Nearly 40 years ago, four randomized clinical trials demonstrated that although chest X-rays could be used to detect lung cancer in smokers before symptoms occurred, the screenings had no effect on overall death rates. Subsequently, several studies of spiral (helical) CT scan screenings have also failed to clearly demonstrate a survival benefit.

ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross appeared on Kansas City’s KCTV5-TV Nov. 4, 2010, to explain why we shouldn’t be afraid of bisphenol A (BPA).

A new report produced by the Alzheimer's Foundation and Maria Shriver, California's first lady, concludes that women bear the biggest burden of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) — both as patients and caregivers. The report predicts that the rate of Alzheimer’s disease — a form of dementia and degenerative brain condition leading to memory loss, cognitive impairment, and ultimately death — will triple worldwide in the next 40 years due to an aging population that is living longer.

Researchers have found a new use for an old drug called paracalcitrol — slowing the progression of kidney disease in diabetes patients. Diabetics are known to have a substantially increased risk of kidney disease, which can be measured by determining the amount of protein in the urine. Elevated protein levels (albuminuria) indicate a high risk of kidney failure.

Patients who are undergoing surgery will be relieved to learn that the FDA has approved Cadence Pharmaceuticals’ Ofirmev, an intravenous form of the pain reliever acetaminophen commonly prescribed along with more powerful but potentially dangerous opiates for post-surgical pain management. Acute pain — temporary discomfort that sets in rapidly, such as post-operative pain — often requires at least two painkillers for effective relief.

When a patient experiences a stroke, time is of the essence in order to qualify for the most effective treatment — but often stroke victims are unable to determine or communicate when their stroke started. MRI scans could be useful in those cases, according to a study published online Tuesday in the journal Radiology.

Electronic cigarettes are a “rapidly growing Internet phenomenon” that may pose unknown risks, two doctors and a researcher from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital write in an opinion piece for the Annals of Internal Medicine. E-cigarettes “may pose a risk as starter products for nonusers of tobacco,” could release dangerous toxins, and are unproven as smoking-cessation aids, write the authors, led by David W.

Exercise helps protect people from colds, suggests a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. During two 12-week periods in 2008, members of a cohort of 1,002 adults who said they exercised at least five days a week had 43 percent fewer days with a respiratory tract infection than those who just exercised one day a week or not at all.

Vaccinating men who have sex with men (MSM) against the human papillomavirus is a cost-effective method for preventing anal cancer and gential warts, a new analysis published in Lancet Infectious Diseases has found.

The Giants have won the World Series, but it’s unhappy times at a certain Bay Area fast-food chain. By a veto-proof margin (8-3) the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to ban meals packaged with toys unless the meal contains fruits and vegetables, is less than 600 calories and is low in fat and sodium. Once the ordinance goes into effect next December, McDonald’s restaurants in the city will either be forced to radically reformulate their Happy Meals or charge separately for toys.