Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Labels on Yohimbe Products Inaccurate: Study
Label information on most yohimbe herbal supplement products is inaccurate, a new study finds.
The products are marketed for weight loss and as treatments for conditions such as depression, erectile dysfunction, and low libido in women. They are widely available in the United States but banned in Canada, Australia, Great Britain and the Netherlands, The New York Times reported.
The active ingredient in the products is yohimbine, which is derived from the bark of the African yohimbe tree.
Researchers analyzed 49 brands of yohimbe supplements and found that only 11 listed the quantity of yohimbine they actually contained. In other brands, the actual amounts ranged from 23 percent to 147 percent of what was on the label, The Times reported.
The study in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis also found that only two provided accurate information about both the quantity of yohimbine and side effects, while nine provided no details about side effects.
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Fed Chief Yellen Checked by Medical Staff After Faltering During Speech
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was checked by medical staff after she gave a speech Thursday at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
A Fed statement said Yellen “felt dehydrated at the end of a long speech under bright lights” and “as a precaution, she was seen by EMT staff on-site at UMASS-Amherst,” the Associated Press reported.
The statement said Yellen, 69, “felt fine afterward and has continued with her schedule Thursday evening.”
Toward the end of her 23-page speech, Yellen paused and appeared to lose her place in the text. She then resumed speaking and was later helped from the stage, the AP reported.
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FDA Panel Reviews Essure Birth Control Implant
Concerns about the birth control implant Essure were reviewed Thursday by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of medical experts.
Problems experienced by women using the implant include bleeding, allergic reactions, chronic pain and headaches. At Thursday’s meeting, the panel re-examined the safety and effectiveness of the device, the Associated Press reported.
Essure consists of two metallic coils that are inserted into the fallopian tubes, where they prompt the growth of scar tissue that blocks sperm. It is marketed as the only permanent form of birth control that does not require surgery.
The implant has been available in the United States for 13 years, but since 2013 the FDA has received a large number of complaints about the device, the AP reported.
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