Health Headlines - February 8

Trasylol Linked to Increased Risk of Serious Side Effects: FDA

Trasylol, a drug used to prevent blood loss during surgery, has been linked to increased risk of kidney problems, heart attacks and strokes in patients who have artery bypass graft surgery, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a public health advisory Wednesday.

The link between the drug and these side effects was noted in two recently published studies. The FDA advisory is directed at doctors who perform heart bypass surgery and their patients.

"FDA is conducting a thorough evaluation of the safety profile for this drug in light of the recent publications. We're working to evaluate the potential risks and determine whether there is a need for further action. In the meantime, we advise providers to carefully assess the benefits and risks of the drug for their patients," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement.

The FDA advisory recommends that:

doctors who use Trasylol should monitor patients for toxicity, particularly to the kidneys, heart or central nervous system and promptly report adverse events to drug maker Bayer or through the FDA Medwatch program.
doctors should consider limiting the use of the drug to situations in which the clinical benefit of reduced blood loss is essential to medical management of the patient and outweighs potential risks.
patients should discuss all major risks for heart bypass surgery with their doctors, including risks for bleeding and ways to lessen bleeding risk.

Companies Give NIH Millions of Dollars for Research Project

Drug maker Pfizer Inc. and biotech company Affymetrix Inc. are giving the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health millions of dollars for research into genetic causes of diseases.

Despite the large contributions, the NIH said the information gathered by the Genetic Association Information Network project won't become the properties of the two companies, but will be available to all scientists, the Associated Press reported.

Pfizer will donate $5 million, plus $15 million in laboratory studies, to do genetic analysis for five common diseases. Affymetrix, a leading maker of gene-analysis equipment, is donating resources for DNA analysis of two other diseases.

The NIH is also asking Congress for a $40 million budget increase to fund research into the link between genetic susceptibility to disease and environmental triggers such as diet, pollution, and infections, the AP reported.

Fire, Burn Hazard Prompts Recall of 5.6 Million Floor Fans

A serious burn and fire hazard linked to electrical failure has prompted the recall of about 5.6 million floor fans made by Lasko Products Inc. of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.

There have been 42 reports of fires, including at least eight that resulted in major property damage, associated with motor failures on the fans. There have been seven reports of injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation.

The recall includes various models of Lasko, Galaxy and Air King fans made between January 1999 and July 2001, and sold through February 2004. The fans were sold at discount department stores across the United States from September 2000 through February 2004 for between $10 and $25.

Consumers should stop using these fans immediately and contact Lasko to receive a free fan-protection cord adaptor.

Detailed information on the recalled fans can be found at the Lasko Web site. Consumers can phone the company toll-free at 1-800-984-3311.

Scranton Tops List of U.S. Asthma Capitals

Scranton, Richmond, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee, in that order, are the top five worst U.S. cities when it comes to asthma risk factors and quality of life for people with asthma, says the third annual ranking of 100 major metropolitan areas released Wednesday by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Rounding out the top 10 worst cities are: Cleveland, Greensboro, Youngstown, Saint Louis, and Detroit.

The rankings are based on 12 factors from three categories -- prevalence, risk and medical factors. Risk factors, such as annual pollution and ozone levels, pollen counts, and public smoking bans, carried the most weight in the rankings.

Scranton and Richmond recorded some of the highest pollen levels, a major problem for people with asthma.

"There's no such thing as an 'asthma-free' city, so moving won't solve the problem. What is important is that people understand what triggers an asthma attack and where to look for help to get the right specialist and treatment," Mike Tringale, AAFA director of communications, said in a prepared statement.

Nigeria Reports First African Bird Flu Outbreak

Nigeria is the first African country to report a bird flu outbreak.

A "highly pathogenic" strain of the H5N1 avian flu virus has been found in commercial poultry stocks in the northern Kaduna state, the World Organization for Animal Health said Wednesday.

Samples of the virus are being analyzed in order to see how closely it matches currently known H5N1 strains, the Associated Press reported.

In response to the outbreak, Nigerian officials have disinfected the affected farm and introduced quarantine measures.

The Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health said it is working with the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization to coordinate its response to the Nigerian outbreak, the AP reported.

So far, about 160 human cases of bird flu have been reported and 85 people have died. Experts are concerned that the virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, resulting in a global pandemic.

Biotech Company Not Supplying AIDS Drug As Promised, Group Charges

U.S. biotech company Gilead Sciences Inc. has been accused of breaking its promise to make its anti-AIDS drug Viread widely available in developing countries, the Associated Press reported.

International humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) said Tuesday that Gilead's pledge turned out to be an "empty promise."

Since 2003, the company has announced that it has made Vilread available in 97 countries at no-profit. However, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says Gilead does not yet have regulatory approval in 91 of those countries, making it almost impossible to widely distribute the drug in those areas, the AP reported.

This inaction by Gilead makes it difficult for doctors in many of the countries to supply their patients with Vilread, which is used in two-drug "cocktails" to treat people with HIV/AIDS, MSF said.

Gilead has applied for regulatory approval in about half the 97 countries and plans to apply for approval in the remaining countries sometime this year, Gilead spokeswoman Amy Flood told the AP.

Food Fact:
The world's No. 1 fruit?

Believe it or not, it's not the apple or banana. It's the mango! The intense orange flesh is not only meltingly sweet, soft, juicy and delicious, but reflects a high level of beta carotene, which our bodies convert to much-needed vitamin A. A whole mango provides about 130 calories along with all the vitamin C that most of us need daily. Don't go by color alone when choosing a ripe mango. The flesh should give a little to pressure, much like a ripe avocado. For smoothies, frozen treats and fruit salads, buy frozen mango pieces. The price is right and ripeness is guaranteed.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Train your brain.

Exercise more than your muscles to stick to a fitness plan -- be a winner at the mental game. Preparing your mind along with your body is pivotal for accomplishing your goals. Try writing a personal mission statement and tape a copy to your refrigerator, the dashboard of your car, your computer -- anywhere you can see it during the day.

FAQ of the day:
Will eating blueberries improve my balance?

They seem to help rats keep their footing. When researchers at Tufts University in Boston fed rats antioxidant-rich extracts of blueberries, strawberries or spinach for eight months, the animals were protected from age-related declines in brain functions, including cognitive function. For some reason, those that received the blueberry extracts were also better able to keep their balance when walking over small rods.