Many people take aspirin on a daily basis to protect themselves against problems with their heart, and studies recently suggest that aspirin could help stave off certain cancers. A recent study has added risk reductions for the developing of cancer of the liver and for dying from liver disease to a long list of benefits that aspirin can give, regardless of the frequency it is taken. The recent study looked at over 300,000 women and men whose ages were 50 to 71 and had enrolled in a study by the AARP... 

Cabozantirib has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use against metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. The approval came even though the medication did not show it prolonged survival overall in any clinical trials. Evidently the regulatory agency was sufficiently satisfied with results from trials that showed a significant progression free survival rate and mild toxicity with a broad kinase inhibitor, that was formerly known by the symbol XL 184. One of the doctor’s involved... 

It is past time to incorporate mental health into our nation’s public health agenda.  Public health initiatives have increasingly focused on healthy living, diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and access to preventive health care.  Our society usually addresses mental health through media stories of irrational acts of violence carried out by disturbed, mentally-ill individuals. In the late 1990s, it was documented for the first time that mental disorders were among the leading causes of diminished... 

The Food and Drug Administration will be looking more closely at the way companies that make generic drugs make extended-release drugs after finding that one such drug failed to work as well as its brand-name counterpart.  The drug in question, a 300-milligram dose of bupropion, was manufactured by Impax Laboratories.  The drug was supposed to mimic the popular antidepressant, Wellbutrin XL, but patients who switched to it from Wellbutrin began complaining that their depression had returned. ... 

Lap-Band, the once-popular weight-loss device, has experienced several years of falling sales, dramatic loss of market share, and several controversies over its effectiveness and safety.  Lap-Band maker Allergan announced that it is seeking a buyer for its obesity business, which includes Lap-Band.  The company has already hired an investment banking firm and was sending letters to other medical device companies and private equity firms that may be interested in the purchase. The Lap-Band is a... 

Males with cryptorchidism, a condition where their testes do not descend when they are born, are three times more apt to develop cancer of the testes later in their adult life. The study’s results have urged researchers to ask whether the boys who have the condition should have routine checks to monitor the risk of cancer. The condition is the most common male birth defect. Six percent of newborn males are affected by the condition. Cryptorchidism risk factors include the mother using tobacco during... 

A recent study using suvorexant, Merck’s experimental sleep medication has shown to help people who have insomnia to fall asleep faster and to remain sleeping longer. The leader doctor in the study said data taken from the study and later confirmed in another study showed the new drug helps insomniacs to wake up less often during the night and to get to sleep much quicker. The researchers also mentioned that the drug remains effective over the long term and is easily tolerated. In the study, 60... 

An analysis done by Consumer Reports of pork in the U.S. purchased at specialty and grocery stores found that many of the samples contained high amounts of one bacterium that can cause food poisoning. What is even more worrisome is that much of the bacteria found were antibiotic resistant. The magazine did tests on 50 ground pork samples and 148 pork chop samples for bacteria from a broad range of stores in six cities in the U.S. No names of stores were listed in the CR report. In 69% of all the... 

On Tuesday, a judge in federal court has ordered the major tobacco companies in the nation to place advertisements that acknowledge the health risks related to smoking. Federal prosecutors had filed a lawsuit in 1999 that alleged the tobacco companies had violated racketeering statutes by deceiving the public over the consequences of smoking. In 2006, the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and set out the requirements for the advertising on Tuesday. The case came after the 1998 landmark settlement... 

Doctors have announced that serious health problems could be caused by grapefruit to an increasing number of people who are taking different prescription drugs. Between 2008 and 2012, the quantity of medications that might have adverse side effects due to interacting with grapefruit increased from 17 to 43. Grapefruit is a potentially lethal risk to patients’ health experts have warned. The fruit has a chemical that might interact with certain types of medications, making them stronger. Effects...