Radiation Detection: Parents in Tokyo are being warned not to give their infants tap water following the discovery of elevated levels of radioactive iodine in the water, the WSJ reports. The levels are still considered safe for adults. The same warning applies in areas closer to the nuclear power plant, the WSJ reports separately. Meantime, the FDA has banned imports of milk, milk products and fresh fruits and vegetables from the area around the plant, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Sniff Test: The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the maker of the Zicam cold remedy products was liable for securities fraud when it didn’t disclose reports in 2004 that the product might harm users’ sense of smell — even though those reports didn’t amount to a statistically significant trend, the New York Times reports. The court ruled unanimously that the information Matrixx Initiatives failed to disclose would be considered material by reasonable people, the paper says.
Delayed Decision: The FDA told Novartis the agency needs an extra three months to weigh approval of the Swiss drug maker’s indacaterol, a therapy for chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Earlier this month an FDA advisory panel backed the approval of a 75-microgram dose of indacaterol, but not the higher dose used in Europe. An FDA decision is now expected in July.
Sex, Exercise and Heart Attacks: A review of previous research finds that an exercise habit mitigates the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac death following sex or physical activity, the Associated Press reports. A single instance of exercise or sex temporarily boosts the chances of a heart attack by a factor of three, but that risk is reduced for people who exercise regularly, the review found.
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