A jury in Texas has blamed Merck the manufacturer of the arthritis drug Vioxx, for causing the death of Robert Ernst. The jury has awarded his wife $253 million in damages. Merck plans to appeal the judgment.
Unfortunately Doctors generally tend to be too quick in prescribing these drugs whilst ignoring other natural alternatives which sometimes can be just as effective. However, one mustn't be too hard on them because often they are between a 'rock and a hard' place. Their training centers around drug therapy and by following 'approved' protocols they can't get into trouble or be sued. Also, they are often pressured by patients for a prescription due to the insidious practice of drug companies advertising direct to consumers.
If you have an arthritis problem, please seriously consider our Arthrit-Eze which we are getting exceptional results with. Not only will it help with relieving pain for most people but it also helps deal with the underlying cause of the pain and/or arthritis. More...
The tobacco industry is continuing its targeted marketing to teens via candy-flavored cigarettes, according to an American Lung Association Tobacco Policy Trend Alert. More...
Apart from the misery that this habit can bring to not only the user and those close to them there is a financial cost to all of us (via taxes) in the medical treatment of the diseases initiated by cigarette use. I'm not suggesting it should be banned because individuals should always have free choice... but, targeting young minds by clever advertising should be curtailed.
HORMONE replacement therapy used by millions of women around the world causes cancer, according to the UN's cancer agency.
It also said yesterday that the combined contraceptive pill, also used by millions, causes more types of cancers than previously thought.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which collates existing oncology studies, declared that consistent evidence emerging from studies in the past few years has lead it to reclassify hormonal menopause therapy from "possibly carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans". More...
Although they may not work for every woman (Just like HRT doesn't) it's worth a try because even if it doesn't alleviate the symptoms entirely such a supplement will enhance overall health. I can honestly say that our Total Balance Women's Plus is as good as you can get for normal symptoms. For more info click here. If you need something more potent specifically to target menopausal and also PMS symptoms we have developed another product which we release next month.
Of course it won't work for contraception.
Fears for millions as UN says HRT causes cancer (Full Article)f1
EBEN HARRELL
HORMONE replacement therapy used by millions of women around the world causes cancer, according to the UN's cancer agency.
It also said yesterday that the combined contraceptive pill, also used by millions, causes more types of cancers than previously thought.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which collates existing oncology studies, declared that consistent evidence emerging from studies in the past few years has lead it to reclassify hormonal menopause therapy from "possibly carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans".
The agency said studies have convincingly shown that doses of oestrogen and progesterone in combination slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. And oestrogen-only treatment, while posing less of a risk for breast cancer, can cause endometrial cancers.
A major US study into HRT in 2002 established a link to breast cancer, while links to endometrial cancers have long been known. But it is the first time the respected international agency has decisively labelled the treatment carcinogenic, effectively ending any remaining doubt.
Dr Peter Boyle, director of IARC, said: "[This report] address exposures that are experienced daily by many millions of women worldwide. It is of enormous public health importance that we identify and understand the full range of effects of these products."
HRT is used to treat women suffering from symptoms caused by perimenopause - the transition before menopause when oestrogen and progesterone levels drop. Symptoms include insomnia, mood swings, hot flushes, reduced mental clarity, vaginal dryness and heavy menstrual periods.
In 2000, approximately 20 million women in developed countries used HRT, although that number has dropped in recent years as the treatment has been linked to cancer. Many doctors continue to prescribe a low-dose therapy for severe cases, but symptom-specific treatments such as lubricants, blood pressure medication and anti-depressants are becoming increasingly popular.
The report also concluded that the combined contraceptive pill causes more types of cancer than previously thought. Previously, the pill had been identified as causing liver cancer. Now, further research has demonstrated that it also slightly increases the risk of breast and cervical cancer, the agency said.
However, the investigation also confirmed that the pill decreases the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Vincent Cogliano, head of the agency's monographs department, which is widely regarded as the international authority on which substances cause cancer, said: "It's a complicated picture. It doesn't mean women should stop taking the treatment. There are still other reasons to take it. Each woman has to discuss it with her doctor and weigh the risks and benefits."
Worldwide, more than 100 million women - about 10 per cent of all women of reproductive age - currently use combined hormonal contraceptives. Commonly known as "the pill", but also administered through patches and injections, the treatment prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation and thickening the mucous of the cervix so sperm cannot get through.
Combined hormonal contraceptives can cause weight gain, breast tenderness, depression and a decreased interest in sex. But it has also been shown to reduce the risk of noncancerous breast cysts, infections of the fallopian tubes, iron deficiency anaemia and ectopic, or tubal, pregnancies.
To read the full article click here.
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Teens targeted with candy-flavored cigarettes (Full Article)f2The tobacco industry is continuing its targeted marketing to teens via candy-flavored cigarettes, according to an American Lung Association Tobacco Policy Trend Alert: From Joe Camel to Kauai Kolada -- the Marketing of Candy-Flavored Cigarettes. Advertising and promotion for these products uses hip-hop imagery, attractive women, and other imagery to appeal to youth in similar ways that Joe Camel did a decade ago. Tobacco products remain virtually unregulated and each day more than 5,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette, and more than 2,000 become established daily smokers.
Increased marketing efforts for candy-flavored cigarettes came after the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement prohibited tobacco companies from using cartoon characters to sell cigarettes. The surge in advertising from top tobacco companies such as Reynolds American has successfully reached the intended audience -- youth -- in an underhanded manner. Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, recently released the results of several surveys that showed that 20 percent of smokers ages 17 to 19 smoked flavored cigarettes in the past 30 days while only 6 percent of smokers over the age of 25 did.
"It's appalling that the tobacco industry is not held responsible for the deadly products it continues to market and sell to young people," said John Kirkwood, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "Clearly, the industry is trying to get young people hooked on smoking and nothing is being done to limit this targeted marketing. Cigarettes, even in assorted candy flavors, cause lung cancer and lung disease and should be banned for the sake of our children."
Action at the federal level has been minimal. A proposed bill giving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products failed to pass in Congress in 2004. Identical FDA legislation was reintroduced in March 2005. Under the proposed FDA legislation, candy and fruit flavoring in cigarettes would be immediately prohibited. The legislation would also regulate the sale, marketing and manufacturing of cigarettes.
Additional controls on the tobacco industry could come through the Department of Justice's (DOJ) lawsuit against the industry. In its proposed remedies, the DOJ has called for a complete ban on candy-flavored cigarettes.
You can make your voice heard on this issue by logging on to lungaction.org/campaign/tobaccofda and advocating for stricter regulation of the tobacco industry. The full American Lung Association Tobacco Policy Trend Alert: From Joe Camel to Kauai Kolada -- the Marketing of Candy-Flavored Cigarettes can be viewed on the web at slati.lungusa.org.
About the American Lung Association: For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined.
The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time."
For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to http://www.lungusa.org.
To read the full article click here.
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Fears for millions as UN says HRT causes cancer (Full Article)f3
EBEN HARRELLHORMONE replacement therapy used by millions of women around the world causes cancer, according to the UN's cancer agency.
It also said yesterday that the combined contraceptive pill, also used by millions, causes more types of cancers than previously thought.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which collates existing oncology studies, declared that consistent evidence emerging from studies in the past few years has lead it to reclassify hormonal menopause therapy from "possibly carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans".
The agency said studies have convincingly shown that doses of oestrogen and progesterone in combination slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. And oestrogen-only treatment, while posing less of a risk for breast cancer, can cause endometrial cancers.
A major US study into HRT in 2002 established a link to breast cancer, while links to endometrial cancers have long been known. But it is the first time the respected international agency has decisively labelled the treatment carcinogenic, effectively ending any remaining doubt.
Dr Peter Boyle, director of IARC, said: "[This report] address exposures that are experienced daily by many millions of women worldwide. It is of enormous public health importance that we identify and understand the full range of effects of these products."
HRT is used to treat women suffering from symptoms caused by perimenopause - the transition before menopause when oestrogen and progesterone levels drop. Symptoms include insomnia, mood swings, hot flushes, reduced mental clarity, vaginal dryness and heavy menstrual periods.
In 2000, approximately 20 million women in developed countries used HRT, although that number has dropped in recent years as the treatment has been linked to cancer. Many doctors continue to prescribe a low-dose therapy for severe cases, but symptom-specific treatments such as lubricants, blood pressure medication and anti-depressants are becoming increasingly popular.
The report also concluded that the combined contraceptive pill causes more types of cancer than previously thought. Previously, the pill had been identified as causing liver cancer. Now, further research has demonstrated that it also slightly increases the risk of breast and cervical cancer, the agency said.
However, the investigation also confirmed that the pill decreases the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Vincent Cogliano, head of the agency's monographs department, which is widely regarded as the international authority on which substances cause cancer, said: "It's a complicated picture. It doesn't mean women should stop taking the treatment. There are still other reasons to take it. Each woman has to discuss it with her doctor and weigh the risks and benefits."
Worldwide, more than 100 million women - about 10 per cent of all women of reproductive age - currently use combined hormonal contraceptives. Commonly known as "the pill", but also administered through patches and injections, the treatment prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation and thickening the mucous of the cervix so sperm cannot get through.
Combined hormonal contraceptives can cause weight gain, breast tenderness, depression and a decreased interest in sex. But it has also been shown to reduce the risk of noncancerous breast cysts, infections of the fallopian tubes, iron deficiency anaemia and ectopic, or tubal, pregnancies.
To read the full article click here.
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