FDA warning on commonly used drugs like Cipro and Levaquin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising that the serious side effects associated with fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs generally outweigh the benefits for patients with sinusitis, bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections. These drugs are commonly used in the treatment of bowel infections as well, for example infectious diarrhea or diverticulitis, although the warning does

New Microbiome Center to merge expertise of UChicago, MBL and Argonne

New Microbiome Center to merge expertise of University of Chicago, Marine Biological Lab and Argonne National Laboratory. The University of Chicago, MBL and Argonne already have conducted some of the most influential research aimed at understanding and characterizing microorganisms.Argonne Director Peter B. Littlewood The University of Chicago, the Marine Biological Laboratory and the U.S. Department

The growing pains of the health care act are frustrating patients.

“Sorry, We Don’tTake Obamacare” The growing pains of the health care act are frustrating patients. Research thus far suggests that the differences between plans offered through the ACA and those offered by employers may be quite significant. A study in the policy journal Health Affairs found that out-of-pocket prescription costs were twice as high in

Is It Time to Retire The “Premed” Approach?

During my junior year of college, I waited in line with classmates to use a chemistry lab scale. We held fragile containers with an unknown white powder and had to identify the mystery powder using techniques like chromatography, distillation, and recrystallization. It was the most important lab of the year in organic chemistry. Suddenly the girl next

Study lends a proposed pathway to the previously reported association between PPI use and heart disease

The previously reported association between PPI use and heart disease was just that…an association, not a cause and effect. Associations are the weakest form of science. However, researchers have found that long-term exposure to proton pump inhibitors led to faster aging of endothelial cells that line blood vessels by impairing the ability of the cells