Researchers found evidence of what might cause acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFM, a rare polio-like illness that affects children. According to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, a virus seems to be the culprit. Since the first cases were documented in 2012, scientists have debated how children get AFM, which can…… MORE
A Massachusetts judge ruled on Monday that the state’s four-month ban on the sale of all e-cigarettes and vaping products can remain in effect — but only for about a week. The ruling, made by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins, came after the Vapor Technology Association and vape store owners called for the ban…… MORE
Vaping helped 50,000 to 70,000 smokers in England quit smoking in 2017, new research estimates. But different policies and cultures around e-cigarettes mean those results might not be replicated elsewhere. The study, recently published in the scientific journal Addiction, found the success rate for people quitting smoking rose as the use of e-cigarettes increased from…… MORE
Hours before the first federal trial in the opioid epidemic was set to begin, four pharmaceutical companies reached a settlement totaling $260 million. The four companies — McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. — reached a settlement Monday morning with the two plaintiffs, Summit and Cuyahoga counties in Ohio.…… MORE
Upset by reports that up to 95% of baby food contains one or more toxic heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury? Here’s the good news: There are actions you can take to reduce your infant’s exposure to these toxic metals, and in doing so, improve your own health and that of your entire…… MORE
M.J. Crumity was just an ordinary eighth-grade boy playing dodgeball in his gym class in Florida on October 1 when his pacemaker quit working. What happened next was extraordinary. M.J. collapsed on the floor and went into cardiac arrest. A coach called Madison County Central School’s school resource officer, Sgt. Joey Knight, for help. “I…… MORE
A North Carolina company has issued a recall on an undisclosed amount of chicken pie and meat loaf products because the labeling did not indicate they contain allergens. The MawMaw’s Chicken Pies products include meat loaf and chicken pies with or without veggies, and contain the known allergens milk and soy, the the US Department…… MORE
Six drug companies accused in thousands of lawsuits over their role in the nation’s opioid epidemic failed to reach a settlement with governments across the country, setting the stage for a high-profile trial Monday. The six defendants include three pharmaceutical distribution companies — AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson Corporation — a smaller distributor called Henry…… MORE
Another person has died from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in North Carolina, bringing the death toll to four. None of the victims have been identified by authorities and health officials have not discussed the circumstances of their deaths. There have been 141 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, an airborne lung infection, or Pontiac Fever,…… MORE
Drugmaker Sanofi is voluntarily recalling of the heartburn medication Zantac OTC. The recall impacts drugs sold in the United States and Canada. Sanofi is working with the US Food and Drug Administration to determine the extent of the recall. Tests of Zantac and other ranitidine medications found N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, an impurity that is considered…… MORE
