Thermographic Imaging Systems for Breast Cancer Screening: FDA Safety Communication

[Posted 06/02/2011]
AUDIENCE: Consumers, Patients
ISSUE: FDA notified consumers, women who participate in breast cancer screening and healthcare professionals that thermography is not a replacement for screening mammography and should not be used by itself to diagnose breast cancer. Thermographic systems use an infrared camera to produce images (thermograms) that show the patterns of heat and blood flow on or near the surface of the body. The FDA is not aware of any valid scientific data to show that… Continue Reading

LONDON – A respected international panel of experts says cellphones are possible cancer-causing agents, putting them in the same category as the pesticide DDT, gasoline engine exhaust and coffee.

The classification was issued Tuesday in Lyon, France, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer after a review of dozens of publishe
d studies. The agency is an arm of the World Health Organization and its assessment now goes to WHO and national health agen
cies for possible guidance on cellphone use.
Classifying agents a
s “p
ossibly carcinogenic” doesn’t… Continue Reading

May 25, 2011 — Just in time for the start of grilling season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated guidelines for safely preparing pork. The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
The federal agency says it is lowering the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 degrees to 145 degrees and adding a 3-minute rest time.
That temperature should be measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of… Continue Reading

May 3, 2011 — The number of people with asthma has been rising in recent years, but CDC researchers say in a new report that they aren’t sure why.
The CDC says that the number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million between 2001 and 2009, when one in 12 Americans were told they had the lung disease. The proportion of people of all ages with asthma in the U.S. increased from 7.3% (20.3 million people) in 2001 to 8.2% (24.6 million people) in… Continue Reading

April 20, 2011 — People who eat meat may be at increased risk of developing cataracts
compared to vegetarians, a new study shows.
Researchers at the University of Oxford in England say vegetarians and vegans are 30% to 40% less likely to develop cataracts than people who eat a lot of meat.
Other factors, such as smoking, diabetes, and exposure to bright sunlight, also have been linked to greater risk of cataracts.
Researchers studied data on 27,670 people participating in the European Prospective Investigation in Cancer and Nutrition study. The… Continue Reading

April 11, 2011 — Is multitasking getting harder with age? A new study suggests that older brains behave differently when it comes to switching between two tasks.
Researchers found that older people have a more difficult time multitasking not because they have to devote more attention to a secondary task, but because their brains have a harder time disengaging from the secondary task and going back to the original one.
The study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain activity in 20 people over age 60 while they… Continue Reading

How one person lived to 197 or 256 years – a story that will amaze you and give you possibly longer life and regeneration.
The miracle of Li Ching-Yuen
They say he was 1726, while disputed records suggest his birth to be 1677, both dates far exceed the longest confirmed lifespan of a French woman who died at the age of 122 years. According to the Chinese government records he did die at the age of 256 years substantiated by documentation who claim they congratulated him on  his 200th birthday… Continue Reading

It’s the second year in a row the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has given the dubious honor of “the most challenging place to live with spring allergies” to the east Tennessee town. Rounding out the top five were four other Southern cities: Louisville, Ky.; Charlotte, N.C.; Jackson, Miss.; and Chattanooga.
The rankings are based on an analysis of the following three factors for the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S.:
Pollen scores (airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores)
Number of allergy medications used per patient
… Continue Reading

Citalopram And Finasteride by Greenstone: Recall – Possible Mislabeling
[Posted 03/28/2011]
AUDIENCE: Risk Manager, Pharmacy, Family Practice
ISSUE: Greenstone LLC announced a recall of medicines with lot number FI0510058-A on the label. Bottles labeled as Citalopram (used to treat depression) may contain Finasteride (used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia). Women who are, or may become pregnant, should not take or handle Finasteride due to the possible risk of side effects which may cause abnormalities to the external genitalia of a developing male fetus. Citalopram is… Continue Reading

March 30, 2011 — Yet another lot of Tylenol has been recalled by Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil division.
The latest recall involves one lot — 34,056 150-count bottles — of Tylenol 8-Hour Extended Release caplets.
The recalled Tylenol 8-Hour Extended release caplets are 150-count bottles with the lot number ADM074 and the UPC code 300450297181.
As with its many previous recalls, the latest Tylenol recall is due to a musty or moldy smell. The odor is thought to be caused by trace amounts of the extremely odorous compounds TBA and… Continue Reading