Sunscreen is an essential component of a healthy summer. But, the Environmental Working Group is sending the loud message that chemicals found in sunscreen are toxic and that it should be used as a last resort. But, that message is muddying the waters around a proven method of cancer prevention and the recommendations of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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The CDC's war against Americans in pain has been terrifying ever since this foolish crackdown began. As states begin to limit daily opioid dose, this is about to get much worse. This "one size fits all" maximum dose really fits none. That's because of your genes, since people metabolize opioids differently. It's bad policy based on bad science.
Does getting food assistance from the federal SNAP program mean that people improve their diets? Not so much — at least according to recent nutritional research. Is it even reasonable to expect it to do so?
The annual World Science Festival was held last weekend in NYC and we were lucky enough to attend some of the events. One of the highlights was a panel conversation moderated by Carl Zimmer, talking to scientists about science and discussing the most pressing issues for today's scientific community.
If we want the Environmental Protection Agency to protect Americans from true health hazards, it needs to be reformed so it stops inventing health scares.
Glyphosate is perpetually in the news. However, last month was especially busy because various agencies concluded that it either did – or did not – cause cancer or kill butterflies. The herbicide has even been implicated as a cause of autism, but the science is terrible. Perhaps the worst science came out of MIT in 2014 — confusing correlation with causation. A big no-no.
Every day that a new antibiotic development is delayed will mean more people will die from antibiotic-resistant infections. But a fair plan to provide incentives for companies to continue, or re-enter, antibiotic research is being held up in the U.S. House. Democrats get the blame here.
The history of the field of microbiology may not be as long as other scientific areas, but it's just as interesting. After 100 years in print the Journal of Bacteriology is taking, what you might say, a walk down memory lane. It's highlighting the top 100 historical papers over the last century in its "Classic Spotlight" series.
One of the many responses to the opioid crisis has been the development of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. These are databases containing the drug utilization of patients based upon physician prescriptions. The question is: Do they help?
Tans look healthy — even though they're not. A tan means sun exposure, which means an increased risk of skin cancer. But new research is pointing the way to getting the benefits of melanin, the tan-producing pigment, without exposure to UV radiation. The new technique works in mice, so maybe it will be the answer for humans, too.
American Council Board Advisor Jerry Cutler takes a look at medical situations that should prompt us to re-evaluate the application of the linear dose-response model.
Manganese metal looks like, uh, nothing special. A shiny metal. But some of the chemical compounds that contain the element are very special. One, potassium permanganate may have been the inspiration for the name rock group Deep Purple.
The number of teenage smokers has declined from last year, and e-cigarettes are declining also, indicating they are not a gateway to smoking.
When statins and angioplasty aren't enough to prevent a heart attack, it may be possible to minimize damage to the heart by using a photosynthetic cyanobacterium. While still in the preliminary stages, research indicates that the oxygen produced by these non-pathogenic bugs could help keep the heart going.
A new therapy involving a medication requires the approval of the FDA. Not so for a new surgical technique or device. For my surgical brethren, we need a good idea and our “can do” attitude takes over, and we try out a new technique, instrument or operation, studies can wait.
New mothers learn how to protect their new arrivals from sudden infant death syndrome. But when it actually comes to implementing those safety practices while in a sleepy stupor, that's when dangers arise. So researchers developed a "mobile health program" delivering safety reminders – when they needed to be seen – which helped moms keep their newborns safer.
Sometimes health advice is just too good to be true, like these beauties: "Eat pomegranates to prevent cancer" ... and "Organic food will make your kids smarter." But as for "Use sunscreen to treat an autoimmune disease" ... what? That's not possible, right? Well, the truth is that last one, as crazy as it sounds, just might be real.
An interesting finding, that a sunscreen chemical may be useful in treating multiple sclerosis, gave us an unexpected treat: an opportunity to pound the chemical-scares industry. The sunscreen ingredient, homosalate, like just about every other chemical in the world, has been called an "endocrine disruptor" by groups like EWG. Too bad the paper that's cited as proof shows that it's not one at all.
Corporations aren’t all evil, and universities are not all saints. Most products are coming from industry work. Meanwhile, plenty of junk science comes from universities – and sometimes even from Boston's most prestigious academic institution.
A new report by the Dutch government states something we've known all along: Genetically modified mosquitoes are safe to use to combat the spread of viral infections. Although critics may still think that the modification process is scary, they have nothing to worry about. Besides, the Zika virus is much, much scarier.
The national media is alive with the report; coffee intake is good for you! And evidently, the more the better. The data, of course, is a bit more – shall we say – nuanced.
Does your blood type – specifically, your Rh factor (positive or negative) – matter in your daily life? Not in the slightest. But when pregnant your Rh status can matter, especially if it's negative.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily people can be manipulated into worrying about nothing simply because the "nothing" is portrayed as (but really isn't) scary, while at the same time pay no attention to a "something" because it is portrayed as healthy (which is just as wrong).
A new, headlines-grabbing study reports that CTE, a type of irreversible and degenerative brain damage, was found in the tissue of 110 of 111 late NFL players tested. Does this mean all pro players will eventually be diagnosed with CTE? No, not exactly. But this news does mean that the league's long-term health has been thrown for a big loss.
Can we prevent global warming by substituting beans, which, as compared to beef, produce less greenhouse gases? Here's the underlying hypothesis.
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