Health

Study Finds - Telling a patient, “It’s part of getting older,” or “It’s because you’re getting older,” is often perceived as an insult — even when the doctor knows it’s simply the truth. It’s probable that the patient knows there is truth in that statement as well, but no one wants to hear it and own it. The doctor can show a patient the report on an x-ray that clearly documents the changes of arthritis. It might even say, “Consistent with patient’s age.” Still, the patient may reject the explanation that it should be attributed to “older” age.

CNN -  The FDA announced Tuesday that it will examine the potential harm caused by heavy metals in hygiene products. The FDA's action comes after a small pilot study published in July found arsenic and lead in organic and nonorganic tampons. Although the levels of both metals were low, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the EPA. Organic tampons contained higher levels of arsenic, while nonorganic tampons had higher levels of lead, the study found. Vaginal tissue is more permeable than other parts of the body, so if more extensive studies were to find that heavy metals — or worrisome chemicals — do leach from menstrual products into the body, it could be a significant problem, health experts said.