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Information for patients, parents, and practitioners: Straight talk on braces
About 4.5 million people in the United States are wearing braces or other
appliances to achieve a beautiful smile and healthy teeth, according to the
American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). These appliances are regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration to assure their safety and effectiveness. more
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Artificial heart helps people awaiting transplants
The FDA has approved a partial artificial heart that keeps people alive in
the hospital while they wait for a heart transplant. The SynCardia CardioWest
Temporary Total Artificial Heart is intended to be a "bridge to transplant" for
people who don't respond to other treatments and who could die from non-reversible
biventricular heart failure, a condition in which both the left and right sides
of the heart are not functioning properly. The device, cleared for marketing
in October 2004, is the first of its kind authorized to be sold in the United
States more
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Genetics play role in response to asthma drug
Genes affect how people with asthma respond to albuterol, the most commonly
used drug for quick relief of asthma attacks, according to a new study of adults
with mild asthma. Asthma causes the airways to be inflamed or swollen and the
surrounding muscles to tighten. more
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Information for consumers: Use caution buying medical products online
Get prescription drugs fast--no doctor needed! Cure cancer with herbs! Zap
your pain away with an amazing device! Absolutely safe--pull out your credit
card NOW, and get rock-bottom prices. It's not hard to find statements like these floating around in cyberspace. "And if they sound too good to be true, it's because they usually are," says Rich Cleland, assistant director of the Division of Advertising Practices at
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). more
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About the Public Health Service: Uniformed health professionals protect all Americans
There's a little-known secret about the Public Health Service (PHS): its Commissioned
Corps is one of the seven uniformed services that protect the United States.
But unlike the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, the PHS
Commissioned Corps' all-officer organization is composed entirely of health
professionals who, though unarmed, fight an often elusive and deadly enemy. more
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Report: Prostate cancer, breast cancer leading newly diagnosed cancers
A federal report using the most recent statistics available says that prostate
cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in American men and breast cancer is the
most common form of cancer diagnosed in U.S. women. The leading cause of cancer
death for both men and women is lung cancer. more
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Americans slightly taller, much heavier than 40 years ago
Individuals with either calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate kidney stones should not take extra calcium on their own as suggested by previous research, but should check with their doctors to determine the dietary guidelines that work best for them, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found. more
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