Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to control pain. They are typically quite effective and safe to use as directed. But many people can't rely on them owing to their sometimes serious side effects — including an increased risk of heart attack. In short, NSAIDs are essential drugs with real limitations. Let's take a look at the most popular of these medicines.

Despite significant decreases in cholesterol numbers, cardiovascular disease rates in the U.S. have hit a standstill. Can we restart the decline, or have we reached the limits of our ability to combat this persistent condition?

A trucker who took CBD oil for pain control was abruptly fired after failing a drug test that found THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, in his system. Although the product was marketed as THC free – a claim the man verified with the manufacturer – it was not and federal law mandated his termination. It's yet another case of awful drug laws and even worse science harming good people.

As part of a challenge study conducted during the pandemic, 34 healthy volunteers were deliberately infected with SARS-CoV-2 to assess the potential cognitive impacts of COVID-19. Everything about the experiment, from its timing to its design, was suspect and almost certainly unethical.

Recent headlines declared that the artificial sweeteners Xylitol and Erythritol could increase your risk of stroke and heart attack. Now that the media excitement has died down, let's take a closer look at the study behind the headlines. Does it really implicate these sugar substitutes as a threat to heart health? Not exactly.

Pain patient advocates recently made their case to the FDA during agency listening sessions, arguing that the federal government has launched an unjustified crusade against prescription opioids. Rather than reduce overdose deaths or drug abuse, the nationwide crackdown on painkillers has only left millions of patients to suffer without recourse. Are regulators finally waking up to this reality?

Scientific American's endorsement of Kamala Harris for president ignited a ferocious debate in the science community. Is she the best choice for advancing science, as her supporters contend, or is it unwise for researchers and scientific institutions to back political candidates?

The emerging Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has resurrected the well-worn accusation that food and drug companies dictate U.S. public health policy. How true is this claim? And do the leaders of the MAHA campaign have their own conflicts of interest? They sure do.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) seems to be in an awkward spot. The group fears that children could be exposed to hormone-disrupting pesticides through food. However, it also endorses the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones — drugs that disrupt normal hormone production — in gender-dysphoric youth. Are the AAP's divergent standards justified, or is this just a classic case of hypocrisy?

Scientists have learned much about COVID-19 over the last four years. But several aspects of the pandemic remain to be fully explained, including Long COVID: a chronic condition that can cause or contribute to some 200 health effects throughout our bodies. A recent study suggests that fibrin, a key component of blood clots, plays a role in the development on Long COVID, and may lead to effective treatments for the condition. Let's take a closer look at the results.