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The safety of surgical procedures was greatly enhance with the discovery of antibiotics. Today, many procedures involved prophylactic antibiotics to protect against infections. However, according to a new study, the continued growth of antibiotic resistance is threatening to make this practice ineffective.

The sequence of events required to keep the human heart beating for an entire lifetime is executed over two billion times. A recent article discusses the novel approaches, based on stem cell technology and cellular reprogramming, to potentially develop cells that can mimic the heart s natural pacemaker.

We're used to thinking that men typically drink more than women. That's still true but it may not continue to be so if current trends are an indication of future behaviors. Based on survey data, nearly half of all women reported consuming alcohol within the previous month, a finding which is up from 10 years earlier. Meanwhile, for men, tipping a drink, dipped.

A new study using PET scans on the brains of older individuals shows a three-fold higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among those with elevated levels of amyloid-beta, a proteinaceous material associated with neurodegeneration. MCI is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

A young woman was photographed wearing a shipping carton decorated to look like a Tampax package, with the slogan "Detox the Box!" prominently featured. She and other "activists" were protesting "toxic tampons." They have better things to worry about -- like their own sanity.

Golden Rice has paved the way for more nutrient deficiencies to be addressed with other genetically engineered crops. The latest innovation by scientists is the genetically engineered cassava plant, which produces increased levels of vitamin B6.

CVS has also clinched the "Man, do we look like idiots" pennant well before the All Star Break. In a move straight out of "Dumb and Dumber," the company was caught selling a homeopathic (read: useless) cure for constipation that was water (the usual ingredient for all things homeopathic) plus alcohol! How much? As much as a shot of bourbon. If this doesn't highlight the absurdity of this issue, then all is lost.

While hardly comprehensive, British scientists have found an interesting way of determining a person's risk of developing skin cancer it involves moles, driving and where you do it. So if you're often behind the wheel, take a look at your right arm if you live in the United Kingdom or your left if you're in the United States.

It has long been known that aerobic/cardiovascular training confers benefits on mental functioning/brain health. A new study shows that resistance (weight) training also has brain benefits, although not as potent as aerobic training.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is moving forward with federal regulations to ban cigarette smoking in public housing across America. Which raises the all-important question: How far do personal rights extend when unhealthy behavior is involved?

IARC calls glyphosate a carcinogen but actual experts at EFSA disagree. In fact, they actually suggest raising the the acceptable acute reference dose of glyphosate.

The evidence is stacking up that regular exercise could play a key role in protecting the body against cancer. But new information sheds light on the benefits of physical activity during cancer care, giving doctors and patients a new perspective on treatment options.

An op-ed in the NY Times co-authored by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch decries Medicare's proposal to penalize doctors for ordering the prostate screening tests. That seems like an odd sentiment to endorse, given that we here at the American Council believe that these tests are being given far too often.

A sloppy article about a so-called hepatitis C "outbreak" in Utah is profoundly flawed. It's a result of careless reporting and questionable advice from a state public health official. The article sounds like it's the end of the world, but it's anything but. Good thing we're around to call attention to messes like this.

Over 18 million young people 68.9 percent of middle and high school students see some form of e-cigarette advertising, according to the CDC. The agency is worried about e-cig use in teens, and officials there are right in their concern. But is it an advertising-created phenomenon?

PFOA, a chemical used to make non-stick substances, was dumped into the Ohio River between the 1950s and 1990s. A New York Times Magazine article serves as an expose of this practice, targeting DuPont as a bad actor. The newspaper uses this as an excuse to call for revision of federal government legislation.

If "you are what you eat," what are you when many confusing food labels muddy the issue? Labels have become a way to promote self-identification with a worldview, tied to ethics, the environment and even the planet. So frequently labels are about what isn't in food, or "you don't get what you pay for."

In an act of sheer brilliance, Charlie Sheen stopped taking his AIDS meds and surprise! his viral load went up. Then other similarly-enlightened celebs chimed in. Who looked most foolish? We think Jenny McCarthy dispensing advice in some tongue that barely resembled English made her top boob.

In a surprising show of unity, parents of soccer players stricken with cancer and synthetic turf companies are joining to question whether tiny rubber particles used on thousands of fields across the country are linked to the disease affecting hundreds of young players nationwide.

It's "Miracle Food" season again, and so the American Council takes a look back at food fads from the past. Because, as they say, if we don't learn from history ... we are doomed to repeat it.

Hate chemicals? Then throw out that organic wine. A new study talks about all of the chemicals in wine -- and the Environmental Working Group will be horrified, because that adult beverage is chock full of cancer causers.

A recent Australian study aimed to determine if parents perception of their child s body mass index is associated with any intention to change their child s weight. Surprisingly, it found that a majority of parents of overweight and obese kids seemed to ignore the issue -- and any need to intervene.

A New York state court judge's ruling, revoking New York City's mandatory flu vaccination for pre-school and young school children, is a counterproductive public health move. Hopefully the state legislature can revise the law to allow the city to require such vaccinations, to protect its youngest kids.

Our old friend Joe Mercola had a rather embarrassing week. His obscenely overpriced Organic Daily Face Cleanser was found to contain a pesticide called azadirachtin. And, if that isn't funny enough, the stuff also contains aloe vera, which was just placed on California's Proposition 65 List as a carcinogen. Oh Joe, say it ain't so!

Osteoporosis, or decreased bone density, is a common condition seen in the aging population. While drug treatments do exist, they are not available to everyone and they have some negative side effects. So what's a person to do? Maybe yoga is the answer.