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Health Warnings

Warning on Osteoporosis Drugs

According to a report in the January 19 issue of BMJ, pharmaceutical companies exaggerate the benefits of osteoporosis drugs, and downplay the risks of prescribing osteoporosis drugs for women whose bones appear to be slightly weakened (a condition called osteopenia). Read more

 

Starbucks Recalls 167,000 Mugs in North America Due to Burn Hazard

A news release from Starbucks indicates that 167,000 coffee mugs in the U.S. and Canada are being recalled because of a design defect that makes these mugs a burn hazard.

The release indicates that the handles on Fusion Coffee Mugs can detach without warning, allowing coffee to spill and burn the user. Thus far, Starbucks has received 23 reports of handles breaking off of these mugs - nine of these cases have resulted in minor burns. Read more

 

Beware of Lipsticks that Contain Lead

If you wear lipstick on a regular basis, please know that a test that was recently commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found 20 different brand-name lipsticks to contain lead. Eleven of these lipsticks were discovered to contain more than the 0.1 ppm limit that has been set by the FDA to protect children from direct ingestion of dangerous amounts of lead. Read more

 

Warning To Be Alert While Wearing Clogs and Riding Escalators

A recent report by the associated press warns about the danger of riding escalators while wearing soft-soled clogs.

Here are the highlights from this report:

1. The flexibility and grip of soft-soled clogs can cause them to become entrapped at the top, bottom, and sides of escalators.

2. A four-year old boy in northern Virginia got his clog-clad foot caught in an escalator in August of 2007 at a local mall. His mother was able to pull his foot free, but the nail on his big toe was almost completely torn off, and he experienced heavy bleeding from the injury. Read more

 

Lead Found in Bibs Sold in United States

According to reports by the Center for Environmental Health, the New York Times, and the Canadian Broadcasting Association, baby bibs imported from China and available for purchase at Toys 'R' Us stores in the United States contain high levels of lead.

According to test results by the Center for Environmental Health, the vinyl bibs in question contain up to three times the amount of lead that is allowed in paint. Read more

 

Laser Printers Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Last week, researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Australia published a study that indicates that some laser printers create as much fine-particle pollution as cigarette smoke. The researchers warn that laser printer-emitted pollution can affect people's lungs in the same way that cigarettes can, making it a legitimate health threat to people who work around active laser printers in poorly ventilated spaces. The researchers also warn that beyond posing a threat to lung health, exposure to laser printer pollution can ultimately increase one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Read more

 

Beware of Eating Green Potatoes

A recent article in the New York Times provides an important dietary warning:

Green potatoes often contain high levels of a toxin called solanine, which can cause any of the following gastrointestinal and/or neurological symptoms upon ingestion: Read more

 

Over-The-Counter Muscle-Pain Relieving Cream Blamed for Track Star's Death

On June 10th, 2007, the New York Times published a story about a high school track star who died after overusing an over-the-counter cream that is commonly used to treat sore muscles and joints. The official cause of death was determined by a New York City medical examiner after a two-month investigation.

The athlete died after her body absorbed toxic levels of methyl salicylate, a compound that is found in sports creams like Icy Hot and Bengay. Read more

 

Action Steps To Prevent Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the average adult human body contains approximately 96,500 kilometers (60,000 miles) of blood vessels. This means that if you were to attach all of your blood vessels together end to end, they could wrap around the Earth almost two and a half times. Read more

 

Latest Pesticide Analysis of Common Fruits and Vegetables

In late 2006, the Environmental Working Group released their latest report on the average pesticide content of common fruits and vegetables.

Many different studies that have been done with animals have found that exposure to pesticides can increase the risk of developing various types of cancer, nervous system dysfunction, and reproductive problems. Read more

 

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