In Venezuela, lining up for removal of implants. The office of plastic surgeon Ignacio Sousa is so packed that women are lined up outside the door. College students in their 20s, homemakers in their 40s, middle-class office workers: Nearly all are fearful that their breast implants may be leaking. Associated Press 2012-02-06T09:00-05:00
Breast-implant risk is still an open question. Hundreds of thousands of women who received faulty breast implants made by a French firm are being barraged by confusing and conflicting numbers on the risk of the devices rupturing. Wall Street Journal 2012-02-05T09:00-05:00
Mercury found in 20 facial creams sold in NCR. Mercury has been found in at least 20 imported facial cream products being sold in parts of Metro Manila, an ecological group said Saturday. EcoWaste Coalition, a toxics watchdog, said 10 of the 20 are already on the Food and Drug Administration's black list. GMA News 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Obesogens: An environmental link to obesity. Many remain wedded to poor diet and lack of exercise as the sole causes of obesity. However, researchers are gathering convincing evidence of chemical “obesogens”—dietary, pharmaceutical, and industrial compounds that may alter metabolic processes and predispose some people to gain weight. Environmental Health Perspectives 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00
"Skin deep" in more ways than one. Very little if any media attention or research has looked at the possible connections between African American beauty salons, the personal care products utilized primarily by Black women and adverse health outcomes, specifically in the area of reproductive health. But that has begun to change. San Francisco Bay View 2012-02-01T09:00-05:00
State fines maker of 'Brazilian Blowout' product. California ordered a hair products company Monday to pay $600,000 in penalties for selling a popular concoction that releases toxic formaldehyde gas while smoothing out those pesky curls. San Francisco Chronicle 2012-01-31T09:00-05:00
N.Y. school to review environmental tests in medical mystery. A school system in upstate New York, where more than a dozen female high school students are suffering from uncontrolled verbal outbursts and twitching, said it has hired a company to review environmental testing within the school and community. CNN 2012-01-29T09:00-05:00
Young mothers left with lives of fear and pain. Two mothers are among hundreds taking legal action after receiving hip implants, which are at the centre of a major health alert. They are among more than 200 patients who received the DePuy replacements who have been taken on by Pryers Solicitors in York. The Telegraph 2012-01-29T09:00-05:00
Health warning over hip implants. Tens of thousands of patients who received hip replacements are at the centre of a major health alert over concerns that the metal-on-metal implants containing cobalt and chromium are poisoning their bodies. The Telegraph 2012-01-29T09:00-05:00
Breast implant ruptures to soar. Three times as many Australian women have had PIP breast implants rupture than first thought, the medicines watchdog has said, warning that the number of those affected by the faulty device will rise. Sydney Morning Herald 2012-01-29T09:00-05:00
California investigates skin-lighteners for dangerous mercury. There could be a dark side to skin-lightening creams often found in stores that cater to ethnic communities. Starting next week, California health officials will collect and test a sampling of skin-lightening products in the Bay Area for possible mercury contamination. New America Media 2012-01-28T09:00-05:00
Faulty breast implants a nightmare for British woman. When Kate Ward decided to get breast implants, she spent more than two years researching clinics. Seven years after her implant surgery, Ward is ensnared in one of the world’s biggest health scandals. Her implants leaked and now she’s worried about the consequences. Toronto Star 2012-01-27T09:00-05:00
French implant boss released, faces bodily harm charge. Jean-Claude Mas, the Frenchman who sparked a global health scare by selling substandard breast implants, was released from police custody on Friday and faces a charge of causing bodily harm, his lawyer said. Reuters 2012-01-27T09:00-05:00
Ex-head of breast implant firm charged. French authorities have filed preliminary charges against the former head of a now-defunct company accused of supplying potentially faulty breast implants affecting thousands of women. Associated Press 2012-01-27T09:00-05:00
Former top executive of suspect breast-implant company arrested. Jean-Claude Mas, who founded and ran the now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, was detained Thursday as part of a judicial investigation into manslaughter and involuntary injuries, an official close to the investigation said. Associated Press 2012-01-26T09:00-05:00
French police arrest PIP implant boss. Jean-Claude Mas, whose breast implant firm Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) has sparked an international health scandal by using substandard silicone, was arrested on Thursday and could be charged with manslaughter, a French police source told Reuters. Reuters 2012-01-26T09:00-05:00
Thousands of women could be at risk from DES, the 'silent Thalidomide.' Tens of thousands of British families are to be asked if they are victims of diethylstilbestrol, a drug given to pregnant women which can cause fatal illness in the second, and possibly even third, generations. Some women given the drug in this country have already obtained compensation in America. London Independent 2012-01-22T09:00-05:00
US indoor tanning tax having mixed effects. Although a 2010 federal excise tax was meant to deter customers from using indoor tanning salons, only a minority of the businesses taking part in a new survey reported a drop in clients, and most said their customers did not seem to care. Reuters 2012-01-20T09:00-05:00
The indoor pollution threat you may not have known existed. “Good Morning America” set out to investigate exactly what kind of threat indoor air pollution posed to the average person by setting up a child’s nursery with a new crib, changing table, rocker and decorations. Seven days of testing later, the results were in. The air in our new nursery contained 300 different chemicals — compared to just two right outside the same house. ABC Good Morning America 2012-01-19T09:00-05:00
Implant boss says France criminal in recommending removal. The founder of a French company at the heart of an international health scandal acknowledged on Wednesday that he had used unapproved silicone in breast implants, but said France's recommendation for women to have them removed was "criminal." Reuters 2012-01-18T09:00-05:00
US obesity rates have leveled off — but why? Americans may be as heavy as they’re going to get — at least for now, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult waistlines haven’t expanded since 2003, according to the study. Wall Street Journal 2012-01-18T09:00-05:00