Sometimes bad science can lead to a good solution. Case in point: fixing a problem in 19th century London that miasma theory said should solve disease. A misunderstanding of the disease's nature ultimately proved beneficial when city officials solved the mystery of a real world issue -- nasty microbes.
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The health claims made by dietary supplement purveyors do not ring true, according to a "Frontline" exposé recently aired by PBS. Not only are many mislabeled as to content, some are actually dangerous and potentially lethal. Worse yet, the FDA can't get them off store shelves until someone is hurt or killed.
President Obama declared that the U.S. will mount a new, extraordinary fight against cancer, with the aim of finally "curing it once and for all." Unfortunately, this is an impossible task. Throwing money at this disease will aid some researchers but this new initiative will speed progress only slightly, if at all.
Recent DEA efforts to address our enormous opioid addiction problem have arguably only made the situation worse. But now, an implant that steadily releases buprenorphine a weaker opioid used to wean users off heroin has recently been approved by an FDA advisory panel. So hope may be on the way.
Gastroschisis is a dangerous condition that causes a baby's intestines to dangle outside the body through a small hole near the belly button. Cases are up over 250 percent between 1995 and 2012. What's worse, it's increased among mothers of every age and racial/ethnic group studied, and researchers don't know why.
The U.S. is facing drug shortages with increasing frequency. From intravenous fluids to chemotherapeutic agents for life-saving treatments, doctors, hospitals and healthcare personnel are increasingly burdened with the ethical dilemma of rationing drugs. Here's a closer look at this vexing situation.
The lead-laden water crisis in Flint, Michigan has been a slow-motion failure of government and public health oversight at multiple levels. Do demonstrate this, here's a timeline, along with commentary, on how it happened. Why it happened is another story entirely.
By 2029, the 65-year-and-older demographic will make up roughly 20 percent of Americans. Yet while elderly population expands and figuratively speeds ahead in a Corvette, the number of health care providers for seniors lags far behind, a group crawling along at a turtle's pace. What's behind this "geriatrician" shortage?
While thalidomide was responsible for tens of thousands of deformed babies in Europe in the late 1950s and early 60s, decades later data is showing the drug to be efficacious against certain chronic conditions. It's especially beneficial against the blood cancer multiple myeloma.
Environmental activists often claim that there is antifreeze in some food. They are not wrong, but they make it sound harmful. Instead, it is even kosher. Maybe they don't know the difference, but you will after reading this article.
When it comes to taking multivitamins or other dietary additions, supplement industry reps say that the more you take, the better. But nutrition experts and the entire scientific community argue otherwise. So if you're eating bananas, avocados or a host of other foods, you're likely getting enough magnesium.
In 2012, an official federal panel designated routine PSA testing a Grade D: don't do it. Since then, doctors across the board have cut back on it. Not urologists, however. Their use of PSAs has not budged. Why? Simply, with more PSAs, abnormal results increase, and more urological procedures are done.
The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, a state-run agency that funds stem cell research, is considering funding research on human embryos using a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9. This could potentially allow for cures to be discovered for devastating inherited diseases.
They're sweet, and soft, and gooey and ... unbelievably fattening: paczki are everywhere on Fat Tuesday and that's OK.
While public toilet seats can potentially transmit germs and viruses among users, similar health threats can find their way to us when we come into contact with some common objects, both in the bathroom and around the house.
Viruses are all over the news right now. Here's one that is really bad news norovirus. What's it going to do to you? How do you catch it? NBA Hall-of-Famer and wicked wordsmith Walt Frazier explains. Take it away Clyde.
A new study shows the rapid loss of protection against whooping cough among teens vaccinated with a booster shot. This decline, which takes place over less than four years, helps explain the recent outbreaks in California and Minnesota, and shows that a new vaccination approach is needed.
A hunchbacked german shepherd and a third-grade girl with Marfan syndrome both recently made headlines --proof that when it comes to the spine, genetic abnormalities don't play favorites.
Some of the top health stories making news over the last 48 hours.
The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been declared a global public health crisis by the World Health Organization, but the agency did not say how to effectively fight it. One way would be to allow widespread use of DDT, which eradicated that same mosquito during the 20th century.
Vitamin water is back. No, not the kind you drink, but rather the kind you bathe with. So wrap your head around ... the Vitamin C-infused shower head. Because the current shower that deploys only water is no longer good enough? Really? How have we managed all this time without this device?
The next time you make your way to a chain restaurant for a quick fix, don't utter the words "fast food." The phrase is dying. Enter "fast casual" and "fast crafted." The food itself isn't going anywhere, but re-branding it is now necessary since it's become so unpopular. Here are some other foolishly-named products down through the years.
A new study of elderly Germans assessed the possible link between acid-blocking drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and new-onset dementia. A 44 percent increased risk of dementia was found among those on PPIs long-term, but no cause-and-effect link can be established based upon this study.
It is a little known, and extremely unimportant fact that chemicals from plants are slightly radioactive, while chemicals from crude oil are not. This has no health consequences whatsoever, but the reason why is quite interesting. It is also the basis for carbon 14 dating.
As if we needed more reasons to indulge in chocolate: Researchers now say the sweet treat is good for expectant mothers and their babies. However, the take-away message is not "Eat chocolate daily for a healthy heart and baby," but rather, "It's OK to enjoy some every once in a while."
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