Antibiotics Linked to Increased Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Razi Berry A new study has provided evidence that antibiotic usage is associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers analyzed antibiotic use data and found the following on developing rheumatoid arthritis Researchers from Keele University and the Quadram Institute analyzed data from primary care medical records. They found that the odds of […]
Dentists Still Overprescribing Antibiotics, and in Unnecessary Situations
Razi Berry A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in JAMA Network Open has found that 81% of antibiotics prescribed by dentists – who are among the top prescribers in the U.S., accounting for about 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions – to prevent infections prior to dental […]
Syphilis Invades Rural America, and a Fraying Health Safety Net is Failing to Stop it
Razi Berry When Karolyn Schrage first heard about the “dominoes gang” in the health clinic she runs in Joplin, Mo., she assumed it had to do with pizza. Turns out it was a group of men in their 60s and 70s who held a standing game night — which included sex with one another. They […]
40% of Antibiotic Prescriptions May be Inappropriately Prescribed
Razi Berry Outpatient healthcare providers inappropriately prescribed antibiotics to 40 percent of patients in a major Veterans Affairs healthcare system, a higher figure than in previous studies examining outpatient antibiotic use, according to a new study appearing in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control […]
The Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin (“Cipro”) Damages Connective Tissue
Razi Berry There has been a recent recirculation of information warning against the use of ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone class. The warnings are specific to the association these drugs have with disrupting the healthy function of connective tissue, potentially causing tendon rupture and retinal detachment. Inflammation of tendons (tendonitis) is also a […]