Herbal Supplements – Safe?

Furthermore, data presented in early November at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting found that liver failure caused by herbal supplements, especially those used in bodybuilding, increased almost three-fold from 2004 through 2012.

via Herbal supplements may be natural, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe.

MI Admissions on Upswing in Younger Women

Bucking the trend in other groups, younger women in that province experienced an increase in the hospitalization rate of 1.7% per year from 2000 through 2009 (P=0.04), according to Karin Humphries, MBA, DSc, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and colleagues.

In addition, in that younger group, women had a greater risk of dying within 30 days of hospital discharge compared with men, a difference that persisted through the end of the study period (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25-2.08), the researchers reported online in the Journal of Women\’s Health.

via MI Admissions on Upswing in Younger Women.

Nipple Aspirate Test Is Not An Alternative To Mammography

BACKGROUND: A nipple aspirate device is a type of pump used to collect fluid from a woman\’s breast. A nipple aspirate test can determine whether the fluid collected from the breast contains any abnormal cells.

RECOMMENDATION: Do not use a nipple aspirate test as a substitute for mammography or by itself for breast cancer screening or diagnosis.

via Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > Nipple Aspirate Test: Safety Communication – Breast Cancer Screening Test Is Not An Alternative To Mammography.

Vitamin D Dosing: Too Low to Matter?

Autier and colleagues found that vitamin D deficiency, in the observational studies, was associated with cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, glucose metabolism disorders, infectious diseases, mood disorders, declines in cognitive function, and even all-cause mortality.

With the exception of colorectal cancer, being vitamin D sufficient did not appear to reduce the risk of developing various types of cancer.

Vitamin D sufficiency was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events (up to 58%), diabetes (up to 38%), colorectal cancer (up to 33%), and all-cause mortality (29%).

via Vitamin D Dosing: Too Low to Matter?.