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A new follow-up study shows that tight blood sugar control for diabetes has little if any benefit on cardiovascular outcomes: stroke or heart attack. So why bother, given the risk of low blood sugar from Rx? There are other reasons.

The US government s most comprehensive examination of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and drinking water, which spanned four years, concluded that fracking, as it is being carried out and regulated, is not a threat to drinking water.

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released a position statement on homeopathic remedies. After reviewing 225 research papers and 57 review studies, the group said Based on the assessment of the evidence of effectiveness of homeopathy, NHMRC concludes that there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective.

Kudos to Kent Sepkowitz for his very smart piece in yesterday s Daily Beast. The title alone Today s ADHD Blame Game: Pesticides suggest critical thinking about chemical toxicity something that is very rare in these days of one phony scare after another is being applied. Indeed Sepkowitz uses just that, and does so brilliantly.

It s understandable that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are eager to find a way to help their kids overcome the problems associated with their conditions

Here we go again. The NYTimes columnist Nick Kristof has wandered away from his saving the world s underprivileged bailiwick to once again scare-mong about toxic chemicals, this time in popcorn and that s not the only dangerous item! No siree.

This week saw the unfortunate passing of Vice President Joe Biden s son Beau, who succumbed to brain cancer. What happened to Beau, who was just 46 years old, is a sad reminder of just how far we are from having effective treatments for many deadly cancers, in particular brain cancer.
It however is not a sad reminder for everyone. For those who oppose superfluous things like logic and reason, Beau s untimely passing is a golden opportunity to remind

We at ACSH have been writing about the dire situation we face because of antibiotic resistance for years. Both Dr. Josh Bloom and ACSH advisor Dr. David Shlaes a world renowned expert in the field have written many times about the looming antibiotic crisis, a time when common infections that were previously treatable are no longer so

CDC Follies, part two. No, part three. Well, whatever: our nation s chief repository of biological threats (i.e. bioterror weapons, potentially) resembles the gang that couldn t shoot straight. They keep spreading lethal organisms around.

Previous studies have suggested that pregnant women taking a commonly-prescribed class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) late in pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). PPHN (also known as persistent fetal circulation) is a

this commercial made for Citi that makes the following claim: "For the first time American kids are slated to live a shorter lifespan than their parents." This has to be false. Please investigate.

It s well known that breastfeeding is beneficial for both mother and child in a variety of ways in addition to the transfer of natural antibodies, it is associated with lower risks of allergic diseases, lower respiratory infections and middle ear infections.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the presence of abnormal cells inside a milk duct in the breast. DCIS is considered the earliest form of breast cancer, and is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS

Instead of the WHO s World No Tobacco Day, we d be better off with a new event: World No Tobacco Control Day

Today s New York Times features a story on a topic we have discussed frequently very expensive cancer drugs that provide only a modest benefit to most patients, but maybe a large benefit to some.

The Secret Science emanating from the EPA is being reflected in the apparent epidemic of phony published studies in respected journals. While the latter is bad enough, the Agency s agenda-driven and opaque rulings strangle our nation s economy.

The European Society of Anesthesiologists is meeting this week in Berlin, and one study of note that will be presented describes the effects of administering cardiovascular medications to patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
CABG, known more commonly as bypass surgery, is performed when a patient experiences a blockage or narrowing of the vessels that supply the heart with blood. T

Dr. Josh Bloom in Science 2.0
If men have a low libido drug, isn t it only fair that women have one too? Unfortunately, that s not the way drug development works. While some argue that sexism is what s keeping female Viagra from getting approved

Have you heard the one about the bees collapsing? Bees and other pollinators are of crucial importance to agriculture. Over the past few years, the media has been replete with scary stories about bee colony collapse. Science 2.0 s Hank Campbell lends perspective.

Here s a question for our Dispatch readers: When is a GMO not a GMO? A proper science answer would go something like this: all agriculture (and really all life) has been genetically modified at some point either by humans or another species (e.g. bacteria or virus) so therefore everything is a GMO.

About 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year. Melanoma, the most dangerous and potentially deadly type of skin cancer, will account for over 70,000 cases in 2015. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun and this exposure can be lessened by sunscreen use.

A new study in Circulation has resurrected the controversy on whether, and when, to screen young athletes for potentially lethal heart conditions. While a tough call, too much screening will do no one any good, especially athletes.

When it comes to using microwave ovens, all the usual suspects line up to attack the appliance. The fountain of misinformation, Joe Mercola warns it kills more people than cigarettes and asbestos. Natural news, which is run by Mike Adams (who makes Mercola seem like Louis Pasteur) claims that everything from obesity to erectile dysfunction is

A recent study shows that early treatment for HIV results in a significant decrease in early illness and death. "It's just more scientific evidence to back what we've been saying for a time now," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health which funded the

Every year when summer is right around the corner, ACSH typically provides health and safety tips that are practical and useful.
We also occasionally debunk junk science and medicine.
Today, you get two for the price of one.