Health Headlines - March 7

Asthma Drugs Get 'Black Box' Warnings

The asthma drugs Advair and Serevent will carry stronger label warnings to alert patients and doctors that an ingredient in both drugs is associated with an increased risk of death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The updated "black box" warnings on the drugs will caution that the ingredient salmeterol may increase the risk of asthma-related death. A black box warning is the most serious type of warning on prescription drugs.

The revised warning on Advair says the drug should only be used when other asthma drugs, such as low- to medium-dose inhaled corticosteroids, don't work or if a patient's asthma is so severe that it merits the use of two medications, the Associated Press reported.

The updated warning on Serevent says the drug should only be used as an additional medication when low- to medium-dose inhaled corticosteroids are inadequate or if a patient's asthma is so serious that it needs to be treated with two drugs, the AP reported.

Both drugs are made by GlaxoSmithKline. The FDA has also asked for an updated warning on the label of the asthma drug Foradil, made by Novartis. The company is still in discussions with the FDA, and no final decision has been made.

A large U.S. study found that more deaths among people taking the asthma drugs than among people taking a placebo. However, the number of asthma deaths in the study was small -- 13 deaths out of 13,176 patients, the AP reported.

Dana Reeve Dies of Lung Cancer

Dana Reeve, the 44-year-old widow of actor Christopher Reeve, died Monday of lung cancer. She announced last August that she'd been diagnosed with the disease, but said she'd never smoked.

Through the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Dana pushed for better treatments and possible cures for paralysis. The foundation was named for her husband, who was paralyzed after a horse-riding accident in 1996 and became an activist for spinal cord research. He died in 2004.

Dana won widespread admiration for her support of her husband and served as chairwoman of the Christopher Reeve Foundation and founded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, the Associated Press reported.

"Dana will always be remembered for her passion, strength and ceaseless courage that became her hallmark," Kathy Lewis, president and CEO of the Christopher Reeve Foundation, said in a statement.

"Along with her husband, Christopher, she faced adversity with grace and determination, bringing hope to millions around the world," Lewis said.

Woman Needs Man's Permission to Use Frozen Embryos, Court Rules

Unless she has permission from the man who provided the sperm, a British woman has no right to use her own frozen embryos to have a baby, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday.

In its ruling against 34-year-old Natalie Evans, the court upheld a British law that says consent from both parents is required at every stage of in vitro fertilization and for storage and implementation of the fertilized eggs, the Associated Press reported.

In launching her legal challenge, Evans claimed that the British law contravened her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. Her former fiance had withdrawn his permission for use of his sperm. His decision infringed on her right to privacy and family life and also violated the embryo's right to life, Evans argued.

She also said her fiance's attempt to prevent her from using the frozen embryos to have a baby was discriminatory, the AP reported.

In its ruling, the court requested that the British government ensure that the embryos are preserved, in case Evans decides to appeal the decision.

U.S. to Develop Second Bird Flu Vaccine

U.S. officials have authorized the development of a second kind of bird flu vaccine for humans in order to be better prepared for a possible flu pandemic, the Associated Press reported.

The U.S. government currently has a stockpile of several million doses of an early bird flu vaccine. But that vaccine was based on a sample of the bird flu virus collected in Vietnam in 2004. It's believed that the virus has mutated since then and that the form now causing outbreaks in Africa and Europe may be different from the Vietnam version.

That's prompted government officials to authorize the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to start work on another bird flu vaccine for humans, the AP reported.

Since bird flu first appeared in Asia in 2003, it has infected at least 174 people, resulting in 94 deaths. Most, if not all, of those people were in close contact with infected animals. However, experts are worried that the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, which could spark a pandemic.

South Dakota Bans Almost All Abortions

In a move likely to provoke a legal battle that will challenge the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds on Monday signed legislation that bans almost all abortions in the state.

Under the bill, it would be a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless a woman's life was at risk. The bill makes no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest, the Associated Press reported.

The bill is supposed to take effect July 1, but it is expected that it will be suspended during a legal challenge. In a written statement, Rounds said he expects the bill will be tied up in court for years and will not take effect unless it's upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Planned Parenthood said it will challenge the bill in court. The group operates the only abortion clinic in South Dakota. About 800 abortions are performed each year in the state, the AP reported.

West Nile Infection During Pregnancy Poses Small Risk of Birth Defects

Pregnant women infected with the West Nile virus have only a small risk of delivering a baby with a birth defect, says a report by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They studied 72 babies in 16 states whose mothers had West Nile during pregnancy and found that only three of the babies had problems that might be linked with exposure to the virus before birth, the Associated Press reported.

One baby was born with an extra toe, and two babies had abnormally small heads. One of the babies with a small head had severe birth defects and died three days after being born. The other baby with the small head seemed to grow out of the problem and appeared to be developing normally by the age of one.

In all three cases, the mothers of the babies had relatively mild cases of West Nile. The mother of the extra-toe baby contracted West Nile early in her pregnancy, while the other two mothers were infected in mid-pregnancy, the AP reported.

The report was published in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Food Fact:
Like buttermilk...

Despite its rich-sounding name, buttermilk is tremendous for low-fat cooks. Today's commercial buttermilk is made from skim or low-fat milk that has healthful bacteria added to it, which thickens the milk and gives it a pleasant dairy tang. Use buttermilk in salad dressings, low-fat biscuits and muffins, or in our favorite, buttermilk mashed potatoes. But what about that name? It's a relic of the past, when buttermilk was the liquid left after churning butter.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Pre-wedding vows.

Instead of gifts of jewelry for your wedding party, give the gift of health. Buy short-term health club memberships for your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Just don't lose too many inches before the fitting!

FAQ of the day:
Does "spot reducing" really work?

Steve Blair of the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research says: While specific exercises have specific effects -- for example, a leg press on a weight machine will improve strength and endurance of the involved muscles -- fat isn't selectively metabolized by exercise. The possible exception is "abdominal obesity," the "apple shape" common in men and some women. There is some evidence that exercise effectively targets this "visceral fat" associated with a high risk of heart attack and Type 2 diabetes. Generally speaking, as you burn more calories than you consume, you will burn fat from all over your body. Focus on a balanced exercise program for both aerobic and musculoskeletal fitness, which can give you a strong, healthy, fit body, no matter what its shape.