Archive for April 10th, 2012
Evidence Against Moon as Meteoroid’s Offspring
April 10th, 2012 | 
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Material from Earth is predominant on the moon, University of Chicago researchers report, challenging the prevailing theory of how it formed.
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Safety watchdog calls for usage restriction on MS drug Gilenya
Novartis' oral multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya is associated with serious adverse effects, including eye infection, according to the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices. The report comes as U.S. and EU regulators investigate deaths among patients treated with Gilenya. The FDA should consider substantially restricting usage and enhancing patient assessment, the institute said.
FiercePharma (reg/req)
Gilenya Side Effects — drugs.com
E.P.A. Denies an Environmental Group’s Request to Ban a Widely Used Weed Killer
The agency said that the group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, had failed to show that the popular herbicide [2,4-D] was harmful as used.
Reporter’s Note: 2,4-D is 50 percent of the herbicidal mixture commonly known as Agent Orange — the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It was given its name from the color of the orange-striped 55 US gallon (208 litre) barrels in which it was shipped, and was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides". A 50:50 mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D, it was manufactured for the U.S. Department of Defense primarily by Monsanto Corporation and Dow Chemical … Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects [due to Agent Orange]. — wiki
Study: Obesity Linked With More Health Costs Than Smoking
Obese people pay an average of $1,850 in additional annual health costs, while smokers pay $1,275 more per year, a study found. Among the morbidly obese, additional care costs reach $5,500 annually, researchers noted. The findings appear in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Senators press CMS to finalize sunshine law by June
Sens. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote a letter to CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner asking the agency to release its final rule on the Sunshine Act no later than June, so partial collection of data can begin. The legislation mandates that payments made by drug and medical device firms to doctors and other health care providers be reported to the CMS.
Hospitals try to sever ties with fast-food vendors
Hospitals that tout healthy foods in their own cafeterias are trying to remove fast-food vendors from their campuses to create a consistent wellness message to patients, visitors and staff, Elana Gordon writes. Some hospitals are locked into long-term contracts with restaurants, and a spokesman for McDonald's, which has 27 restaurants on hospital campuses, says its menu has foods to fit all types of diets.
Diet, exercise can help rev up a slowing metabolism, RD says
Age, genetics, medications and hormonal changes all are reasons for a slowing metabolism, but exercise and resistance training can help fight weight gain, registered dietitian Timi Gustafson writes. Gustafson provides a list from Johns Hopkins University of ways to boost metabolism, including eating breakfast and smaller, more frequent meals, adding lean protein to a diet and getting enough sleep.