Medications

Demand for potassium iodide pills has surged since Russia attacked Ukraine and threats of nuclear war loom. But why these pills, and what do they have to do with nuclear radiation?

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

It all comes down to the type of medicine, how much is required, and how quickly it needs to be absorbed.

By Jesslyn Shields

It's touted as targeting cell-damaging plaque in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, but at $56,000 a year, is Aduhelm a miracle drug or a very expensive experiment?

By Jesslyn Shields

As both human and animal bodies age, the cushioning connective tissue known as cartilage begins to wear down. That's where glucosamine comes in.

By Wendy Bowman

U.S. President Donald Trump has been touting the malaria drug chloroquine as a possible miracle drug for coronavirus. Should we all be taking chloroquine?

By Patty Rasmussen

If you've got a pain in your head or body, you'll probably reach for whatever's in your medicine cabinet. But is it really the right treatment? One size doesn't fit all – we explain the differences in pain relievers.

By Alia Hoyt

When you feel like you're between a rock and a hard place, a stool softener could get you out of a jam.

By Loraine Fick

We're all familiar with the lists of active ingredients on the products we use, but what are inactive ingredients and how can they affect you?

By Alia Hoyt

New research from the American of Pediatrics suggests an alarming number of parents are sharing antibiotics that were originally prescribed for their children — and this is bad news for all of us.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Conventional wisdom has long dictated that older people should take a small dose of aspirin each day for their cardiovascular health. A huge new drug trial disagrees.

By Jesslyn Shields

Chemotherapy was an accidental discovery from World War II. But is it any different in the 21st century?

By Alia Hoyt

Have a medicine cabinet full of expired prescriptions? This weekend is the time to get rid of them.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Not all drugs are created equal. And not all drugs are prescribed for the particular conditions they're technically approved to treat, either. That's when they fall into the off-label category, and they're more common than you think.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Hearing loss due to loud noise or certain medicines is irreversible, but soon we might be able to prevent hearing loss before it begins.

By Jesslyn Shields

Two new studies show that regular use of ibuprofen might lower men's fertility, and even that of a woman's unborn daughter.

By Jesslyn Shields

The FDA has approved the first drug for use in the U.S. that includes a digital ingestion tracking system.

By Patrick J. Kiger

A single vial of snakebite antivenom can run thousands of dollars. Why? It actually has little to do with the production process.

By Jesslyn Shields

A new study found gifts from pharmaceutical reps could be influencing the prescribing behavior of doctors.

By Alia Hoyt

In a highly unusual move, Mylan is knocking off its own EpiPen with a cheaper, generic version of the device. It's not the first time a company has done this.

By Dave Roos

The current U.S. recommendation is to get a tetanus shot every 10 years. Will this new study change CDC guidelines?

By Alia Hoyt

It used to an apple that kept doctors away, but researchers have found a Streptococcus strain we could recruit to fight for us against its cavity-causing cousin.

By Laurie L. Dove

Bee stings hurt, so it seems like an odd proposition to get them on purpose. Believe it or not, the venom that makes that sting may also benefit humans in therapy.

By Maria Trimarchi

Sometimes it's a lot easier to just take that expired cold medicine than run out to the drugstore when you're feeling sick. But are those expired meds even working? Or, worse, are they causing you harm?

By Jennifer Sellers

There's an assortment of medications on the market to treat depression. But many of them are also effective for managing other health issues.

By Maria Trimarchi

Doomsday preppers recommend stocking up for the collapse of civilization -- and that includes antibiotics. But if you're getting them without a prescription, you're getting the veterinary kind.

By Patrick J. Kiger