As we look back over the decade since 9/11, perhaps the most pressing question is this: are we ready for another one?
Policy & Industry
Brazilian Blowout Gets Blowback From the FDA
It’s official: Brazilian Blowout is dangerous, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Greener, Cheaper Medicine: Surgeon, Spare That Clamp
They’re shiny and sharp. They click reassuringly in your hand. You can twirl one like a six-gun or clip it on your coat. They have countless uses beside the ones for which they were made. But we have too many. And I just can’t …
Are Foreclosures Making Us Sick?
Gov. Rick Perry’s Weird Science
Since Texas Governor Rick Perry announced he was running for President on Aug. 13, the American public has learned a great deal about his stance on various health care issues. We’ve also learned that he tends to make decisions …
Fridge Out of Power? How to Handle Your Food Safely
As of this writing, some 5.5 million people in the eastern U.S. are still without power in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
Botox Approved, Again, This Time for Urinary Incontinence
For those of you who have been keeping track, Botox, the symbol of vanity and Bravo’s Real Housewives, actually has a variety of medical uses: it’s government-approved to treat chronic migraines, muscle problems, underarm …
Target Step Stools Recalled Over Safety Concerns
A voluntary recall of a popular step stool sold at Target is being expanded because of reports that the stool is collapsing under the weight of users and causing injury.
FDA: High Doses of Celexa May Be Dangerous for the Heart
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reduced the maximum recommended dose of the antidepressant Celexa (citalopram) to 40 mg per day, warning that higher doses may trigger potentially fatal changes in heart rhythm.
Tainted Chinese Honey May Be on U.S. Store Shelves
Millions of pounds of tainted Chinese honey are likely making their way onto U.S. store shelves, according to an investigation by Food Safety News (FSN). The online daily news site reports that Chinese honeymakers are laundering …
Device Doesn’t Help Prevent Patients From Waking During Surgery
About one in 1,000 surgery patients experience the trauma of awareness during anesthesia, and later remember feeling pain and distress during their operation. Many go on to develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress. So hospitals …
Do You Lie to Your Doctor?
When asked by their doctors, patients fudge the truth about almost everything: how much they drink or smoke, how unhealthily they eat, how little they exercise, how many sexual partners they’ve had, what drugs they’re taking — …
Under the Knife: Study Shows Rising Death Rates from General Anesthesia
People have always been afraid of general anesthesia. Many fear they won’t wake up from this “artificial sleep” — actually more of a coma, albeit drug-induced and reversible.