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10 Jan 2012 15:32

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World: Medical company Novartis issues some worrisome drug recalls

  • scary Novartis, a Swiss medical company, has issued a recall on an array of its popular over-the-counter products: Excedrin, Bufferin, NoDoz and Gas-X. Why? In the first place, the pills in the bottles might be broken or chipped, altering the manner in which they interact with the body.
  • scarier Or the bottles could contain pills from other Novartis products, like Percocet, Endocet, Opana and Zydone. So far, the company is unaware of any reported side effects from this foul-up. Production has been shut down in the plant responsible for the problems. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Oct 2011 00:53

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U.S.: Vitamin E: Um, you should be careful with that one, guys

  • If you have normal levels, the vitamin is probably of no benefit, and if you take too much, you can be harmed.
  • Dr. Eric Klein of the Cleveland Clinic • Discussing the potential benefit of taking Vitamin E supplements — for most people, there is none. But there is a major downside. A recent study showed that men who took vitamin E supplements (which have very high levels of the vitamin) were 17% more likely to get prostate cancer — even once they stopped taking the supplements.  Lesson of the day: Take vitamins in moderation.  source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Oct 2011 23:21

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World: Study: Chocolate could help lower heart risk for women

  • claimEat more chocolate (in moderation), have a lower risk of getting a stroke? A Swedish study of 33,000 women seemed to come to that sweet confectionary conclusion. Dark chocolate had a better effect on heart health than other kinds.
  • rebuttal Doctors still haven’t recommended chocolate as the best way to reduce the risk of having a stroke, though. They do recommend “blood pressure medicine, quitting smoking, exercising more and eating a healthier diet.” source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 13:16

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U.S.: Breast cancer trial: At-risk patients helped by new drug

  • 65% decreased risk after taking hormone-blocking pill source
  • » A huge step forward: The study, which involved 4,500 people, represents progress towards a safe-to-take drug that prevents breast cancer in at-risk patients. While anti-estrogen drugs already exist on the market, they’ve had pretty horrific side effects that discourage their use. So far, aromatase inhibitors don’t have any of these side effects — but it’s important to note that there haven’t been long-term studies with this, either. (This is the first time researchers tested an aromatase inhibitor tested clinically.) However, it’s still encouraging and worth keeping an eye on.
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Mar 2011 15:02

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Tech: New research may foreshadow leap in heart disease prevention

  • 13 gene regions linked to heart disease by scientific research source
  • » Cracking the heart disease code: As anybody with a family history, or personal history of heart disease knows, it’s a frightening and pervasive concern. It should come as thrilling news, then, that a group of scientists believe they’ve located thirteen different gene regions that may indicate a vulnerability to heart attack. Though the knowledge is admittedly limited, and is likely years from practical application in a doctor’s office, advancements like these are what give us hope for a brighter, healthier future, with fewer people unexpectedly dropping dead.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jan 2011 01:02

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U.S.: Scientists know why you’re going bald (it’s not what you think)

  • The fact that there are normal numbers of stem cells in bald scalp gives us hope for reactivating those stem cells.
  • Dr George Cotsarelis • Raising optimism towards the idea that baldness can be reversed. Cotsarelis and his team at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that the root of baldness is way different than anyone was expecting – instead of hair falling out, the hair grows so small as to be invisible to the human eye. But on the plus side, this could possibly be reversed through the use of creams and other things to get those stem cells doing their thing. No word on whether Cotsarelis is also a client of Hair Club for Men. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Nov 2010 20:27

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U.S.: Yo smokers: Want a shot against lung cancer? Get an early CT scan

  • 20% higher survival rate with CT scans over x-rays source
  • » The results were so positive that the National Lung Screening Trial actually ended early because the results so obviously favored CT scans for early detection. While it’s not a cure for cancer, it definitely offers lung cancer sufferers a chance at survival they didn’t have before.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

01 Oct 2010 13:53

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World: U.S. infected Guatemalans with syphilis in ’40s; now they’re sorry

  • 696 people were infected during the disturbing 1940s study
  • 1946 The U.S. begins a scary sounding syphilis experiment in Guatemala, infecting prison inmates, women and mental patients with the STD. Because that’s ethical.
  • 2010 An author researching a similar test at Tuskegee discovers the study and informs the U.S. government, who’s very sorry for doing that. Really sorry. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2010 11:07

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Tech: Loyola University scientists make a HIV research breakthrough

  • great! Loyola University researchers pinpointed the key elements of a protein, TRIM5a, that destroys HIV in monkeys. With a $225,000 microscope. Give them a raise!
  • … but More research needs to be done to figure out how to make the protein do the same thing for humans. Get back to work, you bums! Monkeys aren’t people. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jun 2010 11:37

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U.S.: People are abusing painkillers more than ever before

  • 145k number of emergency visits caused by the nonmedical abuse of painkillers of 2004
  • 305k number of emergency visits caused by the nonmedical abuse of painkillers in 2008
  • 111% the size of the increase; the CDC says urgent action is needed to limit further abuse source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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