Too much fructose could raise your blood pressure

According to a recent news story…

“Do you need a reason to cut down on sweetened beverages? Their fructose content might increase your blood pressure, doctors said Thursday.

Although not all studies agree, the findings add to a growing body of evidence that too much of the ubiquitous sugar — found in fruits as well as high-fructose corn syrup and table sugar — can have important health consequences.”

CDC Knowledge to Action Science Clips

 

 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now posts weekly science clips which highlight new advances in applied public health research and prevention science which can improve health now. 

The issue for June 28th includes articles on condom use, influenza, drug safety, diabetes, vaccinations, cancer, hepatitis and more.

Wish to be receive updates from this Web site? The CDC provides options for email and RSS.

HealthCare.gov provides online health insurance information

HealthCare.gov is a federal government Website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

It has the goal to provide information so that one can “Take health care into your own hands”.

Web pages provide guidance in finding public and private health insurance,  learning about prevention, comparing care quality, and understanding the new law.  

Email, Twitter, and YouTube options for updates are included.

Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse on the Rise

Study Shows 111 Percent Increase in ER Visits Involving Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers 
From 2004 to 2008 the estimated number of emergency department visits linked to the nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers rose from 144,644 visits to 305,885 visits a year

The three prescription opioid pain relievers most frequently involved in hospital emergency department visits from 2004 to 2008 were:

• Oxycodone products – ED visits involving nonmedical use rose 152 percent, to 105,214.
• Hydrocodone products – emergency department visits involving nonmedical use rose 123 percent, to 89,051.
• Methadone products – emergency department visits involving nonmedical use rose 73 percent, to 63,629.

FDA releases risk summaries for newer drugs

[From a news item at  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_100014.html]

“U.S. health officials  have started releasing summaries of safety reviews for recently approved medicines as part of their efforts to inform doctors and consumers about potential side effects.”

“A 2007 law required the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) to prepare a safety summary for certain prescription drugs 18 months after approval or after they have been used by 10,000 people, whichever comes later. Those summaries will now be posted on the FDA website.

On Tuesday, the agency released summaries for 24 medicines and two vaccines for hypertension, allergies, HIV and other conditions. It included details on what action the agency was taking.”

These Postmarketing Drug Safety Evaluations are part of the Surveillance activities of the FDA.

Credentialing CAM Providers: Understanding CAM Education, Training, Regulation, and Licensing

Wondering how to find information about a health care provider who specialized in complementary or alternative medicine (CAM)?

This new fact sheet provides a general overview of the status of CAM credentialing, summarizes licensure for selected types of CAM practitioners, and suggests sources for additional information.