FDA to establish national standard and timeline for food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives  read on >

A quick spray of medication might seem like an easy way to get thicker hair, but some folks say one sold online has left them battling sexual side effects, depression and even thoughts of suicide. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public about the risks. The FDA warning is about a topical spray version of finasteride, a drug often sold online by telehealth companies like Hims, Keeps and Ro, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the pill form of finasteride, known by the brand name Propecia, is FDA-approved to treat hair loss, the spray version is not. “FDA has become aware of reports of adverse events involving compounded topical finasteride products potentially putting consumers at risk,” the April 22 statement said. “Currently, there is no FDA-approved topical formulation of finasteride,” it continued. “Compounded topical finasteride products do not have FDA-approved labeling. There are potential serious risks associated with the use of compounded topical finasteride products.” The FDA warning follows a recent Wall Street Journal report describing men who said they experienced side effects after using finasteride prescriptions purchased from the telehealth companies Hims and Keeps. Reported side effects include “erectile dysfunction, anxiety, suicidal ideation, brain fog, depression, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido and testicular pain,” the FDA said. The FDA also warned that the spray could pose a risk to others,…  read on >  read on >

A quick spray of medication might seem like an easy way to get thicker hair, but some people say one sold online has left them battling sexual side effects, depression and even thoughts of suicide. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public about the risks. The FDA warning is about a topical spray version of finasteride, a drug often sold online by telehealth companies like Hims, Keeps and Ro, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the pill form of finasteride, known by the brand name Propecia, is FDA-approved to treat hair loss, the spray version is not. “FDA has become aware of reports of adverse events involving compounded topical finasteride products potentially putting consumers at risk,” the April 22 statement said. “Currently, there is no FDA-approved topical formulation of finasteride,” it continued. “Compounded topical finasteride products do not have FDA-approved labeling. There are potential serious risks associated with the use of compounded topical finasteride products.” The FDA warning follows a recent Wall Street Journal report describing men who said they experienced side effects after using finasteride prescriptions purchased from the telehealth companies Hims and Keeps. Reported side effects include “erectile dysfunction, anxiety, suicidal ideation, brain fog, depression, fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido and testicular pain,” the FDA said. The FDA also warned that the spray could pose a risk to others,…  read on >  read on >

Women suffering from urinary incontinence might have a greater risk of heart disease, a new study says. Women who struggle with bladder control are more likely to have risk factors associated with heart health problems, including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, researchers reported in the Journal of Preventive Medicine. They also are more likely to have suffered a stroke or needed heart bypass surgery, results show. “There is an association between incontinence and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk,” concluded the research team led by Lisa VanWiel, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. “Women should be screened for incontinence regularly as it may contribute to CVD risk, and women with CVD risk factors should be screened for undiagnosed incontinence,” researchers added. As many as 60% of women are affected by urinary incontinence, researchers said in background notes. For the study, researchers tracked medical records of more than 20,000 women treated by the Hartford Healthcare system in Connecticut between July 2022 and June 2024. Of those women, more than 5% reported urinary incontinence, researchers said. Those with urinary incontinence were: 25% more likely to have type 2 diabetes. 37% more likely to have high cholesterol. 55% more likely to have suffered a stroke. More than three times as likely to have needed coronary artery bypass surgery. Researchers speculate that incontinence might keep women from…  read on >  read on >

Women suffering from urinary incontinence might have a greater risk of heart disease, a new study says. Women who struggle with bladder control are more likely to have risk factors associated with heart health problems, including type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, researchers reported in the Journal of Preventive Medicine. They also are more likely to have suffered a stroke or needed heart bypass surgery, results show. “There is an association between incontinence and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk,” concluded the research team led by Lisa VanWiel, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. “Women should be screened for incontinence regularly as it may contribute to CVD risk, and women with CVD risk factors should be screened for undiagnosed incontinence,” researchers added. As many as 60% of women are affected by urinary incontinence, researchers said in background notes. For the study, researchers tracked medical records of more than 20,000 women treated by the Hartford Healthcare system in Connecticut between July 2022 and June 2024. Of those women, more than 5% reported urinary incontinence, researchers said. Those with urinary incontinence were: 25% more likely to have type 2 diabetes. 37% more likely to have high cholesterol. 55% more likely to have suffered a stroke. More than three times as likely to have needed coronary artery bypass surgery. Researchers speculate that incontinence might keep women from…  read on >  read on >

The Trump administration is expected to take new steps to remove artificial food dyes from the U.S. food supply, officials say. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary are expected to share more details on Tuesday, CNN reported. This follows a major move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January, under former President Joe Biden, to ban red dye No. 3 in food, drinks and some drugs. That action came more than 30 years after research linked the dye to cancer in animals. Now, federal officials appear ready to go even farther. Kennedy has been an outspoken critic of petroleum-based synthetic dyes, which are used to make foods and drinks look more appealing to consumers. In March, Kennedy supported a new West Virginia law banning some of these dyes. It made West Virginia the first state to take such broad action. Studies have linked some food dyes to behavior and learning issues in children, CNN reported. More than half of U.S. states, including both Republican- and Democrat-led ones, are pushing to restrict these ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). In a March email to CNN, the National Confectioners Association said while states have a role to play in the nation’s food system, “the FDA is the rightful national regulatory decision maker and…  read on >  read on >

The Trump administration is expected to take new steps to remove artificial food dyes from the U.S. food supply, officials say. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary are expected to share more details on Tuesday, CNN reported. This follows a major move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January, under former President Joe Biden, to ban red dye No. 3 in food, drinks and some drugs. That action came more than 30 years after research linked the dye to cancer in animals. Now, federal officials appear ready to go even farther. Kennedy has been an outspoken critic of petroleum-based synthetic dyes, which are used to make foods and drinks look more appealing to consumers. In March, Kennedy supported a new West Virginia law banning some of these dyes. It made West Virginia the first state to take such broad action. Studies have linked some food dyes to behavior and learning issues in children, CNN reported. More than half of U.S. states, including both Republican- and Democrat-led ones, are pushing to restrict these ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). In a March email to CNN, the National Confectioners Association said while states have a role to play in the nation’s food system, “the FDA is the rightful national regulatory decision maker and…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon hand off routine food safety inspections to state and local officials, multiple federal health officials told CBS News. These changes are not final and could require approval and funding from Congress. Some FDA employees have been discussing a handoff for years. The goal is to free up federal staff for higher priotiry or foreign inspections. “The claim that the FDA is suspending routine food safety inspections is false,” an FDA spokesperson said. “FDA is actively working to ensure continuity of operations during the reorganization period and remains committed to ensuring critical programs and inspections continue.” The FDA already contracts with 43 states and Puerto Rico to do some routine inspections.  States have handled about one-third of routine inspections in recent years, according to a Government Accountability Office report. “There’s so much work to go around. And us duplicating their work just doesn’t make sense,” a former FDA official who worked on the plans before leaving the agency and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CBS News. The FDA oversees safety of foods like packaged goods, seafood, eggs and produce. Some meat products are handled by a separate agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the tentative plan, some inspections considered higher risk would still be done by the FDA. For example, the agency…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon hand off routine food safety inspections to state and local officials, multiple federal health officials told CBS News. These changes are not final and could require approval and funding from Congress. Some FDA employees have been discussing a handoff for years. The goal is to free up federal staff for higher priotiry or foreign inspections. “The claim that the FDA is suspending routine food safety inspections is false,” an FDA spokesperson said. “FDA is actively working to ensure continuity of operations during the reorganization period and remains committed to ensuring critical programs and inspections continue.” The FDA already contracts with 43 states and Puerto Rico to do some routine inspections.  States have handled about one-third of routine inspections in recent years, according to a Government Accountability Office report. “There’s so much work to go around. And us duplicating their work just doesn’t make sense,” a former FDA official who worked on the plans before leaving the agency and spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CBS News. The FDA oversees safety of foods like packaged goods, seafood, eggs and produce. Some meat products are handled by a separate agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the tentative plan, some inspections considered higher risk would still be done by the FDA. For example, the agency…  read on >  read on >

Complications during pregnancy can mean a woman’s future heart health is at risk, particularly if she is overweight or obese, a new study says. Women who are carrying excess weight prior to pregnancy are more likely to develop complications like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure while expecting, researchers said. These complications act as a natural “stress test” that provides a glimpse into a woman’s future health and risks for chronic illness, researchers said. The results “suggest that prioritizing weight management among those considering pregnancy may promote both maternal and future cardiovascular health,” lead investigator Jaclyn Borrowman, a postdoctoral research fellow at Northwestern University, said in a news release. For the study, researchers tracked nearly 4,300 women across nine countries, following them for 10 to 14 years after their pregnancy. About 67% of the women had a normal body mass index (BMI), 22% were overweight and 11% were obese, researchers said. BMI, which stands for body mass index, is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. Results showed that women who developed gestational diabetes were more likely later in life to suffer from higher blood glucose levels and other warning signs of type 2 diabetes. Likewise, those who developed high blood pressure during pregnancy were more likely to have high blood pressure in later life. However, Borrowman noted that these pregnancy complications…  read on >  read on >