By CARLA K. JOHNSON –
CHICAGO (AP) — A new study from Italy adds to a mountain of evidence that a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines doesn’t hurt children, offering more reassurance to parents.
In the early 1990s, thousands of healthy Italian babies in a study of whooping cough vaccines got two different amounts of the preservative thimerosal (pronounced thih-MEHR’-uh-sawl) from all their routine shots.
Ten Read the rest of this entry »

Even as controversy rages over a series of incidents in which local prosecutors appear to have withheld evidence, Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr has adopted a combative response that appears to strain her campaign vow to end a “win at all costs” office culture.
Carr responded to outside criticisms of prosecutors’ conduct, including state disciplinary attention, by assuring a gathering of county prosecutors last week that none Read the rest of this entry »

Who can the American consumer trust for protection from being poisoned?
If you picked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), be prepared for disappointment, because the agency is under fire for ignoring scientific evidence and using flawed methods when it determined that bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in baby bottles and can linings, wasn’t harmful, according to a scientific advisory report released Oct. 29.
The independent panel of scientists Read the rest of this entry »

Campaign Trail Mix, Gitmo Tribunal Probe, FDA Evidence Gap
for Monday. See something we missed? Post your stories in the comments below.
Sen. Barack Obama’s record-breaking $150 million fundraising performance in September
about campaign donations over the Internet … Sen. John McCain defends his running mate on Meet the Press, saying a third of Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe
… mail-in ballots are becoming more popular in California Read the rest of this entry »

ORLANDO, Fla.–(
)–Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) today announced findings from
two analyses of a Phase II clinical trial that demonstrate the utility
of rifaximin, a non
absorbed, gut
selective
antibiotic, in the treatment of patients with diarrhea
predominant
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Data presented at the annual meeting of
the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) showed that patients Read the rest of this entry »

Published: November 21, 2008
My last article generated a variety of responses. Some were encouraging while others called for my medical credentials to be revoked.
Some became irate over the assertion that certain screening tests are not recommended because the tests do not lead to a positive outcome, namely a longer or better life. This is critical to understand, so I thought it best to address the issue further.
The medical information I share Read the rest of this entry »

A new study published in the
August issue of International Urogynecology Journal analyzes data of an
11-year follow up study on the safety and effectiveness of tension-free
vaginal tape (TVT) as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in
women. Researchers followed women treated with GYNECARE TVT(TM) Retropubic
System Tension-free Support for Incontinence and found that after 11 years,
90% were objectively cured Read the rest of this entry »

MARSHFIELD, Wis. — Joseph Calderaro, 67, is one of health care’s quiet success stories. Over the last four years, he has carefully managed his
by lowering his blood sugar,
, exercise and medication.
To keep on track, Mr. Calderaro visits his doctor, attends meetings for diabetes patients and gets frequent calls from a health counselor. It is a team effort, orchestrated by the Marshfield Clinic here. And it is animated by technology, Read the rest of this entry »

For more than two years, Jody Uslan had been taking the drug tamoxifen in hopes of preventing a recurrence of
. Then a new test suggested that because of her genetic makeup, the drug was not doing her any good.
“I was devastated,” said Ms. Uslan, 52, who stopped taking tamoxifen and is now evaluating alternative treatments. “You find out you’ve been taking this medication for all of this time, and find out you are not getting Read the rest of this entry »

Even as controversy rages over a series of incidents in which local prosecutors appear to have withheld evidence, Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr has adopted a combative response that appears to strain her campaign vow to end a “win at all costs” office culture.
Carr responded to outside criticisms of prosecutors’ conduct, including state disciplinary attention, by assuring a gathering of county prosecutors last week that none Read the rest of this entry »