Health

Genetic and Genomic Diagnostic Tests
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Genetic tests such as the Tag-It Cystic Fibrosis Kit involve DNA taken from a person's blood, saliva, or other body fluid that is examined for an abnormality and that flags a disease or disorder.

Genomics and Medical Devices
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
New scientific tools will help to broaden the impact of genomics on public health. Imagine that a swipe of the inside cheek or a stick of the little finger could be used to predict whether or not certain types of cancer may be in your future.

Proteomics: The Human Genome
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The genes in your body are the building blocks for an estimated 1 million to 5 million proteins. Find out how these 'mini-machines' might help treat diseases. While the genes that compose the human genome provide the building blocks for who we are

Antiperspirants Don't Cause Cancer
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Offensive body odor is against the law in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. A code of conduct, officials say, is necessary to ensure that one person's right to use a public library doesn't infringe on the rights of another and law enforcement

Computer-Assisted Surgery
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Use of the da Vinci Surgical System has expanded into several surgical disciplines. Experts say the key benefit of computer-assisted surgery is being able to perform surgery through smaller incisions.

Gender Health Risks : Continuing Efforts, Men, Women, and Heart Disease
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
So far, a small number of differences have been found in the way men and women respond to drugs, says Temple. An FDA study reviewed gender-related labeling for 171 new drugs that were approved for both males and females from 1995 through 1999.

Medical Devices and Gender Differences, Studies of Both Sexe
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Men and women may also respond differently to certain medical devices and the procedures in which they are used. Several FDA studies have focused on identifying some of these differences.

Drugs and Gender Differences
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
In 1998, the allergy drug Seldane (terfenadine) was removed from the market, when a safer alternative was approved. It had been discovered that Seldane could cause a life-threatening heart rhythm irregularity when used with certain other drugs.

Gender Health Risks
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Health risks are different for men and women, and treatments may be, too. When it comes to health risks, sex does matter. Women are twice as likely as men to get multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraines.

Laser Pointers Safety Facts
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Laser pointers are misused when they are directed at people or treated as toys. The light energy from a laser pointer aimed into the eye can be more damaging than staring directly into the sun.

Preventing Blood Clots in the Legs
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Clotting the blood is 'nature's way of trying to prevent bleeding,' says Wolf Sapirstein, M.D., a cardiologist at the Food and Drug Administration. But when nature's protective mechanism overcompensates and precautions aren't taken, there is a danger

Leeches as a Medical Device
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
For thousands of years, leeches have been worming their way in and out of medicine as a questionable cure for anything from headaches to gangrene, reaching their height of medicinal use in the mid-1800s.

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac, Poisoning in Children
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Dangerous substances, including medication, should be kept out of reach of children. In addition, substances should be kept in their original containers to avoid confusion or mistakes. Children who have ingested poisonous substances may experience

Summer Safety : Burns From Fireworks and Grills, Foodborne Illness
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Stick with public firework displays handled by professionals. Children should always be closely supervised when food is being cooked indoors or outdoors. Be aware that gas leaks, blocked tubes, and overfilled propane tanks cause most gas grill fires

Summer Safety : Bee Stings, Heat Illness
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
To keep bees away, wear light-colored clothing and avoid scented soaps and perfumes. Don't leave food, drinks, and garbage out uncovered. Treat a bee sting by scraping the stinger away in a side-to-side motion with a credit card or fingernail

Summer Safety: Sunburn, Mosquitoes and Ticks Bites
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Experts say there's a lot people can do to minimize the risks of health problems related to summertime activities. 'While treatment with FDA-approved products is good, prevention is even better,' says Jonathan Wilkin, M.D.

Hip and Knee Joint Replacement : Surgical Skill and Techniques
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
While prosthesis makers are changing designs, materials, and manufacturing methods to try to lengthen the life of artificial knees and hips, surgeons are refining techniques or developing new ones to try to improve the outcomes.

The Risks of Hip and Knee Joint Replacement
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Like any surgery, hip and knee joint replacement carries certain life-threatening risks, such as infection, blood clots and complications from anesthesia. Other complications include nerve damage, dislocation or breakage after surgery, and wearing

Hip Resurfacing, Knee Replacement Surgery
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
An alternative to total hip replacement is an operation called hip resurfacing. Unlike the prostheses used in total hip replacement, which are made to replace the femoral head, resurfacing prosthesis designs allow the head to be preserved and reshaped.

Why Joint Replacement? Hip Replacement Surgery
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Hip and knee joint replacements are helping people of all ages live pain-free, active lives. Joints are formed by the ends of two or more bones connected by tissue called cartilage. Healthy cartilage serves as a protective cushion, allowing smooth