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FDA Lowers Age for OTC Plan B

WASHINGTON -- The FDA has approved over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step to women and girls as young as 15.

Lyme Disease, Autism Link Debunked

A new study has found no evidence of an association between Lyme disease and autism.

Ricin Deadly, but Not an Effective WMD

It may have been a preferred tool of Soviet hit men, but ricin generally flops as a weapon of mass destruction, several bioterrorism experts told 番茄社区.

Is Pot Smoking a Stroke Trigger?

HONOLULU -- Middle age stroke patients were twice as likely to be pot smokers than healthy middle age controls, researchers found.

Psychosis Common in Meth Addicts

Methamphetamine use makes hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms substantially more likely among addicts, particularly for those abusing other substances, a longitudinal study affirmed.

FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Down to Opioid

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee voted 11-2 on Friday against recommending approval of a single-entity hydrocodone product, raising questions about its abuse potential.

FDA to Look at Tainted Skin Preps

Antiseptic skin preparation products can be contaminated by microbes, a problem the FDA will address at an upcoming public hearing.

Compounder Tied to Tainted Eye Meds, Lost Sight

CHICAGO -- All but one of 12 patients given injections of contaminated bevacizumab (Avastin) prepared by a compounding pharmacy permanently lost vision in the affected eye, researchers reported here.

Eating Before Lipid Test OK

It may not be necessary to fast before a routine cholesterol check, a large community-based population study suggested.

Meningitis: FDA Warns of 'Light Therapy' Claims

A Tennessee company made false claims that its "light therapy" has benefits for fungal meningitis, the FDA said.

AHA: No Excess Bleeding Risk with Dabigatran

LOS ANGELES -- Patients starting dabigatran (Pradaxa) did not have a higher risk of bleeding compared with new users of warfarin, according to a postmarketing data review by the FDA.

Child Booster Seat Laws Work

锘縉EW ORLEANS -- States that implemented booster seat laws saw a drop in serious injuries from motor vehicle crashes among children ages 4 to 8 during a recent 11-year period, researchers found.锘�

Cardio Notes: Sex Improves with Stenting

Opening the arteries of those with stable coronary disease also opens the door to an improved sex life. Also this week, bariatric surgery helps remodel the heart.

Watchdog Group Wants Black Box on BP Meds

WASHINGTON -- The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to add a black box warning to three classes of hypertension drugs, cautioning against their combined use.

Viagra from Online Sources Mostly Fake

CHICAGO -- Most of the sildenafil (Viagra) sold online is counterfeit and contains far less of the active ingredient than the real thing, researchers said here.

Brain-Eating Amoeba Came From Faucet

The recent cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis represent the first reported instances of U.S. tap water harboring the amoeba that causes the fatal disease, according to CDC researchers.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. Responding to Bipolar Therapy

After months of silence from his office about his absence from Congress, the Mayo Clinic has announced that Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., (D-Ill.) is being treated at the facility for bipolar disorder.

NYC to Limit Baby Formula in Hospitals

By Labor Day, at least 27 hospitals in New York City will have implemented the main components of an initiative aimed at encouraging breastfeeding for new mothers.

Olympic Doctors Ready to Treat Team U.S.A.

While the world watches elite athletes like Michael Phelps and Hope Solo go for Olympic gold, the athletes' team physicians will be watching them, too, but with a different perspective.

Playing Sports Helps Teens Fight Fat

Team sports may fight weight problems better than other forms of exercise among high schoolers, researchers found.

Readers: Who Really Benefits from Spanking?

Although a majority of our readers don't think childhood spanking causes mental illness in adulthood, many of them noted that the topic is more complex than a simple "Yes" and "No" survey.

ACIP Changes Flu Vaccine Dosing for Kids

ATLANTA -- Two of the three strains covered by the seasonal influenza vaccine are changing for the upcoming season, and with that change comes a new dosing algorithm for children.

AMA: Trust but Verify Genetically Modified Foods

茂禄驴CHICAGO -- When it comes to genetically modified foods, the American Medical Association has adopted a "trust but verify" policy: the foods seem safe, but they still need to be checked out.

Toxic Shock from Strep: a 'Lightning Strike'

In rare cases, the bacteria responsible for causing strep throat -- group A Streptococcus -- can penetrate beyond the superficial surfaces of the body and lead to necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock syndrome, and even death.

FDA Asked to Take Ban Use of Pesticide for Head Lice

A congressman has called on the FDA to ban the pesticide lindane as a treatment for head lice in children; the agency has already demoted it from a first-line therapy.

Facebook Status: Need Kidney

WASHINGTON -- Promoting living kidney donation on social networks could increase the organ donor pool, researchers said here.

Kids Today Really Are Different

The adolescent phase in human development now lasts much longer than it once did, leading to a potential rise in risky behavior, including STDs and excessive drinking, researchers said.

Circumcision Tied to Drop in Herpes, Too

SEATTLE -- African men who underwent circumcision not only reduced their risk of contracting HIV infection, they also were significantly less likely to be infected with herpes simplex virus-2, researchers reported here.

FDA Adds More Warnings for Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor

WASHINGTON -- Statins may cause drug-drug interactions for patients taking drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, according to a new statin warning from the FDA.

In Cocaine Users Think About Levamisole

HOUSTON -- Half of a group of cocaine users tested positive for levamisole, a potentially hazardous veterinary drug that cocaine dealers often use to prepare street product, investigators reported here.

FDA Issues Warning on Acid Reflux Drugs

The FDA warned today that use of proton pump inhibitors -- including popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid -- may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

Komen Official Quits After Controversy

A vice-president at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has resigned in the wake of the controversy surrounding the organization's decision -- since reversed -- to stop funding Planned Parenthood's breast cancer programs.

Ski Helmets Not Best for Sledding

To protect kids' noggins before setting them on toboggans parents should ditch ski helmets for hockey or cycling ones, results of a study suggest.

Lack of Birth Control Common Among Teen Moms

About half of teenage mothers who didn't plan to get pregnant did not use contraception at the time they conceived, CDC researchers found.

Herpes Drugs Work, but Not Forever

Anti-herpetic agents reduce recurrence of herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2) symptoms but do not completely block subclinical shedding of virus, even at high doses, researchers reported.

'Brain-Eating' Amoeba Kills Second Neti Pot User

Louisiana state health officials are warning patients about potential dangers of using tap water for sinus irrigation after two patients died of Naegleria fowleri infection.

Consumer Reports Backs Dr. Oz on Arsenic in Juice

Roughly 10% of apple and grape juice samples tested by Consumer Reports contained total levels of arsenic that exceeded federal standards set for drinking water, according to results of an investigation released today.

Use of Psych Drugs Up, Women Biggest Users

One American in five takes psychiatric medication for conditions such as depression and anxiety, and use of the drugs is more common among women, researchers found.

AMA Adopts Policies on Circumcision, Gun Safety

The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates has adopted a number of new policies at its interim meeting, including policies on male circumcision, physician discussion of gun safety, and a new medical coding system that will go into effect in 2013.

Airport Metal Detectors Safe for Pacemakers

Metal detector security screening appears safe for people with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers found.

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