Skin care products recalled for elevated benzene
Several acne treatment products have been recalled after lab testing revealed elevated levels of benzene, a chemical linked to cancer. Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser, Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Acne Control are among the affected products to be pulled from store shelves, according to CNN Health. Health officials noted that benzene exposure raises cancer risk only slightly after several decades, and that consumer risk from short-term exposure in the affected products was very low.
Congress introduces
bipartisan bill to expand fentanyl testing
Democratic senator Alex Padilla of California and Republican senator Jim Banks of Indiana have partnered to reintroduce "Tyler's Law," a bill that would facilitate fentanyl testing in as part of routine screening in emergency departments. According to NBC News, the bill is named for Tyler Shamash, who died from a fentanyl overdose after testing negative for opioids. A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is not detectable through the standard five-panel tox screen used in most emergency rooms. A bipartisan group of lawmakers have also reintroduced a corresponding bill in the House of Representatives.
Study: Pain relief medications may lower dementia risk
People who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or aspirin might be less likely to develop dementia, according to a new study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society. Researchers found that adults who regularly took NSAIDs for at least two years were 12 percent less likely to develop dementia. A growing body of research has linked chronic inflammation, particularly in the brain, with dementia.
