“This Week In Health” offers some highlights from the world of health news and wellness tips that you may have missed this week:
- Scientists are warning that an everyday habit of popping nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has been linked to a higher risk of heart failure. The FDA is moving forward with plans to include additional language on the labels of these largely over-the-counter medications to alert users to the increased risk. (Prescription NSAIDs have come with warnings since 2005.)
- It’s just a bad week for NSAIDs. Additional research indicates that mixing the OTC painkillers with antidepressants correlates to a higher risk of intercranial bleeding. (Insert usual caveats about how “additional research is needed” and that whole correlation/causation thing — but this is bleeding under the skull we’re talking about here.)
- So far this year, West Nile Virus has been detected in North Dakota, Illinois, and at least 20 other states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 5 of those infected will have fevers, body pain, headaches, rashes, vomiting, and diarrhea. There’s no way to treat the mosquito-carried virus, so the CDC recommends wearing long sleeves and using bug repellant. Or you can just stay indoors all summer.
- Well, if you happen to be a person who eats food, watch out. In a few short days, salmonella infections were reported in Minnesota, Idaho and Wisconsin, leading to over 1.7 million pounds of chicken being recalled — which should be a huge comfort to those who were infected from eating tuna.
Photo: Ryan Seyeau via Flickr
