Health Headlines - January 14

FDA Warns About Brazilian Weight-Loss Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use two unapproved Brazilian drug products that are marketed as dietary supplements for weight loss.

Emagrece Sim Dietary Supplement, also known as the Brazilian Diet Pill, and Herbathin Dietary Supplement may contain several ingredients found in prescription drugs that could lead to serious side effects or injury, the agency said.

Emagrece Sim and Herbathin are labeled as "dietary supplements," but they contain prescription drugs, including several controlled substances that, if not used properly as prescribed by a physician, can be harmful. They contain chlordiazepoxide HCl (the active ingredient in Librium), and fluoxetine HCl (the active ingredient in Prozac). These drugs should only be taken by patients under the supervision of a health-care provider, the FDA said.

Emagrece Sim and Herbathin were also found to contain Fenproporex, a stimulant not approved for sale in the United States. Fenproporex is converted in the body to amphetamine, and has been noted to show up in urine tests as a positive test for amphetamines, the agency said.

The FDA urges consumers, health-care providers, and caregivers to stop using the drugs, dispose of them, and report any adverse effects to MedWatch, the FDA's voluntary reporting program, at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Turkish Officials Investigate Another Possible Bird-Flu Death

Officials are investigating whether the death of a young girl in southeastern Turkey was caused by bird flu, Agence France Presse reported.

So far, two children in Turkey have died of bird flu and it's believed the disease killed a third child. All three were siblings.

This latest case involves a two-and-a-half-year-old girl who was admitted to a hospital late Thursday. She had been ill for about a week and her parents had tried to treat her with antibiotics. Samples from the girl have been sent to an Ankara laboratory for analysis.

However, an official at the hospital where the girl died said this did not appear to be a case of bird-flu infection. He told AFP the girl had a serious bacterial infection in her right lung -- not a viral infection. The girl had no history of contact with birds.

In other news, the European Union (EU) announced that it will pledge $100 million to fight bird flu. The formal announcement will be made next week in Beijing, China, at an international conference on bird flu, CNN reported.

EU nations have also enhanced their border surveillance to detect bird flu more quickly if it enters their countries from Turkey.

While Turkish officials expressed confidence in their ability to control the situation, officials with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization said they're worried that the outbreaks in Turkey are now so widespread that it may be impossible to stamp out the virus, The New York Times reported.

So far, the worldwide death toll from bird flu is thought to be 78.

Drug Doubles Risk of Premature Birth: Study

The antibiotic metronidazole -- prescribed to pregnant women at risk of premature birth -- actually doubled the risk of pre-term delivery, a British study of 900 women found.

The women, all at risk of pre-term birth, were recruited for the study when they were between 23 weeks and 24 weeks pregnant. They were divided into two groups. One group received a week's course of metronidazole while the other group was given a placebo, BBC News reported.

The study found that 62 percent of the women who took the drug had a pre-term delivery, compared to 39 percent of the women in the placebo group. The findings appear in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

However, Dr. Jim Kennedy, of the Royal College of GPs, said doctors and patients need to carefully consider both the risks and benefits of the drug.

"The drug also reduces the risk of infection, so if a woman is at 35 weeks or so you have to consider whether the risk of an earlier birth is worse than protecting the baby against infection," Kennedy told BBC News.

Metronidazole is prescribed for a condition called bacterial vaginosis, an infection linked with increased risk of pre-term delivery.

No Firm Evidence of Donner Party Cannibalism

The legend that the Donner Party resorted to cannibalism while stranded in the Sierra Nevadas in 1846-47 may not be true, a new study says.

Researchers found evidence that the Donner Party ate domestic and wild animals but could find no proof of cannibalism. If cannibalism did occur, it happened during the last few weeks of the group's entrapment, was done by less than 12 people, and the bodies that were eaten were not processed to the bone, the study concluded.

The findings were presented at a conference of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Researchers from the University of Oregon and the University of Montana examined the Donner Family campsite, located in California's Tahoe National Forest. Their investigation included analyses of thousands of bone fragments found at the site, along with other archeological and historical data.

"The tale of the Donner Party has focused on the tragedy of survival cannibalism, yet the archeological remains inspire us to consider more significant implications, such as what it was like to be human, doing whatever possible to survive in one of the snowbound camps," said Kelly Dixon, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Montana.

Sharon's Failure to Regain Consciousness Worries Doctors

Israeli doctors are increasingly concerned about Prime Minster Ariel Sharon's failure to regain consciousness after his sedation was eased, the Associated Press reported.

Sharon, 77, was still comatose and in critical condition Saturday, 10 days after he suffered a massive stroke on Jan. 4. He shows no signs of waking up from an induced coma, Hadassah Hospital officials said.

However, there's no firm timeline for when Sharon should open his eyes. "This is something that differs from one patient to another," hospital spokesman Ron Krumer told the AP.

Sharon was put in an induced coma following the stroke. In recent days, his doctors have gradually reduced the amount of sedatives that kept him in the coma.

Food Fact:
Nothing fishy.

Follow a few savvy shopping tips, and seafood will be as good for your taste buds as it is for your heart. Here's what to know: Fresh fish smells good, like sea air, so walk away from a strong fishy smell or an off odor; fish fillets and steaks should look moist, with no gaps between the segments; scrub mussels and clams with a stiff-bristled brush under running water, and discard any that don't close when tapped.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Meltdown meditation.

Everything's coming at you at once. Don't explode -- try a little yoga trick that can calm you down in an instant. Place one hand on your belly and breathe deep; exhale slowly. Relax your shoulders. As you breathe, gently push your belly out so your hand rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

FAQ of the day:
Can tomatoes and lycopene prevent breast cancer?

Tomatoes and lycopene probably can't protect against breast cancer, they are still a good nutritional choice for women because they'e so rich in antioxidants and vitamins. There is evidence that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer.