Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA articles from July 2000

Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA archives from July 2000

Primary Hepatitis C Sources Identified.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent study determined that the majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases in the U.S. result from injection drug use and high-risk sexual activity. Between 1991 and 1998, I.T. Williams, from the U.S....

Weight-Loss Herb Damaged Kidneys.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A Chinese herb in a weight-loss preparation damaged the kidneys of 105 patients at a Belgian clinic and apparently caused 18 cases of cancer among them, researchers report. "Our findings reinforce the idea...

Physical Activity Associated with Substantial Risk Reduction in Women.(stroke)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Increasing physical activity levels are associated with a substantial reduction in risk of total and ischemic stroke in women, according to an article in the June 14 issue of The Journal of the American...

Soluble CD4 Activates HIV-1 Env-Mediated Membrane Fusion.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Soluble CD4 (sCD4) can activate HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion with CD4-negative/coreceptor-positive target cells, researchers in the United States reported. "The push for an effective AIDS vaccine has...

Rare Co-infection Documented in Taiwan.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Scientists have detected cases of hepatitis A and E virus (HAV and HEV) co-infection among residents of Taiwan, though the source of the infections is uncertain. Based on the report by C.H. Wang, a...

Proposed Food Label Changes for Trans Fatty Acids Could Reduce Deaths.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Deaths from heart attacks could be reduced as a result of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plan to change food labels to reflect the amount of trans fatty acids in processed foods, according to a study...

Green Onions Likely Source of Hepatitis A Outbreak.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers say that a hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak that occurred in the U.S. in late 1998 was probably due to the consumption of contaminated green onions. After 43 people who had dined at the same...

Experts Gather to Sharpen Focus on Prevention Strategies Against Hepatitis A.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A multidisciplinary group of experts gathered to sharpen the focus on prevention strategies against hepatitis A, which, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remains one of...

Hepatitis A Vaccine Schedule Determined for Infants.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Initial hepatitis A vaccines should be administered at 18 months and the second at 24 months, recommend researchers in Israel. M.S. Green and colleagues with the Israel Center for Disease Control in Tel...

Hepatitis B Vaccination Prevents Infection in Thousands of Children Annually.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Thousands of U.S. children would be infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) each year if they did not receive vaccination for the illness as infants, a recent study concludes. To determine the prevalence of...

Illegal Drug Use Related to High Risk for Hepatitis A.(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is high among both injecting and non-injecting users of illicit drugs. To assess the prevalence of HAV among known drug users, K. Ivie and colleagues from the U.S....

Possible Animal Source of Hepatitis E Virus Identified.(pigs)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- An increased incidence of antibodies to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) among pig farmers has led scientists to associate pigs and HEV infection. J. Drobeniuc and colleagues from the U.S. Centers for Disease...

Genetic Link Identified in Pima Indians.(diabetes)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent study of over 1,300 Pima Indian DNA samples identified areas on three chromosomes that may be linked to type 2 diabetes. Clifton Bogardus and colleagues with the U.S. National Institute of...

Mississippi Receives $2 Million to Combat Public Safety Threats.(preventing biological warfare agents)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- The estimated $2 million the state of Mississippi will receive in the next five years to prepare for biological warfare will be spent on education and detection, say health officials. The U.S. Centers for...

FDA Approves Easier-to-Administer Heart Clot-Dissolving Drug.(tenecteplase)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A new clot-busting drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can reduce the time it takes to treat heart attack victims from 90 minutes to five seconds, using a single swift injection to...

WHO Issues New Alarm.(drug resistant bacteria)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned June 12 that increasingly drug-resistant infections in rich and developing nations alike are threatening to make once-treatable diseases incurable. Scientists...

U.S. Lawmakers Want FDA to Do More to Block Tainted Drugs.
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Members of the U.S. Congress are pressing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase efforts to block the importation of tainted drug ingredients that could end up in American medicines. Rep....

FDA Approval Received for Radioactive Glass Bead Therapy.(liver cancer treatment)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- A method for treating liver cancer with tiny radioactive glass beads has been approved for use in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Delbert E. Day, Curators' Professor...

Vaccine May Not Be Best Bet for Everyone.(lymetrix)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Minnesotans considering the Lyme disease vaccine probably shouldn't be influenced by a high-profile ad campaign targeting Minneapolis and St. Paul (the Twin Cities), and Duluth by the vaccine's manufacturer,...

Pinworms Affect 20-42 Million Americans, Mostly Children.(treatment)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Summertime, and the living is easy. Except if your child has pinworms, an annoying infection whose symptoms include anal itching, irritability, and restlessness. Pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) is the...

Drug Therapies Could be Tailored Based on Genetic Profile.(enzyme research)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- People die each year while taking some of the world's most popular drugs - from antibiotics to heartburn remedies - all because no one knew their genetic makeup made them uniquely susceptible to devastating...

Colorado Scientists Prepare to Prevent an Outbreak.(west nile fever)(Brief Article)
July 2, 2000... 2000 JUL 2 - (NewsRx.com) -- Colorado State health officials are setting up a system to test for the West Nile virus that struck New York last summer, killing seven and sickening 55. The outbreak was the first time that the virus had...

Oral Health of Blacks, Mexican-Americans Significantly Worse than That of Whites.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- African-Americans and Mexican-Americans have significantly poorer oral health than non-Hispanic whites in the United States, and men have more periodontal disease than women, researchers from the University at...

AIDS Activists, Legislators Demand Access to Immune-Based Therapies.(development of drugs)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Adanti Acosta, International HIV Immune Based Therapies Working Group, based out of the Brooklyn Medical Arts AIDS CARE Center, New York, and other AIDS activists joined together in an effort to accelerate the...

Health Experts Call for More Training.(Alzheimer's disease support assisstance)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Members of the West Virginia Coalition of the Alzheimer's Association met with their state lawmakers recently to discuss their campaign to train all long-term care providers about the disease and improve...

Antimicrobial Compound Approved for Food Contact.(HealthShield)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- HealthShield Technologies, Boston, Massachusetts, announced that on June 9, 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved HealthShield Technologies antimicrobial compound, HealthShield, as a safe...

Minister of Health Launches Canadian Institutes of Health Research.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Allan Rock, Minister of Health, on June 7 launched the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and announced Dr. Alan Bernstein, the first president, and the...

Study Finds Evidence of Multiple Symptoms, but No Syndrome.(Gulf War veterans)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- In a study involving nearly 3,700 Gulf War-era veterans from Iowa, University of Iowa (UI) researchers did not find evidence of a unique Gulf War syndrome attributed to military service in the Persian Gulf...

State Health Secretary Says Her Agency Can't Oversee Research.(marijuana)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Washington state's health secretary has told lawmakers her agency can't oversee marijuana research that could resolve legal confusion over a 1998 initiative allowing limited medical use of the drug. ...

EPA Bans Chlorpyrifos.(insecticide)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and pesticide manufacturers have agreed to phase out use of one of the most widely applied pesticides because of concern it poses health risks to children in...

FDA Seizes Drugs and Vaccines.(standards not followed)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized hundreds of doses of prescription drugs and vaccines from a Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories shipping center, citing violations of federal quality standards,...

Prevnar Voted for Inclusion in Vaccines for Children Program.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- American Home Products (AHP), Madison, New Jersey, announced that its vaccine Prevnar has been included in the U.S. government's Vaccines for Children program (VFC). Based on this vote all VFC-eligible...

Automatic Pesticide Dispensers a Potential Health Hazard.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Automatic pesticide dispensers used in restaurants and other public places in the U.S. have sickened 97 people over 13 years. The illnesses occurred from 1986 to 1999 and most of them resulted when the...

FDA to Oversee Research into Cell Phone Safety.(health risks)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hoping to settle whether there really are any health risks from cellular phones, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has negotiated an "oversight" partnership with the phone industry, which will spend...

U.S. Helps Investigate Unexplained British Deaths.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- A mysterious illness has killed 30 intravenous drug users in Scotland, Ireland, and England since April, and U.S. officials are helping in the investigation. Health officials have reported 59 people with...

People at Risk for HIV Urged To 'Take the Test and Take Control'.(National HIV Testing Day)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- To help identify nearly 250,000 people in the United States who do not know they are infected with HIV, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) announced the sixth annual National HIV Testing Day,...

Fulminant Viral Hepatitis Due to Combined Infection.(study)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent study confirmed that most cases of fulminant viral hepatitis result from hepatitis B virus (HBV) in combination with hepatitis D, C, or G (HDV, HCV, or HGV) infection. Fulminant hepatitis is a...

Pilot Study Makes Strides in Acute Liver Failure Epidemiology.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have developed a system that will serve as a feasible model for epidemiological studies on acute liver failure (ALF). The model also determined similarities among patients with unknown etiology. ...

Study Says Tattoos Not a Risk Factor for Viral Hepatitis.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- New study findings study indicate that tattoos are not a risk factor for acquiring viral hepatitis. A.L. Silverman and associates at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, conducted the study...

Innovative Program Moves Out of Clinic Into Community.(sexually transmitted disease screening)(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, have implemented a new sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening program that moves beyond the traditional clinic walls. ...

Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy Helps Determine Severity of Hepatitis E Virus Infection.(Brief Article)
July 9, 2000... 2000 JUL 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- A recent study found that the severity of hepatitis E virus (HEV) can be determined by assessing hepatic extraction fraction (HEF) via hepatobiliary scintigraphy and that hepatocellular death results from...

First Cases in Six Years Reported in Southern Utah.(plague cases)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Two cases of plague were reported in Utah in June - the first cases in six years. According to a report in the June 16 edition of The Salt Lake Tribune, a man in his 50s had what doctors suspected was...

CDC Researchers Find Older Men Most at Risk.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies Kosovo trauma)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- During the Kosovo conflict from February 1998, to June 1999, an estimated 12,000 Albanian Kosovars died directly due to war-related trauma, according to a study published in the June 24 issue of The Lancet....

Food Intake Screener Identifies At-Risk Individuals.(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- A newly-developed food intake screener consisting of 100 nutrition-based questions has been shown to effectively identify high fat intake and inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables. In response to...

Acute Hepatitis B Has Dropped Significantly in the U.S.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Over the past decade, the incidence of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) has significantly declined in the U.S., though prevention efforts for drug users and those involved in high-risk sex need to be stepped-up,...

Hepatitis A Decreasing Among American Indians.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers say that since the hepatitis A vaccine became available in 1995, incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) has plummeted among the American Indian (AI) population. After the 1996 recommendation for...

Hepatitis B and C Viruses Remain Significant Threats to Canadians.(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) continue to pose a threat to Canadians, presenting the need for further preventive measures. To assess HBV, HCV, and hepatitis A virus (HAV) risk, as well as the...

Hepatitis-Induced Liver Disease is Major Cause of Death in Turkmenistan.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Viral hepatitis is responsible for a large number of chronic liver disease (CLD) deaths in Turkmenistan, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. To identify the frequency...

Childhood Hepatitis A Vaccine Deemed Cost-Effective.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers say that since childhood hepatitis A vaccine costs less than $50,000 per years of live saved (YOLS) it is cost-effective in the United States, particularly in areas with high rates of hepatitis A...

Hepatitis B Vaccination in Prisons May Be Cost-Effective.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers say that vaccinating prisoners for hepatitis B may economically benefit society as a whole. M. Pisu and colleagues with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia,...

Drug Resistance Threatens to Reverse Medical Progress.
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Increasing levels of drug resistance are threatening to erode the medical advances of recent decades, according to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO). "We currently have effective...

U.S. Army Scientist Who Contracted Rare Disease Worked Without Gloves.(glanders)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- A U.S. Army scientist who contracted a rare equine disease considered a potential biological weapon occasionally handled lab equipment containing live bacteria without using gloves, a report says. The...

FDA Meeting on Lotronex Side Effects Signals New Safety Push.(Glaxo Wellcome's drug therapy for irritable bowel syndrome)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Sixteen women suffered serious intestinal side effects - some requiring surgery - after using a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome that has been on the market for only four months, U.S. Food and Drug...

U.S. Government Study Finds Rates Climbing.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on gonorrhea)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Gonorrhea climbed 9% in the United States in 1998 after 12 straight years of decline, the government reported June 22, 2000. Debra Mosure, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

U.S. Government Agency to Fund Vaccine Development Efforts.(U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and HIV vaccines)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced four public-private partnerships to accelerate development of promising HIV/AIDS vaccines for use around the world. The...

Report Urges Improved Vaccination Rates.(Institute of Medicine findings)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Vaccinations of America's toddlers may be at a record high, but the immunization system is under critical strain and the country risks disease outbreaks if it isn't strengthened, a new report says. Some...

U.S. Government Warned of Possible Flu Vaccine Shortage.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- Influenza vaccines could arrive a month later than usual this fall and shortages are possible, the U.S. government reported June 22, 2000. A notice was sent to health care agencies asking them to plan...

Children More Chicken About Pox than Shot.(National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners survey results)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- When asked if they would rather have chickenpox or a shot, most kids say "Mom I want the shot," according to survey results released by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners...

HIV Diagnosis Changes Sex Behavior.(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- The vast majority of people diagnosed with the AIDS virus begin using condoms or curtail their sexual activity after testing positive, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ...

Committee: FDA Should Improve Single Use Medical Device Reprocessing Regulation.(Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearings)(Brief Article)
July 16, 2000... 2000 JUL 16 - (NewsRx.com) -- U.S. senators at a committee hearing agreed that the regulation of reprocessing single use medical devices is inadequate and further U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of reprocessing is needed,...

Depression Linked to Stroke.(in study conducted by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- People who experience symptoms of depression are at an increased risk of developing stroke, suggest the results of a two-decade study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ...

TB Vaccine Expresses a Ubiquitin-Conjugated Tuberculosis Protein.(DNA vaccine found effective)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- A novel DNA vaccine expresses a ubiquitin-conjugated tuberculosis protein that enhances immunity to mycobacteria, researchers in the United States reported. "Genetic immunization is a promising new...

Human Angiogenesis Inhibitor Does Not Affect Wound Healing Properties in Mice.(endostatin)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health have conducted a murine study that shows endostatin, known to inhibit angiogenesis, does not negatively affect wound healing. Endostatin is currently...

Heart Disease Death Rates Among Women Vary Dramatically by State and Race.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Striking differences in heart disease death rates exist among American women based on race and geographical location, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of...

Obstacles to Accessing Health Care Studied.(study finds minorities in U.S. more likely to encounter obstacles in accessing health care services than whites)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Insured minorities continue to face obstacles to health care, a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study reports. Minorities in the U.S., particularly Hispanics and Asian Americans, are more...

DNA Fingerprinting Helps Identify Cross-Contamination.(DNA fingerprinting used to identify tuburculosis strain patterns)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- The utility of DNA fingerprinting to identify tuberculosis strain patterns was demonstrated in a series of case studies conducted by state and federal health workers in the U.S. Using the technique,...

Researchers Create Blueprint for Vaccine Development.(guidelines for developing a successful vaccine)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- In an effort to control the alarming spread of tuberculosis (TB) across the globe, a team of researchers has created a strategic plan or "blueprint" that sets guidelines for developing an effective TB...

War on Bacteria Could Leave Drug-Resistant Strains Unchecked.(Tufts University physician urges Americans to lessen use of antibacterial cleaning agents)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Efforts to keep our bodies and everything we touch bacteria-free could instead promote the growth of drug-resistant strains, says a Tufts University physician who urges people to abandon their irrational fears...

HIV Increasing at Brazilian Test Site, with Evidence of Transmission of Resistant Virus.(tests conducted on blood samples from Santos, Brazil, reveal evidence of drug-resistant virus strain)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- University of California, San Francisco, researchers and Brazilian colleagues report that analysis of blood samples taken at an anonymous test site in Santos, Brazil, from 1995 to 1999 shows an increase in the...

Study: Common Spermicide May Increase Risk of HIV Infection, Not Lower It.(nonoxynol-9)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- The widely used spermicide nonoxynol-9, long recommended as a way to stop the spread of HIV, may actually increase one's risk, at least among women who use it frequently, according to the surprising findings...

U.S. Government Project Aims to Reduce Household Allergens.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- In test, Detroit, Michigan, families with asthmatic children get new vacuum cleaners, mattress and pillow covers. As part of an effort to reduce their asthma symptoms, new, filter-style vacuum cleaners...

Kids in Demand for Drug Studies.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- It's the dirty little secret of pediatrics: unknown to most parents, the majority of drugs prescribed for children have never been tested in youngsters to determine how well they work or even the best dose....

Advocates Testify in Support of Making Emergency Pills Available Over-the-Counter.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Representatives of several U.S. women's health research and advocacy organizations testified before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of making emergency contraceptive pills available...

FDA Nixes Over-the-Counter Cholesterol Pill.(agency fears patients will self-medicate when a doctor's care is needed)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- It's a dilemma: too few Americans use potentially life-saving anti-cholesterol pills, prompting a push to sell those drugs over the counter. Yet it takes blood tests to know if the pills are working, and what...

FDA Launches "Oncology Tools" Website.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Internet Web site has expanded its capability to provide cancer-related information for consumers, patients, and health...

CDC Recommends Warning College Students.(risks to those living in college dormitories of contracting meningitis)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- College freshmen living in dorms should be told about the risks of contracting meningitis, and a vaccine should be made available to those who want it. The recommendation was issued by the U.S. Centers...

Association Responds to New Report on Trends in Multiples Following Infertility Treatment.(National Infertility Association)(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Resolve, the National Infertility Association, following the June 22, 2000, publication of a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), expressed concern over the increasing...

Popular Energy Bars Can be Dangerous, Dietitian Says.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Energy bars may be popular for athletes, but they don't always provide essential nutrients, and their ingredients aren't always regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says Cynthia Sass, a...

FDA Approves First Robot to Perform Operations.(Brief Article)
July 30, 2000... 2000 JUL 30 - (NewsRx.com) -- Robots in the operating room are not science-fiction anymore. The U.S. government on July 11 approved the nation's first robotic surgical device, one intended to help doctors better perform minimally...