Health Headlines - May 28

Poorer Hospitalized More Often for Preventable Conditions: Report

In 2006, hospital admissions for asthma and diabetes were 87 percent and 77 percent higher, respectively, for the poorest Americans than for wealthier people, according to a federal government report released Wednesday.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said that, compared to people from wealthier communities, those from the poorest areas had higher hospitalization rates for other potentially preventable conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (69 percent), congestive heart failure (51 percent), skin infections (49 percent), and dehydration (38 percent).

Patients from the poorest communities were also more likely to be hospitalized for severe blood infections, stroke and depression, said the AHRQ's latest News and Numbers.

The report also said hospitalized patients from the poorest areas were 80 percent more likely to receive hemodialysis for kidney failure, and were more likely to undergo procedures often done on an outpatient basis, such as eye and ear procedures (81 percent more likely).

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FDA Issues TV Drug Ad Guidelines

Drug and medical device ads on TV shouldn't overstate drugs' benefits while downplaying their risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a new draft guidance.

In issuing the guidelines, the FDA noted that the omission or minimization of risk information was the most common violation cited in enforcement or warning letters, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The proposed advertising guidelines offer several suggestions on how drug and medical device makers can avoid breaking FDA rules. For example, the agency said that a product that requires monthly blood tests to check for liver damage should clearly state that fact, instead of telling patients and health-care professionals there is a need for "certain monitoring." The FDA also advised companies against the use of distracting music and images and music that may affect consumers' ability to learn about potential side effects.

The draft guidelines were posted Tuesday on the FDA Web site. The agency is accepting comments for 90 days before issuing final guidelines, the Journal reported.

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Test for Early Alzheimer's Moving Forward: Report

If all goes according to plan, the first test to detect Alzheimer's disease in its early stages could be available within 12 to 18 months, according to U.S. researchers. They said early diagnosis could help slow progression of the disease.

The test, which detects abnormal function of a protein involved in memory storage, has been tested on hundreds of patients and proved highly accurate, but the scientists want to use it on thousands more people before the test is marketed, the Associated Press reported.

"This may be a way of monitoring how effective a treatment is for Alzheimer's disease," said Dr Daniel Alkon, scientific director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute.

The West Virginia University-based institute on Wednesday was to announce a contract with Inverness Medical Innovations Inc. of Massachusetts, under which Inverness would bankroll development of the new diagnostic test for at least three years, the AP reported.

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Minnesota Boy to Undergo Chemotherapy

A 13-year-old Minnesota boy with cancer who fled with his mother to avoid chemotherapy will undergo the treatment Thursday.

Daniel Hauser, who has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, was scheduled to be examined Wednesday by a pediatric oncologist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. His parents have agreed to allow him to receive a round of chemotherapy on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

Colleen and Anthony Hauser had opposed chemotherapy for Daniel because the family prefers natural healing practices advocated by a religious group that says it follows American Indian beliefs. Colleen and Daniel returned home Monday after spending six days on the run in violation of a court order.

A judge allowed the parents to keep custody of Daniel in exchange for agreeing to the hospital treatment for their son, even though an attorney for family services in Brown County opposed the move, the AP reported.