Month: April 2015

TIME reported that a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity suggests that “taking a probiotic supplement may in fact help improve mood.” (more…)

The Los Angeles Times reports that according to a review of clinical trials for weight loss programs published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, dieters should “consider trying Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers” to “maximize their chances for long-term weight loss.” (more…)

The New York Times “Well” blog reports that “some leading vitamin stores,” including Vitamin Shoppe, “have announced that they were pulling from their shelves a group of supplements that may contain” an amphetamine-like stimulant called BMPEA. (more…)

USA Today reports that a study led by Harvard researchers published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis found that some weight-loss and sports supplements contain ingredients similar to amphetamines rather than the plant extract their labels indicate they include. (more…)

Forbes reports that “a 2013 survey by the American Psychiatric Association found that one-third of working Americans experienced chronic work stress, while only 36 percent reported their employers provided adequate support to manage it.” (more…)

Forbes contributor Larry Husten writes, “In a paper published in Circulation, researchers scrutinized all SCA [sudden cardiac arrest] cases in people 35-65 years old in the Portland, Oregon area over a ten year period — the first such analysis performed in the United States, say the authors.” (more…)

Reuters reports that a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, physical therapy appears to be as efficacious as surgical decompression for alleviating symptoms of the condition that affects older people. (more…)

AFP reports, “Vigorous exercise, the kind that makes you sweat, get red in the face, and breathe hard, may be better than moderate exercise when it comes to living longer,” according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. (more…)

CNN reports that instilling empathy among doctors pays off for patient care. "Oncotalk," which was developed by medical faculty at Duke, the University of Pittsburgh, and several other medical schools, is part of a burgeoning effort to teach doctors an essential but often overlooked skill: clinical empathy. (more…)

USA Today reported that anti-aging products purporting to “change the skin’s structure or function – by stimulating the production of skin-firming collagen” – are receiving heightened scrutiny from the FDA. (more…)

USA Today reports that a study published in Pediatrics found that “10 out of 102 breast milk samples purchased online contained at least 10% cow’s milk.” (more…)

ABC World News reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study suggesting that many US preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) are inappropriately receiving only medication to treat the condition. (more…)

TIME reports that a study published in the journal Diabetologia suggests that “every hour spent sitting in front of the TV can increase your risk of diabetes” by “3.4%.” (more…)

The New York Daily News reports that a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests that “exploding head syndrome” may be “much less rare than previously” believed. (more…)

NBC Nightly News reported that research published in BMJ suggests acetaminophen may “not be as effective for back pain as they’ve been told.” (more…)

I’m not sure that reducing the number of risks mentioned in drug ads will actually serve the public well. I hope the FDA doesn’t make such drugs seem safer than they really are. And, in my opinion, the best solution of all would be to eliminate direct-to-consumer advertising completely. (more…)

USA Today reports that research published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that “an apple a day does not keep the doctor away.” (more…)

ConsumerLab.com has obtained results of the FDA's inspections in 2014 of 483 dietary supplement manufacturing facilities, showing that most – 62% – received letters indicating noncompliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). (more…)

In an editorial, the New York Times says that an agreement announced by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and GNC “should provide protection against fraudulent herbal products that don’t contain the ingredients listed on their labels or contain unlisted ingredients that are potentially dangerous.” (more…)

The New York Times reports that dietary supplement maker GNC is expected to announce that the company has “agreed to institute sweeping new testing procedures that far exceed quality controls mandated under federal law.” (more…)

According to an AP report, fourteen attorneys general asked Congress to launch an investigation of the herbal supplements industry and to consider giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stronger oversight of the industry, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced.  (more…)

LifeSiteNews reports that Irish families have joined with international medical experts and disability advocacy groups to launch the Geneva Declaration on Perinatal Care at the United Nations. The Declaration, which is the centerpiece to a global campaign to end disability discrimination caused by the “incompatible with life” label, has already been signed by more than 200 medical practitioners and researchers and 27 disability and advocacy NGOs. It aims to improve care for mother and baby where a life-limiting condition has been diagnosed before or after birth. (more…)

Major newspapers, wire sources and media outlets cover the release of a report by the Institute of Medicine suggesting that raising the legal age to purchase cigarettes to age 21 in the US would greatly reduce the number of people who take up smoking and would also prevent a large number of deaths and health issues. (more…)

Reuters reports that research published in JAMA Oncology suggests that being fit in middle age may be linked to a lower risk of certain cancers in men. (more…)

USA Today writes about a new report that urges banning the sale of energy drinks to children and adolescents as they can be harmful, citing a study in the journal Nutrition Reviews. (more…)

The Wall Street Journal reports that research suggests that episodes of intense anger may bring on a variety of health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, and may also be linked to insulin resistance and problems with sleep. (more…)

TIME reports that an editorial published in the BMJ underscores the dangers of the growing practice of “buying, selling and trading breast milk” online. (more…)

The CBS News reported that today’s marijuana is “more potent by far than the weed sold a generation ago, according to new data being presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).” (more…)

The Los Angeles Times “Science Now” blog reports that a study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that “omega-3 fatty acids helped improve attention spans of boys with or without” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). (more…)

In a statement to Medscape Medical News, AMA President Robert M. Wah, MD, said, “While immediate access to online information has been of great benefit to patients and health care professionals, the American Medical Association is greatly concerned that a substantial proportion of health information on the Internet might be inaccurate, erroneous, outdated, misleading, or fraudulent, and thereby pose a threat to patients and public health.” (more…)