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In an op-ed in the NYTimes, a cardiologist bemoans the unintended consequences of state-mandated report cards designed to evaluate care by individual practitioners. He shows how these reports, created to enhance transparency, do the opposite and harm patients and doctors.

Emergency contraceptives, like Plan B One-Step, are taken to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Because they are most often taken the morning after intercourse, they re commonly known as the morning after pill. Its a bit of a misnomer: if taken within 72 of unprotected sex, emergency contraceptives can decrease the chance of getting pregnant by 89 perce

Scientists at the NIH s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have come up with a cocktail of VLPs that provides extraordinary coverage against eight flu strains in mice. Ninety-five percent of mice that were subjected to a lethal challenge of these strains survived, while only five percent of the mice that received mock (inactive, control) vaccines lived.

The practice of treating heroin addicts with methadone is hardly new indeed it s been common practice among addiction specialists for almost fifty years now. It is not a perfect solution, but it works pretty well. And the alternative is far worse.

We ve taken NYTimes columnist Mark Bittman to task many times for his superficial understanding of the food business, economics, or even common sense. His most recent story is no different: he advocates for weed foraging on city streets as a source of nutritious, organic food in underserved

Another junk study attempts to scare the public about putative dangers of fracking. Despite the complete lack of scientific rigor involved in its conception and evaluation, the scaremongering got plenty of media attention which is the point of such an inexcusable violation of the scientific method.

The disconnect on the issue of marijuana between the federal government and state governments is causing some unexpected problems for growers. In states where marijuana is legal, l

Preliminary reports out of the Alzheimer s Association International Conference, which is happening this week in DC, give some inklings of hope against this intractable, soul-robbing disease. Without progress, millions are predicted to gradually fade away.

Today, July 20th, 2015 marks the 46th anniversary of the first manned mission to the moon. For most, today commemorates an amazing achievement that blended innovation, American ingenuity and most importantly science.

A new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating at a full-service restaurant is no better for your health than eating at a fast food joint. In fact, in some cases, a full-service restaurant is less healthy.

In Newsday, American Council on Science and Health President Hank Campbell's article The stethoscope is about to celebrate its 200th birthday and it s about to say goodbye was featured, with an interview by Delthia Ricks, on the future of the stethoscope in American medicine.

To a scientist, sugar is sugar.
To Whole Foods marketing experts, some sugars are superior to others (in the minds of their customers), so if they want to sell people "evaporated cane juice" in a cookie -- crystallized sugar from sugar cane, which is sugar -- well, they can.

The Lancet, the same journal that brought the world Andrew Wakefield's vaccine-autism link, may have done the same thing for the people who think bees are dying. They have published a paper that makes some bold statements on the relatio

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world, but a rapidly spreading fungus has the potential to wipe them out. The fungus, called Fusarium Oxysporum Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is sickening the Cavendish banana.

Most people believe that paid Conflict of Interest King Andrew Wakefield launched the anti-vaccination movement with his infamous Lancet article which described a purported relationship between vaccines and autism. However, the anti-vaccination movement is almost as old as vaccines themselves.

The legal system requires proof and in 2015 science is often likely to provide it, so lawyers need to know what is good science versus the junk kind.

It seems the time has come to ask not, what can your smartphone do, but rather, what can it NOT do? According to industry analysts, there are now about 17,000 apps that aim to help you stay healthy. The trend is quickly becoming a fad, and here's why.

Disturbing reports about commonly used drugs mean...what? Screening tests over-used, dietary recommendations revamped. In summary: Science Marches On. That s what science is all about, as new data lead to new conclusions for those able to adjust.

A new study published in International Journal of Food Contamination shows that pesticide levels in food are far below levels that would warrant health concern.

Consumers really want to eat more algae, says an advocate at the Solazyme corporation, which makes, you guessed it, products from algae, like cooking oil and...meat.

In 2013, a combined panel of cardiology and lipid experts under the aegis of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) published revised recommendations for candidates for statin therapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke or sudden death due to coronary artery disease: CVD). Rather than focusing, as always before (e.g. the ATP-III published in 2003) on lipid levels, LDL especially, the new report emphasized overall heart risk using other parameters including age, weight, blood pressure, and diabete

We ve written before on scientific fraud and the problem of how easy it is to get papers with fake or manipulated data published. These studies that somehow make it through the publishing process can range from relatively harmless, such as the deliberately faked chocolate is good for weight loss study,

A new study from the researchers at British American Tobacco, working with MatTek Corp., found that up to six hours of cellular exposure to e-cigarette vapor left the lung tissue unaffected. Cigarette smoke damaged the same tissue with a dose-response effect: at 6 hours of exposure, only 12 percent of the cells remained alive.

Few industries evoke an emotional response greater than the pharmaceutical industry. This cannot be surprising, since drug companies are typically viewed by the public as either providing miraculous life-altering therapies, or greedy instruments of Satan. There is little middle ground.
So, it is rather surprising that a new law, called the 21st Century Cures Act, has been overwhelmingly approved by the House, 344-77 on July 10th.
The new law, also known as H.R. 6, gives more latitude to the FDA in tailoring its safety and efficacy requirements for the approval of breakthrough medicines. Such drugs (as well as breakthrough medical devices) that are given this designation will no

This week s U.S. News & World Report features an article by Health and Science Writer K. Aleisha Fetters entitled, Are Health Foods Making You Fat?--experts share how healthy foods can derail your diet.
The intentionally misleading title attracts attention, but of course her intent is to warn her readers not to be bamboozled by health claims prominently displayed on food labels, which upon closer inspection turn out not to be so conducive to a healthy diet as it seemed.