According to reports by the CDC, 2012 saw the worst whooping cough outbreak since 1959, with 18,000 cases of the disease by July. And a new study shows that the newer acellular vaccines may be to blame, at least to some extent. Researchers found that the older, “whole-cell” whooping cough vaccine was more protective than [...]
The post Whooping cough vaccine trade-offs: newer but less effective appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Search
It’s no secret that the world is facing a terrible scenario as antibiotics that used to be very effective in treating bacterial infections are failing one by one due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. And as if this problem wasn’t bad enough, the cessation of most antibiotic research by major pharmaceutical companies all but guarantees that this problem will become far worse. [...]
The post The downside of cancer research appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Kudos are due to the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune for their stand against a proposal to levy a penny-an-ounce tax on a wide variety of beverages — including sports and energy drinks and bottled teas, among others. The monies raised via these proposed taxes are aimed, ostensibly, at helping the fight against [...]
The post Common sense in California — for a change appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Today’s New York Times has an editorial which future generations will read and discuss as evidence of the former “paper of record’s” descent into its own fantasy-land. Entitled An Opening to Strengthen Chemical Regulations, the disconnect between reality and the solipsism of the Times’ editorial board is put into high relief by their thesis: Now [...]
The post New York Times: Livin’ the Dream, a chemical-free world appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
In an effort to encourage communication between smokers and their doctors regarding quitting, the CDC has launched a new campaign called “Talk With Your Doctor.” In partnership with the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and [...]
The post Communication between doctors and patients about quitting smoking appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
The silly season for summer scares is upon us, it seems. A group of self-styled “cancer experts” issued a press release warning of the dangers of cancer-causing substances in grilled meat of just about any type. The group, the American Institute for Cancer Research, warns of the increased risk of colon cancer from meat, especially [...]
The post Grill without fear appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Keep your eyes and computers peeled for a special ACSH Dispatch release at 5PM today on a new lung cancer screening study, complete with an ACSH video featuring our own expert, Dr. Gilbert Ross, as well as Dr. Cliff P. Connery, chief of thoracic surgery at the Beth Israel Medical Center and Continuum Cancer Centers [...]
The post Breaking News appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
In what seems to be an endless battle over emergency contraception and its [unnecessary] restrictions, a Federal appeals court ordered the U.S.
After years with a dearth of anti-obesity drugs, Eisai and Arena Pharmaceuticals just announced that Belviq (locaserin) will be available to patients on June 11. Belviq is a prescription drug that is approved for obese adults whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more, and for overweight adults (BMI of 27 -30) who have at [...]
The post At last: New obesity drug available appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Here’s some good news. A report released Tuesday by the CDC found that the rate of smoking among adults in the United States has fallen to 18 percent. Although the rate of smoking has been falling over the past few decades, it had stalled at about 20 percent for the past seven years. The report [...]
The post Smoking rates falling among adults in the US appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Will wonders never cease? The British newspaper The Guardian has reported the sobering news that crop yields will be inadequate to feed the burgeoning world population by 2050. But that’s not the amazing thing — that news has been around for a while. No, what’s both surprising and encouraging is that the British environment minister, [...]
The post Some sanity on genetically engineered foods appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
In today’s “so what?” news, a UCLA study found that a 60-year old morning sickness drug that is pretty close to useless (and was once withdrawn due to birth defect concerns) is significantly linked to an increase in adverse outcomes among newborns, and with problems in mothers as well. A more fundamental question is why [...]
The post Bendectin: A schizophrenic drug that isn’t for schizophrenia appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
For those who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes — the overweight, obese, or those with a family history, for example — a small new study just published in Diabetes Care suggests that walking at a moderate pace for 15 minutes after meals can help prevent the disease. The study, led by Dr. [...]
The post Walk to ward off diabetes appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
It’s been all the rage lately — states attempting to enact legislation requiring that foods containing genetically engineered ingredients be so labeled. Last fall, California tried and failed to pass such a law, and the New York legislature decided against it too. Some 20 states, according to a report in The New York Times, are [...]
The post Connecticut Senate passes conditional GMO labeling law appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Last week, a farmer in OR reported finding evidence of wheat containing Monsanto’s Roundup Ready variant. The bizarre aspects of this alleged discovery are manifold: RR wheat was FDA approved as safe for human consumption after the typical exhaustive testing GM products are subject to (because of activist-generated fears of GM technology, in other words, [...]
The post GM wheat found in Oregon: a real tempest in a teacup appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
You may want to think about hopping into bed a little earlier tonight. In a column published in The New York Times today, Jane E. Brody discusses the risks associated with not getting enough sleep. She argues that most people actually need seven or eight hours of sleep to function and that sleep deprivation can [...]
The post How much sleep do you really need? Probably more than you’re getting appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
We have certainly advised on multiple occasions that everyone keep their vaccinations up to date, but it’s important enough to repeat — especially in light of a new survey on adult pertussis vaccination. Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the University of Michigan National Poll on Children’s Health, points out that only 20 percent of adults [...]
The post Protect the most vulnerable: Get your pertussis vaccine! appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
It is generally regarded as the single most infectious agent on earth. And although it probably won’t kill you, if you are unfortunate enough to catch it, you may wish that it would. But norovirus, also known as the “stomach flu” and “the cruise ship virus,” may have finally met its match. At present, there [...]
The post Giving norovirus the heave ho appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Getting healthy isn’t always easy. Time restrictions and a lack of motivation often prevent Americans from being as fit as they could be. In fact, according to Arnt Erik Tjonna, from the K.G. Jebsen Center for Exercise in Medicine (JCEM), only about 15 to 30 percent of Americans exercise at the suggested rate of 30 [...]
The post Health hacks – fast and easy exercises that can improve health appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
In contrast to the results of other screening tests that don t seem to improve survival or early-stage disease progression (mammography and PSA, for example), a recent study reported in
When the federally-funded Women s Health Initiative (WHI) study was terminated prematurely, in 2002, it created a firestorm of both concern and controversy.
It's not [yet] a solution, but certainly a clever idea aimed to minimize hair loss and perhaps lessen the emotional struggles among some patients undergoing chemotherapy
Pagination
ACSH relies on donors like you. If you enjoy our work, please contribute.
Make your tax-deductible gift today!