According to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine (February 7, 2002; 346:393-403), shows that diet and exercise can reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. About one adult in 12 in the United States has the disease. Type 2 diabetes is the result of the body becoming insensitive to insulin. Excess Read More …

According to research appearing in the Annals of Internal Medicine (August 1, 2000; 133:165-175, 227-229), 10% of esophageal cancer cases may be due to drugs that cause stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has been increasing in recent years. It is a condition that is more common in Read More …

Last year (2003) British health authorities declared that most popular anti-depressants might sometimes increase the risk of suicidal behavior in children and teenagers. They declared all but one — Prozac — unsuitable for young people diagnosed with depression, but stopped short of a pediatric ban. In March, the FDA urged close monitoring of patients for Read More …

In a study of children diagnosed with acute sinusitis of ten or more days duration, some were given a placebo and others were given antibiotics (amoxicillinor Augmentin). Those given the placebo were as likely to get better as the children who were prescribed antibiotics. Symptoms improved within seven days in 81% of children in both Read More …

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (June 19, 2002;287:3096-3102, 3103-3109, 3133-3135), fewer doctors are prescribing antibiotics to children and teens than in 1990. This is an attempt to halt the rise in antibiotic resistant infections. Over use of antibiotics in the past has created antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Doctors gave only Read More …

According to research published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (September 17, 1997;278:901-904;944-945), doctors in the United Statesfrequently prescribe unnecessary antibiotics for viral conditions such as colds. When antibiotics are used too frequently, it creates strains of bacteria that are resistant to the drugs. In 1992 a survey showed that 51% of patients Read More …

Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School found that, in mice, antibiotics may be responsible for changing the makeup of the bowel flora. A change in bowel flora could affect the way the immune system responds to common allergens in the lungs. According to one of the researchers, antibiotics eliminate bacteria in the GI Read More …

Certain Migraine Medications may not be Good for Heart Patients Researchers in the Netherlands found that some migraine medications cause the coronary arteries (the blood vessels feeding the heart) to contract. Narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by heart disease may result in chest pain or even heart attacks in an individual taking certain migraine Read More …

The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (June, 2002 17:963), studied the effects of two drugs, Vioxx and Celebrex on bone repair. These drugs are the new generation of anti-inflammatory drugs. These are known as Cox-2 inhibitors; so named because of the inflammatory enzyme that they inhibit. These drugs are often used to ease the Read More …

Research appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007;167:188-194) shows a connection between the use of  selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (also called SSRIs—these are drugs like Prozac and other commonly used anti depressants) and fracture. Over 5000 subjects over the age of 50 were monitored for a period of five years. The researchers found that Read More …