Month: March 2015

The Wall Street Journal reports that research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that adhering to a plant-based diet may be linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reported that a 2014 “controversial meta-analysis” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine was “widely misconstrued to promote a diet high in saturated fats.” (more…)

Apple is unveiling the Research Kit platform, which will allow apps on iPhones to let people volunteer to participate in medical research studies, potentially giving a boost to the studies, which face a challenge in signing up participants. (more…)

USA Today reports that a new study in Public Health Nutrition suggests that “parents have failed to get the message that sugary drinks — beyond soda — are not healthy for kids.” (more…)

NBC Nightly News reported that “a major study out ... is raising new questions about the reliability of breast cancer biopsies.” (more…)

The Boston Globe reports the Food and Drug Administration released the results of a 2012 study that tested milk samples from almost 2,000 dairy farms for contamination by 31 drugs, mostly antibiotics. (more…)

The FDA’s approval of Sandoz’s Zarxio (filgrastim-sndz), the biosimilar version of Amgen’s anti-cancer biologic drug Neupogen (filgrastim), was covered by both major broadcasts networks and national print outlets. The approval was widely expected following a FDA advisory panel’s unanimous decision to recommend Zarxio for approval. (more…)

The NBC News reports that a study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting “suggests that people who lose as little as half an hour of sleep on a weekday have change in their metabolism that might help them gain weight and that might even put them on the road to diabetes.” (more…)

The Washington Post reports that the World Health Organization “recommended that adults and children reduce their daily intake of ‘free’ sugars—such as fructose or table sugar added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices—to less than 10 percent of their total energy take.” (more…)

The New York Times reports “changes made to government-subsidized meals by the Obama administration to get schoolchildren to eat more fruits are having their intended effect, according to a (recent) study." (more…)

TIME reports that research “published in PLOS Biology suggests that after age 30, people generally only get the flu about twice a decade.” (more…)

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reports that research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting suggests that “whatever one’s age, gender or health status, sticking with the Mediterranean diet is the single most powerful step a person can take to drive down his or her heart disease risk.” (more…)

USA Today reports that the CDC has “released a report ... which found that more than one-third of truck drivers who die in vehicle crashes are not wearing a seat belt.” (more…)

Bloomberg News reports, “Millions of people take pills known as statins each year to lower their cholesterol levels.” Now, “a new study shows the medicine may raise their risk of developing diabetes.” (more…)

USA Today reports the US Food and Drug Administration announced it will require manufacturers of prescription testosterone therapy “to include a warning about health risks on product labels,” and the agency advised men using such products to “contact a doctor if they develop symptoms of heart attack or stroke.” (more…)

TIME reports that research presented at an American Heart Association meeting suggests that “getting children to encourage their peers to exercise may be the best way to inspire kids to stay more active.” (more…)

Two weeks ago I shared with you some thoughts (Assisted suicide and putting lipstick on a pig) from my friend, jon Imbody, who serves the Christian Medical Association as VP for Government Relations. I thought you might also enjoy a piece he did for the Baltimore Sun: (more…)

Each year, ConsumerLab.com surveys its free e-newsletter subscribers about the vitamins and supplements that they use. The results below are based on 10,329 responses collected in November, 2014. (more…)

A recent survey of over 10,000 people who use dietary supplements shows the most popular dietary supplement to be fish oil, followed by multivitamins, CoQ10, vitamin D, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, probiotics, and vitamin C. (more…)

HealthDay News is reporting, “Some good news, guys: A new analysis of penis sizes will help reassure most of you that you're normal.” (more…)

USA Today reports teenagers in the US “were able to buy e-cigarettes online in 94% of attempts,” although sales of e-cigarettes to minors are banned in 41 US states, citing a study unveiled in JAMA Pediatrics. (more…)

The New York Times reports in its “Well” blog that the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is recommending that the FDA and the EPA “‘re-evaluate’ their stance on tuna for pregnant women,” saying the benefits of albacore tuna for infant development far outweigh the risks associated with mercury exposure. (more…)

Reuters reports that research published online in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that peanut consumption may be linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease. (more…)

Bloomberg News reports that a “study, published this month in the Journal of Human Lactation, looked at data on the diets of 315 mothers and their babies in the Boston area, collected as part of a US Department of Agriculture-funded study.” (more…)

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reports that research published in Heart suggests that individuals “who drink between three and five cups of coffee a day are likely to have less coronary artery calcium (CAC) than those who drink no coffee at all.” (more…)

TIME reports that a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that “a high-intensity cardio workout may do a better job of decreasing blood sugar levels than lower intensity exercise.” (more…)

The New York Times reports that a new study published in the journal Health Affairs found that the U.S. News & World Report, Consumer Reports, Healthgrades, and the Leapfrog Group rating systems for hospitals “frequently come to very different conclusions about which hospitals are the best — or worst — potentially adding to the confusion over health care quality, rather than alleviating it.” (more…)

USA Today reports on a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published online at JAMA Pediatrics that found that “twenty-one percent of high school girls have been physically or sexually assaulted by someone they dated,” while “ten percent of high school boys also report having been physically or sexually assaulted by a dating partner.” (more…)

Infants and children get a lot of shots (vaccinations) to prevent many different diseases. Because some people are concerned about vaccine side effects, I wanted to provide my readers with the most up-to-date information to address these concern. (more…)

I recently read a stunning commentary by an ethicist I admire, Wesley J. Smith, in the February 20, 2015 edition of First Things titled, The Coming of Medical Martyrdom. I hope you find it educational and enlightening -- and understanding the chilling impact that may occur in American medicine in the not too distant future: (more…)