In its tenth anniversary edition, the latest Tobacco Atlas report by the World Lung Foundation (WLF) had some bad news to share: Tobacco-related deaths have nearly tripled in the past decade. If current trends continue, tobacco use and exposure will be responsible for the death of one person every six seconds which adds up to a billion deaths this century.

People who experience dizziness upon rising after sitting, kneeling, or lying down might be at an increased risk of future heart failure, says a new study published in the journal Hypertension. Known medically as orthostatic hypotension, the condition refers to a drop in blood pressure that occurs when the body moves from a reclining position to an upright standing position. This dip in blood pressure is easily diagnosed, and that s exactly what researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did for their latest study.

We ve recently reported on the troubling rise in the incidence of cavities among children, which may largely be avoided by ensuring that kids teeth are exposed to the proper amount of fluoride. One easy way to accomplish this is to make sure kids are drinking tap water, which has been fluoridated for decades in many areas of the country, for just this purpose.

Traveling to a high altitude destination and prone to getting sick? A recent study found that ibuprofen may help prevent symptoms of altitude sickness, which can include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting.

Recent research is raising questions about the benefits of regular aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular problems in people who have never had such problems. Yet new research is suggesting that, when considering the benefits of daily aspirin, maybe it s not only cardiovascular disease that we should be looking at.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week. While many people may think poisonings are no longer common, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reminds us that, even in the U.S., poisoning remains a serious concern. As AAPCC s executive director Debbie Carr explains, A poison is any substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in the wrong amount. Poisoning is a danger for all of us.

It s become commonplace when Americans feel the first symptoms of illness, many will check online health sites before heading to see a doctor. But is this ready accessibility of health information from sources valid and not so much actually helpful? In a recent USA Today article, Steve Wood explores the the good and the bad of our habit of Googling our symptoms instead of relying on a visit to the doctor s office.

Josh Bloom, Medical Progress Today 3/20/12
The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Neurotic

In his latest blog post for Medical Progress Today, ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom skewers a recent New York Times feature on the growing paranoia among new parents who want to shield their children from just about anything that can be traced back to the periodic table. In his post, Land of the Free, and the Home of the Neurotic, Dr.

Further evidence that, even if you can t quit smoking, you should try your damnedest not to smoke around your kids: A new study has found that children exposed to second-hand smoke had almost double the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as adults, compared to those who were not exposed. The findings come from a Norwegian study just published in the journal Respirology.