Saturday, August 11, 2007

Health Headlines - August 11

Don't Eat Certain Raw Oysters From Washington State, FDA Says

Consumers should not eat raw oysters harvested from the southern tip of Hood Canal in Washington state, because they may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Friday.

Raw oysters harvested from "growing area 6" in Hood Canal since July 3 have caused at least six people to become sick in California and in Washington state, the agency said. Records indicate the oysters were shipped to California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, New York, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria can cause an illness called vibriosis, with symptoms including watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Symptoms usually begin within 24 hours of eating the tainted food and normally last no more than three days.

The most severe symptoms are rare and most frequently affect people with weakened immune systems, including young children, the elderly, and people with AIDS or other conditions that compromise the immune system, the FDA said.

Washington state has closed the area associated with the contaminated oysters and has asked harvesters and distributors to recall any raw oysters obtained from the area.

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More American Seniors Have Drug Coverage

Many more American seniors now have prescription drug coverage, according to a University of Michigan (U-M) study that also found that poor seniors are as likely to have coverage as rich seniors.

The study found that more than 90 percent of people age 65 and older had drug prescription coverage in 2006, compared with 75 percent in 2004, The Ann Arbor News reported.

The findings are based on data from interviews with a nationally representative sample of 10,175 older adults.

Some critics have said the U.S. Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is confusing. But the authors of this study said the plan, introduced in 2006, has increased drug coverage for seniors, especially for those who most needed help, The Ann Arbor News reported.

The study was presented Thursday in Washington, D.C. at a conference sponsored by the Social Security Administration and the Retirement Research Consortium.

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Iowa Dairy Sold Cows With High Levels of Antibiotics: FDA

An Iowa dairy faces legal action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for allegedly selling cows for meat processing even though they had excessive levels of antibiotics, the Associated Press reported.

Following an investigation, the FDA filed a complaint in federal court against Rock Valley-based Ysselstein Dairy and its owner Sjerp Ysselstein.

Animals with high levels of drugs are not allowed to be sold for human consumption, the AP reported. In order to ensure that meat is safe for humans, the FDA requires that no drugs are given to animals for a specified period of time before they're slaughtered.

Sjerp Ysselstein said he's agreed to comply with FDA requirements and that the problem has been solved, the AP reported.

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California Farming Town Has Most Polluted Air in U.S.

The central California farming town of Arvin has the worst air pollution in the United States, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The town itself produces little air pollution but is surrounded by mountains that trap pollutants blown in from large cities, the Associated Press reported.

Many Arvin residents say the air in their town smells toxic and, on hot summer days, airborne particles coat homes and streets and obscure the view of the nearby Tehachapi mountain range.

Between 2004 and 2006, ozone in Arvin exceeded acceptable levels an average of 73 days a year. Ozone is the primary component of smog. By comparison, there were an average of four days per year of unacceptable ozone levels in the San Francisco Bay Area over the same period, the AP reported.

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FDA Warns of Red Yeast Rice Products Sold to Control Cholesterol

Consumers should not buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold on Web sites as dietary supplements for treating high cholesterol. The products may contain an unauthorized drug that could cause muscle weakness, leading to kidney damage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

The products are Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosonal Complex, sold by Swanson Healthcare Products Inc., and manufactured by Nature's Value Inc. and Kabco Inc., respectively; and Cholestrix, sold by Sunburst Biorganics. FDA testing revealed that the products contain lovastatin, the active ingredient in Mevacor, a prescription drug approved for treating high cholesterol, the FDA said in a prepared statement.

"This risk is even more serious because consumers may not know the side effects associated with lovastatin and the fact that it can adversely interact with other medications," said Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA said it has sent warning letters to Swanson and Sunburst Biorganics, asking them to stop selling the products. The letters state that the products, sold on the firms' Web sites, are unapproved drugs that are marketed in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The FDA is advising consumers to consult their doctor if they experience problems that may be due to the products. The agency also asks consumers to report problems with the products to MedWatch, the FDA's voluntary reporting program: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm; 800-332-1088; Fax: 800-332-0178; and MedWatch, Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md., 20852-9787.

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Study Suggests Fewer U.S. Workers Using Cocaine

There was a 15.9 percent decline in positive test results for cocaine use among American workers during the first six months of 2007 compared to 2006, according a report released Thursday by Quest Diagnostics.

The highest declines occurred in New England and in an area that includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

The rate of positive cocaine tests is at it lowest level since Quest, which conducts workplace drug testing, started reporting on cocaine rates a decade ago, said Barry Sample, director of science and technology for the Employer Solutions division of Quest.

"While it is too soon to point to a trend, the significant decline in positivity rates in different workforce categories and across regions may suggest that our nation's workers are choosing not to use cocaine or that they lack access to the drug," Sample said in a prepared statement.

"These data are encouraging," said John Walters, director of U.S. National Drug Control Policy.

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