Health Headlines - September 14

Seniors More Prone to Drug Errors: Study

People age 65 and older are nearly seven times more prone to prescription drug errors than their younger counterparts, new research finds.

Seniors were more likely to be prescribed a drug that was incompatible with others they were taking, to take a drug that could exacerbate a different medical condition, or be prescribed the wrong dose of a drug, the Associated Press reported of the study.

The research was carried out by Medco Health Solutions Inc., among the top prescription benefit managers in the United States.

Seniors are more likely to have chronic conditions and to see more than one doctor than their younger counterparts. Those who got prescriptions from two doctors received an average of 27 prescriptions per year and were at risk of an average of 10 errors, the study found. Seniors with five doctors got an average of 42 prescriptions per year and had an average of 16 errors, the AP reported.

Medco's analysis of 2.4 million adults in 2004 found that almost 25 percent of all seniors got prescriptions from at least five doctors, the wire service said.

FDA Panel Votes Against Antibiotic for Sinus Use

An expert panel advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has voted to recommend against expanding use of the antibiotic Factive (gemifloxacin) for acute sinus infections.

Citing the possibility of serious skin reactions, the panel voted 11-2 late Tuesday to recommend against the agency's approval of Factive for acute bacterial sinusitis, the Associated Press reported.

The drug, produced by Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp., was first approved in 2003 to treat pneumonia and bronchitis.

The full FDA isn't required to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels but usually does.

Marijuana May Help Hepatitis Treatment

Marijuana can help ease side effects from two powerful therapies used to combat hepatitis C, researchers at the University of California say.

Treatment for the often-deadly viral liver disease involves two powerful drugs, interferon and ribavirin. Side effects of these therapies often include extreme fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, loss of appetite and depression, the Washington Post reported.

After six months of treatment, 86 percent of study participants who used marijuana successfully completed a majority of the therapy, versus a 59 percent success rate among people who didn't use marijuana, the newspaper said.

Marijuana probably helped users combat depression, improve appetite, and better their psychological outlook, the researchers wrote in the current issue of the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Medicare Premium Hike for 2007 Lower Than Expected

The typical monthly premium for Medicare beneficiaries next year will rise to $93.50, a lower-than-expected increase of 5.6 percent, the Associated Press reported.

Officials had been predicting that the increase could hit double digits, the wire service said. The lower figure resulted from an unexpected recent drop in the volume of services and diagnostic tests ordered by doctors.

Wealthier beneficiaries -- the 1.5 million people who earn above $80,000 -- will see a first-ever surcharge in 2007, bringing their monthly premium to $106, the AP said. And the wealthiest seniors could see their premium shoot up to $162.

The surcharge was created as part of the 2003 law that established the landmark prescription drug benefit for Medicare participants.

People With Disabilities Are Less Healthy: CDC

Nearly 40 percent of Americans with disabilities say they are in fair or poor health, compared with only 8.2 percent of those without disabilities who rate their health as fair or poor, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report released Tuesday.

The prevalence of disabilities varied dramatically from state to state, the agency said in releasing its first-ever report that focused on the disability issue by state. States with the highest percentages of disabled people included West Virginia (25.8 percent), Kentucky (24.7 percent) and Oregon (23.7 percent).

States with the lowest percentages of disability included Hawaii (11.4 percent), North Dakota (15.9 percent) and Illinois (15.9 percent).

The report examined five factors, including smoking, obesity, physical activity, immunizations, and access to health care for adults 18 and older in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories.

Smoking was highest in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana, while obesity rates were greatest in Mississippi, Indiana, and North Carolina, the report said.

Hospitalizations for Digestive Disorders Rise

The number of people hospitalized for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders rose by more than one-third between 1994 and 2004, a new U.S. government report shows.

Some 2.5 million Americans were admitted to hospitals in 2004 for GI disorders, accounting for 7 percent of all hospital stays that year, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The two greatest increases in hospitalizations were attributed to enteritis -- a bacterial inflammation of the small intestine -- and ulcerative colitis -- a condition that causes sores in the colon, the agency said.

It cost U.S. hospitals $20 billion to treat GI disorders in 2004. Medicare was billed for more than half of all stays for the three most common GI problems -- intestinal obstruction, diverticulosis, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage, according to the agency, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.