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Articles Index

Women's Heart Attack Symptoms Different from Men's
Research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that women often experience new or different physical symptoms as long as a month or more before experiencing heart attacks.

HHS Launches Effort to Prevent Youth Bullying
According to the Department of Education, 1 in 4 children who act as bullies will have a criminal record by the age of 30. Now the Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new campaign to educate Americans about how to prevent bullying and youth violence -- behaviors, says HHS, that can have tremendous negative impact on children's success in school and overall well-being.

CDC Updates Health Information for International Travelers
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has just released a new edition of it popular "Yellow Book" of health tips targeted at international travelers.

22 Million Americans are Drug-Alcohol Dependent
An estimated 22 million Americans abused or were dependent on drugs, alcohol or both, in 2002, according to the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

FDA Finds Cloned Animals Safe to Eat
In a recently released "draft risk assessment" report, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that food products derived from cloned animals and their offspring are likely to be as safe to eat as food from their non-clone counterparts.

US Signs First-Ever Global Tobacco Control Treaty
The United States has become a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first-ever global public health treaty dedicated to tobacco prevention and control.

How to Appeal a Medicare Refusal to Pay
Like any other health coverage plan, Medicare does not pay for all of your health care needs. And, like any other health plan, Medicare sometimes wrongly refuses to pay for things they should cover. When this happens, you do not have to just take it. You have every right to appeal Medicare's decision.

Marijuana Abuse by Adults Increased Markedly During 1990s
While U.S. teens seem to be turning away from the drug, abuse of marijuana by adults increased between 1991 and 2002, according to addiction researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

CDC Recommends Annual Flu Shots for Children
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a recommendation that children six months to 23 months of age should be vaccinated annually against influenza.

Elderly Pay More Out of Pocket for Dental Services
While Americans paid out of pocket for approximately one-half of all dental care expenses in 2000, people age 65 and older paid more than three-quarters (an average of $400) of their dental expenses out of pocket, according to new trend data on dental services from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Only 10.5 percent of the elderly didn't pay any out-of-pocket expenses for dental care.

FDA Updates Zelnorm Risk Information
Requiring a warning of, "Serious consequences of diarrhea," the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the addition of new risk information to the health professional labeling for Zelnorm.

About the EEOC's Retiree Health Benefit Rule
A new federal rule being proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would allow employers to reduce or eliminate health benefits for their retired employees who qualify for Medicare. Here are the background and facts surrounding this controversial action that could affect the health benefits of millions of American retirees.

End of Anti-Smoking Program Sends Teens 'Back to Pack'
Just six months after state officials dropped an aggressive anti-smoking campaign, the number of Minnesota teens who reported being likely to start or return to smoking cigarettes increased nearly 10 percentage points, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Don't Let Green Hornet Sting Your Kids
The FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or consume products that claim to provide "safe legal highs" or that are marketed as "street drug alternatives," such as Green Hornet, marketed by Cytotec Solutions. Products by this company have been promoted and sold on the Internet and in stores as legal versions of illicit street drugs.

About Medicare-approved Drug Discount Cards
As early as May 2004, almost anyone with Medicare will be eligible to enroll in the new Medicare-approved drug discount card program. The discount cards will be good until at least December 31, 2005, when Medicare’s new comprehensive prescription drug benefit starts. Savings with the discount card can run as high as 25 percent, plus low-income Medicare patients can get even more help. Learn about this new program here.

Nine Million US Children Diagnosed With Asthma
Nine million U.S. children under age 18 have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives, and more than 4 million have had an asthma attack in the past 12 months, according to a new report on children’s health released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Doctors to Treat More Elderly, Minorities by 2020
Physicians in the U.S. will spend over 40 percent of their time treating elderly and minority patients by the year 2020, according to a recent report released by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

FDA Warns of False Dietary Supplements Claims
Targeting victims of America's obesity epidemic, 16 dietary supplement distributors have been sent letters from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning them to stop making false and misleading claims for weight loss products promoted over the internet.

Details of Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
This article presents the most current information regarding the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 that you will need to help you make the best decisions regarding your Medicare coverage.

FDA Warning On Antidepressant Use
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a Public Health Advisory on the use of popular antidepressants by children and adults.

HHS Fights Human Trafficking
Slavery ended with the Civil War, right? That widely held idea is tragically wrong. Under the more "civilized" name of "human trafficking," between 18,000 and 20,000 men, women and children are sold into slavery right here in the U.S.A. every year, according to federal government estimates.

Obesity Target of Renewed HHS Attack
With poor diet and physical inactivity poised to become the leading preventable cause of death in America, the Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) has renewed its efforts against obesity and overweight by announcing a new national education campaign and a new research strategy.

Inactivity, Poor Nutrition Catching Tobacco as Actual Cause of Death
The Centers for Disease Control reports that inactivity and poor nutrition are quickly catching up with tobacco as an actual cause of death in the Unites States.

Nine Cities Agree to Ensure Disabled Access
Nine U.S. cities and counties have signed agreements with the Justice Department designed to enhance accessibility to their civic spaces for individuals with disabilities.

Antibiotic Use Linked to Breast Cancer Risk: Study
Use of antibiotics is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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