HEALTH

PITMAN, N.J. — According to an article in the November/December issue of the journal Medical-Surgical Nursing, rates of HIV/AIDS, herpes, syphilis, human papilloma virus and other STDs are climbing steadily across men and women older than 50 years. 

NEW YORK — The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program on Wednesday recommended that Emergent Health modify or discontinue certain Internet advertising claims for the company’s “JDI MultiVitamin,” promoted by the advertiser as designed to “increase adult stem cells.” The marketer voluntarily modified several claims at issue in ERSP’s inquiry.

DUBAI — A study conducted by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca found that adding an investigational compound to an existing Type 2 diabetes treatment may help reduce blood-glucose levels among patients.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Diabetes Association on Thursday announced that Walgreens will become a national strategic partner, and that the national drug store chain again is working with the association as one of its partner charities within "Walgreens Way to Well Commitment" — a four-year, $100 million health-and-wellness initiative.

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Kaz on Thursday introduced its new Vicks behind ear thermometer (V980), which takes the guesswork out of measuring for fever. Using patented technology, the Vicks behind ear thermometer features rapid one-second readings, and is one of the first thermometers designed to measure temperature from behind the ear — a gentler, noninvasive approach to detecting fever than rectal, under-the-tongue and forehead measurements.

WASHINGTON — Approximately 5.3% of high school seniors abused over-the-counter cough-cold medicines in the past month, according to the latest "Monitoring the Future" survey released Wednesday by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. That's down from 6.6% of high school seniors who claimed to have recently abused cough-cold medicines last year.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Cambridge Consultants on Thursday released a report outlining how the health-and-wellness market may take shape as more consumer-friendly medical devices featuring the latest in technology reach the market.

“Disruption in this market will come from medical firms moving from 10-year product lifecycles and confronting the 18-month lifecycles of the consumer world, and from consumer companies adapting to the rigorous processes demanded by medical regulations,” stated Duncan Smith, head of product development at Cambridge Consultants.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Thursday identified Tammy Walsh as the newest mom to join its Five Moms campaign to raise awareness of teen cough medicine abuse among parents. Walsh is a mother of two teenage boys and a high school math teacher from Northport, N.Y.

According to the 2011 Monitoring the Future report released Wednesday, nearly 5% of teens have abused OTC cough medicines to get high over the past year. While overall abuse has leveled off for eighth and 10th graders, it has declined among 12th graders.