Health Highlights: June 10, 2016

Hockey Legend Gordie Howe Dies at Age 88CDC Warns About Lethal Racing Fuel/Soft Drink MixtureFDA Takes Action Against Illegal Online Drug Sellers

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Hockey Legend Gordie Howe Dies at Age 88

Gordie Howe, deemed one of the greatest hockey players of all time, has died at age 88.

The death of the man who was known as "Mr. Hockey" and played professionally into his 50s was confirmed Friday by son Murray Howe.

"Mr Hockey left peacefully, beautifully, and w no regrets," he texted to the Associated Press.

Howe, who played with a combination of talent and toughness that helped the Detroit Red Wings win four Stanley Cups, suffered a stroke in late 2014 and another stroke a short time later. He also struggled with chronic back pain, high blood pressure and dementia, the AP reported.

The Hockey Hall of Famer set NHL records with 801 goals and 1,850 points, which were finally broken by Wayne Gretzky. Along with the four Stanley Cups, Howe won a large number of individual trophies.

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CDC Warns About Lethal Racing Fuel/Soft Drink Mixture

Some teens are putting their lives at risk by drinking a mixture of racing fuel and soft drinks to get drunk, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns.

A new CDC report describes the deaths of two 16-year-old boys in Tennessee who died after drinking the mixture at a party, and two other teens who also drank the concoction but survived, CBS News reported.

They drank racing fuel mixed with Mountain Dew to make what is called Dewshine, according to the Tennessee Poison Center, which first investigated the deaths in January.

Racing fuel is nearly 100 percent methanol, and as little as 1 tablespoon of methanol can be deadly, CBS News reported.

These are the first reported deaths in the U.S. caused by a racing fuel/soft drink mixture.

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FDA Takes Action Against Illegal Online Drug Sellers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action this week against thousands of websites that illegally sell unapproved and potentially dangerous prescription drugs to Americans.

The move was part of an Interpol-led effort called Operation Pangea IX that included regulatory and law enforcement agencies in other countries. The operation targeted the unlawful online sale and distribution of illegal and potentially counterfeit medical products.

The FDA sent formal complaints to domain registrars requesting the suspension of 4,402 websites, including 110 that sell the chemical 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) as a weight-loss product. DNP is widely used as a dye, wood preserver, and herbicide and does not have FDA approval for use as a drug.

A person in Rhode Island died in October 2013 after taking DNP.

The FDA also issued warning letters to 53 websites illegally offering unapproved and misbranded prescription drugs to Americans. Along with other federal agencies, the FDA also conducted screenings at International Mail Facilities in Chicago, New York and San Francisco, seizing 797 potentially illegal drug products to treat a wide range of conditions, including depression, narcolepsy, high cholesterol, glaucoma, and asthma.

"Preventing illegal internet sales of dangerous unapproved drugs is critical to protecting consumers' health," George Karavetsos, director of the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations, said in an agency news release.

Along with potential health threats, illegal online pharmacies pose other risks such as credit card fraud, identity theft and computer viruses, the FDA warned.

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