A newly published, randomized–controlled trial has concluded that a natural supplement, red yeast rice, had significant cholesterol-lowering properties. This is important news for those who cannot take (or would prefer not to take) statin drugs because of the medication’s side effects.
Tag: Dangerous Drug Effects
Creating a Generation of Drugged Children
Last November, the journal Pediatrics published research that found medication use among children across the United States is dramatically increasing as more kids are being treated for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a database of prescription claims from children with private health insurance, they were able to find prescriptions for… Continue reading Creating a Generation of Drugged Children
Nineteen Members of Congress Ask FDA for Official Warning About Mercury in Dental Filling Amalgams
A bipartisan letter authored by Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA) and Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), and co-signed by congresswomen and men from twelve states, has been sent to the FDA urging them to require clear warnings about mercury toxicity to every dental patient, and to establish specific protections for children and young women.
Swine Flu: Separating Fact from Hype
Our British colleagues at the Alliance for Natural Health offer the following savvy analysis of the swine flu pandemic.
Hydroxycut Recall—The FDA’s double standard
On May 1, consumers were urged by the FDA to immediately stop using fourteen Hydroxycut weight loss products. The manufacturer recalled Hydroxicut after the FDA received 23 reports of liver damage under the Adverse Event Reporting system that now includes dietary supplements—several reports of jaundice, one incident that required a liver transplant, and one death.
Failure to Consider the Risks
Americans consume more medications than any other population on earth. And they’ve become increasingly aware that while medications are prescribed for certain benefits, the risks involved must be taken seriously. The economic stimulus legislation created a council of up to fifteen federal employees to coordinate the research and to advise Congress and the President how… Continue reading Failure to Consider the Risks
Food Safety and the FDA
According to the editors of Scientific American in the April 2009 issue, “the security of our food supply is at risk—in ways more noxious than anyone had feared.” The article referred to the FDA’s action in 2008 regarding the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in farm animal production.
“Study 15”: After Twelve Years of Silence, It’s Now Known as the Cursed Study
Two physicians once leaned over to me during a break in a live radio interview and whispered, “It’s the joke in medicine: Newer is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to drugs.” I was dumbfounded. New drugs had to be better, right?
Toxic Body Burden
Flame Retardants Linked to Hyperactivity, Dioxin Linked to Immune System Impairment
Supreme Court Allows Juries to Award Damages for Unsafe Drug Injuries
Last week, the US Supreme Court struck a blow to the pharmaceutical industry when they ruled that litigants may sue for damages if they are harmed by unsafe drugs—even if the drug manufacturers have satisfied federal regulators.