Health Headlines - October 24

FDA Warns Against Use of Discontinued ADHD Drug

The risk of life-threatening liver problems caused by the discontinued Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder drug Cylert (pemoline) outweigh the drug's therapeutic value, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday.

The agency said it is aware of 13 reports of liver failure among Cylert users, resulting in liver transplant or death.

"The agency has concluded that the overall risk of liver toxicity from Cylert and generic pemoline products outweighs the benefits of this drug," the FDA said in a statement posted on its Web site.

While the agency said pharmacies and wholesalers are allowed to continue selling the drug until current supplies are exhausted, it warned doctors to "transition their patients to an alternative therapy."

Maker Abbott Laboratories, citing declining sales, stopped producing the medication in March. The FDA said generic companies also have agreed to end production. Still, the consumer group Public Citizen issued a statement calling it "reckless and insensitive to the health and lives of children and adults using this drug ... to fail to institute an immediate recall of these dangerous products."

Public Citizen said despite Abbott's pronouncement that it would no longer produce or market Cylert, some 10,000 U.S. prescriptions for Cylert were written since the spring, and some 50,000 prescriptions were filled for generic versions.

Japanese Panel Delays Decision on U.S. Beef Ban

Japan has delayed a decision on whether to lift its two-year-old ban on U.S. beef imports.

The delay was announced Monday by a Japanese government panel on mad cow disease, even though the panel had prepared a draft report that concluded American beef posed a low risk, the Associated Press reported.

It was widely anticipated that the panel would send the report to the Japanese Food Commission, a move that would have started the process leading to the resumption of U.S. beef imports into Japan by the end of the year.

However, several panel members expressed worry about the reliability of U.S. mad cow disease safeguards and how they can be guaranteed.

The panel chairman said he hoped the panel would reach a final decision as early as their next meeting, scheduled for later this month or in early November, the AP reported.

Japan is the most lucrative overseas market for U.S. beef. Japan imposed the ban on U.S. beef imports in December 2004 after the first case of mad cow disease was reported in the United States.

Pillows Harbor Millions of Fungal Spores

You're sleeping with strangers -- millions of them.

A U.K. study says that your pillow plays host to millions of fungal spores from 16 species of fungi, including types that are normally found in bathrooms and bread, the Globe and Mail reported.

They also identified a fungi species called Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the leading cause of infection-related death in leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients.

"We really thought it was the kind of stuff you find on a bathroom wall in a damp house. To find it in the bed you sleep in is really a surprise," Ashley Woodcock of the University of Manchester told the Globe and Mail.

He and his team identified the fungi when they tested 10 pillows. While sleeping with these fungi shouldn't be dangerous for healthy people, it could proved fatal for people in ill health, especially those with weakened immune systems.

Epidural May Increase Need for Medical Help: Study

Women who have an epidural during childbirth are more likely to require medical assistance to deliver their babies, says a study that analyzed 21 previous studies involving more than 6,000 women.

The review, conducted by The Cochrane Review, an independent health database, concluded that women who had an epidurals were 40 percent more likely to need intervention during childbirth, such as the use of forceps to deliver the baby, BBC News reported.

Women who opted for an epidural were also more likely to have a longer second stage of labor -- when the baby is pushed out of the birth canal -- and were also more likely to have drugs to stimulate contractions, the study found.

These women also had an increased risk of low blood pressure and of being unable to move for a short time after delivery. However, when it came to the risk of Caesarean section, long-term backache or immediate adverse effects on the newborn, there were no significant differences between women who had an epidural and those who didn't opt for it, BBC News reported

Britain Says Parrot Had Deadly Strain of Avian Flu

British officials confirmed Sunday that it was the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu that killed a parrot that had been under quarantine in that country.

The government also called for a worldwide ban on bird trade into the European Union (EU) to stop any further spread of avian flu, the BBC reported. Health officials fear a bird flu pandemic could mutate, and start to spread easily among humans.

Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said the ban could be introduced within days. "My understanding is there would be considerable support throughout the EU for this," he told the BBC.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Saturday that Croatian authorities began killing thousands of birds, and ordered that the area surrounding a national park where six birds died of avian flu be disinfected.

The virus found in the parrot most closely matched the strain found in ducks in China earlier this year. The avian flu has swept across Asia in the past two years, wiping out the poultry stocks and killing 61 people, the AP reported.

The EU said Friday it was preparing a ban on all poultry imports from Croatia. It has done the same in Russia, Romania, Turkey and one of the Greek isles, where bird flu has recently been discovered among flocks. The EU is also urging countries to start vaccination programs for zoo birds to head off the disease.

Meanwhile, Russia reported a new outbreak of the lethal strain of the flu, Sweden confirmed a case, and Italy and the Congo became the latest countries to ban bird imports from nations where the virus has been reported.

Food Fact:
Asparagus tips.

Spear 25 on your fork to barely reach 100 calories? That's not all... This true dieter's delight is plentiful and inexpensive in spring. Asparagus is a great source of folic acid, and a good source of vitamins A and C. When buying asparagus, choose firm, bright green spears with tight tips. Wrap in plastic and store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If stems are thick, peel the outermost layer with a vegetable peeler. Steam or boil until just tender, about 3 minutes. Resist butter sauces or oil-rich vinaigrettes, which ruin the nutritional profile.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Lift weights, lose weight.

Marilyn Monroe knew it, and you should, too: For good health and a great shape, dumbbells are a girl's best friend. Dieters who lift weights and eat well lose more body fat, and feel stronger and more flexible. Lifting weights as you diet makes it easier to shed pounds; increased muscle mass will boost your metabolic rate over time, allowing you to burn calories even at rest. It also gives your muscles a tight, firm appearance.

FAQ of the day:
How much red meat is too much?

If you choose to include red meat in your diet, you can greatly reduce your risk of chronic disease by limiting how much and how often you eat it. In population studies, individuals who say that they eat red meat "less than once a week" are generally at significantly lower risk of heart disease and cancer than people who eat red meat several times a week. A good goal: No more than once a month. You don't have to reach this goal overnight; work your way down to once a week, then once every two weeks, then once a month. Take it one day at a time; try fish, chicken, beans or soy tonight!