Hide or Get Rid of Excess Hair

In women, factors such as hormonal changes, diet, illness, or use of certain medications can trigger the growth of excess or unwanted hair. To remove or minimize its appearance, the U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions: Bleach the hair so that it is less visible. Shave, wax, pluck or chemically remove the hair. Use electrolysis, a procedure in which an electric current is used... Read more

Wikipedia often omits important drug information: study

Consumers who rely on the user-edited Web resource Wikipedia for information on medications are putting themselves at risk of potentially harmful drug interactions and adverse effects, new research shows. Dr. Kevin A. Clauson of Nova Southeastern University in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and his colleagues found few factual errors in their evaluation of Wikipedia entries on 80 drugs. But these entries... Read more

5 million in U.S. go to alcohol, drug self-help groups

About 5 million Americans attend meetings of self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous for alcohol and drug abusers, and nearly half of them reported remaining clean, a federal study released on Monday showed. The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration examined the popularity of meetings like those run in many communities by AA and Narcotics Anonymous. In these kinds of meetings,... Read more

Insurers make pitch for health coverage mandate

The health insurance industry said Wednesday it will support a national health care overhaul that requires them to accept all customers, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions, but in return it wants lawmakers to mandate that everyone buy coverage. Lawmakers have signaled their intent to craft health care legislation early next year, and the insurance industry’s support would make passage... Read more

FDA to detain food shipments from China

Federal health officials Thursday slapped a sweeping detention order on dozens of imported foods from China, from snacks and drinks to chocolates and candies. It’s unusual for the Food and Drug Administration to put such a broad hold on goods from an entire country, not just a few rogue manufacturers. The agency said the action was needed as a precaution to keep out foods contaminated with the... Read more

Heart Failure Accounts for 37% of Medicare Spending

Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure have many more doctor visits and take more medications than those without heart failure, researchers are reporting. They based their conclusion on an analysis of data on 173,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The overall average age of the beneficiaries was 70.7 years, while the average age for those with heart failure was between 76 and 77 years. The analysis found... Read more

FDA staff cite abuse concern with Alpharma drug

Alpharma Inc’s powerful painkiller Embeda may not thwart drug abusers despite design features aimed at curbing misuse, U.S. regulatory staff said in documents released on Wednesday. The drugmaker tested the effects of the design features only when the pill was misused orally, but addicts tend to crush such morphine-based drugs and then inject them, U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff said. “It... Read more

Gains Against Heart Failure Reported

Researchers are reporting new ways to use exercise and medications to manage and improve the lives of people with heart failure, a condition that affects more than 5 million Americans. One study found a small, 7 percent reduction in death or hospitalization rates from any cause, as well as a reduction in cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalizations, among heart-failure patients who followed... Read more

Philips develops “intelligent pill”

Dutch group Philips has developed an “intelligent pill” that contains a microprocessor, battery, wireless radio, pump and a drug reservoir to release medication in a specific area in the body. Philips, one of the world’s biggest hospital equipment makers, said Tuesday that the “iPill” capsule, measures acidity with a sensor to determine its location in the gut, and can... Read more

CVS offers lower-cost fertility medications

CVS Caremark Corp said on Monday it is offering discounts of about 30 percent on fertility treatments to couples struggling with infertility and high medication costs. The program is aimed at patients who do not have fertility medication health insurance coverage or who have exhausted their benefits for fertility medications. CVS said about 7.3 million U.S. women and their partners, or about 12 percent... Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »