Daily multivitamin-multimineral may help protect against cancer
Americans’ love affair with vitamins—more than half of us take one a day—isn’t well supported by science. Trials of single vitamins, like E, C, and beta carotene, have been a bust. Whether...
View ArticleGene mutation key to aspirin’s benefit in people with colorectal cancer
At age 113, aspirin is still going strong. Once known mainly as a pain reliever and fever easer, research over the past few decades have shown it can help prevent heart attack and stroke. Now a new...
View ArticleAspirin’s heart benefits trump possible small risk of macular degeneration
Many adult Americans take aspirin every day, often to prevent a heart attack. Headlines about a study published today linking aspirin use with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may scare some...
View ArticleGeneric drugs: don’t ask, just tell
Greater use of generic drugs could save the healthcare system—and American consumers—billions of dollars that would be better spent elsewhere. What’s holding us back? Some consumers are reluctant to...
View ArticleVitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful
What harm can having too little of a vitamin do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking,...
View ArticleSleep drug dosage change aims to avoid daytime drowsiness
Last week, the FDA urged doctors to lower the starting dose of zolpidem, a popular prescription sleep aid, due to concerns that the drug can linger too long in the body. This causes daytime drowsiness...
View ArticleRub-on pain reliever can ease arthritis discomfort
When it comes to relieving the pain of achy joints, many people reach for a pain-relieving pill like aspirin or ibuprofen. There may be a better way. When the source of pain is close to the surface,...
View ArticleHigh-dose vitamin C linked to kidney stones in men
File this under “if a little bit is good, a lot isn’t necessarily better:” taking high-dose vitamin C appears to double a man’s risk of developing painful kidney stones. In an article published...
View ArticleHigh calcium intake from supplements linked to heart disease in men
Getting extra calcium from supplements is supposed to be good for your bones. The latest in a string of studies heightens concern that this simple practice could end up being bad for your heart. The...
View Article7 common causes of forgetfulness
Memory slips are aggravating, frustrating, and sometimes worrisome. When they happen more than they should, they can trigger fears of looming dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. But as I write in this...
View ArticleA good day to check your medications
For many people, medications are a mainstay for preventing and treating disease. Managing multiple conditions and multiple medications can be confusing, especially if you store some of your pills in...
View ArticleBetter use of medicines could save billions
Wiser use of prescription medications by everyone—doctors and their patients—could save the U.S. health care system more than $200 billion a year. That’s the conclusion of a new report, Avoidable Costs...
View ArticleAspirin-like drug may help diabetics control blood sugar
Over the years, I’ve written and edited many articles for medical journals. I have to say I’m now finding it a bit odd to be on the flip side as the subject of such an article (along with 285 other...
View ArticleFish oil: friend or foe?
News out of Seattle is sure to fuel confusion about fish oil supplements. Take this email I got yesterday from a friend. “Ok, I give up. Should I take them? Throw them away? June 29 — Fish oil may...
View ArticleTaking aspirin linked to lower risk of colorectal cancer
Aspirin has many uses, from easing a headache or cooling a fever to preventing heart attacks and the most common kind of stroke. It may be time to add “preventing colorectal cancer” to the list. New...
View ArticleDo “energy boosters” work?
Stroll the aisles of any pharmacy or “health food” store and you’ll see a multitude of herbs and other supplements that claim to boost energy. Soft drinks and so-called energy drinks include these...
View ArticleNew study adds caution to testosterone therapy for “low T”
Mass marketing of testosterone therapy may have men eager to try this seemingly simple fix. But the latest science should have them scratching their heads and putting away the credit card—at least for...
View ArticleSelenium, vitamin E supplements increase prostate cancer risk
When the SELECT trial started in 2001, there were high hopes it would prove that taking vitamin E or selenium could help prevent prostate cancer. The newest results from the trial show just the...
View ArticleBenefits of vitamin D supplements still debated
Two reports published this week in the journal BMJ weren’t exactly an April Fool’s Day message about vitamin D, but they came close. For the past few years, vitamin D has been gaining a reputation—not...
View ArticleNew drugs offer easier, more effective hepatitis C treatment
If you are a baby boomer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you be tested for infection with the hepatitis C virus. The virus can live in the liver for decades,...
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