So Much for Corporate America and the Tobacco Settlement

U.S. report: More nicotine in cigarettesBy STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 57 minutes agoThe level of nicotine that smokers typically consume per cigarette has risen about 10 percent in the past six years, making it harder to quit and easier to get hooked, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Department of Health.The study shows a steady climb in the amount of nicotine delivered to the lungs of smokers regardless of brand, with overall nicotine yields increasing by about 10 percent.Massachusetts is one of three states to require tobacco companies to submit information about nicotine testing according to its specifications and the only state with data going back to 1998.Public Health Commissioner Paul Cote Jr. called the findings "significant."The study...

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Diabetic? This natural helper is already here.

Berberine is a natural plant substance used in Traditional Western Herbalism. Not only has it been used successfully in many situations, it is highly researched in the herbal literature. (Try the Lloyd Library in Cincinnati for starters.)Berberines work on the liver. If, from a natural treatment perspective, you wish to help a person with diabetes improve their state of health, the experienced medical herbalist, like the Leaflady, would offer liver herbs in the program.Those working with TCM, Oriental Medicine, American Indian medicine and those of us who are Western Tradition medical herbalists, along with medical doctors of past decades, know that in ANY endocrine dis-order, you treat the liver.Wake up you folks at Diabetes!And for those of you who are skeptics, why wait for "one day". The...

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New Warnings on ADHD Drugs

Many would argue that there is no such disorder as ADD and ADHD. Drug companies, however, would have you believe otherwise.Once again showing the way the FDA works, proving that the health of those whom they are supposed to protect means little.By Susan Heavey, Mon Aug 21. Several drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder must include new warning information about the risk of heart problems and psychotic behavior, U.S. health officials said on Monday.The drugs, which include GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Dexedrine and Novartis AG's Ritalin, must include a warning about the possible risk of sudden death and serious heart problems, Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman Susan Bro told Reuters.The drugs, stimulants that can raise blood pressure, must also include warnings about the risk...

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100,000 deaths in hospitals each year are attributed to properly prescribed drugs

A few posts ago I talked about The Senior Medicare Drug Scam. Here is a brief follow up on the drugs mentioned in that article. Again we ask you to think (and see) for yourself.Lipitor and Zocor - Statin Class of drugs used to allegedly lower cholesterol. Of course there is not a very real need to do this because cholesterol is a necessary substance. See the scientific work of many doctors such as Uffe Ravnskov.The Active ingredient in Lipitor costs $5.80. The profit on an average prescription is 4,696%. Zocor cost is $8.63, profit margin is 4,059%.more hereThese drugs are known to lead to liver failure and this is the reason you should be getting liver function tests frequently while taking the drugs.Remember Baychol? These drugs also can cause a fatal side effect called rhabdomyolysis....

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You Do Get What You Pay For, Maybe?

Some many years ago now I did a cost comparison on Centrum vitamins compared to three or four other brands. Centrum, by and far, was the loser: High Cost and Low Quality.I recently learned from one of my clients using the new Medicare Drug Plan that Centrum is on the schedule. Well of course this makes sense because it is manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. One with Carte Blanche to rip off our Elders.Now here you have the opinion of a colleague of mine, and I couln't have said it better.***Cheap Vitamin Crap-Tasties By Alan Graham (with Alfred Lehmberg)AlienView.net 8-21-6I've written extensively explaining how Centrum, Theragram, et al, are nearly worthless, so the latest Centrum TV commercials belching forth from the tube I find particularly insulting. Insulting, and, in my opinion,...

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Remember Dr. Graham?

I know the whistleblower conundrum, being one several times in my life. Holding that integrity is important, patient safety and adherence to the rule of law are as well, I probably think that Graham and his colleagues that are willing to take a stand are heroes.Can 600 scientists be wrong?Ever wonder how things are going at work for Dr. David Graham.Dr. Graham is the associate science director of the FDA's Office of Drug Safety and for several years now he's been an outspoken critic of the drug approval process at the FDA.In 2004, Dr. Graham testified before a Senate committee, naming five popular drugs that he said should be avoided because of safety concerns. He added that the FDA was largely ignoring those concerns.Since then, Dr. Graham has also been an outspoken critic of the agency's...

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Beta Blocker Risks and Options

A BLOG visitor was seeking information on alternatives to Toprol or Metoprolol. This is a drug usually prescribed for hypertension and/or angina. It has many risks which include angina and cardiac failure, bronchospasm, thyroid toxicity, and possible problems with diabetes and blood sugar balance. Liver disease is a risk as well as use in pregnancy or for young children.Since each person's health status is unique, and no medication should be discontinued abruptly unless advised by the prescribing physician, no specific herb or supplement is suggested.Historically Hawthorne berry is the herbalist's choice for hypertension. High quality Vitamin E, Garlic, and Cayenne may be of help. Vitamin C and Magnesium can also be helpful, however, these choices should be made with educated advice based...

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Might Something Be Missing Here?

One of my favorite commercials is the chimpanzee take-off on the "Can You Hear Me Now" campaign for those physiologically altering cell phones. I'm not a fan of cell phones but it's the the banana phone that makes me lighten up my day!It's not that I think diabetes is something to laugh at. Not at all. What I think is more tragic is the well known fact that diabetes, and carpal tunnel, or any neuropathy for that matter, is directly related to a deficiency of B vitamins.And don't you recall that years ago when they started refining grain, all the B vitamins went the way of the waste pile. Then diabetes started to rise on the charts, just like atherosclerosis did after they homogenized milk.If you recall this then you might remember all the scientic/medical studies done decades ago that proved...

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Just How Safe is Your Food ? or Will You Find This Listed on the Label ?

Maybe the best approach is to avoid the purchase of these products to protect your health. I haven't come up with any long term studies on safety from this treatment, but then the FDA is not known to be interested in what happens after a product leaves the manufacturer it seems, based on drug death statistics. You might also wonder if this does not cross the same line as adding fertilizer waste to the water supply in the name of protecting teeth from cavities with fluoride (from hydroflurocilicic acid). Or might it be the same for the neurotoxin aspartame? They call this medication without consent. Do you think this might attack all the healthy bacteria in your stomach that acts to protect your health, and run amuck? Or perhaps this is really a germ warfare test on unsuspecting humans,...

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Drug Activity

On the tail of the recent multi-million dollar verdict against VIOXX (heart attack, stroke, and death), more to ponder on how the FDA protects you.Drugs and Pending Litigation ACE Inhibitors (linked to birth defects)Diethylstilbestrol (breast cancer in offspring)Fen Phen (heart valve damage)(NOW OFF THE MARKET)Fosamax (Osteonecrosis of the Jaw)Ketek (severe side effects, liver damage or death)(NOW OFF THE MARKET)Natrecor (low blood pressure, kidney damage, and death)Ortho Evra (fatal blood clots, heart attack, and stroke)Paxil (birth defects and infant death)Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (caused by Fen Phen and other drugs)Redux (life threatening pulmonary hypertension)Zyprexa (diabetes and hyperglycem...

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"Ragweed Season To Last Longer..." "...Expected To Be More Brutal"

Late August begins the unofficial start of ragweed season, however the recent weather pattern in some parts of the U.S. have meant an earlier start to the misery for many allergy sufferers. What can you do to prepare yourself for yourself for what promises to be a long, intense fall allergy season?Pollen Allergy Survival TipsEven though ragweed is found primarily in the Northeastern, Southern and Midwestern United States, the fact is, some form of the plant can be found in all areas of the country. Therefore, since exposure to ragweed is virtually impossible to avoid, here are some simple survival tips for allergy sufferers:Minimize outdoor activities when pollen count is highest, usually between 10 am - 4 pm.Keep the windows closed while traveling in the car to reduce exposure to pollens.Wash...

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WE TOLD YOU SO

Back when the Senior Drug Benefit rip-off was being proposed as the largest ever corporate welfare program for those Bush "Pioneers" we warned you on our websitethat the only benficiaries in this deal would be Big Pharma. Now folks, you bit the apple and now you have it!The Pharmaceutical Industry is overall the greatest contributor to the Bush WAR Chest, and that is literal and figurative. Can you hear me now? Where are the terrorists?I will shortly post the risks of the drugs named in this article, because I am sure your doctor doesn't know!AUGUST 15, 2006CONTACT: Center for Economic and Policy ResearchLynn Erskine, 202-293-5380 x115 Drug Companies Making Billions in Excess Profits Under Medicare PlanWASHINGTON - August 15 - Pharmaceutical companies are making billions in excess profits...

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The Trouble With PINK

General Mills is known for it's confection-style product Yoplait. I would never refer to it as yoghurt. This is because it really is not yoghurt, but it is marketed to gullible Americans as such. It also is far from health promoting when it contains neuro-taxic and carcinogenic artificial sweeteners and in the no-fat/low-fat versions.General Mills also refuses to allow our health education oriented non-profit organiztion, Creating Health Institute, from participating in the annual pink lid promotion. CHI does a very great amount of public health education through its publications in the Health Matters(c) family and through this BLOG, and our website. Financial support helps us to more effectively and more widely provide this educational material.Now today we get a little bit more insight...

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The Need for Effective and Thorough Health Detectives

Perhaps they forgot to ask this question or rushed to publish without their MPH hat on -Do you realize that in the past twenty years more and more vaccines have been added to the list of alleged necessary vaccines, including the outrageous claims for Hepatitis vaccine?andDo you realize that it has been clearly established that the Hepatitis vaccine is known to cause liver shutdown in infants for at least 14 days, and this is highly correlated with the development of diabetes and concommitant obesity?Obesity epidemic hits U.S. infantsCBC News, Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:03:22 EDTYoung children, especially infants, are now more likely to be overweight than two decades ago, according to a U.S. study."The obesity epidemic has spared no age group, even our youngest children," said Dr. Matthew Gillman,...

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Jogging Your Memory

In yesterday's mail I received the most recent PR rag from the local hospital where I live. I have actually twice in four years called this hospital and asked that my address be removed from their mailing list, and as you can see they have failed once again to honor my request.Since, even as a medical professional, I am not enamored with the medical model, I wonder why this is all so difficult. After all, this hospital, or maybe I should say rural regional medical center as they seem to prefer, has been the one over the last four years that has not had the common courtesy to respond to my efforts to connect with them, in the name of healthy options. (If you recall your lesson in Chaos Theory you will know that in nature things require movement from chaos to order in the name of survival....

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Ramblings of an old Woody Guthrie song in my brain

So, Dr. Strangelove, I presume?Not so strange when you hear melodious threads in your mind calling "here bushy, bushy, bushy; here ricey, ricey, ricey; here rummy, rummy, rummy; here dicky-chickey, chicky...oh yes, aren't they out running around(the spin campaign)like chickens with their heads cut off claiming to be acting in the name of PEACE..."Where's the war" or is it beef for plutonium?No WMDs you say, but soon the sky may be falling if this keeps up.NOW - This is your opportunity to help protect us from the scourges of a nuclear weapons pit facility. Pete Dominici calls Los Alamos "The Crown Jewel of New Mexico". In the coming year, Los Alamos National Laboratories plans to quadruple plutonium pit production. The United States already possesses 23,000 nuclear pits, (the plutonium...

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Prevent Disaster

The Reason to get a consultation or second opinion with the LeafladyAlan Jones, whistleblower from the Inspector General's office said in Prescription For Disaster - "you're on your own - there is no longer any safety". The FDA is the agency most responsible for unsafe food and drugs.Creating Health Institute has been offering natural health solutions, blending science and natural health, for more than 35 yea...

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Worth Your Consideration

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind... John F. Kenn...

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