Although for all intents and purposes the flu season is over, at least in North America, experts have recently been ringing alarm bells about the possibility of a new influenza pandemic. A new report in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that researchers from MIT found 581 flu virus strains circulating in pigs and birds with [...]
The post Influenza: How do we deal with emerging threats? appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
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Girls in developing countries will have a chance to get vaccinated against cervical cancer, thanks to two pharmaceutical giants and top health groups. Merck & Co. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC have agreed to chop the price of their HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, to as little as U.S. $4.50 per dose. The vaccines cost about $130 [...]
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Seeing the handwriting on the wall — historically unprecedented declines in cigarette sales matched with accelerated sales for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) – old-line “Big Tobacco” companies are now selling, or getting ready to sell, their own versions of the new devices. First in line was Lorillard, which purchased Blu e-cigarettes last April 2012. Now, RJReynolds [...]
The post Big Tobacco enters e-cigarette market. Hooray. appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
It’s well known that poorly controlled and long-lasting diabetes can lead to changes in the retina (retinopathy), and is a leading cause of blindness. Alarmingly, a recent study described in Med Page Today found that even young people with type 2 diabetes might have retinal changes within only five years of the onset of the [...]
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There’s good news for dog owners — having a pet may lower your risk of heart disease, according to a new assessment by the American Heart Association. “Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease,” Dr. Glenn N. Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine and chairman [...]
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Based on a new study by Dr. Peter C. Butler, Division Chief of Endocrinology and the Director of the Larry Hillblom Islet Research Center at UCLA, the FDA and the European Medicines Agency have started to look more closely at Merck’s diabetes drug, Januvia, a step which may lead to warnings on the drugs, or [...]
The post Questions about diabetes drug Januvia based on rat tests appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
This week, another member of the old-guard tobacco companies moved from ankle- to knee-deep in the accelerating e-cigarette free-for-all. RJReynolds’ branch of tobacco giant Reynolds American, the 2nd largest tobacco company (after Phillip Morris), launched its new, sophisticated electronic cigarette, called Vuse. It has some features unique to this product, aimed at making attempting to [...]
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A new study on breast cancer screening has added more fuel to the fiery debate on whether or not regular mammograms reduce deaths from the disease. The 40-year study from the UK found that screenings or improvement in treatment do not account for the decreased rates in mortality from breast cancer. Published in the June [...]
The post Breast cancer screening does not reduce deaths, 40-year study finds appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Yesterday, America’s biggest tobacco company announced its entry into the now-crowded e-cigarette market. Altria/Phillip Morris USA advised via news release that a subsidiary will start selling the MarkTen brand of e-cigarettes in Indiana later this summer. They will join Lorillard’s Blu and RJR’s Vuse (the latter will be sold only in limited regions of Colorado [...]
The post Big e-cigarette news, here and abroad appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
It looks like the food and beverage industry is finally getting some acknowledgement for the positive role they are playing in the fight against obesity. Three years ago, sixteen of the major players in this industry including Coca-Cola, General Mills, Nestle, Kraft and ConAgra, partnered with Michelle Obama’s Partnership for a Healthier America as the [...]
The post A nod to the food and beverage industry in the fight against obesity appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
New cancer drugs have been a dime a dozen in recent years, as the pharmaceutical industry has drastically refocused its efforts in the area. In 2012 alone the FDA approved a record 11 oncology drugs. While on the surface, this may seem to be nothing but good news, in reality the results are mixed at [...]
The post Some real progress against cancer appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Although it was released just yesterday, Dr. Paul Offit’s masterpiece “Do You Believe in Magic” is already having quite an impact, as demonstrated by a very comprehensive article by Liz Szabo in yesterday’s USA today. Dr. Offit, who is the Chief of Infectious Disease at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (and one of our trustees [...]
The post Paul Offit’s “Do You Believe in Magic?” already making a splash. appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
It is certainly no secret that we are becoming progressively more vulnerable to bacterial infections because of the explosion of antibiotic resistant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) being the best-known example. In the absence of new antibiotic development, it becomes increasingly important to take measures to prevent infections, since treating them can be very difficult. [...]
The post Taking proactive measures to prevent MRSA infections in ICU appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
As ACSH discusses in its publication, “Counterfeit Drugs: Coming to a Pharmacy Near You,” counterfeit drugs – fake, substandard, adulterated or falsely labeled – are a threat to global health. In fact, last June, 1.4 million counterfeit packets of Coartem, a malaria drug produced by Novartis, were found in a shipment from China to Angola, [...]
The post House passes “track and trace” bill to fight counterfeit drugs appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (there’s a mouthful for you, but let’s call them NSAIDs or “n-saids” for short) are the most commonly used class of drugs in the world. They act as anti-inflammatory agents, but in the real world they are used as pain relievers for people with a variety of conditions, ranging from active inflammatory [...]
The post Common pain-relievers linked to heart risk appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
A few weeks ago, ACSH was a co-signer of the Culture of Alarmism letter sponsored by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF). As you may recall, this letter was intended to counter the efforts of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition, an environmental organization that is trying to pressure the top ten retailers into removing a [...]
The post Mind your own business: IWF to enviros — We agree appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.
Dr. Brad Rodu, one of the world's greatest experts on tobacco harm reduction, has published an overview of what might save millions of smokers this century.
One group of landowners who wish to exploit the gas/oil reserves beneath their property are being prevented from doing so by "environmentalists"
Endocrine-disruptor we at ACSH have been fighting an uphill battle against this pseudo-scientific term for years.
According to radical environmental groups and others with similar anti-chemical agendas, we are being bathed in these things and they are doing serious, chronic harm to all of us.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects women against cervical cancer, also appears to likely to protect them against
The American Society of Clinical Oncology took a major step towards making progress in preventing breast cancer and updated their 2009 guidelines.
Attitudes toward marriage between blood relatives vary considerably across all cultures, but whatever the traditions of different cultures, there is a serious health concern regarding consanguinity (a relationship between blood relatives) - marriage between first cousins can more than double the risk of giving birth to a baby with a congenital
It s not the usual statistics we associate with Fourth of July celebrations: but it s important to know that in 2012 there were 18,700 firework-caused injuries, requiring over 7,000 emergency room visits, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
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