The U.S. Senate has voted against a proposal that would have granted each state the authority to require labeling on foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. In fact, the proposal was defeated by a three-to-one margin. The amendment was one of more than 70 included in the 2012 Farm Bill, which was passed on June 21st.The decision is encouraging, says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. "It suggests that legislators are paying attention to the scientific evidence instead of unfounded fears," she says.

Too many women who have had a C-section aren't aware that they can still opt for a vaginal delivery the next time, according to a small study just published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The authors of the study suspect that most of these women aren't being given all the information they need in order to make this choice.

A British study just published in BMJ has drawn some odd conclusions about fast food consumption among inner-city kids in London. The study actually found that children who more frequently ate fast food had a body mass index (BMI) lower than their peers who didn t consume it as often. Yet the researchers still insist that actions should be taken to limit these children's access to fast food.

Encouraging news about the hepatitis B vaccine: Vaccination at birth appears to protect against the virus well into adulthood, according to a new study from Taiwan. The results suggest that booster shots in adulthood are not necessary. Nearly four million people world wide are newly infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) every year.

Though urban legend holds that urine can be used to treat jellyfish stings, the science actually indicates otherwise. There s no doubt that jellyfish stings are quite painful, but the latest research warns folks to avoid peeing on them!
Seriously though, according to a rather interesting meta-analysis led by researchers from the University of California-San Diego, it turns out that hot water and topical pain-relief ointments are actually the best remedy.

Malaria is a global, devastating disease that adversely impacts both the health and economic productivity of numerous countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, according to a 2001 study co-authored by economist Jeffrey Sachs, the disease imposed an annual growth penalty of about 1.3 percentage points on afflicted African states.

Only two months ago, the FDA rejected notions that bisphenol A (BPA) poses any threat to our health: The agency dismissed yet another activist petition to ban or restrict the ubiquitous chemical used to harden clear plastics in food packaging. Yet that hasn t stopped chemophobic groups from continuing to scare the public about the estrogen-mimicking effects of BPA.

Here s one more reason not to skip your next eye appointment. A recent analysis sponsored by Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute found that, in the past decade, the number of people over 40 with vision impairment and blindness increased by 23 percent. Even more disturbing, for those with diabetes, there was a whopping 89 percent increase in the incidence of diabetic retinal abnormalities known as diabetic retinopathy.

Patients with Alzheimer's disease should be kept out of the hospital unless absolutely necessary, according to research just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The prospective study found that Alzheimer s patients who were hospitalized were more likely to develop delirium and to suffer from a cognitive decline resulting in more frequent institutionalization, as well as an increased risk of death. Whether there was a causal relationship between hospitalization, the onset of delirium, and these complications is an open question.

As I mentioned on Monday, the Chairman of the New York Senate Health Committee recently proposed a ban on e-cigarettes in New York. I was disturbed that such a counterproductive measure would actually be considered. I sent a letter to the members of the Senate Health committee, which while expressing support for the proposal to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors explains why a total ban would be antithetical to public health: