FDA Will Review Safety of Antibacterial Chemical in Soap
Recent studies of triclosan, a chemical used in antibacterial soaps, have sparked enough concern to warrant a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bacteria may develop resistance to antibiotics as a result of its use, according to some studies. And in animals, triclosan has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system, which produces hormones. What's more, the agency says that soaps with triclosan do not seem to provide any benefit over using regular soap. Triclosan is also found in toothpastes, body washes, and kitchenware, among other consumer products, the Journal reports.
[Read Workplace Chemicals May Boost Breast Cancer Risk and Phthalates Threat: Less Boy, More Girl.]
FDA Warns Spas Against Fat-Melting Claims
Want to get rid of your stubborn fat bulges without endless spinning classes or going under the knife? Lipodissolve, a fat-fighting procedure billed as liposuction without the risks, has been popular at "rejuvenation clinics" and "medi-spas" throughout the country, but the Food and Drug Administration yesterday decided to take action to warn consumers about lipodissolve's unknown hazards and dubious benefits. The agency issued warning letters to six medical spas for making false or misleading statements that their injections are safe and effective, despite the fact that they've never been studied in research trials or approved by the FDA, U.S. News's Deborah Kotz reports.
Lipodissolve involves injecting small amounts of soy lecithin and bile salt directly into problem areas on the hips, waist, thighs, and buttocks, which supposedly melts away fat. The injections became wildly popular three years ago with spas opening up around the country and with doctors in every specialty—from pediatricians to dermatologists—taking weekend seminars to learn the procedure before opening fat-dissolving clinics. Read more.
[Read A Shot to Melt the Fat? and 4 Ways to Shed Belly Fat (Exercise Is No. 1) and Protect Against Heart Failure.]
Mild Sleep Apnea May Raise Stroke Risk in Men
A new study suggests that even mild sleep apnea may boost mens' risk of stroke, HealthDay reports. Researchers studied more than 5,400 adults over nine years. They found that men with moderate to severe sleep apnea were almost three times more likely to have a stroke than men without the condition. Men with mild symptoms were also at higher risk of stroke. In women studied, however, only severe sleep apnea appeared to heighten stroke risk. "Overall, the increased risk of stroke in men with sleep apnea is comparable to adding 10 years to a man's age," said lead author Susan Redline of Case Western Reserve University, according to HealthDay. The findings appear online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
In August, U.S. News's Lindsay Lyon wrote about 7 things sleep doctors say can exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea or put people at risk for the nighttime breathing disorder. More than 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing, and many are unaware, Lyon wrote. Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, memory loss, obesity, parasomnias, and insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
A recent study in the Public Library of Science reaffirmed a long-suspected link between severe sleep apnea, the repeated drops in blood oxygen levels, and premature death. The ensuing daytime sleepiness can also be a public health hazard, "if you happen to be an airline pilot or a 16-wheel truck driver who is sleeping at the wheel," Alejandro Chediak, medical director of the Miami Sleep Disorders Center, told U.S. News. Read more.
[Read Brain Damage Seen in People With Severe Sleep Apnea and Can't Sleep? Why Insomnia Shouldn't Be Ignored.]
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