Can DDT fight the bedbug problem? Maybe. But the banned insecticide could do a lot more than that IF science held sway rather than mythology and superstition.
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Dr. Gilbert Ross in The Santa Fe New Mexican, December 1, 2014.
Lawmakers in Santa Fe recently considered a proposal to institute a tax on vapor products (commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes) at the exorbitant rate of 4 cents per milligram nicotine a level that
β-blockers have been a keystone of treatments for heart patients for 35 years, although side-effects were not uncommon. Now a new study may shift doctors away from this standard therapy.
Some European countries are among the most strongly opposed to genetic-engineering in the world. But those that are part of the European Union have not been able to outlaw all planting of GE crops as they wished because these moves have been challenged.
Keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) can result in partial or total loss of vision. The sight-threatening process can be extremely rapid corneal destruction may only take 24-48 hours. It can result from
Researchers from South Korea s Seoul University College of Medicine and its Department of Environmental Health did a double-blind, crossover study of 60 older people to detect an effect of bisphenol-A (BPA) on blood pressure. Their results gave them a basis for asserting a
The latest in health news: Are you apple-shaped or pear-shaped? One of them is dangerous; and read Dr. Josh Bloom's excellent Science 2.0 op-ed on the latest Dr. Oz fallout.
High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for premature death in the world. Currently, 1 billion people have clinically abnormal blood pressure (hypertension), and most cases are grade 1 (mild) hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 to 159 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 to 99
Governor Cuomo s recent ban on natural gas production by hydraulic fracturing has dire implications of the state s energy future, says James Conca in Forbes.
n the always-uphill battle against depression a vicious and life-threatening disease that is typically caused by a malfunction of certain neurotransmitters or receptors in the brain any help is welcome.
According to the California Department of Public Health, the state s recent pertussis outbreak is the worst in the past 70 years. From January 1st November 26th, 2014, 9,935 cases of pertussis were reported: an incidence of 26 cases per 100,000, over ten percent higher than the epidemic in 2010.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Merck s Gardasil 9, which protects against five additional strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), along with the
The USDA approved for commercial sale the Innate potato, produced by the JR Simplot company last November. The product is still waiting for FDA approval, who is in the process of reviewing the data. Innate potatoes produce less acrylamide than usual when
Carrier screening is a type of genetic testing performed on couples who are expecting or planning for a baby to see if they may be at risk for passing a genetic disorder on to their children. Carrier screening was previously targeted at people from certain ethnic groups, for example
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, led by Dr. Hongyu Wu, investigated the relationship between consumption of whole grains and risk of death from any cause, from cardiovascular disease, and from cancer.
The national rate of chlamydia infections has decreased for the first time since reporting on the disease began in 1994, says the CDC s annual report, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance. The report summarizes data on chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea for 2013.
If you happen to find a chemical that has been the subject of more wasted time and funding than bisphenol A (BPA), please let us know about it. We wish you luck.
Latest in health news: Dietary supplements won't help you lose weight, not surprising; get vaccinated against the flu, seriously; and lawmaker shows support for fracking
The news these past few weeks has been dominated with stories about vaccines: the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, the measles outbreak in Disneyland, the anti-vaxers holding strong to their beliefs that vaccines are harmful. Well, a new study published in
There have been some remarkable advances in medicine over the past two decades. HIV infection is no longer a death sentence. Hepatitis C is now readily curable. There is now a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer one of only two cancer vaccines in existence. Targeted approaches to cancer, as well as the use of genetic information for personalizing therapies for individual patients have the potential to completely change the way that cancer and maybe other diseases are treated.
But, science is unpredictable. There are still diseases that simply won t yield, despite the huge amount of research that is thrown at them.
Influenza is one of them.
The measles outbreak, which began in Disneyland but is now spreading, continues to be a hot topic. And of course, concerns about vaccinations are right at the center of this debate, with the anti-vaxxers clinging strongly to their beliefs that children should not receive the
ACSH trustee Dr. Jack Fisher s new book on the story of one of the sad chapters in American legal history the unwarranted attack by the tort industry, ably abetted by the FDA under David Kessler, against Dow Corning for damages supposedly caused by their silicone breast implants has just been published.
In spite of the fact that fewer states allowed the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk in 2010-2012 than in the previous 2 years, the number of outbreaks of food poisoning linked to its consumption increased from 30 to 51, according to a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In the wake of the measles resurgence, public health officials are warning against the use of ineffective homeopathic vaccine alternatives, saying they should be taken off the market.
Today we give a shoutout to a voice of reason in the vaccine debate, and a shout-down to posturing politician, whose voice should just be put on mute.
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