Overuse of skin numbing creams can cause death: FDA
People who use large amounts of skin-numbing creams and lotions, often in conjunction with cosmetic procedures, are at risk of irregular heartbeats, seizures and even death, U.S. health officials warned on Tuesday.
The Food and Drug Administration, citing two deaths, said such topical anesthetics can be applied in amounts so large that a lethal dose of the chemicals can enter the bloodstream.
Weight loss surgery reduces heart disease risk
Substantial weight loss after gastric bypass surgery is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a report in the American Journal of Cardiology.
“Weight loss should stabilize the CHD process and reduce heart attacks and other events,” Dr. Peter A. McCullough told Reuters Health. “Obese patients with CHD—which is virtually all patients with this problem—should consider weight loss to reduce their chances of another CHD event.”
