Welcome to Consumer Reports Health News for health and medical journalists. Consumer Reports and ConsumerReportsHealth.org cover issues pertaining to the efficacy and safety of prescription and non-prescription drugs (including natural medicines), mental health, diet and nutrition, food safety, and fitness.  CR tests health and fitness products, rates the effectiveness and affordability of prescription drugs, and evaluates the claims made by drug companies and the health care industry—all without commercial agendas or advertiser influence

Special Report: The Harm in Homeopathy

The days are getting longer and warmer, but the flu season is still thriving and making plenty of adults and children miserable.  If you’re thinking of trying a homeopathic remedy to treat the flu or any other illness, Consumer Reports recommends sticking with conventional medicines.

Homeopathy is a centuries-old form of medicine that takes a substance that might otherwise cause symptoms or harm and dilutes it until the substance becomes virtually undetectable. 

The “active” ingredient in the flu remedy Oscillococcinum is wild duck heart and liver, apparently because those organs are purported to contain tiny amounts of the flu virus.   Because of the extreme amount of dilution, it’s easy to assume that taking a homeopathic remedy can’t hurt you.  But CR points out that the use of homeopathic remedies is tantamount to no remedy at all, which can lead to problems if symptoms worsen and patients get sicker instead of getting better.

So why do consumers continue to buy homeopathic remedies? Part of the confusion lies in the way drugstore shelves are organized—with homeopathic remedies sold right next to traditional medicines. And why is this over-the-counter confusion cause for concern?  If a consumer purchases a homeopathic remedy, they’re not getting an FDA-reviewed drug, states CR.  That’s because the FDA is officially required to regulate homeopathic remedies, but in practice the FDA doesn’t review those products for a variety of reasons, including the assumption that the products are so diluted that they can’t pose any risks.  For the full report, log on to CR's Health blog at https://blogs.consumerreports.org/health.

Five Signs You're Having a Heart Attack

Less than one-third of adults recognize the five warning signs of a heart attack, notes Dr. Orly Avitzur, medical adviser for Consumer Reports in a recent blog posting at https://blogs.consumerreports.org/health.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many people who suspect a heart attack would delay calling 911.  Here are the five warning signs to look out for:

1. Pain and discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
2. Feeling weak, lightheaded or faint
3. Chest pain or discomfort
4. Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulder
5. Shortness of breath

Defensive Eating in the Fast Food Jungle

The April issue of Consumer Reports on Health provides survival strategies for consuming fast food. CR notes that a single fast food meal can easily pack more calories, fat, and sodium than most people should get in a day.  So how do you avoid a heart attack to go? CR provides ordering strategies for all the major food categories, such as:

• Avoid combination meals, which tend to have larger sizes and more calories.
• Select meats that are grilled or roasted, not fried.
• Don’t be hesitant to ask about ingredients or make special requests.
• Share appetizers with your dining partners, or turn a side dish into an entrée.
• Stick with a chain’s “original” or “traditional” burgers or sandwiches; they are usually smaller and less caloric. 

Log on to www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org for CR's fast food survival guide with tips for every food category plus a listing of good food choices at fast food chains.

Kidney Disease: A Silent Killer on the Rise

It’s dubbed a silent killer because it damages the organs so slowly that symptoms can take years to emerge.  Kidney disease is now more common than diabetes in part because of the increasing number of people who take multiple medications which travel through the kidney as they leave the body, taxing the organ.  Another factor is the growing, and related, epidemic of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which further strain the kidneys.  People over age 60 are especially vulnerable because they tend to take more drugs and because kidney function normally declines somewhat with age.  There are several steps people can take to ward off or rein in kidney damage, outlined in the April issue of Consumer Reports on Health and online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Tracking Down Migraine Triggers

Consumer Reports medical adviser, Dr. Orly Avitzur, a practicing neurologist, sees plenty of patients with migraines on a daily basis.  The challenge of treating migraines―which affect 18 percent of women and 6 percent of men in the U.S.―is that the treatment often diminishes a patient’s ability to function or work afterward. Adding to lost productivity is the fact that the overall cost burden of migraines to society exceeds that of other chronic conditions including asthma, depression, diabetes, and heart disease.  In her “Office Visit” column in the April issue of Consumer Reports on Health, Dr. Avitzur suggests steps people can take to thwart headaches before medicine becomes necessary.  The list of common culprits starts with beer, red wine, chocolate, and cheeses, and also includes hunger and odors, such as perfume. For the full report, and advice about how to identify migraine triggers, log on to CR's Health blog at https://blogs.consumerreports.org/health.