Health Headlines - February 22

Report Slams New Medicare Drug Program Costs

It will cost American taxpayers and seniors more than $80 billion a year to pay for specific provisions of the new Medicare drug program that were included at the request of drug companies and HMO's, according to a report by the Institute for America's Future and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

The report said that health insurance, health services and drug company profits will increase by at least 500 percent as the new legislation goes into effect. It also noted that health industry political donations totaled $96 million from 2000 to 2004, with 71 percent of that money going to Republicans.

"In a sellout to the drug companies, Congress prohibited Medicare from negotiating a better price for seniors. Then it threw in billions of subsidies to HMOs, adding another layer of confusion, bureaucracy and costs to the program. America's most vulnerable -- seniors in need of prescription drugs -- will pay the cost of this corruption," Roger Hickey, co-director of the Institute for America's Future, said in a prepared statement.

Report author Dr. Dean Baker said the primary problem is the Bush administration's decision to provide coverage through private insurers and to prohibit Medicare from using its power as a bulk purchaser to negotiate lower drug prices.

U.S. Federal Panel Recommends Rotavirus Vaccine for Babies

A U.S. federal advisory panel decided Tuesday that every healthy newborn in the country should be given a new oral vaccine called RotaTeq that protects against the rotavirus intestinal germ, the Washington Post reported.

The vaccine was approved early this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Tuesday's decision by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices comes nearly seven years after an earlier rotavirus vaccine called RotaShield was taken off the market because it caused a potentially fatal form of intestinal blockage in some infants.

In light of that problem, vaccine safety advocates are telling parents to be wary about this new vaccine, the Post reported.

The advisory panel's decision means that, beginning almost immediately, pediatricians will recommend a three-dose treatment of RotaTeq for every child at two months, four months and six months old.

Medicare to Cover Obesity Surgery for Elderly and Disabled People

New U.S. national standards for Medicare coverage of obesity surgery announced Tuesday were welcomed by healthcare officials.

Previously, the rules for reimbursement of this type of surgery varied across the country. The new regulations mean that Medicare will cover certain gastric bypass and banding procedures across the country for elderly and disabled people, the Associated Press reported.

Coverage will not be provided to Medicare beneficiaries who are only overweight -- they must also have at least one disease associated with obesity, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

Medicare had been considering excluding coverage of obesity surgery for the elderly and expanding it for disabled people. However, a review of new data showed there was no reason to exclude elderly people from the procedures.

"The new rules represent formal recognition of morbid obesity as a severe health problem," Dr. Neil Hutcher, president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, told the AP.

He said it would put pressure on private insurers to follow the lead of the government.

U.S. Supreme Court Reopens Late-Term Abortion Ban Issue

On Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s first day on the bench, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear a challenge to a federal law that bans late-term abortion, The New York Times reported.

The Partial Birth Abortion Act was passed in 2003 but was immediately challenged in court and has never taken effect.

Within the last year, three federal appeals courts have ruled the law unconstitutional. Their rulings were based on a 2000 Supreme Court decision against a similar law in Nebraska.

The 2000 Supreme Court ruling said that any abortion ban must include an exception for the health of the mother

The announcement Tuesday that the Supreme Court will reopen the issue comes just three weeks after Alito was sworn in to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. During Alito's confirmation process, there were many questions about his views on abortion.

Tuesday's move by the Supreme Court is likely to re-ignite debate about how it will rule on efforts to limit abortion rights, The Times reported.

Heart Attack Linked to Later Bone Density Loss in Men

Male heart attack survivors have an increased risk of bone density loss and osteoporosis in later life, says a Tulane University study in the journal Osteoporosis International.

Researchers analyzed data from 5,050 U.S. men and women who took part in a national health and nutrition survey between 1988 and 1994.

"According to our data, people who reported a previous heart attack were more likely to have low bone mineral density than those who did not report a heart attack, but when examining this association separately for men and women, it was only significant for men," study author Jeanette H. Magnus said in a prepared statement.

Heart attack wasn't the only factor associated with bone density loss. The researchers also found that cigarette smoking, lack of physical activity, and being overweight also increased the risk of bone density loss.

"We have long known that heart disease and osteoporosis have similar risk factors, but this is the first study to examine the relationship between heart attack survivors and low bone mineral density," Magnus said.

"We recommend that men who survive heart attacks be screened for bone density loss," she concluded.

ReNu Contact Lens Solution Taken Off Market in Singapore

A spike in rare eye infections has prompted U.S. eyecare company Bausch & Lomb Inc. to suspend sales of its ReNu contact lens solution in Singapore.

The move is a precautionary measure and, "investigations are still ongoing on the cause of the recent reported incidence of contact lens-related fungal corneal infections," the Singapore health ministry said Tuesday.

This kind of infection can cause significant loss of vision and, in serious cases, patients may require corneal transplant, MarketWatch reported.

The health ministry said 39 cases of fungal corneal infection have been detected over the past year in people who use contact lenses. Of those 39 cases, it was confirmed that 34 people used ReNu. Four people were unsure of the brand they used and one other person used a different brand of contact lens solution.

The ReNu solution sold in Singapore is made at Bausch & Lomb's plant in North Carolina.

Food Fact:
Boil meets grill.

If you're boiling vegetables, you're losing key nutrients. There is a better way. Turn up the oven to 425 degrees and roast 'em. High heat seals in the veggies' juices -- and the nutrients, which leech out in boiling water. The flavor is remarkably better, too -- roasting caramelizes veggies' natural sugars, and you won't need a pat of butter or a cheese sauce to dress them up. When roasting, cut the vegetable into evenly sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Spray a baking sheet with heart-healthy canola or olive oil. Spread the veggies evenly out on the sheet, and spray with the oil. Add your favorite seasoning and roast until the veggies are tender on the inside.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Prestretch routines.

Do you know the one thing you should always do before stretching? To prevent injury you should perform at least 10-15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (walking, biking) prior to stretching. Never stretch a "cold muscle" -- one that does not have sufficient blood flowing through the tissue to be stretched.

FAQ of the day:
Do I burn calories even when I'm just sitting around?

You burn calories all the time, even when you're asleep. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy (calories) your body uses for basic chores such as breathing, circulating blood, powering the nervous system and maintaining body temperature. A normal BMR for the average healthy male is around 1 calorie per kilogram (2.2 lbs) of body weight per hour; for women it is slightly lower, at around .9 calorie/kg/hr. But BMRs are very personal. Body composition helps determine BMR; a woman's BMR is generally lower than a man's because she carries more body fat. Other factors that affect BMR include age, activity level, nutrition, growth, pregnancy, body size and overall health.