Medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might increase the risk of a type of chronic diarrhea that can lead to severe intestinal problems and, in rare cases, death, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. These drugs—which include Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec—are used to treat heartburn and gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD).

A House bill introduced today aims to limit levels of arsenic and lead in fruit juices. When the bill was announced, the sponsors cited Consumer Reports’ investigation into the issue, which found high levels of arsenic and lead in the juices we tested.

Q. I just went on disability and am receiving COBRA through my former employer. But I’m about to move from Hawaii to Florida and will lose my COBRA. The only option I found is a United Health Group indemnity plan for just under $500 a month. It covers 50 percent to 70 percent of office and hospital visits, plus cash, including Rx, dental, and vision. What should I do?

The average person consumes about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, not including any salt added at the table, which is more than twice the recommended limit for about half of Americans, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seafood Solutions, a California corporation, was sentenced in federal court to pay $1 million in fines and community service payments for its role in the false labeling of frozen fish fillets, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

Like to snack at the movies? That tub of popcorn and large soda can amount to almost a full day’s calories, two days’ worth of fat and a cup of sugars.

As Congress debates whether to reauthorize a statute governing medical devices, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports is stepping up its campaign to strengthen the law.

This week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all boys 11 and 12 years old should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) and that boys ages 13 to 21 receive “catch up” vaccinations if they haven’t already been vaccinated. This follows an action last fall when an advisory committee with the CDC recommended that 11- and 12-year-old boys receive a routine vaccine.

You might think that doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff would be among the first to get vaccinated against the flu. But too many don’t, even though hospitals can be breeding grounds for the virus and patients there are especially vulnerable to it, according to a report released today by the nonprofit National Business Group on Health. To counter that problem, a coalition of groups led by the NBGH, including the American Hospital Association and supported by Consumers Union, have started an initiative to increase flu-vaccination rates among hospital staff.

I love spicy food. Whether it’s Carribbean, southwestern U.S. or southeastern Asian cuisine, turn up the heat and you get my attention. So when I see headlines connecting heat with weight loss, my curiosity gets piqued.

For National Children’s Dental Health Month, the American Dental Association is marking the 10th anniversary of its Give Kids A Smile program, which offers free dental care and education for children in need.

Pfizer has recalled 14 lots of its birth control pills Lo/Ovral-28, and 14 lots of the generic version Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol, because of a packaging error that could cause the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives to be incorrect, leaving women at risk for unintended pregnancy.

You now have access to more information about hospital safety, thanks to a step taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency released bloodstream-infection rates in intensive care units for 1,146 hospitals in Washington D.C. and all states except Wyoming. Nearly a third of the hospitals reported no infections during the reporting period. However, the release covers only the three-month period from January to March, 2011. More data, including from Wyoming, will be added later in the year.

The drug Erivedge has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with an advanced form of the most common type of skin cancer—Basal cell carcinoma.

Under a new settlement agreement in California, the maker of Brazilian Blowout products is required to warn consumers and hair stylists that two of its popular hair-straightening products emit formaldehyde gas.