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FDA dragging its heels yet again over 'morning after' pill Plan B

Women in the U.S., unlike their counterparts in the UK and other countries, will still be denied easy access to the 'morning after' contraceptive pill, Plan B, after a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to yet again delay ruling on over-the-counter sales.

29 Aug 2005

California wants cancer warnings on french fries and chips

In an attempt to stop restaurant chains such as McDonald's and Wendy's from selling french fries without some form of warning, Bill Lockyer the Attorney General for California has filed a lawsuit to force manufacturers of potato chips and french fries to warn consumers about a potential cancer-causing chemical found in the popular snacks.

29 Aug 2005

Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet

Coffee provides more than just a morning jolt; that steaming cup of java is also the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton (Pa.).

29 Aug 2005

5-year-old British autistic boy dies after alternative therapy in U.S.

A 5-year-old British autistic boy has died after undergoing a controversial form of alternative therapy.

29 Aug 2005

New method can detect 'mad cow' proteins in blood

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have found a way to detect the malformed proteins in blood that cause "mad cow disease".

29 Aug 2005

Previously unknown family of plague virulence factors identified

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have identified a previously unknown family of virulence factors that make the bacterium responsible for the plague especially efficient at killing its host.

28 Aug 2005

Neurotransmitter orexin influences reward processing - associated with pleasure and reward pathways in the brain

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that the recently identified neurotransmitter orexin (also known as hypocretin) influences reward processing by activating neurons in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain.

28 Aug 2005

Campaign for tougher anti-smoking laws stepped up

The British Medical Association (BMA) has stepped up it's campaign for tougher anti-smoking laws with a blunt warning to the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, that her current plans are a virtual death sentence for some bar staff.

25 Aug 2005

Austrian authorities find mad cow disease in Slovenian cattle

The health ministry says a case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was found in a Slovenian animal that had been brought to the southern city of Graz to be slaughtered, but says there is no risk to consumers.

25 Aug 2005

Study continues to support margarine's use in heart-healthy diets

A new study gives the "thumbs up" to soft, trans fat-free margarines in terms of foods that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

25 Aug 2005

First clinical trial of a biologic nanoparticle designed to give back to cancer patients the tumor-busting gene they have lost

The phase I clinical study will enroll 20 patients with advanced solid cancers (including most common tumor types), and is the culmination of more than a decade of work by a team of researchers led by Professor Esther H. Chang, Ph.D. at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

25 Aug 2005

Stem cells with heart bypass surgery trial to begin

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has been granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a clinical trial to determine the safety and feasibility of injecting a patient's own bone marrow-derived stem cells directly into the heart during conventional heart bypass surgery.

25 Aug 2005

What possible argument is there for NOT implementing a total ban?

In its response to the Government’s proposals for tobacco legislation in England and Wales, the British Medical Association - BMA has said there is no justification for pubs and restaurants to have a longer lead-in time to go smokefree than other businesses or for there to be any exemptions for non-food pubs.

25 Aug 2005

Television advertising is packed with junk food

For young Americans, the "food landscape" in television advertising is packed with junk food, according to a new study.

25 Aug 2005

Better late than never - Hong Kong and China improve communications on disease issues

A run of food scares in Hong Kong in recent weeks has seen the population frightened to eat pork because of swine flu and eels, and now fish, because of a carcinogenic chemical, plus the ever present worry of bird flu, all of which have emanated from China.

24 Aug 2005

Prince Charles champions alternative healthcare

According to media in the UK, Prince Charles has commissioned a report into how the government could save money by using alternative medicine in the public healthcare system.

24 Aug 2005

Administering Aspirin at onset of heart attack is standard EMT protocol

New survey results indicate that emergency medical providers are administering aspirin to patients at the onset of a suspected heart attack. McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. and makers of the trusted St. Joseph brand, now make it more convenient and accessible for consumers to take aspirin when faced with a heart attack situation.

24 Aug 2005

Americans in every state, apart from Oregon, are getting fatter!

According to the Trust for America's Health, it was found that Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity, with 29.5 percent of adults classified as obese in 2004, while Colorado was the slimmest state, with just 16 percent of adults classed as obese.

24 Aug 2005

Increase in students with food allergies

As U.S. teachers prepare classrooms for the upcoming school year, school nurses and students with food allergies need to do some early homework of their own.

24 Aug 2005

FDA Approves Aceon to reduce risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Solvay Pharmaceuticals and CV Therapeutics have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Aceon (perindopril erbumine) Tablets for the treatment of patients with stable coronary artery disease to reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI).

24 Aug 2005