FDA Consumer Magazine -- March 1994
Table of Contents

Mammography Facilities Must Meet Quality Standards
FDA has published interim final regulations to help make sure that all mammography in this country is safe and reliable. The new rules implement the 1992 Mammography Quality Standards Act.

Kids' Vaccinations Get a Little Easier
Combination vaccines are making it simpler for babies to be fully immunized against nine serious diseases. Yet, on the average, from 37 to 56 percent of U.S. children are not fully immunized by age 2, and in a few localities, the figure may be as high as 90 percent.

FDA Goes Fishing For Toxic Waste
In the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the New England coast, FDA, along with agents from other federal and state agencies, sampled fish from an area that served as a dumping ground for toxic and radioactive materials from 1953 to 1976.

Lowering Cholesterol
Though a number of drugs are available to treat elevated blood cholesterol, the first line of defense is lifestyle, including diet modification, increased exercise, and smoking cessation.

Unproven Medical Treatments Lure Elderly
Sixty percent of those who try untested medical treatments are over age 65, according to one report. Not only can these treatments be a waste of money but, according to FDA, they can also be dangerous.

(Hypertext updated by clb March 17, 1998)