FDA Consumer Magazine -- December 1988/January 1989
Table of Contents

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A Doctor's Advice on Self-Care
Americans spent aroudn $9 billion last year for nonprescription medicines to treat everything from head colds to hemorrhoids. FDA Commissioner Frank Young offers some advice on how to get the most from those medications.

Hair Apparent? For Some, a New Solution to Baldness
For an estimated 50 million to 55 million balding Americans, a new drug named Rogaine holds the promise of restoring lost locks. But don't throw away your "Bald Is Beautiful" buttons yet; many of those who try the drug may be disappointed.

Dental Implants: The Latest in False Teeth
For those who've lost their natural teeth, dentures are a less than perfect replacement. Now come dental implants - "screw-in" false teeth installed in the jaw to stay. But those chewing on the idea should consider the drawbacks, too.

Early Detection the Key to Success Against Testicular Cancer
Cancer of the testicles is the number one cancer killer among men in their 20s and 30s. But today early detection and new therapies enable 90 percent of those afflicted to be cured. This means regular self-examination can be a lifesaver.

Today's New Breed of Antibiotics
Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine, but they've also been plagued by problems, sometimes making diseases harder instead of easier to treat. Now, a new generation of these wonder drugs promises to ease much of this frustration.

The Metal in Our Mettle
Our bodies carry around a lot of metals, from aluminum to zinc. In trace amounts, some are essential to our health. But our industrial society makes it too easy to get too much of these elements, causing a host of maladies.

The Making of a Milestone in Consumer Protection
FDA Consumer concludes its three-part series on the passage 50 years ago of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In part three, it takes a medical tragedy to break through the opposition and gain passage of the new law.

(Hypertext updated by clb March 16, 1998)