Statins Have Benefits Beyond Protecting Our Arteries

All in all, statins can reduce the risk of heart attacks and other major clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD) by up to 37 percent. And since heart disease is America's leading cause of death, it's no wonder that the seven statin drugs are the best-selling prescription medications in the United States

Determine Risk of Developing Blood Clots Before Discontinuing Blood-Thinning Medication

I've had two blood clots in two years, but in the past nine months have had no problems. How long do I need to be on warfarin? I'm worried about another blood clot but don't like taking medication

Prescriptions: Don't Take A Drug Unless You Know Why

These days, when a full 61 percent of adults use at least one medication to treat a chronic health problem, many people expect a prescription at every doctor's appointment. Since every drug has side effects and may interact with other meds, though, you shouldn't just swallow any pill ordered without a second thought. First ask ...

Overmedication: Are Americans Taking Too Many Drugs?

Socrates once declared that medicine 'acts as both remedy and poison' and that 'this charm, this spellbinding virtue, this power of fascination, can be--alternately or simultaneously--beneficent or maleficent.' Modern America clearly appreciates the benefits. However, ...

Counterfeit Medicines: Health and Harm

Counterfeiting has a long history. For most commodities it is simply the theft of brand owners' intellectual property, a trademark violation. But fake medicines can also kill. Political wrangling over language, and confusion over how to deal with the public health and private property aspects of counterfeiting, is hampering international action.

Full Without Food: Drug Therapy May Someday Replace Obesity Surgery

We're now starting to realize that the gut plays a bigger role in appetite and blood-sugar regulation than previously thought. Several groups are trying to develop drugs that enable people to get the effects of surgery without having to undergo any operation.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Fill That Prescription

Don't just swallow every pill your doctor orders without a second thought. Make an effort to educate yourself by asking about your prescriptions

Managing Pain: How to Use Prescription Drugs Without Becoming Addicted

Prescription drug abuse has long been a problem for everyday Americans as well as pill-popping celebrities. About 48 million people, or 20 percent of Americans over age 12, have taken prescription medications -- often, the painkillers called opioids -- for nonmedical reasons. Here's how to use prescription drugs without becoming addicted

Be smart if you take prescription opioids or find alternative forms of relief

Michael Jackson's death has brought renewed attention to prescription drug abuse, which has long been a problem for everyday Americans as well as pill-popping celebrities.

Symptoms From Antidepressant Withdrawal Can Be Reduced By Tapering

I'm taking an antidepressant and am concerned that when my doctor instructs me to quit taking it I'll go through withdrawal. Can this happen? What can I expect?

Medical Claims for Marijauna - Just Blowing Smoke?

As far as the federal government is concerned, marijuana has no place in medicine. The Drug Enforcement Administration considers marijuana a controlled substance. These drugs are likely candidates for abuse, with no recognized therapeutic benefits. Yet the medical use of marijuana by Americans is spreading

The Fight Escalates Against Fake Drugs

The World Health Organization estimates that all medicines sold online are worthless counterfeits. In developing nations, fake pills may account for as much as 30 percent of all drugs on the market. Even in the developed world, 1 percent of medicines bought over the counter are fakes. Here's what can be done

Heartburn Medication Side Effects

When you take heartburn medication, you want it to relieve your symptoms -- end of story. But all medications have side effects, so it's important to be aware of common ones that can occur with heartburn medication. Here's how potential heartburn medication side effects compare

Alternatives to Statins for Lowering Cholesterol

I've tried all of the statin drugs to lower my cholesterol but each one has caused severe muscle pain. Are there any non-statin medications I could try using to lower my cholesterol?

Learn How to Read Supplement Labels

With what can seem like an endless selection of products and brands, choosing a dietary supplement that fits your lifestyle may seem like a confusing task. However, knowing what to look for on the supplement label can help you understand what product might best help you reach your personal wellness goals. Remember these helpful tips next time you're considering which dietary supplement to take

Gardasil Side Effects Tough to Monitor

Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against the cervical-cancer-causing human papillomavirus, got a bit of a smack-down from two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationdetailing safety risks associated with ...

Why You Should Think Twice Before Using Alli or Other Weight Loss Aids

When it comes to losing weight, we'd all love that quick fix: a pill, shake, heck, even surgery to ease our efforts. Unfortunately, weight-loss aids -- even when approved by the Food and Drug Administration -- come with risks as well as benefits.

Ask the Harvard Experts: Pros and Cons of an Insulin Pump

Advantages and disadvantages of switching to an insulin pump rather than continuing with multiple daily injections

Mayo Clinic: Little Known About Long-Term Antidepressant Use

Unfortunately, we don't know much about long-term problems that could come from taking antidepressants. In the United States, some antidepressants have been available for more than 50 years. Newer antidepressants -- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Lexapro, Luvox, and others -- are around 20 years old

3 Lousy Reasons to Consider an Antidepressant Medication

New research shows Americans have become increasingly accepting of psychiatric medications such as antidepressants, the use of which is on the rise. For some people, the drugs are essential. But others appear willing to use antidepressants for reasons that experts say may be unwise. Antidepressants are the most routinely prescribed class of drugs in the United States. However -- as acceptance of psychiatric drugs rises -- are people flocking to antidepressants for good reasons?

Cortisone Injections Unlikely to Have Negative Affect on Bones

Some steroid medications have been associated with osteoporosis in certain situations. The steroids found in a cortisone or similar injection, however, are unlikely to have an impact on bones. Here's why

Existing Drugs to Treat Herpes Are Very Effective

Herpes is a condition caused by an infection of nerves that lead to the mouth, lips and nose area, or nerves that lead to the genital organs. The infection is caused by a virus called Herpes simplex virus (also human herpesvirus-1).

Best Way to Take Heartburn Medication

Sure, heartburn medication is helpful, but did you know that when and how often you take it can make a difference in effectiveness and safety? Here, Dr. Cindy Yoshida explains the best ways to take heartburn medication so it'll do the job you're counting on it to do

14 Things You Might Not Know About Aspirin

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association casting doubt on the benefit of a daily aspirin in people with very early peripheral artery disease underscores the fact that aspirin therapy isn't for everyone. Who might benefit? Here's what recent research on regular aspirin use reveals

Supplements to Avoid When Dealing With High Blood Pressure

What are the dangers of taking over-the-counter supplements? I am on blood pressure medication and have heard that there are some supplements that may interfere.

Principles of Conservative Prescribing: Do You Really Need All Those Pills

People who genuinely need medications should take them; indeed, getting people to take medications as prescribed is a persistent problem. But there's some questioning of prescribing practices these days, much of it inspired by a growing conviction that American health care has become too dependent on expensive medications.

Weight Loss Drugs & Diet Pills Have Many Drawbacks

I wish we had a diet pill that could help people lose weight easily. None of the medicines on the market are worth using, if you ask me

Does Blood Pressure Medication Cause Weight Gain

Some blood pressure drugs, particularly Cardura and Inderal, can cause weight gain, even up to 10 pounds a month in some susceptible individuals. But there are ways to control it ...

New Guidelines Refine Aspirin Prescription

Aspirin was once used mainly to relieve pain, ease fever, and get rid of hangovers. Today it's best known for its ability to protect hearts. This 100-year-old drug is a mainstay for treating heart attacks, and it also helps ward off heart attacks and the most common kind of stroke. But limited evidence on aspirin's preventive effects has made it difficult for experts to give encompassing recommendations about who benefits from daily aspirin and how much to take.

10 Ways to Get Your Omega-3s Without a Pill

Omega-3 supplements are everywhere, but do you really need one? You've heard--perhaps many times over--that omega-3 fatty acids are essential to good health, and solid research supports some heart-protective attributes. But it can be a challenge to get enough in one's diet