1 in 5 Prescriptions Written for “Off-Label” Purposes It isn’t uncommon for doctors to write prescriptions for drugs for off-label purposes. For example, using a diabetes drug to treat an endocrine disorder or a cancer drug to fight migraine headaches. In fact, one study found…
Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Could Help Boys With Muscular Dystrophy Muscular Dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases that make the muscular tissues unusually susceptible to damage. Most people who have Muscular Dystrophy require a wheelchair and other side effects may include difficulty breathing or swallowing.…
Coronary Angiography: What is it? It’s a mouthful–coronary angiography–and you might not know what it means either. Coronary angiography is fancy name to describe a medical test using dye and a special x-ray to show the insides of your coronary arteries. The coronary arteries supply…
Doctors Warn Consumers About OTC Painkillers Over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol or Aspirin are often thought of as harmless, with some people popping one or two tablets per day to keep their pain at a minimum. However, OTC painkillers are not safe to take every day…
Doctors Struggle to Get Patients’ Hypertension Under Control High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious problem in the U.S. with 1 in 4 adults affected by the condition. High blood pressure results when the force of the blood pushes too hard against the artery…
British Columbia Epicenter of HIV Epidemic On the downtown East side of British Columbia, emaciated addicts can be seen exchanging drugs, openly prostituting, and shooting up crack and heroine. Officials do not see the point the locking these addicts up, given that they are likely…
The Dangers of Prescription Drugs The other day I wrote about Ambien and its potentially dangerous side effects. Specifically, I wrote about its use among current and former NFL players who have suffered a head injury. However, it has led to some specifically horrific results…
Former NFL Player’s Crimes Highlight Dangers of Sleep Drugs Darren Sharper, a former NFL player, started taking Ambien in 2012 after retiring from the game to treat his ongoing insomnia. He became a frequent user, with records indicating that he took 70 pills in 65…
E-Cigarettes Not Effective in Helping Smokers Quit I’m sure you’ve seen an E-cigarette by now with its glowing blue tip and odorless emission of smoke. These devices were introduced as a method of helping smokers to quit their traditional cigarette habit for good, with celebrities…
Doctors’ Concerns Grow Over Generic Drug Indian Imports The other day I wrote about Ranbaxy, an Indian pharmaceutical company that has historically produced large quantities of generic drugs sent to the U.S. However, Ranbaxy and other Indian pharmaceutical companies are quickly withdrawing from the U.S. market…