Updated April 24, 2015.

Whether they're looking for a short cut to losing weight or a cure for a serious ailment, consumers may be spending billions of dollars a year on unproven, fraudulently marketed, often useless health-related products, devices and treatments. Why? Because health fraud trades on  false hope. It promises quick cures and easy solutions to a variety of problems, from obesity to  cancer and AIDS. But consumers who fall for fraudulent "cure-all" products don't find help or  better health.


Instead, they find themselves cheated out of their money, their time, and maybe  even their health. Fraudulently marketed health products can keep people from seeking and  getting treatment from their own healthcare professional. Some products can cause serious harm, and many are expensive because health insurance rarely covers unapproved treatments.

To avoid becoming victims of health fraud, it's important for consumers to learn how to assess health claims and seek the advice of a health professional.

Common Health Fraud Targets

Officials at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say health fraud promoters often target people who are overweight or have serious conditions for which there are no cures, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, HIV and AIDS, and arthritis.

Cancer
A diagnosis of cancer can bring feelings of fear and hopelessness. Many people may be tempted to turn to unproven remedies promoted as cancer cures.

But they and their loved ones should be skeptical of "miracle" claims because no single device, remedy or treatment can treat all types of cancer. Cancer is a name given to a wide range of diseases; each requires different forms of treatment that are best determined with the advice of a health professional.

Cancer patients who want to try an experimental treatment should enroll in a legitimate clinical study. The FDA reviews clinical study designs to help ensure that patients are not subjected to unreasonable risks.

For more information about cancer treatments, contact the American Cancer Society; the nearest local chapter will be listed in the yellow pages of your phone book. For free publications on cancer research and treatment, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or log on to http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/.

HIV and AIDS
Although legitimate treatments can extend life and improve the quality of life for people with AIDS, there is, so far, no cure for the disease. People diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, may want to try untested drugs or treatments. But trying unproven products or treatments, such as electrical and magnetic devices and so-called herbal cures, can be dangerous and may cause HIV-positive individuals to delay seeking medical care.

An example is the herb St. John's Wort, which has been promoted as a safe treatment for HIV. There is no evidence that this herb is effective in treating HIV, and in fact, studies have shown that it interferes with medicines prescribed for HIV.

People who think they may be HIV-positive may turn to home test kits. But claims for these products may be misleading and possibly harmful. Safe, reliable HIV testing can be done only through a medical professional or a clinic, or through the Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System; it is the only system approved for home use by the FDA.

The U.S. government has a toll-free HIV-AIDS Treatment Information Service, 1-800-HIV-0440 (1-800-448-0440), which is staffed by English- and Spanish-speaking health information specialists. Information also is available at http://www.hivatis.org/.

Arthritis
Consumers spend an estimated $2 billion a year on unproven arthritis remedies - thousands of dietary and so-called natural cures, like mussel extract, desiccated liver pills, shark cartilage, CMO (cetylmyristoleate), honey and vinegar mixtures, and magnets and copper bracelets. But these remedies are not backed by adequate science to show that they offer long-term relief. For current, accurate information on arthritis treatments and alternative therapies, call the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-283-7800 or visit their website.

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If It's Seems Too Good To Be True...
Whether they're looking for a short cut to losing weight or a cure for a serious ailment, consumers may be spending billions of dollars a year on unproven, fraudulently marketed, often useless health-related products, devices and treatments. Why? Because health fraud trades on  false hope. It promises quick cures and easy solutions to a variety of problems, from obesity to  cancer and AIDS. But consumers who fall for fraudulent "cure-all" products don't find help or  better health. Instead, they find themselves cheated out of their money, their time, and maybe  even their health. Fraudulently marketed health products can keep people from seeking and  getting treatment from their own healthcare professional. Some products can cause serious harm, and many are expensive because health insurance rarely covers unapproved treatments.

To avoid becoming victims of health fraud, it's important for consumers to learn how to assess health claims and seek the advice of a health professional.

Common Health Fraud Targets

Officials at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say health fraud promoters often target people who are overweight or have serious conditions for which there are no cures, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, HIV and AIDS, and arthritis.

Cancer
A diagnosis of cancer can bring feelings of fear and hopelessness. Many people may be tempted to turn to unproven remedies promoted as cancer cures. But they and their loved ones should be skeptical of "miracle" claims because no single device, remedy or treatment can treat all types of cancer. Cancer is a name given to a wide range of diseases; each requires different forms of treatment that are best determined with the advice of a health professional.

Cancer patients who want to try an experimental treatment should enroll in a legitimate clinical study. The FDA reviews clinical study designs to help ensure that patients are not subjected to unreasonable risks.

For more information about cancer treatments, contact the American Cancer Society; the nearest local chapter will be listed in the yellow pages of your phone book. For free publications on cancer research and treatment, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or log on to http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/.

HIV and AIDS
Although legitimate treatments can extend life and improve the quality of life for people with AIDS, there is, so far, no cure for the disease. People diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, may want to try untested drugs or treatments. But trying unproven products or treatments, such as electrical and magnetic devices and so-called herbal cures, can be dangerous and may cause HIV-positive individuals to delay seeking medical care.

An example is the herb St. John's Wort, which has been promoted as a safe treatment for HIV. There is no evidence that this herb is effective in treating HIV, and in fact, studies have shown that it interferes with medicines prescribed for HIV.

People who think they may be HIV-positive may turn to home test kits. But claims for these products may be misleading and possibly harmful. Safe, reliable HIV testing can be done only through a medical professional or a clinic, or through the Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System; it is the only system approved for home use by the FDA.

The U.S. government has a toll-free HIV-AIDS Treatment Information Service, 1-800-HIV-0440 (1-800-448-0440), which is staffed by English- and Spanish-speaking health information specialists. Information also is available at http://www.hivatis.org/.

Arthritis
Consumers spend an estimated $2 billion a year on unproven arthritis remedies - thousands of dietary and so-called natural cures, like mussel extract, desiccated liver pills, shark cartilage, CMO (cetylmyristoleate), honey and vinegar mixtures, and magnets and copper bracelets. But these remedies are not backed by adequate science to show that they offer long-term relief. For current, accurate information on arthritis treatments and alternative therapies, call the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-283-7800 or visit their website.

>>Please follow the links below to continue<<