Avandia linked to heart risks?

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 21st, 2007 • 0 Comments

Another well-known drug is under fire. Recent research shows that popular diabetes drug Avandia may be tied to heart problems. Needless to say, the drug’s manufacturer disagrees.

UPDATE: The FDA has now issued an alert about Avandia. Find out more

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More confusing research

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 18th, 2007 • 0 Comments

Following on the heels of a study that showed multivitamins may play a role in prostate cancer, there’s this doozy of a finding: Lycopene-rich tomatoes won’t protect against prostate cancer after all. And they wonder why recent research shows that Americans fear they can do nothing to protect themselves against cancer.

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No more combovers?

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 16th, 2007 • 1 Comments

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could lead to a baldness cure. No need to celebrate just yet, though. A drug treatment based on the new findings is at least a decade away.

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Vitamins: Another confusing study

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 16th, 2007 • 1 Comments

Sometimes research leads to information that only serves to baffle the public (and scientists) further. That seems to be the case with this new data that shows taking a multivitamin more than seven times a week increases the risk of advanced prostate cancer and doubles the risk of death from the disease. Many may wonder exactly what the researchers consider to be ‘multivitamins.’ Are they strictly the clearly labeled, traditional multivitamin brands found on all drugstore shelves, or do other multi-ingredient products count? Sadly, the researchers don’t say.

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PAR offers health care reform ideas

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 15th, 2007 • 0 Comments

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana has issued its recommendations for health care reform in Louisiana. What do you think?

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Beer tax to benefit health care?

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 14th, 2007 • 3 Comments

This could be just a little bit controversial. Louisiana Rep. Henry “Tank” Powell of Ponchatoula wants to add taxes to cases of beer in order to fund health care facilities. What do you think of this plan?

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Fewer women getting mammograms

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 14th, 2007 • 0 Comments

After years of steady increases, the overall rate at which women are undergoing regular mammograms fell four percent between 2000 and 2005. Experts call this trend “very troubling.” Find out more in this Washington Post piece.

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Hypothyroidism: Do you have it?

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 10th, 2007 • 0 Comments

Hypothyroidism can cause exhaustion, depression, constipation and other nasty symptoms. It can run in families. Unfortunately, it often goes undiagnosed. Find out more in this piece, written by a sufferer.

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Pure fruit juices okay after all

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 9th, 2007 • 0 Comments

Despite warnings in recent years that fruit juices can be as bad as sodas for children, new research shows that drinking 100 percent fruit juice is not associated with excess weight or obesity in children. In fact, the study shows that children who drink whole fruit juices have healthier diets in general.

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Advocate columnist passes away

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 9th, 2007 • 0 Comments

Laurie Smith Anderson, a former health reporter for the Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate, has passed away after a year-and-a-half struggle with colon cancer. Before her passing, she chronicled her fight against the disease in a poignant regular column, “The Patient Person.” Some of her final columns can be read here.

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Hepatitis C and cancer linked

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 9th, 2007 • 0 Comments

According to this Reuters story, new research shows infection with the hepatitis C virus increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. Hepatitis C has also been linked to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

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Uninsured pay more for health care

Submitted by Rob Anderson, May 8th, 2007 • 0 Comments

A study shows that health care is more expensive for the uninsured that those with insurance.
However, the American Hospital Association is critical of the data, calling it “outdated.”

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