The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will begin a comprehensive review of its food and tobacco programs amid a high-profile infant formula shortage and recent rulings on e-cigarettes. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf first announced the review on Tuesday, then appeared at a Senate subcommittee hearing on food safety on Wednesday, calling the food program “one…  read on >  read on >

Feeding raw meat to your dog may spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to researchers who studied the poop of dogs fed these diets. What did the British scientists find? Dogs who were fed raw meat were more likely to shed antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in their feces. Meanwhile, past research has found that daily interactions between dogs…  read on >  read on >

Certain 1.2-ounce Natierra Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberry pouches have been recalled in the United States because of possible lead contamination. The recall of two lots by manufacturer BrandStorm Inc. is due to lead levels above the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended limits. “People with high levels of lead in their blood may show no symptoms,…  read on >  read on >

Roughly 30 million Americans have an eating disorder in their lifetime, and calls to a nationwide support group have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 2020 and October 2021, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) recorded a 58% increase in calls, texts and emails seeking help. Behind opioid addiction, eating disorders have the second…  read on >  read on >

Deaths from heart-related causes have dropped over the past 20 years, though differences persist by race and ethnicity as well as where people live and their access to care. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which partially funded the research, detailed the results of three papers. The findings were published July 18 in the…  read on >  read on >

People shouldn’t take the drugs colchicine and fluvoxamine to treat mild to moderate COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) is warning. The antidepressant drug fluvoxamine (Luvox) and the gout drug colchicine are commonly used and inexpensive drugs that have received considerable interest as potential COVID-19 treatments. However, there is insufficient evidence that either drug improves…  read on >  read on >

An off-brand medication for diabetic macular edema might prove just as effective in early treatment as its more expensive alternative, potentially saving patients thousands of dollars, new research suggests. The vision condition is a common complication of poorly controlled diabetes, which can damage blood vessels at the back of the eyeball and trigger swelling in…  read on >  read on >

Despite now having more choices for lifesaving emergency allergy injectors like EpiPens, the cost is still proving prohibitively expensive for some, new research shows. Even though most people are saving money with lower-priced alternatives after the cost of EpiPens shot up a few years ago, a significant minority of users — people with high deductibles…  read on >  read on >