|
|
|
FDA Home | Search
FDA Site | FDA A-Z Index | Contact
FDA
FDA Consumer
magazine
July-August 2003 Issue
Topics in This Issue:
When you have questions about health topics, you may seek answers online or in a library. But sometimes a human voice is just what you need. For those times, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has a Web site with lists of toll-free hot lines that will put you in touch with someone who can talk about any of more than 200 disorders and other health subjects. Need information about Parkinson's disease, hepatitis, diabetes, or hearing aids? There's a hot line for it. How about some answers to questions about Medicare, family problems, environmental health, or even fire prevention? Just pick up the phone.
The site also links to hot lines for information on aging, substance abuse, maternal and child health, disabilities, AIDS, and cancer. Hot line sources range from federal, state and local agencies to professional societies, support groups and voluntary organizations. Many of the hot lines also are available in Spanish.
The FDA's bioterrorism Web site is now called "counterterrorism" to reflect its recently broadened range of information sources on other aspects of terrorism. Originally launched in 2001 as a response to the anthrax attacks of that year, the site initially focused on bioweapons. Now it offers information on nuclear terrorism, including two fact sheets explaining the use of potassium iodide and Prussian blue, products that can be used in response to radiation contamination. The site also contains a summary of the FDA's role in various counterterrorism programs, such as cosmetics, veterinary products, and toxicological research.
The site also functions as a gateway to counterterrorism information from other government sources, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Federal Trade Commission. For example, one link takes you to tips on how to avoid online marketers of bogus counterterrorism products. Another gets you to advice on what to do if you find a suspicious piece of mail.
The FDA manages another Web site that explains the many counterterrorism actions the agency is taking under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
The statistics are sobering: One out of every 2 men and 1 out of every 3 women will develop heart disease during their lifetimes, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Whether you are young, middle-aged, or an older adult, you can reduce your risk of having a heart attack by keeping your cholesterol at recommended levels.
On a site called Live Healthier, Live Longer, the NHLBI advises that "Cholesterol Counts for Everyone" and explains the latest federal guidelines for cholesterol levels, which were finalized in 2002. Along the way, the site tells all about coronary heart disease and its connection to cholesterol levels.
Teen-agers, who spend billions of dollars in the marketplace, should strive to be savvy consumers. But to do so, they need to learn to properly evaluate goods and services when their moms and dads aren't there to help.
So how can teens acquire this edge that will help set them up in the "real world"? A group of high school students from Washington state has created a Web site that can help. It's called Teen Consumer Scrapbook, and it has many helpful tips on personal health, cars, buying things, finances, and dozens of other subjects.
In the finances section, for example, teens can learn about scholarship scams, budgets, investing, credit cards, and paying for college. On the site's health and safety page, teens can get information on fast food, smoking, tanning, piercing, eating disorders, and tattoos.
FDA.gov is written by John Henkel, a member of the FDA's Website Management Staff.