Women's eNews

Posts tagged medicine

Jul 13

“In June Pfizer settled about 6,000 lawsuits that argued the combination drug Prempro caused cancer in women. It cost the New-York based pharmaceutical company $896 million to resolve and there are still 4,000 suits pending.” A Decade Later, Women Remain Unsure of HRT’s Risks http://womensenews.org/story/medicine/120712/decade-later-women-remain-unsure-hrts-risks

Mar 26

Myth Busting Women Aimed Alternative Medicine

Forty percent of Americans—a majority of them women—spend 10 percent of their out-of-pocket health care dollars on complementary and alternative therapies.

Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, based in Gaithersburg, Md., reported on findings from the agency’s large-scale double-blind trials for alternative therapies. The center is the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine.

Evening Primrose oil, it turns out, has not been any better than a placebo in these trials at relieving menopausal symptoms or PMS. On the benefits of gingko biloba, an extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree, Briggs was likewise discouraging.

Other findings from her agency’s research:

Echinacea is not effective in treating or preventing colds.

Black cohosh and red clover are not effective for menopausal hot flashes.

Saw palmetto doesn’t help with prostate problems.

Shark cartilage is not effective against cancer.

Cranberry juice doesn’t prevent recurrent urinary tract infection.

http://womensenews.org/story/medicine/120324/tai-chi-and-yoga-pass-mainstream-health-test