Clarification on the latest statin/adult onset diabetes discussion accompanied by gender, ethnicity and body typing details was published in the Los Angeles Times.
Does the nicotine patch or nicotine gum programs succeed at helping patients give up smoking or are they only temporarily reducing tobacco addictions? With a high number of relapses, it appears that only those individuals who rigidly adhere to the treatment plan will achieve their goal. See the New York Times article for specific information.
Although it is not strictly a health article this piece by Jane E. Brody on living life well has some solid tips. It's a New York Times gem suitable for sharing with adult children.
Fruit from Brazil is being scrutinized more heavily after orange juice made from fruit grown in Brazil contained low levels of a fungicide residue not allowed in the U.S. The FDA has halted such imports while it conducts testing according to a Bloomberg update.
Yet another reason to show care and compassion to friends grieving a loss.
Was poor government oversight of health care products partly responsible for the approval of breast implants that may endanger the health of recipients? Women living with potentially faulty PIP breast implants face different remedies depending on where they live notes this BBC News report. Belgian women are being told to see their doctors to check for leakage and if necessary, have the implants removed. In Mexico, no incidents of leakage or cancers have been found among plastic surgery patients with the implants, so no recalls has been made, according to Yahoo! News. Meanwhile, up to 25,000 patients having surgery in Brazil could have received PIP implants, but most Brazilians are reported to have gotten a local brand filled with California gel manufactured to medical standards. Austrian women may also be at risk according to the France24 website.
The FDA hopes to speed up the long process of generic drug approvals by hiring more reviewers who will be paid by new fees collected from pharmaceutical companies reports USA Today. The question arises, does speeding up the FDA approvals process result in a net benefit to the public? A Bloomberg article addresses the hazards in rushing drug and device approvals by citing the breast implants (not FDA approved) shown to be unreliable.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a bandage that hold promise for speeding wound healing by triggering the growth of blood vessels at the injury site.
Tai chi is helpful to people suffering from balance issues, particularly those with Parkinson's according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, reports Bloomberg. (updated)
For a while, sleep clinics were a great source of revenue reports The Fiscal Times. Today costly sleep apnea tests are carefully targeted with most patients being offered alternatives before being prescribed a sleep machine.
More on genetically modified food and the micro-RNA they might be communicating to our cells, ultimately influencing metabolic function--from an article by Ari LeVaux in The Atlantic. Research coming out of China challenges the "substantial equivalence" label affixed to GM seeds, a concept repeatedly rejected by other scientists.
The fashion industry has always shunned normal-size women for photo shoots and runways. The latest ABC News report reveals that new models are smaller than ever, almost anorexic. If you can't find any outfit that looks good in your size, remember that fashion is sold with models bearing no resemblance to the average woman's proportions.
Organic farming hippies had it right...Chemically enhanced processed meats have been linked to pancreatic cancer. What to do? Break that sausage and bacon habit, reduce the red meat you consume, cut those sandwich meats, stop smoking and reduce the quantity of what you eat if you're overweight.
With the explosion of on breast cancer events and news about mammograms it is hard to believe there is still a large knowledge gap when women are asked about their cancer treatment choice and the potential consequences for different types of surgical intervention. HealthDay News reports on the surprising lack of information patients have been getting about their options.
Why obesity as well as aging appear to elevate cancer risk are but two of the puzzling questions the National Cancer Institute will be exploring under Director Harold Varmus.
Why would a medical school consider accepting a candidate with a criminal record (for more than a minor traffic violation)?
What do you think of this new sound amplifier described by Bloomberg as an alternative for older adults with moderate hearing loss who don't want to spend a fortune on a traditional hearing aid? ($800 pr.)
Bloomberg reports that the Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurance companies were drastically overpaid by the government to provide healthcare to seniors (approximately $3 billion dollars in 2010). This costs all of us.
Looking behind a pharmaceutical company's celebratory financial news highlights a substantial expense contributing to the rising cost of drugs. Aside from research, data analysis, clinical trials and FDA compliance expenditures is the high cost of executive salaries. According to footnoted.com pre-negotiated golden parachutes for departing executives come due when drug companies are purchased.
Surprisingly the jury is still out (RE: health and environmental safety) on nano materials that allow our paint and cosmetics go on so smoothly. You also find them in the latest formulations for sunscreen. The National Academy of Sciences has yet to declare these substances void of risk. What happens when they are absorbed by the body? Do they pose any danger when they leach into the environment, asks the New York Times.
Roll Call offers an update on the political posturing behind health care reform as the law is about to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
