Top Stories You May Have Missed: April 9-13
Could a trip to the dentist or salon be dangerous? Has your diet been failing you? Learn the answers to these and discover more of this week’s top news stories:
Dental X-rays Linked to Brain Tumors
Getting frequent dental X-rays… Continue reading
Qnexa Weight-Loss Pill Approval Delayed
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Patients and doctors eagerly awaiting FDA approval of the new weight-loss drug Qnexa will have to wait at least another three months.
Expected to approve the drug on April 17, the FDA now says it will… Continue reading
Sushi May Be Linked to Salmonella Scare
An outbreak of Salmonella Bareilly has sickened 90 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia between January 28 and April 2, according to CDC. Although many of those who became ill reported eating sushi, sashimi, or similar foods,… Continue reading
Are You Getting Tests You Don’t Need?
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Are you getting too many medical tests or treatments?
You might be, nine major medical groups say. These common tests can be lifesavers for people who need them.
So what’s the harm of an extra test… Continue reading
Dads, Genes, and Autism
by Daniel J. DeNoon
How is autism genetically inherited? How much autism comes from something in the environment?
New studies, published today in the journal Nature, show that these are not separate questions.
First, the genetic part: It’s clear… Continue reading
Runner Sues Vibram FiveFingers for ‘Deceptive Claims’
By Daniel J. DeNoon
Do the popular barefoot-style Vibram FiveFingers shoes injure runners by making deceptive claims of health benefits?
That’s what Valerie Bezdek of Pinellas County, Fla., says in a class-action lawsuit filed in the Massachusetts U.S. District Court.… Continue reading
Sushi Suspected as Salmonella Sickens 93 in 19 States
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Sushi is suspected but not confirmed as the source of a salmonella food-poisoning outbreak that so far has sickened 93 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
Ten people have been hospitalized since the… Continue reading
Whitney Houston Final Coroner’s Report
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Whitney Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub “due to effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use,” according to the final report of the L.A. County Coroner’s Office
“The decedent possibly overdosed on a narcotic substance,… Continue reading
Dick Cheney Heart Transplant: What’s Ahead
By Michael Smith, MD
After a more than 30-year history of heart problems, former Vice President Dick Cheney is recovering from a heart transplant. How successful is a heart transplant in a 71-year old man and what does the… Continue reading
Whitney Houston: Death by ‘Accidental’ Drowning
By Louise Chang, MD
WebMD Senior Medical Editor
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has determined that Whitney Houston’s death was due to accidental “drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use,” according to multiple media reports.
The… Continue reading
The Affordable Care Act & Women’s Health: Another Opinion
By Daniel J. DeNoon
On Tuesday, WebMD attended a roundtable discussion at the White House regarding the Affordable Care Act’s impact on women’s health. Today, we sought a response from Kathryn Nix, a healthcare analyst for the Heritage Foundation, a… Continue reading
The Affordable Care Act and Women’s Health: White House Roundtable
By Kristin Hammam
Vice President of Content, WebMD
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments over the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s sweeping and controversial health care reform law, the White House hosted a roundtable discussion on the law’s… Continue reading
FDA Takes Aim at AeroShot “Breathable” Caffeine
by Daniel J. DeNoon
The FDA has fired a warning shot at AeroShot, the new “breathable” caffeine product.
AeroShot promises to deliver “breathable energy,” although the lipstick-size device shoots a puff of lime-flavored powder that’s supposed to be swallowed,… Continue reading
Gruesome Cig Labels Nixed for Now
by Daniel J. DeNoon
A federal district court judge now has ruled unconstitutional the FDA’s plan to force cigarette makers to put gruesome images on cigarette packs.
The judge last November issued an injunction halting the FDA rule. The Obama… Continue reading
Can FDA Stop AeroShot “Breathable” Caffeine?
By Daniel J. DeNoon
“The energy of the future is here,” says the web site of AeroShot, a “breathable” caffeine product.
The lipstick-size device shoots a puff of lime-flavored powder onto the tongue. Each $ 3 unit delivers 100 mg… Continue reading
Cancer Drug Shortage Over Soon, FDA Says
by Daniel J. DeNoon
Critical shortages of two important cancer drugs may soon be over, the FDA says.
Doxil, known generically as doxorubicin, is a treatment for Kaposi’s sarcoma, multiple myeloma, and treatment-resistant ovarian cancer. It’s been in critically short… Continue reading
Lead in Lipstick: Health Hazard Or Not A Concern?
By Kathleen Doheny
Valentine’s Day 2012 and its kisses are history, but the lipstick debate continues.
Is the lead in lipstick a health hazard?
According to the FDA, lead in lipstick is not a concern. In its 2010 analysis of… Continue reading
Patients Suffer as Drug Shortages Snowball
By Daniel J. DeNoon
Deathly ill patients, many of them children, aren’t getting the drugs they desperately need.
Why? The drugs — most of them sterile, injectable drugs used to treat cancer or infections or for anesthesia during operations —… Continue reading
Whitney Houston’s Death: Is Prescription Drug Overdose to Blame?
By Michael Smith, MD
Chief Medical Editor, WebMD
Given Whitney Houston’s past struggles with drug addiction and the fact that she was so young, many were quick to turn to drug overdose as the most likely cause of her very… Continue reading
Whitney Houston’s Death
Many are pausing this morning to remember Whitney Houston, 48, who died yesterday at a hotel in Beverly Hills. The cause of death has not been determined.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an autopsy will be conducted with results expected within the next… Continue reading