As HIV drugs become increasingly effective, it would be logical to conclude that rates of the infection are, in turn, decreasing. However, new government data find that only 25 percent of those Americans infected with HIV actually have the virus under control.

Last week, Mayor Bloomberg announced yet another beverage restriction in New York City. But rather than reducing soda sizes, this time he s targeting baby formula. In an effort to encourage more mothers to breast-feed, Bloomberg and the NYC Department of Health are pushing for hospitals to keep track of the quantity of baby formula stored, as well as how much is distributed.

On an otherwise pleasant morning, ACSH staffers blood began to boil after reading the latest anti-chemical screed in theHuffington Post, which included such fear-mongering claims as this: Ninety-nine percent of pregnant American women carry multiple manmade chemicals in their bodies, sharing that concoction through the umbilical cord.

Claiming the lives of nearly 1.4 million people globally in 2010, tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer due to a single infectious agent. And while TB, a contagious bacterial disease whose greatest damage is generally done to the lungs, is curable, standard anti-TB drug regimens require long treatment durations at least six months, which often becomes a therapeutic barrier.

COMMENT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF ARTICLE 81 OF THE NYC HEALTH CODE
By Ruth Kava, Ph.D.,
Senior Nutrition Fellow
For
The American Council on Science and Health
July 24, 2012
1995 Broadway, Second Floor
New York, NY 10023
PH: 212-362-7044
Fax: 212-362-4919

In yesterday s Dispatch, we discussed a study finding that silymarin, a widely used extract of milk thistle, has no effect on those who take it to relieve hepatitis C symptoms. While doubtful of silymarin s therapeutic properties to begin with, we noted the study s limitations specifically its inability to be widely generalized. Now, however, we stand slightly corrected.

A recent study published in JAMA finds that patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries have an increased risk of heart attacks.

As the International AIDS Conference convenes this week in Washington, D.C., the world is flooded with updates on the fight against HIV and AIDS. The latest news comes from the International Antiviral Society-USA Panel, which calls on HIV-positive patients to get started on treatment immediately instead of waiting for symptoms to appear.

The recurring question of how to detect and treat high cholesterol in children and teenagers continues to stir up debate among physicians and public health officials.

We d like our readers to take note of a recent speech by ACSH colleague Jon Entine, who authored our publication Scared to Death: How Chemophobia Threatens Public Health. Mr. Entine is a senior research fellow at the Center for Health and Risk Communication at George Mason University and director of the Genetic Literacy Project.