Emerging research reveals that newer hip implants offer no significant benefits over older devices. As a matter-of-fact, studies are finding that older versions might be safer and more long lasting than some newer versions; this according to a study funded by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

This early research is among the first to look at different outcomes for various artificial hip devices constructed with different materials, said WebMD. Researchers reviewed data on total hip replacements from different studies and national registries and concluded that no advantages exist in the newer metal-on-metal or ceramic-on-ceramic devices, versus traditional metal-on-polyethylene or ceramic-on-polyethylene devices and that traditional devices work as well and, sometimes, even longer, as the newer generation, more expensive implants, noted WebMD. (more…)

A New Jersey Assembly committee just approved a fracking wastewater bill that involves a ban on the treatment, disposal, or storage of waste produced by hydraulic fracturing.

“By passing this bill out of committee today, you can send a strong message that the health and well being of New Jersey residents is more important than the interests of the petroleum industry,” said Jim Walsh, eastern regional director of Food and Water Watch, according to NJ.com. The bill passed the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee with a 4-to-1 vote and with one abstention. (more…)

JetBlue passengers have filed a class action lawsuit over an extensive tarmac delay this October in Connecticut. The national law firm, Parker Waichman Alonso LLP, just announced that it filed the lawsuit against JetBlue Airways Corporation on behalf of passengers stranded for seven hours on the tarmac at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 29, 2011.

As part of the “Airline Passengers Bill of Rights,” the Department of Transportation placed a limit on tarmac delays for domestic flights, said Syracuse.com, Airlines are subject to a $27,500 per-passenger fine for delays that are longer than three hours. (more…)

The illness toll continues to rise in a Salmonella outbreak linked to tainted chicken livers; 179 have reportedly fallen ill due to the Salmonella Heidelberg pathogen. The contaminated chicken livers were recalled in an action the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) deemed a Class I.

A Class I FSIS recall means that this is a health hazard situation in which there exists a reasonable probability that the use of the recalled product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. (more…)

Yaz documents indicate that Bayer might have pushed the Yasmin family of birth control pills for off-label uses. In doing so, drug giant Bayer AG, likely misled women about the drugs’ side effects and health risks.

Company files show that Bayer’s Berlex Laboratories Inc. unit officials touted Yaz to treat all types of premenstrual syndrome; however, the oral contraceptive was only approved in the U.S. for the treatment of PDD—premenstrual dysphoric disorder—a more serious condition than PMS, that causes anxiety, tension, and persistent anger, to name a few. (more…)

Arterial plaque is the newest in issues facing Ground Zero responders who appear to have high rates of atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries). It seems that World Trade Center first responders who experienced the high-level exposure to the toxic cloud that surrounded the New York terror attacks are exhibiting “high-risk” features consistent with atherosclerosis

The Insurance Journal explained that researchers utilized MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) testing to review cardiovascular risk in Ground Zero first responders. (more…)

A rising number of Pradaxa bleeding cases have prompted European regulators to warn that Pradaxa prescriptions should be written with caution. The new stroke prevention pill has been linked to 256 cases of deadly bleeding.

The maker of Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim recently confirmed that about 260
Pradaxa deaths, worldwide, were linked to the blood thinner. The current figure is about five times greater than what Boehringer Ingelheim initially reported this month when it said 50 fatal deaths from Pradaxa bleeding had been totaled.
Pradaxa safety concerns have been on the rise following the deaths, said Reuters. (more…)

Yale University researcher and cardiologist, Dr. Harlan Krumholz, has been tapped to review medical device giant, Medtronic’s, Infuse bone growth product controversy.

According to Forbes magazine, Dr. Krumholz is “the most powerful doctor you never heard of,” said The Star Tribune. Dr. Krumholz reviews how the ill are treated and analyzes results to suggest better, sometimes more efficacious and inexpensive, treatments, a method he calls “outcomes research.” (more…)

Following designation of its recall as a Class I by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CooperVision just expanded its contact lens recall. Class 1 recalls are the FDA’s most serious type and indicate that the agency has determined there is a reasonable probability the recalled product will cause serious injuries.

Now, some 5 million contact lenses, which were shipped to consumers, are being recalled by CooperVision Inc. and include a second Avaira brand, said MSNBC. The lenses may be contaminated with silicone oil residue that has been associated with blurred vision as well as serious as eye injuries and pain, MSNBC said. (more…)

The feds are investigating Chevy Volt fires that appear to be linked to lithium batteries. The Chevrolet Volt, an electric car, caught fire three weeks after it was involved in side-impact crash testing, said The New York Times.

Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which commissioned the Volt test, is asking auto makers which make or intend on making lithium-ion battery-operated vehicles about their vehicles’ batteries’ risks, including “special handling and discharging recommendations,” said the Times, “including any recommendations for mitigating fire risks in these vehicles,” according to the just-released NHTSA statement. LG Chem. Ltd., which is the largest chemical maker in South Korea, is the Volt battery supplier, said Businessweek. (more…)