All news posts from May 01, 2008 to May 31, 2008

Countless thousands of Americans may be driving on tires prone to fall apart, especially in hot climates and at high speeds, due to a widely unknown danger—the age of tire. 

While no one knows the cause of SIDS, new research points to a higher level of E. coli and staph bacteria found in infants who died of SIDS. The mysterious disease kills 2,500 U.S. babies a year.

With a barrage of bad news about Chantix, and an FDA review underway into the hundreds of serious adverse events, drugmaker Pfizer plans a major ad campaign to bolster the drug's tarnished image.

Researchers suspect that the rise in C-sections is due more to the convenience factor than medical necessity. Women are warned against opting for a preterm C-section, because of the potential for harm to the newborn. 

Newly proposed drug label changes will include information on the good, the bad, and the recent data on prescription medications, taken during the approximately six million pregnancies a year in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that after a two decade rise, childhood obesity rates seem to have leveled off. It may not be time to break out the ice cream and cake in celebration. One in three children in this country is overweight or obese and face a lifetime of health challenges. 

Congress mandated the FDA do a better job protecting the public after the Vioxx debacle. With that mandate, this year has seen new funding and authority of the agency over drugmakers. As a result, drug approvals are facing a slowdown, and the FDA is telling drugmakers they'll have to wait.

Dr. Ruth Peters, a child psychologist for nearly 30 years, believes there is a time and place for placebo pills for your children.

Elderly patients who are given antipsychotic drugs for symptoms of dementia, are three times as likely to experience serious health problems or death within a month of use, compared to those patients not given the drugs, according to a published study by Canadian researchers.

Should there be a placebo pill to quiet an ill child? There is now.  A Maryland mother has founded a placebo pill company and soon parents will be able to quiet children into sleep by giving them a fake pill. But what are the ethical considerations?

The FDA is sorting through hundreds of adverse reports on Chantix, the smoking cessation drug blamed for everything from psychotic episodes to fainting and depression. The underfunded agency admits the search is slow while the drug remains on the market. 

Two bills before the California legislature tighten regulations on cosmetic procedures, the doctors that perform them, and the outpatient clinics where they are frequently done. The bills follow the death of Donda West, mother of music producer and rapper, Kanye West.

The next generation needs to be safer than the current standard, DEET, so researchers at the University of Florida have found an active ingredient in pepper lasts longer and may be superior. 

Up to 24,000 deaths a year among Californians are linked to air pollution, new research finds.  That is triple the previous estimate and may be shaving off up to 10 years of life of those living in congested areas.  

Operators of heavy machinery, including airplanes and now tractor-trailers as well as air traffic controllers, are all banned from using the smoking cessation drug, Chantix.   Included in the many adverse reports are accidents involving drivers who become psychotic, dizzy or unconscious.

Researches wanted to determine if erectile dysfunction (ED) in diabetic men could be a trustworthy and independent warning sign that more severe health issues may be on the horizon. The answer in two published studies was yes. Those diabetics with ED were 58 percent more likely to have fatal heart disease or a heart attack or other non-fatal heart events. 

Researchers, looking for a simple blood test to determine if a woman is a good candidate for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), find that when the ratio of “bad” to “good” cholesterol is high, she is not a good candidate for HRT of estrogen alone or estrogen plus progestin.

People may tend to think of smoking as an individual habit, but people tend to smoke and quit in clusters of three, researchers find from this 30-year-old study.  Looking to your social network will help you quit.

Airline pilots who smoke and want to kick the habit are forbidden from using the smoking cessation drug, Chantix. That decision was made Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration citing psychiatric side effects that make flying unsafe.

Teenagers, especially first time blood donors, experience more complications when they donate than adults, according to the American Red Cross. More than 10 percent had complications. School blood drives are finding ways to make bruising or fainting less likely as teen donations are crucial to supplementing the nation's blood supply. 

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist says that large health insurers have done very well and must now cover children with autism. "It's the right thing," he said today signing the meaure into law.  The legislation does not help those without health insurance.

Sen. Ted Kennedy, 76, and his family must decide on options to treat his brain tumor, a malignant glioma. Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery are options. Kennedy is the third longest serving senator in U.S. history.

As internet search engine Google expands into medical software, patients will have more and easier access to information and research, while doctors can get to know them easier.  But beware of privacy concerns as this is uncharted territory, some warn.

Just as stress has a measurable effect on adults, so might it have a measurable impact on the developing fetus, according to Boston researchers. This study finds those mothers who live with the most stress while pregnant, may give birth to babies with more allergies or asthma. 

85 cases of hepatitis C have now been linked to a Las Vegas clinic where shoddy public health practices put thousands in danger. Now the CDC is laying blame directly on the workers for reusing syringes, failing to wear gloves when administering medication and reusing cleaning solution for colonoscopy equipment. 

11 states are removing beef from store shelves after an E. coli contamination was announced by federal officials.  The recall is being conducted by JSM Meat Holdings of Chicago. The beef products are distributed under different brand names.  The USDA reported Friday that no illnesses had been reported. 

Touching dry pet food or pet treats can be hazardous to your health.  Salmonella bacteria has been found in lots of dry food that went to 19 states in 2006 and 2007. It did not make pets sick but sickened humans. You're urged to wash hands after touching pet treats or food.

Exposure to ten minutes of sunshine a day without sunscreen may help provide valuable vitamin D that is increasingly being shown to be important in the fight against breast cancer.

A 14-year-old girl whose feet were severed by a ride at Six Flags Kentucky has filed a lawsuit and joined Rep. Edward Markey in calling for federal oversight through the CPSC over amusement parks.

Trasylol has been removed from U.S. stockpiles as a Canadian study confirms it leads to more patient deaths from heart attack and strokes. The drug, already recalled by Bayer, should not be used except in rare cases, researchers conclude.

Lawyers for Merck & Co. have successfully overturned a $32 million verdict in favor of a man's widow after he had a heart attack following one month taking the painkiller, Vioxx.  Merck has agreed to pay a $4.85 billion settlement and is facing about 27,000 other lawsuits.

Actor Dennis Quaid told lawmakers today that he used to think "frivolous lawsuits" were a problem, that is until his family became a victim of medical errors. Don't take away the right to find a remedy through the courts, he told lawmakers considering "Federal Preemption" that protects manufacturers of products if they're approved by the FDA. 

As the August 8th date nears for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese capital is reporting its first cases and deaths of hand, foot, mouth disease in children.  Generally adults can ward off the viral infection but it can turn to encephalitis in adults and in children.

When ultrasound is combined with mammography, the most difficult to find breast cancers were detected. This is particularly useful for diagnosis in dense breasts, the study authors conclude. But expect a lot of false-positives.

As if breast feeding was not good enough for baby, a Swedish study says that women who breast-fed for over a year had a substially reduced risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis, a painful auti-immune disease.

Tiny particles of pollution in the air, a fraction of the width of a hair, seem to increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis(DVT)  or blood clots in the legs.  The study was done at the Harvard School of Public Health and is the first to suggest that air particulates are not just bad for the heart but also for the veins.

In a shocking break with the medical community, Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the NIH, says the medical community has been too quick to dismiss parents concerns of an autism-vaccine link. It deserves study she says and was concerned by a 2004 report that said look no further. Some children should be included in a sub-set that never get vaccines or receive them on an alternate schedule, she believes.

The national vaccine court, a no-fault payout system that protects manufacturers, will consider the test case of two 10-year old boys with autism to see if their conditions merit compensation under the fund.

The state of Illinois and a state trooper are facing a $24 million wrongful death lawsuit after the trooper collided with a car killing two sisters while he reportedly talked on  the cellphone driving over 100 mph.  This is his third collision.  

Teens who self-medicate with marijuana are more likely to worsen symptoms of depression, a White House report says. Girls are more likely than boys to feel depression. In all about 2 million teens are affected. Despite their experience with pot, parents should not ignore the signs, Dr. Drew Pinsky, addiction expert says.

Flu manufacturers say they are ready to produce even more doses of the flu vaccine for the upcoming fall flu season despite the fact that last years was only 44 percent effective. Federal health officials are meeting in Atlanta this week to try and predict what to be prepared for this year.

The most expansive public health investigation in U.S. history has added more names to the list of victims. Now health officials say 85 former patients of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada have been diagnosed with hepatitis C. Hundreds of others also have the disease but may have risk factors forcasting the complications involving the class-action litigation that lies ahead.

Across the country at least 400 people are killed every year bystanders of police pursuits. Now in two seperate cases, officers are being charged in connection with the deaths of innocents while public advocacy groups are asking for a more rational approach to apprehending the bad guy. 

Sleep may be among the most powerful anti-aging and health restoring activities we can do. A national survey of 87,000 by the CDC finds the greater risks of obesity, smoking and drinking are found in those who sleep too little or too much. 

In the event of a terrorist attack, U.S. hospitals in seven cities are already unprepared and cannot take further cuts to Medicaid, public health hospital emergency rooms and physician training, lawmakers discussed.

As China prepared for the summer olympics, health officials are being called on the carpet for being too tight lipped about a viral infection that has killed 28 children and is spreading across the country.

A new report on smoking shows that to heal completely and reduce your risk of lung cancer, it takes 30 years after one quits. Meanwhile American tobacco companies export cigarettes to Third World countries, which are expected to see millions die from smoking-related diseases.

Sweden is the best place for mothers and by implication the survival of their infants according to a Save the Children annual report. Ethiopia is among the worst places where 84 percent of children never receive the basics in medical care.

In this first of its kind study, children who are adopted were found to have a slight risk for ADHD unless they came from South Korea.  American born children who are later adopted, may develop problems because of in utero health.

McGill University researchers in Canada found that breastfed babies had a six point overall higher intelligence score on IQ tests. Breastfeeding is also associated with a lower cancer risk and helps burns calories to get woman back into pre-pregnancy shape faster.

For those on ibuprofen for five years of more, ibuprofen was shown to cut the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's by up to 40 percent.   Ibuprofen includes Advil and Motrin, but Boston University School of Medicine researchers are stopping short of recommending a daiily dose because of the risks. 

St. Petersburg, Florida neighbors to defense contractor Raytheon, have filed two class-action lawsuits against the company for contaminating groundwater. Raytheon denies the drinking water is contaminated.

SuperTarget stores began removing prepared burritos and wraps from store shelves sold under the Archer Farms label after a possible Listeria contamination was uncovered by USDA and Florida food inspectors. This is the second recall since March for this Queens, New York-based food producer.

This study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden finds that the number of fat cells for life may be set by the young adult years.  Researchers warn against over feeding children too early in life.

You cover your face with sun screen, why not your lips? About 3,500 cases of lip cancer are reported each year and some theorize that lip gloss intensifies the sun. Wearing a lip balm with a SPF of 30 offers the best protection. 

The CDC is seeing more measles in the first four months of this year than in any time period over the last seven years.  The outbreak is due to foreign travel, failure to vaccinate and failure to follow safety protocols for contagious disease in medical clinics.

Last night Minnesota lawmakers worked out a $38 million compromise plan under which victims of the Minneapolis bridge collapse can receive up to $400,000 to settle their case, avoiding trial.  Those injured more severely can still file lawsuits tapping into a $12 million fund.  Gusset supports on the 1967 built bridge that were too thin to hold its weight is the leading theory on why it collapsed. 

Aspirin is known to help with muscle aches, headache and possibly even reduce the risk of colon cancer. But this is just the latest in a line of positive studies about aspirin. This NIH survey finds that regular aspirin consumption cut the risk of breast cancer by 16 percent over the seven years studied.

Exciting research finds that the greater number of trees, the reduction in asthma incidents among youngsters in New York City.  Researchers hope to expand their research around the "Million Trees NYC" project that will see one million new trees planted in the city over the next 10 years.

Move over Los Angeles, Pittsburgh has grabbed your thunder and not in a good way. The American Lung Association in its “State of the Air” report released Thursday, says Pittsburgh surpassed Los Angeles because of short-term particle pollution which combines ash, soot, chemicals, metals diesel and aerosols as well as smog or ozone.