.

(Photo courtesy Centers for Disease Control)

 

PTSD: US Army reports record-high 32 suicides, potential suicides in July

 

CONTROVERSIAL STUDY: Only 1-hour of TV can shorten your life by 22 minutes

 

Should TV sets now come with health warning labels like cigarettes? A study conducted in

Australia, and published in this month's British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that

watching only 1-hour ot TV can shorten your life by 22 minutes, and that spending 6-hours

a day in front of a TV can shorten one's life by a full 5-years. The findings said that the

negative effects on longevity are "in the same ballpark as those of smoking or obesity."

The culprit is too much sitting, which can increase cardiovascular risks, shortening one's

life span. The study said the risks do not include multi-tasking, like watching TV and

cooking or ironing at the same time.

(File photo)

 

UPDATE: 4 US tobacco firms sue FDA over new graphic labels

 

Big tobacco is fighting back. Graphic labels like this one have been ordered printed on cigarette

packs sold in the United States and are similar to images seen on smokes sold in Canada

and other countries. The tobacco firms says the candor is excessive.

(Photo courtesy FDA)

 

REPORT: Addiction now defined as chronic brain disorder, not behavior problem

 
 
 
 

FDA: Drug shortages hit record level

 

The FDA issued an updated warning Monday 08/08/11 on the expanding shortage of

prescription drugs. Cancer drugs, anesthetics and others are in short supply due to

several factors, including raw material shortages, expanding recalls by drug companies

caused by poor production quality and a penchant by drug companies to stop making

older versions of drugs in favor of more profitable ones still under patent protection. The

FDA said the shortages have tripled in the last 6 years and will only get worse.

(File photo)

 
 

 

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

 
 Serious infection risk triggers new recall of medical wipes

 

All lots of poridone-iodine prep pads have been recalled because of bacterial contamination. 

H&P Industries Inc., the parent company of the Triad Group of Hartland, Wisconsin issued

the recall because the pads can apparently cause several serious infections, including

necrotizing fasciitis, better known as flesh-eating disease.  H&P is the same company

that recalled hundreds of millions of alcohol prep wipes in January because of

contamination with the rare bacillus cereus that can cause bloodstream infections.

(File photo)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

HEALTH ALERT:  E. coli found on 50 percent of shopping carts

In a limited study, researchers swabbed the handles on shopping carts in

four states and found that fully half of them were contaminated with e-coli.

(File photo)

 

Legionnaires disease bacteria found at Playboy mansion where 200 fell ill 

 

STUDY:  Pot can double psychosis risk

 

SURPRISING FINDINGS:  Half of men may have HPV, study shows

 

NEW STUDY RELEASED:  Early baldness linked to cancer

 

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

  

Being too fat raises risk of deadly breast cancer

 

Study says Facebook causes anxiety

 

U.S. launches study of BP oil spill's health impact

 

GLAUCOMA RESEARCH:  World's smallest computer created

 

Pictured above is the world's smallest functioning computer.  It's no bigger

than the letter "n" on the back of a penny, or about the size of the letter

"n" in this sentence.  It's a prototype of a tiny device that researchers

designed as an eye pressure monitor for glaucoma patients.

(Photo courtesy Greg Chen/techmedianetwork.com)

 
 
 

NEW CONTROVERSY:  Cell phone radiation alters brain activity

 

 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) 

 

Spider venom better than Viagra?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Global obesity rates have doubled since 1980

 

The British medical journal, The Lancet published several long-term studies

Thursday that show that more than one-tenth of the world's population is obese

and that more women than men are affected, 13.8% to 9.8% respectively.

(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Whether it's Beethoven, the Beatles, or Samuel Barber, a scientific study
shows that music evokes the same pleasure response in the brain as good
food, drugs or sex.
(Photo courtesy The Guardian UK)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 STUDY:  More than 600,000 killed annually by secondhand smoke

 

Not your cigarette?  No matter.  The smoke from it can kill you anyway,

according to a new international study, which confirms earlier findings

that secondhand smoke is dangerous for non-smokers.

(Photo courtesy CBC)

  

Blindingly good sex? It literally can happen

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

REPORT:  Vaccination rates drop, putting more kids at risk

 

PULLED AFTER 53 YEARS OF USE?:  FDA pulls Darvon painkiller due to safety risks

 

The FDA has ordered Darvon and its cousin, Darvocet pulled off the market because

it has been linked to heart rhythm abnormalities than can lead to death.  The drug,

an opioid, used to treat mild to moderate pain, has been on the market since it

was first introduced in 1957.

(File photo)

 

Pope: Condoms OK 'in certain cases'

 
 
 
 
 
  
 

HEALTH HAZARD?: Newspaper finds elevated lead levels in reusable grocery bags

 

 

An investigative report by the Tampa Tribune in Florida found traces of

lead in these reusable grocery bags distributed by Wynn-Dixie on the

left and Publix Supermarkets on the right.  A similar problem found in

 bags distributed by Wegmans led that chain to voluntarily

exchange the bags.

(Photo courtesy Tampa Tribune)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FDA orders new warnings on prostate cancer drugs
 
 
 

FDA approves Botox for migraine headaches

 

CANCER AWARENESS CONTROVERY: Some schools ban 'boobies' cancer bracelet

 

Several varities of the $4 "I Love Boobies" bracelets being sold to raise money

for breast cancer research.  Around the country, some school administrators

believe the wording is in "poor taste" and have either banned wearing

the bands in school, or require that they be worn inside out.

(Photo courtesy mailonline)

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 On the increase, mIddle-aged suicides

 

Noisy jobs may triple the risk of heart problems

 

Drug-resistant bladder bug raises growing concerns

 

 U.S. apologizes for STD experiments in the '40's in Guatemala

 

Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a joint statement with Secretary

of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Friday, 10/01/10, apologizing for a secret

program in the 1940's in which some 1,500 Guatemalan citizens were

injected with syphilis and gonorrhea without their consent in a U.S.

medical experiment.  Some of those unwittingly chosen were mental

patients. Sebelius called the program "clearly unethical and

reprehensible."  It was recently uncovered by a researcher.

(Photo courtesy AFP)

 

New federal sex-ed funding ends Bush decade of abstinence-only

 

Coffee, tea linked to lower risk of brain tumor

 

Kids with ADHD may have missing DNA

 

 Exercise could cut endometrial cancer risk

 

Parents' drinking may be risk factor for SIDS

 

Feds reopen probe into medical scanner approvals

 

Medical groups urge flu shots for pregnant women

 

HEART ATTACK RISK:  Use of diabetes pill Avandia to be severely restricted

 

EVER LARGER:  Number of fat people in US to grow, report says

 

WARNING:  New drug-resistant superbugs found in 3 states

 

Plastic Petri dishes in a lab, used by technicians to culture for bacteria infections.  The

new so-called "super-bug" is the result of a genetic mutation that turns certain bacteria

into drug-resistant strains.  First seen in India, it has been popping up all over the world. 

In the United States, cases have been confirmed in three states:  Illinois, California and

Massachusetts.  All of the patients involved had recently received medical care in India.

Public health officials are warning it could lead to "a public health nightmare."

(File photo)

 

Dying at home better for cancer patients

 

Antibiotics mess up your stomach, U.S. study finds

 

Simple blood test may detect Alzheimer's

 

No link found between vaccine mercury, autism

 

 BPA-laced tooth sealants OK for kids, study says

 

Your hair can predict heart attacks

 

Cancer drug inspires new Alzheimer's approach

 

Study links severe drug reaction to herpes virus

 

First genetic link found to common migraine

 

More omega-3 fats didn't aid heart patients

 

Heart failure patients benefit from own stem cells

  

New drug for advanced melanoma shrinks tumors

 

 Scientists create liver cells from patients' skin

 

Lab-created corneas used to restore vision

 

Mice trained to sniff out disease

 

Scientists have been able to train mice to sniff out bird flu in duck droppings.

(Photo courtesy Monell Chemical Senses Center)

 

 Chronic fatigue may be triggered by virus

 

CDC: Record no. of dengue deaths in Puerto Rico

 

10 deadliest cancers: Why there's no cure

 

Poll: Most still confused about health care

 

FDA warns about green tea beverage claims

 

B vitamins found to slow progression of dementia

 

Burning Mouth Syndrome baffles doctors

 

Patients of BMS say it feels like the inside of their mouths

have been scalded by boiling water.  Doctors believe there

may be several contributory causes but have yet to either

pinpoint a cause or come up with effective treatment.

(Photo courtesy Mayo Clinic)

 

ADHD risk tied to prenatal pesticide exposure

 

FDA:  Pain med could be used as ‘date rape’ drug

 

Low vitamin D levels tied to pregnancy complication

 

Cancer is world's costliest disease, report shows

 

Development of late-stage Alzheimer's med halted

Scientists suggest fresh look at psychedelic drugs

  FTC sues over costly "free" trials of acai pills

 

FDA questions wider approval of Cymbalta

 

Drinking beer can lead to psoriasis in women

 

 Birth order really does affect intelligence and personality

 

Mental health issues in college students rising

 

FDA OKs new, 5-day emergency contraceptive

 

 Tylenol tied to childhood asthma 

 

MEDICAL ALARM:  Scientists worry over spread of new superbug

 

These antibiotic drugs have no effect on a new form of 'superbug' that British

researchers have discovered in patients in India.  It's a gut bacteria that can

cause potentially life-threatening pneumonia and urinary tract infections and

has drug-resistance properties similar to so-called 'flesh-eating disease' or

MSRA.  In a paper published in the journal, 'Lancet' scientists said this new

bacteria, iven the acronym NDM-1, "pose the greatest risk to public health."

(File photo)

 

Deadly hospital staph infections decline in U.S.

 

As programs get cut, ER nurses say assaults on them are rising

 

Contact lenses blamed for rise in eye ulcers

 

Precocious puberty strikes more 7-year-old girls

 

Study: Obesity contributes to early puberty

 

Mom survives 5-year battle with flesh-eating germ

 

Cold beer and hot dogs can trigger headaches

    

Don't trash it. Some food keeps longer than you think

 

Disfigured Afghan teen to have surgery in US

 

Picture on the cover of Time Magazine's 08/09/10 issue is an 18-year

old Afghan woman identified as "Aisha."  Her nose and ears were cut

off after being found guilty by a Taliban judge.  Her crime was

leaving her husband.

(Cover photo provided by Time)

 

Quintuplets born to woman with the help of 23 doctors

 

Florida seen at risk from Caribbean dengue epidemic

 

Health overhaul extends Medicare hospital fund by 12 years

 

Consumer Reports: Many dietary supplements are contaminated

 

(File photo)

 

Should health plans offer free birth control?

 

Study: Teen Internet addicts more likely to develop depression

 

Chemicals in meat may be linked to bladder cancer

 

Obese employees take more sick days, study shows

 

Drug-resistant strain of E. coli emerges in U.S.

 

Prostate cancer 'cell of origin' identified

 

Protein in urine can forecast kidney disease

 

Can a vasectomy kill a guy's sex drive?

 

Should health plans offer free birth control?

 

A real nightmare: Bed bugs biting all over U.S.

 

California whooping cough outbreak largest in decades

 

FDA panel wants more painkiller restrictions

 

Insecure people at higher risk of heart attacks

 

Rare tropical fungus tied to 15 U.S. deaths

 

If you're depressed, the world really looks gray

 

Depression may increase Alzheimer's risk

 

Anti-HIV gel is declared breakthrough for women

 

Test-tube kids may face increased cancer risk

 

HIV costs may hit $35 billion a year

 

Prescription drug abuse skyrocketing

 

Stroke risk may rise first hour after drinking

 

Men taking Viagra risk sex diseases

 

More seniors, minorities, obese mean more glaucoma in U.S.

 

Low Vitamin D levels linked to Increased Parkinson's disease risk

 

Higher vitamin E intake tied to lower dementia risk

 

Exercise may be best thing to fight Alzheimer's

 

Cancer survivors urged to exercise

 

Are ‘engineered’ foods making us fatter?

 

Many Americans overtreated to death

 

9 in 10 docs blame lawsuit fears for overtesting

 

Most Americans consume too much salt

 

Study: Botox paralyzes your emotions, too

 

Coffee cuts risk of head, neck cancers

 

Pot smoking can worsen schizophrenia

 

More adults diagnosed with cystic fibrosis

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Zantac 150 mg pill on the left is very similar in size and shape to
a Zyrtec 120 mg pill on the right.  Although both medications also
come in different strengths, shapes and color, they are still confused
with one another.  Zantac, manufactured by Glaxo, is used for many
gastrointestinal disorders.  Zyrtec, manufactured by Pfizer, is
an antihistamine used for the treatment of hives or urticaria. 
(Composite image by WydeWorld.com.  Photos courtesy of Drugs.com)
 
 
 
 
On the left, a South African doctor displays a container of medicinal leeches.  On
the right, a young Russian woman undergoes leech treatment for facial infections.
In the U.S., the FDA gave its approval for the use of medicinal leeches in 2004
for some applications and their use in American hospitals is spreading.
(Composite image by WydeWorld.com. 
Photo on left, courtesy Science in Africa Magazine.  Photo on right courtesy Reuters.)
 
 
 

 

Microscopic image of gonorrhea bacteria.

(Photo courtesy CDC, Centers for Disease Control)

  

This page was last modified on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 11:59:11 PM