Tylenol (acetaminophen) is very widely used for various types of pain, and to reduce fevers. The drug is also largely perceived as safe and effective. We've already written that it's not all that safe. But does it work well? The answer is: Not even close. Multiple Cochrane reviews make this clear.
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E-cigarettes are "effective in helping people quit smoking" and "95% safer than smoking."* Additionally, there are "no health risks to bystanders."
What evil, conniving, greedy, Big Tobacco-loving, propaganda-spewing group of shills says that? The UK's National Health Service (NHS).
Very few have heard about this. It's over 100 years old and explains why bread smells so good and turns brown. But baking also produces a few chemicals of concern – or are they? Here you get a chemistry lesson! Whether you want one or not.
Utah nurse Alex Wubbels was handcuffed while screaming, as she tried to do her job. At issue: whether a police officer could obtain a blood sample from her patient, who was hurt from a July 26 collision that involved a fatality.
Sleep deprivation has been associated with an increased risk of obesity in several studies. A new one, based on a large British survey, assessed whether that link could be due to over-eating by bleary-eyed people. But the data didn't support that hypothesis, so researchers will have to look harder to explain that link.
There are two different types of fat: white and brown. White fat is a fat storage depot, whereas brown fat transforms energy into heat. Researchers have successfully created a patch containing a micro-needle that delivers sustained release drugs in nanoparticles, stimulating white fat to turn to brown.
Here are some of the Council's media hits from over the past seven days.
A new study just published in JAMA Internal Medicine states that for those who are HIV-positive, lung-cancer prevention – specifically, trying to quit – should actually take priority over the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Chalk up another horrific distinction for the ills of cigarette smoking.
In preparation for motherhood, ACSH's Ana Dolaskie says she's grateful to have her mother by her side. But does mom always know best? Well, most of the time. But sometimes daughter knows best, and perhaps when it matters most.
It's no secret that on a global scale smoking is one of the chief contributors to death and disability. Thankfully, e-cigarettes have provided many smokers an avenue in which to quit. Data from a recent study reveals that daily vaping is strongly correlated to the prevalence of smokers who quit.
Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Because it naturally infects rabbits and rodents, there isn't much we can do to eradicate it. Roughly 125 Americans are diagnosed with tularemia annually.
Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle company, goop, may think that the products it sells are helpful, but others disagree. The controversy has evolved into a formal complaint filed against goop. It's a move that starts the legal ball rolling down the firm's vaginal egg-lined path.
The American Council on Science and Health writes at least 1,300 original articles on our website, produces five books, and writes science op-eds in America's largest newspapers every month. That means we get a lot of media traction. Here is who used our work this past week.
Single men, and men in committed relationships, have different behavioral responses to females at various stages of their fertility. A new study reveals that men may avoid temptation even more so when women are ovulating, when the threat is at its greatest.
The University of California Irvine has accepted a $200 million donation to fund a center studying integrative medicine, which would firmly root the field of pseudoscience in academia. This not only legitimizes practices not backed by science, but it crosses a line where academia becomes a place where money influences what's true or false.
A recent Politico story, topped with the headline "The great nutrient collapse" deserves a closer look. The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat – for the worse. In the article's conclusions the underlying science is both interesting, and a bit more constrained.
It's time to get your flu shot. Every year, the medical community emphasizes the importance of getting the vaccine. And every year the same excuses pop up as to why many won't. Let us explain why one of those excuses – that the flu vaccine will give someone the flu – is simply not possible.
Bacteria that are resistant to one, multiple or even all known antibiotics – commonly known as superbugs – are a leading concern in the medical and scientific communities. With traditional methods of combating infections not working alternative ways are required, starting with rethinking the instruments used in hospitals.
Researchers at Harvard's Belfer Center scoured the globe for whatever was publicly available on North Korea's biological weapons program. Referencing news articles, journal papers, expert interviews and government reports, the team assembled a comprehensive study of the knowns and unknowns. Here are the main findings.
Many science articles pushed into the media convey information about potential danger, even when these dangers are very unlikely. Why? A study of our behavior suggests it's our primitive lizard brain seeking to protect us from harm.
It's now apparent that two ideals of Hollywood culture – sexual liberty and feminism – are at odds with each other. Powerful people are still exploiting those they claim to care about.
Umbilical cord blood banking has gained notoriety ever since it was discovered that those cords are a rich supply of hematopoietic stem cells. Operating on the premise that cord blood samples are a form of "biological insurance" against potential future illness, cord blood banks are really selling a false promise.
Tom Petty, the rock 'n roll guitarist who first gained fame in the late 1970's with his band, The Heartbreakers, and maintained his popularity ever since, went into cardiac arrest before dying Monday night. But what is cardiac arrest, and how does differ from a heart attack? We explain.
Protecting foreign service members is one of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. State Department. So, reducing the number of American diplomats in Cuba – as well as expelling Cuban diplomats from Washington, to emphasize the situation's gravity – is entirely appropriate, especially since we still have no idea what actually happened.
Researchers from UCLA found that through mice experiments, decaffeinated black tea may promote some form of weight loss, which occurs when chemicals, known as polyphenols, produce changes in the gut bacterium.
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