Medscape Public Health & Prevention Headlines

The Skinny on Weight Loss Supplements: Fact or Fantasy?

Fri, 9 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Patients who want to lose weight are likely to try an over-the-counter product that promises success.
Medscape Pharmacists

Icyou: How Social Media Is the New Resource for Online Health Information

Fri, 9 May 2008 09:16:25 EDT

Prerna Mona Khanna, MD, MPH, Medical Editor, Icyou.com, Charleston, South Carolina, describes another promising use of the health Internet.
The Medscape Journal of Medicine

Awareness of Stroke Warning Symptoms Low in United States

Fri, 9 May 2008 10:19:09 EDT

A report shows that in 2005, symptom awareness and recognition of the need to call 9-1-1 were low in the United States, with disparities seen by race/ethnicity, sex, and education level.
Medscape Medical News

Discrepancies in US/European Guidelines on Antithrombotics for ACS

Fri, 9 May 2008 14:14:00 EDT

Discrepancies in the European and US guidelines on recommendations for the use of enoxaparin and fondaparinux in the treatment of ACS is causing confusion, some clinicians have suggested.
Heartwire

WAFACS Published: No CVD Benefit in Longest-Duration Folic-Acid/B-Vitamin Supplementation Study

Fri, 9 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

A study on folic-acid and B-vitamin supplementation demonstrates homocysteine lowering as a useful marker in the prediction of cardiovascular disease but has no effect on cardiovascular outcomes.
Medscape Medical News

What Your Patients Are Reading: Long-Term NSAID Use Protective Against Alzheimer's

Thu, 8 May 2008 11:48:00 EDT

Long-term use of NSAIDs (particularly ibuprofen) may ward off dementia, hypertension is responsible for a large percentage of disease burden worldwide, chocolate may lower the risk for preeclampsia, exclusively breast-fed children are smarter than their classmates, and cosmetic filler injections may cause acute renal failure.
Medscape Medical News

Cost -- Not Evidence -- Driving Shift in Cancer Screening

Thu, 8 May 2008 16:43:00 EDT

High-deductible health plans could be prompting patients to choose fully covered screening tests to avoid out-of-pocket expenses.
Medscape Medical News

Research in the Physician's Office: Navigating the Ethical Minefield

Thu, 8 May 2008 16:59:54 EDT

The ethical and practical issues that arise when clinical research moves from the academic medical center--with its IRBs, training and staff resources--to the doctor's office are explored in this case
The Hastings Center Report

Vascular Benefits of Stopping Smoking Are Rapid

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Women who quit smoking will see a rapid decline in the risk for death from coronary heart disease and other vascular disorders, a new analysis of the Nurses' Health Study shows.
Medscape Medical News

Long-Term Use of Ibuprofen Lowers Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, specifically ibuprofen, lowers the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
Medscape Medical News

FDA Approvals: Advair, Relistor, Aplenzin

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The FDA has approved an expanded indication for fluticasone propionate/salmeterol inhalation powder, methylnaltrexone bromide subcutaneous injection, and bupropion HBr extended-release tablets.
Medscape Medical News

Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm

Thu, 8 May 2008 18:09:55 EDT

An update on exercise-induced bronchospasm from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2008 Annual Meeting.
Medscape Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Genomic Research and Personalized Medicine: An Expert Interview With Francis Collins, MD, PhD

Thu, 8 May 2008 18:23:57 EDT

Dr. Francis Collins talks about how close we are to the achievement of personalized medicine.
Medscape Genomic Medicine

Highlights of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2008 Annual Meeting

Thu, 8 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Read clinically focused news coverage of key developments on exercise-induced asthma, new research initiatives in asthma, and more from AAAAI 2008.
Medscape Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Free Antiretroviral Therapy Cuts Mortality in Malawi

Fri, 9 May 2008 04:27:05 EDT

Since free antiretroviral therapy was offered to more than 80,000 HIV-infected adults in Malawi a few years ago, mortality has fallen by up to 35%, according to a report in the May 10th issue of The Lancet.
Reuters Health Information

FDA Sets Panel Review of Glaxo Clotting Drug: Amgen

Fri, 9 May 2008 04:24:33 EDT

A panel of expert advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet at the end of this month to review GlaxoSmithKline Plc's experimental drug for treating a disorder in which the blood does not clot properly, according to Amgen Inc.
Reuters Health Information

FDA Safety Changes: Janumet, WelChol, Rituxan

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The FDA has approved revisions to the safety labeling for sitagliptin plus metformin HCl tablets (Janumet), colesevelam HCl tablets (WelChol), and rituximab intravenous injection (Rituxan).
Medscape Medical News

Repercussions of Abuse, Neglect, and Trauma on the Neurobiology of the Brain and Their Implications for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment -- From APA 2008: May 6, 2008

Wed, 7 May 2008 18:14:55 EDT

APA Annual Meeting 2008: Consequences of abuse, neglect, and trauma on the development of mental health disorders and the implications for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health

Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Depends on Vaccine Component and Circulating Subtypes

Wed, 7 May 2008 23:48:00 EDT

A study showed that both vaccine components and the proportionate mix of circulating influenza subtypes, strains, and drift variants affect vaccine effectiveness.
Medscape Medical News

Abuse of Medications Employed for the Treatment of ADHD: Results From a Large-Scale Community Survey

Wed, 7 May 2008 11:10:27 EDT

This article evaluates prescription and illicit stimulant abuse in the treatment of ADHD. The results suggest that long-acting stimulants may have lower abuse potential than short-acting agents.
The Medscape Journal of Medicine