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In what seems to be an endless battle over emergency contraception and its [unnecessary] restrictions, a Federal appeals court ordered the U.S.

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.

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.

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

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.

According to a new study, Atrial fibrillation (Afib) the most common arrhythmia, caused by irregular atrial contractions

Josh Bloom in Medical Progress Today, "Lipstick on a Pig Study"
This week, an Australian group published a study that claimed that pigs that were fed a GM diet developed inflamed stomachs and larger uteri. Does this mean genetically modified foods bad for you?
Without even attempting to answer this, it is clear that some people believe that they are. But what is this belief based on?

Americans spend a little less than $1,000 annually per person on average for prescription drugs. That's the average, which means that many spend a lot more. Why are prescription costs so ridiculously high?

Josh Bloom in Medical Progress Today, June 4, 2013
There are bad headlines and bad headlines.

Usually doctors cut the cord clamp and sever the umbilical cord of newborns within a minute of birth. It is a practice which is meant to

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.

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 has long been known that there are disparities in health care between black women and white women, specifically in women with breast cancer. A new study,

Earlier this month, we reported on research done by Ronald Bayer and Kathleen Bachynski at Columbia s Mailman School of Public Health, looking at the scientific justification for banning smoking in parks and on beaches.

Last month's decision from the American Medical Association to label obesity as a disease has sparked much public criticism, and understandably so. A fresh perspective on the issue and one that shouldn t be ignored, comes from a Forbes op-ed by Dr. Geoffrey Kabat published today.

ACSH wishes to bring to the attention of its readers a feature article published in this month s The Atlantic, How Junk Food Can End Obesity. Although it is somewhat lengthy, it is nonetheless a must-read.

The frequencies of both induced and augmented labor have increased between 2002 and 2010. In both induced labor artificially stimulated labor and augmented labor increasing the strength, duration or frequency of contractions the woman is administered Pitocin

Vitamin D seems to be the vitamin du jour as various studies have linked it to benefits not only for bone strength, but also to a wide range of ills including cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.

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

An excerpt from Do You Believe in Magic, by ACSH trustee Dr. Paul Offit was published in the latest issue of The Atlantic magazine.

According to a new report released by the New York City Health Department over the past ten years, the number of New Yorkers with type 2 diabetes has increased from eight percent to about 11 percent. This number is higher than the national average of 9.5 percent.

Pneumococcal disease kills almost 2 million people each year. Most of those deaths are individuals from poor countries and half are younger than five years of age. Prevnar 13 which protects against 13 strains of pneumonia