Month: July 2012

The AP reports that gonorrhea "is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization [WHO] said." (more…)

To glowing reports and near universal praise, the Walt Disney company announced new nutrition standards for food products targeted at children and advertised on its children directed media. (more…)

NBC Nightly News reported on new research that "could lead to a simple way of telling women who have already been treated for breast cancer, whether their disease could come back." (more…)

The Los Angeles Times "Booster Shots" blog reports that a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association "suggests that, for the depressed, getting psychotherapy by phone might make sense." (more…)

USA Today reported, "A study published last fall in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found a drop in levels of testosterone, a hormone associated with masculinity, when men became first-time fathers." (more…)

AP reports, "Hospitals across the country have been adding programs in palliative care – which focuses on treating pain, minimizing side effects, coordinating care among doctors and ensuring the concerns of patients and their families are addressed – at a feverish pace.” (more…)

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) raised a red flag, saying the risk of bleeding even from low dose aspirin everyday is greater than previously thought. (more…)

The CNN "The Chart" blog reports, "The old adage, "all good things in moderation," may be true, especially when it comes to exercise," according to two new studies. (more…)

ABC World News reported, "More than 1.2 million Americans will suffer a heart attack this year and today, a new report declared one state, North Carolina, is showing the rest of us how to save lives." (more…)

Another study supports the antioxidant goodness of dark, but not milk, chocolate. (more…)

Reuters reports that according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who drank water instead of fruit juice or sugary sodas appeared to have about a seven percent less risk for developing type 2 diabetes. (more…)

The National Journal reports, "A new story from Consumer Reports highlights how extreme price variation and sketchy transparency can mean that even insured patients often end up on the hook for huge, unanticipated bills." (more…)

Magnesium supplements are among the most popular supplements in the U.S. But which magnesium supplements are best? (more…)

A big new study says common pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen can cut the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma. On NBC Nightly News, chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman, MD, explained, "In a Danish study published in 'Cancer,' over 18,000 people who took these drugs for several years had decreased cancer rates of malignant melanoma." Investigators found that people taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) "were less likely to develop skin cancer – including squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma – especially when they took the drugs for at least seven years or used them at least twice a week," the Time "Healthland" blog reports. (more…)

In an editorial, the New York Times addresses the controversy surrounding the recent United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on PSA testing. (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Food and Drug Administration is warning that a fake version of Adderall (amphetamine, dextroamphetamine mixed salts) is being sold on the Internet. The AP reports that the agency "says the product purports to be 30-milligram Adderall tablets, but it does not contain the right ingredients. The pills contain the pain drugs tramadol and acetaminophen instead." The Boston Globe reports that the agency, in a media statement, said, "Consumers should be extra cautious when buying their medicines from online sources." According to the FDA, "Rogue websites and distributors may especially target medicines in short supply for counterfeiting." (more…)

The Chicago Tribune reports, "Obese women may have an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis." (more…)

The Huffington Post reported, "A new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reveals that 50 percent of young adults ages 18 through 29 say they've had at least one sunburn in the past year." (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reported, "A shot glass full of sunscreen should be applied to exposed skin every day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, but most people apply just 25% to 50% of the recommended amount." (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Consumer Reports tested some popular brands" of sunscreen and found that "the best choices are not necessarily the most expensive." (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Women who are past menopause and healthy should not take hormone replacement therapy in hopes of warding off dementia, bone fractures or heart disease, according to a new analysis by the" US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). (more…)

The Dallas Morning News reports, "A new study by Irving-based Kimberly-Clark Corp. says the office break room and kitchen are some of the most germ-contaminated areas in the workplace." (more…)

Reuters reports on a study of 10,000 medical malpractice claims during the years 2002-2005 published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study found that a little over half (55 percent) result in lawsuits. Of those, over half are dismissed; most of the remaining are resolved before a verdict, with under five percent resulting in a trial verdict. (more…)

USA Today reports, "Taking a calcium supplement to help prevent bones from thinning puts people at a greater risk for heart attacks, says a report out in the journal Heart." The study involved about "24,000 people between the ages of 35 and 64." (more…)

Body-building and weight-loss products are the types of dietary supplements most likely to cause liver injury, according to a small new study. (more…)

The Los Angeles Times "Booster Shots" blog reports that "losing as little as 5% of one's body weight – 10 pounds for a 200-pound woman – drives down levels of estrogen and other hormones that raise breast cancer risk," according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. (more…)

Many American teenagers, including some with a normal, healthy weight, already have one or more risk factors for heart disease, researchers say. (more…)

A new study shows type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes have skyrocketed among adolescents. USA Today reports, "Diabetes and pre-diabetes have skyrocketed among the nation's young people, jumping from 9% of the adolescent population in 2000 to 23% in 2008," according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. For the study, researchers "examined health data on about 3,400 adolescents ages 12 to 19 from 1999 through 2008. They participated in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey." The study authors "found little significant change in the last decade for teen rates of hypertension or abnormal cholesterol," the Washington Post "On Parenting" blog reports. "There was also little change in the percentage of overweight and obese teens, but at 34 percent that figure remains troubling." However, "it was the spike…

USA Today reports, "Ever wonder why health care costs keep rising faster than inflation? One major contributor is America's struggle with weight." (more…)

The AP reports, "Half the nation's overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and other cardiac problems," according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. (more…)