Perhaps at no other point in history has the role of contraception in society been so thoroughly explored, analyzed and debated.
An undercover investigation conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that take-home genetic test kits yield inconsistent results and provide little useful guidance for health decisions. This past May Walgreens pharmacy halted plans to sell over-the-counter genetic test kits after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that the kits had not been [...]
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that, since 2004, an aggressive strain of the Cryptococcus gattii fungus has caused at least 60 infections, and among the 45 for which the outcome is known, 15 deaths, the Associated Press reports. The fungus is currently concentrated in the Pacific Northwest — according to [...]
New guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published in the August issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology aim to reduce the national C-section delivery rate by shifting policy to enable more women to attempt vaginal births after an initial C-section. Among the factors contributing to the surge in Cesarean births [...]
The misuse of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications and other types of drugs and alcohol on children should be considered a form of child abuse on par with neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse, concludes Dr. Shan Yin in a study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics. Yin, of the University of Colorado and [...]
In the quest for a fitness regime that can just fold into your regular routine, “toning” sneakers may seem like an excellent fit — just don a pair of the curved-sole shoes and while “you go about your busy day” you can “burn more calories, tone muscles and more.” In fact, some of the manufacturers of [...]
In light of clinical trials suggesting no benefit from the medication among breast cancer patients, U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted yesterday in favor of withdrawing approval of the cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) for treatment of breast cancer. Avastin, which is manufactured by Roche, was originally granted “accelerated approval” for treatment of breast cancer [...]
A study conducted by researchers at Canada’s Acadia University finds that insecurity and anxiety about a relationship may not only generate heart ache, but also heart attacks. In a study of more than 5,600 people between the ages of 18 to 60, researchers found that those who said they felt insecure in relationships were more [...]
A new technique that identifies early differences in vocal development between children with an autism spectrum disorder or language delay and those developing on a normal trajectory could give pediatricians and other caregivers a tool for earlier detection of autism, and as a result facilitate earlier intervention. To distinguish the vocal patterns of normal infant [...]
Among the findings being presented and discussed this week at the 18th International AIDS Conference being held in Vienna are data suggesting that more HIV patients are taking anti-retroviral medications, study results indicating that proper, routine use of a vaginal gel before and after sex may cut infection HIV-infection rates by as much as 54% [...]
