Here you will find links to the latest press releases from US Government agencies dealing with health and medicine including the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration and many more.

FDA Announces Initiative to Provide Better Health Information
Commissioner of Food and Drugs Mark B. McClellan, M.D., today announced a major new initiative to make available more and better information about foods and dietary supplements, to help American consumers prevent diseases and improve their health by making sound dietary decisions.

Weightlifting Helps Reduce Need for Type 2 Diabetes Medication
A study by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service showed that dosages of prescribed diabetes medications were reduced in 72 percent of participants who underwent regular programs of progressive resistance training (PRT) such as weight lifting.

FDA Clears Home Glycated Hemoglobin Test for Diabetics
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first over-the-counter test that measures glycated hemoglobin in people with diabetes to help monitor how well they are managing their disease (glycemic control).

NIH Announces New Research Centers on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will establish new Centers for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

NHLBI Study Finds Traditional Diuretics Better Than Newer Medicines for Treating Hypertension
Less costly, traditional diuretics work better than newer medicines to treat high blood pressure and prevent some forms of heart disease, according to results from the largest hypertension clinical trial ever conducted.

HHS Announces New Visa Regulations to Help Rural Communities 
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced new regulations to help rural and other communities suffering from a shortage of health care providers by allowing HHS to request waivers of a return-home requirement for foreign physicians who trained in the United States.

Survey of 8th, 10th and 12th graders shows decrease in use of drugs, tobacco
Results from the annual Monitoring the Future Survey of 8th, 10th and 12th grade students in U.S. schools indicate that use of marijuana, some club drugs, cigarettes and alcohol decreased from 2001 to 2002, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS Proposes New Regulations for Fair Treatment of Religious Grantees
Carrying out a new step in President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced proposed regulations to clarify the rights and requirements for religious organizations that use HHS funds in delivering services to needy Americans. [See: Bush Orders Faith-Based Agenda Forward]

President's Remarks on Smallpox Vaccine Program
Remarks by the President on Smallpox Vaccination: Facts - Background - FAQ

FDA Approves New Pediatric Combination Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of a new combination vaccine that protects infants against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, and disease due to the Hepatitis B virus. The vaccine will be marketed as Pediarix™ by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.

Mouse Gene Knockout Illuminates How Light Resets Clock
A key role in synchronizing daily rhythms to the day/night cycle has been traced to a light-sensitive protein in the eye, by knocking out the gene that codes for it. Mice lacking a gene for the photopigment melanopsin show a dramatic deficiency in their ability to regulate their circadian rhythms by light.

"Dose Dense" Chemotherapy Improves Survival in Breast Cancer Patients
A new clinical trial has shown that reducing the interval between successive doses of a commonly used chemotherapy regimen improves survival in women whose breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

$100 Million in Grants to Prevent and Treat Diabetes in American Indians, Native Alaskans
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced $100 million in grants to support programs to prevent and treat diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives, especially among children and teenagers.

New Team Approach Dramatically Boosts Chlamydia Screening of Teen-Age Girls
Research Alert: December 10, 2002: A team-oriented approach to testing for chlamydia increased the screening rate of sexually active 14- to 18-year-old female patients from 5 percent to 65 percent in a large California HMO, according to new study findings from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.

HHS Distributes $13 Million to Create - Expand Health Centers in 23 States
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 42 grants worth more than $13 million to create new health center sites and expand capacity at existing centers in 23 states. The grants are expected to provide health care services for an additional 195,000 Americans.