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We've discussed before the dangers of routinely screening for prostate cancer, a test that too often leads to unnecessary treatments with damaging consequences. Earlier this year, in fact, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) formally advised against routine prostate cancer screening.

A recent study researched and reported by a major Federal advisory panel, The Institute of Medicine, should give both comfort and concern to women and their families about breast cancer.

As the International AIDS Conference convenes this week in Washington, D.C., the world is flooded with updates on the fight against HIV and AIDS. The latest news comes from the International Antiviral Society-USA Panel, which calls on HIV-positive patients to get started on treatment immediately instead of waiting for symptoms to appear.

As HIV drugs become increasingly effective, it would be logical to conclude that rates of the infection are, in turn, decreasing. However, new government data find that only 25 percent of those Americans infected with HIV actually have the virus under control.

Folks in the New York City area as in much of the country beware: It s going to be hot out there, as temperatures soar into the 90s over the next few days. In its latest extreme heat advisory, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is warning New Yorkers of the dangerously hot weather set to begin today and extend through Sunday, July 1.

A recent article in The New York Times sheds light on a little known problem: A class of drugs used to prevent heartburn may reduce the body s ability to absorb essential nutrients. Studies show that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid can inhibit absorption of nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B12.

Following his recent blog post on Medical Progress Today, which considers the newly approved weight-loss drug Qsymia, ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom took part in a podcast discussion to further discuss the drug. You can listen to the podcast here.

Pregnant women are renowned for avoiding any substance, food or ingredient that they believe might pose the slightest threat of harm to their unborn child. Traditionally, the list of shunned products has included medications, coffee or tea (or both), even a drop of alcohol, and needless to say, cigarette smoke.

In keeping with its annual tradition, the New York Department of Health is launching this year s new smoking cessation campaign, called Suffering Every Minute. As previous campaigns have done, this one will include TV, internet, and print ads warning people of the dangers of cigarettes by emphasizing the suffering that smoking causes.

And while over-zealous activist groups continue to scare parents about the hypothetical risks that certain chemicals (often found in parts per billion) represent, a new German study finds that even newborns exposed to chemotherapy in utero manage to come out pretty well despite exposure to such well-known toxic agents.

West Nile virus has reached a state of emergency in Dallas County, Texas this summer. Thus far, the area has seen 200 cases of human infection and 10 deaths from the mosquito-borne virus now endemic to the U.S. And while the infection rate is the worst in Texas, the CDC reports 693 cases of West Nile virus nationwide. No other state besides Louisiana, however, reported more than one death from the disease.

The sodium debate has reared its head again. The question of whether the average American diet has too much, too little, or just the right amount of saltiness surfaces time and again in both the scientific literature and the press. This time, it s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention itself that s published a new study. And according to their researchers survey of over 12,000 U.S.

And speaking of how a food s label does not necessarily indicate a particular risk (or benefit), ACSH would like to congratulate Wal-Mart for its recent decision to sell genetically modified (GM) sweet corn. At a time when many activist groups are fighting to label products made with genetically modified ingredients, Wal-Mart s decision speaks volumes.

For years now, the organic food industry has staked its business on the idea that organic means healthier. And for just as long, ACSH has been saying that the claim is false: There are no nutritional or safety differences between foods produced according to organic standards and those produced by means of conventional agricultural methods. Now, a study appearing in the current issue of Annals of Internal Medicine provides evidence against the common equation of organic with healthier.

More evidence that, if you re going to smoke (which we don t recommend), you shouldn t do it around your kids: A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics has found that children exposed to second-hand smoke at home are more likely to have serious complications when they come down with the flu.

In July, we looked at a meta-analysis finding that cranberry products greatly reduced urinary tract infections (UTIs) among women. Now according to a new study, the same appears to be true for children.

Childhood obesity is a matter of concern not only because of its associated health risks, but also because obese children are more likely to become obese adults, where such excess weight can lead to even more serious health conditions. Hence the cautiously optimistic reaction to news that the childhood obesity rate has dropped significantly in Philadelphia.

In a unanimous ruling on Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit upheld an earlier court decision permitting the use of federal funding for research involving already-derived embryonic stem cells. Since no human embryos are destroyed in such research, the court ruled that these studies may continue receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health and other federal sources.

Pregnant women tend to be very cautious about what they put in their bodies, and unfortunately, vaccinations are no exception.

A study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found evidence for another advantage of physical fitness: a lower risk of chronic disease later in life. The study, led by Dr.

In the U.S., drug-resistant infections, including MRSA and C. difficile, are reaching crisis proportions, and the inappropriate use of antibiotics is at least partly to blame. In an effort to contain the problem, public health officials are encouraging doctors more strongly than ever to prescribe antibiotics with greater caution.

In 2006, the CDC recommended that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested for HIV at least once. Yet only a year before, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) had not found enough evidence in favor of routine testing and instead stated that such decisions should be made by doctors on a case-by-case basis.

The link between soda and obesity has attracted a hailstorm of media attention recently, not least of which in New York City, where Mayor Bloomberg is attempting to restrict the sale of sweetened beverages exceeding 16 ounces. Yet, amidst the soda melee, it s surprising how little attention diet soda has received.

The debate over whether organic is better came to a head recently when a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that there are no nutritional or safety differences between foods produced according to organic standards and those cultivated by conventional methods.

In January 2011, the New York City Department of Education implemented a pilot program to distribute birth-control information and supplies in 13 schools across the city. The program is part of a wider effort to lower the rate of teen pregnancy, as some 7,000 NY high-school students become pregnant by age 17 each year.