A study published Friday in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found a link between teenagers' use of acetaminophen such as Tylenol and asthma and allergies.
Search results
BPA has long been blamed by environmental activists for supposedly mimicking the hormone estrogen (although scientists say its estrogenic effects are akin to eating tofu). Now researchers are trying to argue the chemical raises testosterone. A study of 715 Italian men and women aged 20 to 74 published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that men with the highest levels of BPA in their urine also had an increase in their blood testosterone concentrations although all the hormone levels still remained within normal range.
A new 20-year study finds that those who abstain from alcohol are outlived by both moderate (1-3 drinks per day) and heavy drinkers. A number of previous studies have shown abstainers have a higher mortality rate than moderate drinkers, but it had been hypothesized that many of these non-drinkers were actually former alcoholics suffering from chronic alcohol-related diseases.
Just days ago we reported on a study led by ACSH advisor Dr. John Morgan showing that cancer rates in the town of Hinkley, California were — rather than being elevated — actually a tad below the expected rate. This contradicts the claims of presshound Erin Brockovich. Ms. Brockovich gained wealth and fame from a lawsuit she initiated based on the idea that the town’s residents had been poisoned by trace levels of chromium (VI) (hexavalent chromium), a chemical that was leaked there by Pacific Gas & Electric. Dr.
Last week brought news that Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) was holding a press conference about the perils of “toxic” chemicals. As cameras rolled and hot lights shone down, Markey displayed a letter addressed to the FDA asking for an expedited review of triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in thousands of hand sanitizers, soaps and toothpastes sold in the U.S.
The Huffington Post decided not to sugarcoat the issue of artificial sweeteners when they ran Dr. Joseph Mercola s heated post on the marketing tactics of Ajinomotos AminoSweet, a rebranded version of aspartame. Dr. Mercola goes on to allege that aspartame is a toxic substance that wreaks havoc on your health.
In his Sunday column in the Montreal Gazette, McGill University chemistry professor Dr. Joseph Schwarcz wrote a commonsense article that effectively debunked the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) myth that the sunscreen additive retinyl palmitate causes cancer.
Yesterday marked the inception of a two-day meeting of scientific advisors to the FDA who were delegated the task of assessing the safety of Avandia, a diabetes drug linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems.
As the New York City Health Department updates its new addition to last year s Pouring on the Pounds campaign with posters and advertisements that graphically display the amount of sugar that goes into a king-sized soda new research indicates that New Yorkers are already curbing their liquid sugar cravings.
Denise Grady reports in today’s New York Times that girls today are increasingly likely to develop breasts as young as age 7 or 8. While obesity is thought to play a major role in early-onset puberty, Grady reports that some researchers suspect environmental chemicals with estrogen-like properties are a factor. “That idea is unproved,” Grady adds.
The California Legislature has approved a bill that prohibits children’s jewelry from containing more than three-hundredths of a percent of cadmium, worrying that higher levels of exposure would cause long-term poisoning in kids. The Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association argues that instead of limiting the total amount of cadmium in jewelry, the new legislation should address how much of the metal can leach out of jewelry.
ACSH s Jeff Stier came across this video, which appeared on last night s Daily Show with John Stewart. The ad featured a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) fast food commercial aimed at converting consumers to vegetarianism.
Former U.S. Surgeon General and longtime ACSH friend Dr. C. Everett Koop (known as “Chick”) is warning that the public’s “irrational fear” of AIDS has given way to a “a growing sense of complacency” that’s just as dangerous. The 95-year-old retired pediatric surgeon spoke at the National Press Club on Wednesday from a wheelchair while in Washington to attend a national summit on HIV.
A new treatment for the retinal disease age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is making progress in clinical trials. Macular degeneration is a disease that can cause blindness, leading to the loss of central vision as a result of damage to nerve cells in the region of the retina known as the macula. It is the most common cause of blindness in adults, except perhaps for cataracts. The new treatment — called VEGF Trap-Eye — was developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
A harmonious symbiosis between Big Pharma and academia will hopefully lead to the speedier development of better medications for the treatment of a spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Nine pharmaceutical companies have teamed up with a group of academic institutions to create a large database that will share results from previous clinical trials on drugs that have already gained market approval.
The fact that generic vicodin has topped the list of most commonly prescribed drugs reflects a growing national drug abuse problem. As an administration spokesman pointed out opiate drug overdose has surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the most common cause of injury-related death in 17 states. To combat this worrisome public health trend, President Obama has proposed an “unprecedented” initiative, instituting a government-wide approach to counter prescription drug abuse.
The headline on a recent article screamed “UC flame-retardant study finds risks for kids.” However, the article, written by Marla Cone in SF Gate, makes no such assertion, therefore, whoever wrote the misleading headline needs to be educated. “The study in question did not find any actual risks for kids.
The results of a small study on Pfizer’s smoking cessation drug Chantix (varenicline) underscore the difficulties smokers face when attempting to kick the habit for good. Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Peter Hajek of the UK Center for Tobacco Control Studies studied 101 middle-aged smokers. Half were randomized to start Chantix four weeks prior to quitting, while a control group took the drug just one week before stopping smoking.
Tay-Sachs disease, a devastating congenital error in metabolism of central nervous system fats, is caused by a rare genetic mutation. It usually leads to death by the age of four. Marked by little or no movement or trouble swallowing around age six months, children with Tay-Sachs also exhibit frequent seizures and the loss of hearing and sight.
As summer draws near, a new survey from the American Academy of Dermatology reports that a striking number of young women tan despite the established health risks. The online survey of over 3,800 white, non-Hispanic females aged 14 to 22 found that 81 percent of these respondents “tanned outdoors frequently or occasionally in the part year,” while 32 percent of them had used a tanning bed in the past year.
Let’s talk fruit — in terms of body shape, that is. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic published a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggesting that being “pear-shaped” (carrying more fat in the hips, buttocks and thighs) is associated with a lower risk of adverse cardiovascular events compared to those who are apple-shaped (having excess fat around the midsection).
Some may start scouring their cupboards to dig into a fiber-rich meal after a study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which reveals that eating more fiber may help people live longer. Using data from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, researchers asked people between the ages of 50 and 71 what they ate and how frequently they ate it over the last year and then followed them for an average of nine years.
Unfounded health scares do nothing to protect the public and ultimately cause more harm than good.
If the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Dermatology have their way, minors under the age of 18 will be banned from indoor tanning. Such a ban would apply even if their parents sign a permission slip.
Before the EPA could say precautionary principle, Wal-Mart sent word to its suppliers last week that starting June 1st it would test for and not sell consumer products containing the flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl ether (PDBE). Wal-Mart said that it made this decision following the example of some state regulatory agencies. These agencies have responded to data correlating the substances with health problems in lab animals.
Pagination
ACSH relies on donors like you. If you enjoy our work, please contribute.
Make your tax-deductible gift today!