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.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Health Headlines - September 13
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.
Airline Travel Could Hasten Flu's Spread
Airplane travel during flu season has a significant impact on influenza's spread, and limiting such travel could help stem a pandemic, researchers say.
Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard University compared flu deaths in 122 cities to airline-travel trends during nine flu seasons between 1996 and 2005, The New York Times reported. The researchers found a link between fluctuations in travel and how quickly flu appeared to spread.
The link appeared particularly significant in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when a temporary flight ban was imposed and airline travel was at its lowest level than at any other time during the study period.
Overall, the researchers found that the number of travelers -- notably between September and November each year -- was directly related to the timing and severity of the annual U.S. flu season, the newspaper reported.
Travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, in particular, was a "central event" in determining how quickly flu spread, the Times reported. The fewer domestic passengers that traveled during the holiday, the slower flu moved across the country.
The study authors acknowledged that their research depended largely on voluntary reports, which aren't always reliable, the Times said. The research appears in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) - Medicine.
Antidepressant Linked to Violent Behavior
Study participants who took the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) were twice as likely to have violent episodes as those who took a placebo, a British study concludes.
The GlaxoSmithKline drug is among a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prior research has linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The new study from researchers at Cardiff University and the Cochrane Centre is published on the Public Library of Science (PLoS) - Medicine Web site. The scientists studied data provided by several sources, including Glaxo, according to Britain's The Guardian newspaper.
"The new issues highlighted by these cases need urgent examination in all countries where antidepressants are widely used," the researchers wrote.
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.
Airline Travel Could Hasten Flu's Spread
Airplane travel during flu season has a significant impact on influenza's spread, and limiting such travel could help stem a pandemic, researchers say.
Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard University compared flu deaths in 122 cities to airline-travel trends during nine flu seasons between 1996 and 2005, The New York Times reported. The researchers found a link between fluctuations in travel and how quickly flu appeared to spread.
The link appeared particularly significant in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when a temporary flight ban was imposed and airline travel was at its lowest level than at any other time during the study period.
Overall, the researchers found that the number of travelers -- notably between September and November each year -- was directly related to the timing and severity of the annual U.S. flu season, the newspaper reported.
Travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, in particular, was a "central event" in determining how quickly flu spread, the Times reported. The fewer domestic passengers that traveled during the holiday, the slower flu moved across the country.
The study authors acknowledged that their research depended largely on voluntary reports, which aren't always reliable, the Times said. The research appears in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) - Medicine.
Antidepressant Linked to Violent Behavior
Study participants who took the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) were twice as likely to have violent episodes as those who took a placebo, a British study concludes.
The GlaxoSmithKline drug is among a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prior research has linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The new study from researchers at Cardiff University and the Cochrane Centre is published on the Public Library of Science (PLoS) - Medicine Web site. The scientists studied data provided by several sources, including Glaxo, according to Britain's The Guardian newspaper.
"The new issues highlighted by these cases need urgent examination in all countries where antidepressants are widely used," the researchers wrote.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Health Headlines - September 12
Medicare Premiums to Rise for Wealthier
Medicare beneficiaries with bigger incomes will have to pay higher premiums next year, a departure from the traditional one-premium-fits-all approach, the New York Times reported Monday.
Up to 2 million Medicare beneficiaries with incomes of $80,000 or more will be affected, the newspaper said. For those earning $200,000 or more, the current $88.50 monthly premium is expected to quadruple by 2009.
The surcharge for wealthier beneficiaries was a provision in the 2003 law that established prescription drug coverage for Medicare participants. It affects people who participate in Part B, a voluntary program that covers services such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and outpatient hospital care, the Times reported.
The Bush administration is expected to announce the 2007 standard monthly premium later this month, the newspaper said. In July, administration officials estimated it would be $98.50, although the actual number will be computed by the U.S. Social Security Administration using 2005 tax returns.
While opponents of the surcharge say it could drive many people out of Medicare, supporters say it's needed to keep the financially ailing program viable, the Times said. The surcharge will be phased in from 2007 to 2009.
On another front, advocates for the disabled on Monday urged the federal overseers of Medicare to reverse the planned implementation of new rules that the advocates say would limit reimbursement for high-tech scooters and wheelchairs.
The new rules, to be launched Oct. 1, would restrict coverage for most Medicare beneficiaries to inexpensive, low-powered models that the advocates say wouldn't meet the needs of most patients with disabilities such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or post polio syndrome.
"These changes will impact the thousands of people who will need power wheelchairs and scooters," Andrew Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said in a statement. "As Baby Boomers grow older, there will be an increased need to meet their mobility needs, but Medicare won't be there for them."
The coalition issuing the statement also included the Clinician Task Force and the Independence Care System.
Cigarette Maker Denies Raising Nicotine Levels
The largest U.S. cigarette maker is denying the conclusions of a Massachusetts government study that cites a steady increase in cigarettes' nicotine levels over the past six years, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Philip Morris USA, whose most famous brand is Marlboro, said nicotine levels may have fluctuated in cigarettes, but denies the purposeful, steady rise cited by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the wire service reported.
"There are variations in the nicotine yield for different Marlboro packings, both up and down from year-to-year, but there is no general trend up or down," according to a company statement cited by the AP.
The state study released last month evaluated more than 100 brands over six years. The researchers concluded that regardless of brand, nicotine yields had risen in cigarettes by about 10 percent during the span.
Massachusetts is one of three states that requires cigarette makers to submit periodic reports of nicotine levels in their products, the wire service said. The state reportedly has the oldest data going back to 1997.
Sinus Antibiotic Causes Skin Reactions: Experts
The powerful antibiotic Factive (gemifloxacin) may cause serious skin reactions and its effects should be studied further before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers its approval to treat acute sinus infections, FDA advisors said in documents released Monday.
The FDA approved Factive in 2003 to treat pneumonia and acute bronchitis, the Associated Press reported. Maker Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp. has applied for expanded FDA approval to treat acute bacterial sinusitis.
But Factive, in both real-world use and clinical testing, appeared to have a greater risk of skin rashes than similar antibiotics, the AP reported.
On Tuesday, an expert panel advising the FDA will consider whether Factive's benefits outweigh its risks in treating sinus infections. The full agency usually follows the recommendations of its advisory panels in granting or denying approval.
Hand Gel Said to Kill Bird Flu Virus
A new hand gel has proven effective in killing the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus that officials have long feared could trigger a global human pandemic, the gel's maker said Monday.
United Kingdom-based Dermasalve Sciences said its tests confirmed a 99.99 percent success rate in killing the H5N1 virus within 30 seconds of a single application, Dow Jones reported. Dermasalve said the gel's active ingredient remains potent for 30 minutes.
The product, developed in conjunction with Drug Delivery Solutions Limited, will be produced starting in October, Dow Jones said.
The European Commission, meanwhile, has approved two injected bird flu vaccines to immunize fowl, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The first vaccine, called Nobilis Influenza H5N2, was approved for use in chickens. The second, Poulvac FluFend H5N3 RG, was sanctioned for use in chickens and Peking ducks, the wire service said.
The EC said while there are no bird flu outbreaks in the region at the moment, the risk of disease is expected to rise once autumn migration begins, according to the AP.
Latest Vioxx Trial Gets Underway
The latest lawsuit accusing drug maker Merck & Co. of ignoring the heart risks of the now-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx began Monday in a New Orleans federal courtroom.
What makes this case different, the Associated Press reported, is that the man suing the company began taking Vioxx after Merck's launch of a revised label that warned of an increased risk of heart attack.
Kentucky maintenance supervisor Robert Garry Smith, 56, said that despite the labeling, he didn't comprehend the drug's dangers until his February 2003 heart attack. "I was a perfectly healthy man until I took Vioxx and I had a heart attack," he said in a pretrial deposition.
The nine other people whose cases against Merck have already been heard in court all began taking Vioxx before April 2002, when the company revised the product's label to warn of potential heart risks, the wire service said.
Some 16,000 Vioxx lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts across the United States, the AP said. Merck has so far won five cases and lost four.
Medicare beneficiaries with bigger incomes will have to pay higher premiums next year, a departure from the traditional one-premium-fits-all approach, the New York Times reported Monday.
Up to 2 million Medicare beneficiaries with incomes of $80,000 or more will be affected, the newspaper said. For those earning $200,000 or more, the current $88.50 monthly premium is expected to quadruple by 2009.
The surcharge for wealthier beneficiaries was a provision in the 2003 law that established prescription drug coverage for Medicare participants. It affects people who participate in Part B, a voluntary program that covers services such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and outpatient hospital care, the Times reported.
The Bush administration is expected to announce the 2007 standard monthly premium later this month, the newspaper said. In July, administration officials estimated it would be $98.50, although the actual number will be computed by the U.S. Social Security Administration using 2005 tax returns.
While opponents of the surcharge say it could drive many people out of Medicare, supporters say it's needed to keep the financially ailing program viable, the Times said. The surcharge will be phased in from 2007 to 2009.
On another front, advocates for the disabled on Monday urged the federal overseers of Medicare to reverse the planned implementation of new rules that the advocates say would limit reimbursement for high-tech scooters and wheelchairs.
The new rules, to be launched Oct. 1, would restrict coverage for most Medicare beneficiaries to inexpensive, low-powered models that the advocates say wouldn't meet the needs of most patients with disabilities such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or post polio syndrome.
"These changes will impact the thousands of people who will need power wheelchairs and scooters," Andrew Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, said in a statement. "As Baby Boomers grow older, there will be an increased need to meet their mobility needs, but Medicare won't be there for them."
The coalition issuing the statement also included the Clinician Task Force and the Independence Care System.
Cigarette Maker Denies Raising Nicotine Levels
The largest U.S. cigarette maker is denying the conclusions of a Massachusetts government study that cites a steady increase in cigarettes' nicotine levels over the past six years, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Philip Morris USA, whose most famous brand is Marlboro, said nicotine levels may have fluctuated in cigarettes, but denies the purposeful, steady rise cited by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the wire service reported.
"There are variations in the nicotine yield for different Marlboro packings, both up and down from year-to-year, but there is no general trend up or down," according to a company statement cited by the AP.
The state study released last month evaluated more than 100 brands over six years. The researchers concluded that regardless of brand, nicotine yields had risen in cigarettes by about 10 percent during the span.
Massachusetts is one of three states that requires cigarette makers to submit periodic reports of nicotine levels in their products, the wire service said. The state reportedly has the oldest data going back to 1997.
Sinus Antibiotic Causes Skin Reactions: Experts
The powerful antibiotic Factive (gemifloxacin) may cause serious skin reactions and its effects should be studied further before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers its approval to treat acute sinus infections, FDA advisors said in documents released Monday.
The FDA approved Factive in 2003 to treat pneumonia and acute bronchitis, the Associated Press reported. Maker Oscient Pharmaceuticals Corp. has applied for expanded FDA approval to treat acute bacterial sinusitis.
But Factive, in both real-world use and clinical testing, appeared to have a greater risk of skin rashes than similar antibiotics, the AP reported.
On Tuesday, an expert panel advising the FDA will consider whether Factive's benefits outweigh its risks in treating sinus infections. The full agency usually follows the recommendations of its advisory panels in granting or denying approval.
Hand Gel Said to Kill Bird Flu Virus
A new hand gel has proven effective in killing the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus that officials have long feared could trigger a global human pandemic, the gel's maker said Monday.
United Kingdom-based Dermasalve Sciences said its tests confirmed a 99.99 percent success rate in killing the H5N1 virus within 30 seconds of a single application, Dow Jones reported. Dermasalve said the gel's active ingredient remains potent for 30 minutes.
The product, developed in conjunction with Drug Delivery Solutions Limited, will be produced starting in October, Dow Jones said.
The European Commission, meanwhile, has approved two injected bird flu vaccines to immunize fowl, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The first vaccine, called Nobilis Influenza H5N2, was approved for use in chickens. The second, Poulvac FluFend H5N3 RG, was sanctioned for use in chickens and Peking ducks, the wire service said.
The EC said while there are no bird flu outbreaks in the region at the moment, the risk of disease is expected to rise once autumn migration begins, according to the AP.
Latest Vioxx Trial Gets Underway
The latest lawsuit accusing drug maker Merck & Co. of ignoring the heart risks of the now-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx began Monday in a New Orleans federal courtroom.
What makes this case different, the Associated Press reported, is that the man suing the company began taking Vioxx after Merck's launch of a revised label that warned of an increased risk of heart attack.
Kentucky maintenance supervisor Robert Garry Smith, 56, said that despite the labeling, he didn't comprehend the drug's dangers until his February 2003 heart attack. "I was a perfectly healthy man until I took Vioxx and I had a heart attack," he said in a pretrial deposition.
The nine other people whose cases against Merck have already been heard in court all began taking Vioxx before April 2002, when the company revised the product's label to warn of potential heart risks, the wire service said.
Some 16,000 Vioxx lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts across the United States, the AP said. Merck has so far won five cases and lost four.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Health Headlines - September 11
Ibuprofen Can Lessen Aspirin's Cardiovascular Benefits, FDA Says
Taking the pain relievers aspirin and ibuprofen at the same time may lessen aspirin's effects in preventing a heart attack, a U.S. government agency warns.
The Food and Drug Administration says that combining low dose aspirin (usually 81 mg) with 400 mg of ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin) reduces the antiplatelet effect on the heart the low dose aspirin provides.
In its Sept. 8 report to consumers, the FDA said there is no evidence that taking the two anti-pain medications is harmful, but that ibuprofen has been shown to reduce aspirin's cardio-protective benefit.
But, says the FDA, you can take the two drugs within a reasonable time of each other, under certain circumstances. The research showed that a person could take ibuprofen 30 minutes after taking aspirin. Or aspirin could be taken 8 hours after taking ibuprofen.
Most important, the agency says, check with your physician, especially if you're taking aspirin as part of a daily heart regimen.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Could Cause Damage After Hip Surgery
Anti-inflammatory drugs used six months after hip replacement surgery demonstrate no more pain relief than when they're not used, a new study from Australia and New Zealand says. Furthermore, the use of ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin, Advil) may actually cause unnecessary bleeding, the researchers found.
Scientists from The George Institute for International Health studied post-operative treatment of more than 900 patients, concentrating on the development of ectopic bone formation, which can occur 6-to-12 months after hip surgery. This bone develops in about one-third of hip replacement patients, the researchers say. It forms in soft tissue around the operated hip and can cause inflammation and pain.
While ibuprofen can "greatly reduce" the chances of ectopic bone formation, the scientists, said, it also considerably increases the chance of internal bleeding. And, they note, patients who didn't use ibuprofen reported no greater pain and discomfort 6-to-12 months after surgery than those who used the drug.
Anticipating a Bad Event Can Make the Memory of it Worse, Study Says
Sometimes, too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
In a small study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that being aware that something bad is about to happen is going to make a person remember it more vividly after the event occurs.
BBC News reports that the study, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found that a part of the brain that triggers memory retention activated when people anticipated an adverse event.
Researchers first showed 36 study subjects a series of symbols, followed by pictures depicting gruesome images, BBC news reported. The symbols indicated the subjects either were going to see the bad photos or be spared the experience. The subjects were quizzed 30 minutes after first having seen the pictures and again two weeks later.
The scientists concluded that those who saw the gruesome images were more likely to remember them more vividly than those who saw benign material. "Our study illustrates how the power of expectancy can extend to memory formation as well, the BBC quotes lead author Jack Nitschke as saying. "Just the expectation of seeing something bad can enhance the memory of it after it happens."
The research may be used in developing ways to treat post traumatic stress disorder, the researchers say.
Polio Vaccination Effort Begins in Parts of Africa
Attempting to counter claims by some Islamic clerics that the polio vaccine is part of a U.S. plot, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have embarked on a campaign to immunize almost 3 million children in the Horn of Africa this year against polio.
According to the Associated Press, the crippling disease has re-emerged in parts of Africa in recent years, and WHO officials are targeting children under 5-years-old in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. According to the health organization, Somalia has reported 215 cases, Ethipia has 37 reported cases since 2004, and Kenya has had no reported cases in 22 years.
The problem is that many people in Africa are nomadic, so the possibility of polio spreading is a real threat, the wire service reports. "Nomadic people move between these countries all the time, so the idea is to try to get to these children and protect them," the A.P. quotes Dr. Mohamed Dahir Duale, a Kenya-based doctor with WHO, as saying.
In 2003 some radical Islamic clerics claimed that the polio vaccine, first developed Dr. Jonas Salk in the United States in the 1950s, was part of a U.S.-led plot to render Nigeria's Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS. The vaccination program was stopped for more than a year, and cases of polio began to appear.
Major Changes in NYC Healthcare Use After 9/11: Study
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
Taking the pain relievers aspirin and ibuprofen at the same time may lessen aspirin's effects in preventing a heart attack, a U.S. government agency warns.
The Food and Drug Administration says that combining low dose aspirin (usually 81 mg) with 400 mg of ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin) reduces the antiplatelet effect on the heart the low dose aspirin provides.
In its Sept. 8 report to consumers, the FDA said there is no evidence that taking the two anti-pain medications is harmful, but that ibuprofen has been shown to reduce aspirin's cardio-protective benefit.
But, says the FDA, you can take the two drugs within a reasonable time of each other, under certain circumstances. The research showed that a person could take ibuprofen 30 minutes after taking aspirin. Or aspirin could be taken 8 hours after taking ibuprofen.
Most important, the agency says, check with your physician, especially if you're taking aspirin as part of a daily heart regimen.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Could Cause Damage After Hip Surgery
Anti-inflammatory drugs used six months after hip replacement surgery demonstrate no more pain relief than when they're not used, a new study from Australia and New Zealand says. Furthermore, the use of ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin, Advil) may actually cause unnecessary bleeding, the researchers found.
Scientists from The George Institute for International Health studied post-operative treatment of more than 900 patients, concentrating on the development of ectopic bone formation, which can occur 6-to-12 months after hip surgery. This bone develops in about one-third of hip replacement patients, the researchers say. It forms in soft tissue around the operated hip and can cause inflammation and pain.
While ibuprofen can "greatly reduce" the chances of ectopic bone formation, the scientists, said, it also considerably increases the chance of internal bleeding. And, they note, patients who didn't use ibuprofen reported no greater pain and discomfort 6-to-12 months after surgery than those who used the drug.
Anticipating a Bad Event Can Make the Memory of it Worse, Study Says
Sometimes, too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
In a small study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that being aware that something bad is about to happen is going to make a person remember it more vividly after the event occurs.
BBC News reports that the study, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found that a part of the brain that triggers memory retention activated when people anticipated an adverse event.
Researchers first showed 36 study subjects a series of symbols, followed by pictures depicting gruesome images, BBC news reported. The symbols indicated the subjects either were going to see the bad photos or be spared the experience. The subjects were quizzed 30 minutes after first having seen the pictures and again two weeks later.
The scientists concluded that those who saw the gruesome images were more likely to remember them more vividly than those who saw benign material. "Our study illustrates how the power of expectancy can extend to memory formation as well, the BBC quotes lead author Jack Nitschke as saying. "Just the expectation of seeing something bad can enhance the memory of it after it happens."
The research may be used in developing ways to treat post traumatic stress disorder, the researchers say.
Polio Vaccination Effort Begins in Parts of Africa
Attempting to counter claims by some Islamic clerics that the polio vaccine is part of a U.S. plot, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have embarked on a campaign to immunize almost 3 million children in the Horn of Africa this year against polio.
According to the Associated Press, the crippling disease has re-emerged in parts of Africa in recent years, and WHO officials are targeting children under 5-years-old in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. According to the health organization, Somalia has reported 215 cases, Ethipia has 37 reported cases since 2004, and Kenya has had no reported cases in 22 years.
The problem is that many people in Africa are nomadic, so the possibility of polio spreading is a real threat, the wire service reports. "Nomadic people move between these countries all the time, so the idea is to try to get to these children and protect them," the A.P. quotes Dr. Mohamed Dahir Duale, a Kenya-based doctor with WHO, as saying.
In 2003 some radical Islamic clerics claimed that the polio vaccine, first developed Dr. Jonas Salk in the United States in the 1950s, was part of a U.S.-led plot to render Nigeria's Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS. The vaccination program was stopped for more than a year, and cases of polio began to appear.
Major Changes in NYC Healthcare Use After 9/11: Study
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Health Headlines - September 10
Ibuprofen Can Lessen Aspirin's Cardiovascular Benefits, FDA Says
Taking the pain relievers aspirin and ibuprofen at the same time may lessen aspirin's effects in preventing a heart attack, a U.S. government agency warns.
The Food and Drug Administration says that combining low dose aspirin (usually 81 mg) with 400 mg of ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin) reduces the antiplatelet effect on the heart the low dose aspirin provides.
In its Sept. 8 report to consumers, the FDA said there is no evidence that taking the two anti-pain medications is harmful, but that ibuprofen has been shown to reduce aspirin's cardio-protective benefit.
But, says the FDA, you can take the two drugs within a reasonable time of each other, under certain circumstances. The research showed that a person could take ibuprofen 30 minutes after taking aspirin. Or aspirin could be taken 8 hours after taking ibuprofen.
Most important, the agency says, check with your physician, especially if you're taking aspirin as part of a daily heart regimen.
Polio Vaccination Effort Begins in Parts of Africa
Attempting to counter claims by some Islamic clerics that the polio vaccine is part of a U.S. plot, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have embarked on a campaign to immunize almost 3 million children in the Horn of Africa this year against polio.
According to the Associated Press, the crippling disease has re-emerged in parts of Africa in recent years, and WHO officials are targeting children under 5-years-old in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. According to the health organization, Somalia has reported 215 cases, Ethipia has 37 reported cases since 2004, and Kenya has had no reported cases in 22 years.
The problem is that many people in Africa are nomadic, so the possibility of polio spreading is a real threat, the wire service reports. "Nomadic people move between these countries all the time, so the idea is to try to get to these children and protect them," the A.P. quotes Dr. Mohamed Dahir Duale, a Kenya-based doctor with WHO, as saying.
In 2003 some radical Islamic clerics claimed that the polio vaccine, first developed Dr. Jonas Salk in the United States in the 1950s, was part of a U.S.-led plot to render Nigeria's Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS. The vaccination program was stopped for more than a year, and cases of polio began to appear.
Major Changes in NYC Healthcare Use After 9/11: Study
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Critics said the funds fall far short of expected expenses.
Physical Cleansing May Ease Guilt
Lady Macbeth's determined attempts at spot removal weren't so crazy after all.
A University of Toronto study says that washing your hands or having a shower after impure thoughts or actions can help cleanse your subconscious mind of guilt, the Toronto Star reported.
"We showed that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behavior and reduces threats to one's moral self-image," the study authors wrote. "Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they may seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality."
The study results are based on a series of experiments with 165 undergraduate students. The findings appear in the journal Science.
The researchers labeled this link between physical cleansing and easing of guilt the "Macbeth Effect," the Star reported. The label refers to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, who became obsessed with removing that "damned spot" of blood on her hands after her role in the murder of the Scottish king.
Drug-Coated Stent Increases Blood Clot Risk
Patients with Boston Scientific Corp.'s newer drug-coated Taxus stent have a higher risk of potentially fatal blood clots than patients with older bare-metal stents, a company study finds.
The company reviewed clinical data collected from 3,500 patients and found those with the drug-coated stent had a statistically significant higher rate of clotting in a period beginning six months after surgery, the Associated Press reported.
But there was no increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with the drug-coated stent.
The findings were presented to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shortly after the analysis was completed in late June. The company met with FDA officials August 1 to discuss the findings, Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan said Thursday. He said the findings will be published once complete data are available.
The Taxus stent is one of just two drug-coated stents on the U.S. market, the AP reported.
Stents are used to prop open coronary arteries after surgery to clear them of blockages. The drug coatings on the stents are meant to help prevent formation of scar tissue that can cause new blockages in the arteries.
Taking the pain relievers aspirin and ibuprofen at the same time may lessen aspirin's effects in preventing a heart attack, a U.S. government agency warns.
The Food and Drug Administration says that combining low dose aspirin (usually 81 mg) with 400 mg of ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin) reduces the antiplatelet effect on the heart the low dose aspirin provides.
In its Sept. 8 report to consumers, the FDA said there is no evidence that taking the two anti-pain medications is harmful, but that ibuprofen has been shown to reduce aspirin's cardio-protective benefit.
But, says the FDA, you can take the two drugs within a reasonable time of each other, under certain circumstances. The research showed that a person could take ibuprofen 30 minutes after taking aspirin. Or aspirin could be taken 8 hours after taking ibuprofen.
Most important, the agency says, check with your physician, especially if you're taking aspirin as part of a daily heart regimen.
Polio Vaccination Effort Begins in Parts of Africa
Attempting to counter claims by some Islamic clerics that the polio vaccine is part of a U.S. plot, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) have embarked on a campaign to immunize almost 3 million children in the Horn of Africa this year against polio.
According to the Associated Press, the crippling disease has re-emerged in parts of Africa in recent years, and WHO officials are targeting children under 5-years-old in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. According to the health organization, Somalia has reported 215 cases, Ethipia has 37 reported cases since 2004, and Kenya has had no reported cases in 22 years.
The problem is that many people in Africa are nomadic, so the possibility of polio spreading is a real threat, the wire service reports. "Nomadic people move between these countries all the time, so the idea is to try to get to these children and protect them," the A.P. quotes Dr. Mohamed Dahir Duale, a Kenya-based doctor with WHO, as saying.
In 2003 some radical Islamic clerics claimed that the polio vaccine, first developed Dr. Jonas Salk in the United States in the 1950s, was part of a U.S.-led plot to render Nigeria's Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS. The vaccination program was stopped for more than a year, and cases of polio began to appear.
Major Changes in NYC Healthcare Use After 9/11: Study
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Critics said the funds fall far short of expected expenses.
Physical Cleansing May Ease Guilt
Lady Macbeth's determined attempts at spot removal weren't so crazy after all.
A University of Toronto study says that washing your hands or having a shower after impure thoughts or actions can help cleanse your subconscious mind of guilt, the Toronto Star reported.
"We showed that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behavior and reduces threats to one's moral self-image," the study authors wrote. "Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they may seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality."
The study results are based on a series of experiments with 165 undergraduate students. The findings appear in the journal Science.
The researchers labeled this link between physical cleansing and easing of guilt the "Macbeth Effect," the Star reported. The label refers to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, who became obsessed with removing that "damned spot" of blood on her hands after her role in the murder of the Scottish king.
Drug-Coated Stent Increases Blood Clot Risk
Patients with Boston Scientific Corp.'s newer drug-coated Taxus stent have a higher risk of potentially fatal blood clots than patients with older bare-metal stents, a company study finds.
The company reviewed clinical data collected from 3,500 patients and found those with the drug-coated stent had a statistically significant higher rate of clotting in a period beginning six months after surgery, the Associated Press reported.
But there was no increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with the drug-coated stent.
The findings were presented to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shortly after the analysis was completed in late June. The company met with FDA officials August 1 to discuss the findings, Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan said Thursday. He said the findings will be published once complete data are available.
The Taxus stent is one of just two drug-coated stents on the U.S. market, the AP reported.
Stents are used to prop open coronary arteries after surgery to clear them of blockages. The drug coatings on the stents are meant to help prevent formation of scar tissue that can cause new blockages in the arteries.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Health Headlines - September 9
Major Changes in NYC Healthcare Use After 9/11: Study
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Critics said the funds fall far short of expected expenses.
Physical Cleansing May Ease Guilt
Lady Macbeth's determined attempts at spot removal weren't so crazy after all.
A University of Toronto study says that washing your hands or having a shower after impure thoughts or actions can help cleanse your subconscious mind of guilt, the Toronto Star reported.
"We showed that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behavior and reduces threats to one's moral self-image," the study authors wrote. "Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they may seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality."
The study results are based on a series of experiments with 165 undergraduate students. The findings appear in the journal Science.
The researchers labeled this link between physical cleansing and easing of guilt the "Macbeth Effect," the Star reported. The label refers to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, who became obsessed with removing that "damned spot" of blood on her hands after her role in the murder of the Scottish king.
Drug-Coated Stent Increases Blood Clot Risk
Patients with Boston Scientific Corp.'s newer drug-coated Taxus stent have a higher risk of potentially fatal blood clots than patients with older bare-metal stents, a company study finds.
The company reviewed clinical data collected from 3,500 patients and found those with the drug-coated stent had a statistically significant higher rate of clotting in a period beginning six months after surgery, the Associated Press reported.
But there was no increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with the drug-coated stent.
The findings were presented to the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration shortly after the analysis was completed in late June. The company met with FDA officials August 1 to discuss the findings, Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan said Thursday. He said the findings will be published once complete data are available.
The Taxus stent is one of just two drug-coated stents on the U.S. market, the AP reported.
Stents are used to prop open coronary arteries after surgery to clear them of blockages. The drug coatings on the stents are meant to help prevent formation of scar tissue that can cause new blockages in the arteries.
Brain-Damaged Woman Displays Signs of Awareness
Brain imaging scans showed clear signs of conscious awareness in a severely brain-damaged woman in a vegetative state, according to a U.K. study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) -- which reveals changes in activity in specific brain regions -- to scan the woman's brain five months after she was injured in a traffic accident, the New York Times reported.
When the researchers spoke sentences to the woman, the fMRI detected increased activity in brain areas associated with language, similar to what was seen in healthy people.
In another test, the researchers asked the woman to imagine playing tennis or walking through her house. This produced peaks in the her premotor and other brain areas that were also similar to brain responses in healthy people.
While the finding may raise the hopes of families of unresponsive, brain-damaged people, neurologists caution that the study involves only one patient, the Times reported.
And in a news release about the study, Science said that the finding "should not be used to generalize about all other patients in a vegetative state, particularly since each case may involve a different type of injury."
New Study of Heart Failure Drug Ordered
A study on the safety and effectiveness of the heart failure drug Natrecor will be conducted by the Duke Clinical Research Institute at the request of Johnson & Johnson's Scios Inc. unit, which makes the drug.
Johnson & Johnson said the study, which will include about 7,000 patients, will likely begin enrolling participants in the first half of 2007, the Associated Press reported.
Natrecor sales suffered a sharp decline over the past year after some scientists said the drug may increase the risk of kidney problems and death.
Natrecor was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001 after tests showed the drug improved shortness of breath in patients with acute decompensated heart failure, where the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively.
There was a sharp decline in healthcare usage in the New York City region during the three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but usage then rose above expected levels over the following months, concludes a study in the September issue of the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism.
Researchers analyzed health insurance claims from January 2000 to March 2002 for more than two million residents of the New York City region.
The greatest decline in healthcare usage in the weeks after Sept. 11 was among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center (WTC) site. For example, there was an overall 11 percent decline in visits to doctors' offices in the three weeks after 9/11, but a 15 percent decline in office visits by people who lived within a 10-mile radius of the WTC.
The decline in office visits in those first few weeks was likely related to disruptions in access to healthcare services or transportation, the researchers said. In addition, many people may have decided to postpone healthcare visits in order to take care of more immediate issues.
Insurance claims for mental health services were lower than expected for the six months after 9/11. The researchers suggested a number of possible reasons, such people taking advantage of free mental health services, or many not recognizing their need for mental health care. Mental stress may have also manifested as physical illness, which resulted in increased healthcare use for conditions such as chest pain, ulcers, fainting, and irregular heart beats.
Between October 2001 and March 2002, the number of visits to doctors' offices was more than 200,000 over expected levels, the study found.
In related news, residents living near the World Trade Center site said the U.S. federal government has ignored health problems they have suffered as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
At a meeting held Thursday, accountant Tom Goodkind, 52, said that while there are programs for rescue/cleanup workers, little has been done for area residents, the Associated Press reported.
"I don't think that any of these groups have looked at the children of our neighborhoods," Goodkind said.
"Collateral damage, that's what I feel like," said tenant group leader Diane Lapson.
Also on Thursday, the Bush administration said it would provide $75 million for health programs for sick Sept. 11 rescue/cleanup workers.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Critics said the funds fall far short of expected expenses.
Physical Cleansing May Ease Guilt
Lady Macbeth's determined attempts at spot removal weren't so crazy after all.
A University of Toronto study says that washing your hands or having a shower after impure thoughts or actions can help cleanse your subconscious mind of guilt, the Toronto Star reported.
"We showed that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behavior and reduces threats to one's moral self-image," the study authors wrote. "Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they may seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality."
The study results are based on a series of experiments with 165 undergraduate students. The findings appear in the journal Science.
The researchers labeled this link between physical cleansing and easing of guilt the "Macbeth Effect," the Star reported. The label refers to Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, who became obsessed with removing that "damned spot" of blood on her hands after her role in the murder of the Scottish king.
Drug-Coated Stent Increases Blood Clot Risk
Patients with Boston Scientific Corp.'s newer drug-coated Taxus stent have a higher risk of potentially fatal blood clots than patients with older bare-metal stents, a company study finds.
The company reviewed clinical data collected from 3,500 patients and found those with the drug-coated stent had a statistically significant higher rate of clotting in a period beginning six months after surgery, the Associated Press reported.
But there was no increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with the drug-coated stent.
The findings were presented to the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration shortly after the analysis was completed in late June. The company met with FDA officials August 1 to discuss the findings, Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan said Thursday. He said the findings will be published once complete data are available.
The Taxus stent is one of just two drug-coated stents on the U.S. market, the AP reported.
Stents are used to prop open coronary arteries after surgery to clear them of blockages. The drug coatings on the stents are meant to help prevent formation of scar tissue that can cause new blockages in the arteries.
Brain-Damaged Woman Displays Signs of Awareness
Brain imaging scans showed clear signs of conscious awareness in a severely brain-damaged woman in a vegetative state, according to a U.K. study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) -- which reveals changes in activity in specific brain regions -- to scan the woman's brain five months after she was injured in a traffic accident, the New York Times reported.
When the researchers spoke sentences to the woman, the fMRI detected increased activity in brain areas associated with language, similar to what was seen in healthy people.
In another test, the researchers asked the woman to imagine playing tennis or walking through her house. This produced peaks in the her premotor and other brain areas that were also similar to brain responses in healthy people.
While the finding may raise the hopes of families of unresponsive, brain-damaged people, neurologists caution that the study involves only one patient, the Times reported.
And in a news release about the study, Science said that the finding "should not be used to generalize about all other patients in a vegetative state, particularly since each case may involve a different type of injury."
New Study of Heart Failure Drug Ordered
A study on the safety and effectiveness of the heart failure drug Natrecor will be conducted by the Duke Clinical Research Institute at the request of Johnson & Johnson's Scios Inc. unit, which makes the drug.
Johnson & Johnson said the study, which will include about 7,000 patients, will likely begin enrolling participants in the first half of 2007, the Associated Press reported.
Natrecor sales suffered a sharp decline over the past year after some scientists said the drug may increase the risk of kidney problems and death.
Natrecor was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001 after tests showed the drug improved shortness of breath in patients with acute decompensated heart failure, where the heart suddenly stops pumping effectively.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Health Headlines - September 8
White House Pledges $75 Million for Ground Zero Illnesses
The White House has promised $75 million to treat health problems affecting thousands of Ground Zero rescue/cleanup workers and volunteers.
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said Thursday that the money would be delivered to Sept. 11 health programs by the end of this month, the Associated Press reported.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"If the $75 million proves to be inadequate, the federal government will be part of a coordinated effort to solve whatever the balance of the problem is," Leavitt told reporters after he met with sick Ground Zero workers, members of New York's congressional delegation, and other members of Congress.
While the $75 million is a start, it won't be anywhere near enough to cover all the treatment costs for Ground Zero workers suffering from lung, gastrointestinal, and mental health problems, said Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y) and Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.).
Her group's share of the $75 million could be spent within a year, said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center program in New York studying the health of Ground Zero workers, the AP reported.
Illicit Drug Use Rising Among U.S. Baby Boomers
The rate of illicit drug use among U.S. baby boomers ages 50 to 59 increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2005. At the same time, drug abuse among young teens declined from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005, according to a federal government report released Thursday.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found little change in overall drug use among Americans age 12 and older. In 2005, about 19.7 million Americans (8.1 percent) used illicit drugs, the Associated Press reported.
Baby boomers weren't the only group that showed an increase in illicit drug use. Drug use among people ages 18 to 25 also rose from 19.4 percent to 20.1 percent.
Marijuana was the drug of choice in all age groups. Overall, 14.6 million Americans used marijuana in 2005, compared to about 2.4 million who used cocaine, and 6.4 million who used prescription drugs -- such as painkillers, sedatives or tranquilizers -- for nonmedical purposes.
The annual survey involves interviews with about 67,500 people, 12 and older. The survey also found that alcohol use increased in 2005, while tobacco use held steady.
Extremely Drug-Resistant TB Found in South Africa
An extremely drug-resistant form of tuberculosis identified in South Africa has likely spread beyond the rural area where 52 of the 53 people diagnosed with the dangerous strain have died, says Dr. Tony Moll, who discovered the new strain.
Moll, who works at a government hospital in the Kwazulu-Natal region of eastern South Africa, told the Associated Press that the deadly strain has been identified in miners who are always on the move and, therefore, can probably be found throughout the country.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning that people could be dying in places that don't have the resources to fight this resistant TB.
The WHO said drugs from two of the six medicines used as a last line of defence against TB were ineffective against this new strain, the AP reported.
Moll noted that TB has been on the rise in South Africa because HIV/AIDS has lowered the ability of so many people to fight TB and other infections.
FDA Advisers Recommend Against Leukemia Drug
A proposed drug to treat the most common form of adult leukemia should not receive federal approval, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel recommended Wednesday.
FDA scientists had previously said more leukemia patients responded to chemotherapy when the drug, Genasense, was added to their treatment therapy, but added that the overall difference was of "questionable clinical significance," the Associated Press reported. The drug also appeared to increase the treatment's toxicity, the FDA said.
Genasense would be administered with two other drugs to treat leukemia patients, according to manufacturer Genta Inc., of Berkeley Heights, N.J. The FDA panel vote of cancer experts was 7-3 against approval, the AP reported. The FDA isn't required to follow the advice of its advisory panels, but typically does.
Gene Turns Off Stem-Cell Regeneration with Age
A gene called p16-Ink4a switches off stem cells as a person ages in order to reduce the risk of cancer and this process may be a factor in age-related health problems, according to research published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.
U.S. scientists found that the gene, already known for its role in suppressing tumors, balances the production of new replacement cells (a requirement for continued life) against the risk of cancer, which occurs when cells continue to divide uncontrollably, The New York Times reported.
To counterbalance the increased risk of cancer linked with age, the p16-Ink4a gene gradually reduces stem cells' ability to proliferate, the scientists found. The research was conducted in mice that lacked the p16-Ink4a gene, but it's believed that the finding is likely valid in humans, too.
The scientists said the finding suggests that many age-related degenerative diseases are not the result of deterioration caused by daily wear-and-tear, but by this gene's switching off of stem cells that renew the body's various tissues, the Times reported.
If stem cells are switched off with age, it may not be possible to use a patient's own adult stem cells to treat disease, the scientists noted.
DEA Proposal Allows 90-day Supply of Painkillers
Americans who take powerful prescription pain killers for chronic pain may be able to get a 90-day supply instead of the current 30-day supply, under a proposal announced Wednesday by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The new proposal makes it clear that doctors could prescribe up to a 90-day supply of prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and codeine without fear of prosecution by the DEA, the Associated Press reported.
"Today's policy statement reaffirms that DEA wants doctors to treat pain as is appropriate under accepted medical community standards," DEA chief Karen Tandy said at a news briefing. "Physicians acting in accordance with accepted medical practice should be confident that they will not be criminally charged."
No EPO in U.S. Sprinter's "B" Sample
Testing on American sprinter Marion Jones' "B" sample did not detect the banned endurance enhancer EPO, her lawyers said Wednesday night.
Jones initially tested positive for EPO on June 23 after she won the 100 meters at the U.S. nationals. But the negative result on the "B" sample means that the initial "A" sample test result will be discarded, the Associated Press reported.
This clears the way for Jones to return to competition.
"I am absolutely ecstatic. I have always maintained that I have never ever taken performance-enhancing drugs, and I am pleased that a scientific process has now demonstrated that fact," Jones said in a statement released by her lawyers.
The White House has promised $75 million to treat health problems affecting thousands of Ground Zero rescue/cleanup workers and volunteers.
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said Thursday that the money would be delivered to Sept. 11 health programs by the end of this month, the Associated Press reported.
It's the first federal money for health problems related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"If the $75 million proves to be inadequate, the federal government will be part of a coordinated effort to solve whatever the balance of the problem is," Leavitt told reporters after he met with sick Ground Zero workers, members of New York's congressional delegation, and other members of Congress.
While the $75 million is a start, it won't be anywhere near enough to cover all the treatment costs for Ground Zero workers suffering from lung, gastrointestinal, and mental health problems, said Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y) and Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.).
Her group's share of the $75 million could be spent within a year, said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center program in New York studying the health of Ground Zero workers, the AP reported.
Illicit Drug Use Rising Among U.S. Baby Boomers
The rate of illicit drug use among U.S. baby boomers ages 50 to 59 increased from 2.7 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2005. At the same time, drug abuse among young teens declined from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005, according to a federal government report released Thursday.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found little change in overall drug use among Americans age 12 and older. In 2005, about 19.7 million Americans (8.1 percent) used illicit drugs, the Associated Press reported.
Baby boomers weren't the only group that showed an increase in illicit drug use. Drug use among people ages 18 to 25 also rose from 19.4 percent to 20.1 percent.
Marijuana was the drug of choice in all age groups. Overall, 14.6 million Americans used marijuana in 2005, compared to about 2.4 million who used cocaine, and 6.4 million who used prescription drugs -- such as painkillers, sedatives or tranquilizers -- for nonmedical purposes.
The annual survey involves interviews with about 67,500 people, 12 and older. The survey also found that alcohol use increased in 2005, while tobacco use held steady.
Extremely Drug-Resistant TB Found in South Africa
An extremely drug-resistant form of tuberculosis identified in South Africa has likely spread beyond the rural area where 52 of the 53 people diagnosed with the dangerous strain have died, says Dr. Tony Moll, who discovered the new strain.
Moll, who works at a government hospital in the Kwazulu-Natal region of eastern South Africa, told the Associated Press that the deadly strain has been identified in miners who are always on the move and, therefore, can probably be found throughout the country.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning that people could be dying in places that don't have the resources to fight this resistant TB.
The WHO said drugs from two of the six medicines used as a last line of defence against TB were ineffective against this new strain, the AP reported.
Moll noted that TB has been on the rise in South Africa because HIV/AIDS has lowered the ability of so many people to fight TB and other infections.
FDA Advisers Recommend Against Leukemia Drug
A proposed drug to treat the most common form of adult leukemia should not receive federal approval, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel recommended Wednesday.
FDA scientists had previously said more leukemia patients responded to chemotherapy when the drug, Genasense, was added to their treatment therapy, but added that the overall difference was of "questionable clinical significance," the Associated Press reported. The drug also appeared to increase the treatment's toxicity, the FDA said.
Genasense would be administered with two other drugs to treat leukemia patients, according to manufacturer Genta Inc., of Berkeley Heights, N.J. The FDA panel vote of cancer experts was 7-3 against approval, the AP reported. The FDA isn't required to follow the advice of its advisory panels, but typically does.
Gene Turns Off Stem-Cell Regeneration with Age
A gene called p16-Ink4a switches off stem cells as a person ages in order to reduce the risk of cancer and this process may be a factor in age-related health problems, according to research published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.
U.S. scientists found that the gene, already known for its role in suppressing tumors, balances the production of new replacement cells (a requirement for continued life) against the risk of cancer, which occurs when cells continue to divide uncontrollably, The New York Times reported.
To counterbalance the increased risk of cancer linked with age, the p16-Ink4a gene gradually reduces stem cells' ability to proliferate, the scientists found. The research was conducted in mice that lacked the p16-Ink4a gene, but it's believed that the finding is likely valid in humans, too.
The scientists said the finding suggests that many age-related degenerative diseases are not the result of deterioration caused by daily wear-and-tear, but by this gene's switching off of stem cells that renew the body's various tissues, the Times reported.
If stem cells are switched off with age, it may not be possible to use a patient's own adult stem cells to treat disease, the scientists noted.
DEA Proposal Allows 90-day Supply of Painkillers
Americans who take powerful prescription pain killers for chronic pain may be able to get a 90-day supply instead of the current 30-day supply, under a proposal announced Wednesday by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The new proposal makes it clear that doctors could prescribe up to a 90-day supply of prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin and codeine without fear of prosecution by the DEA, the Associated Press reported.
"Today's policy statement reaffirms that DEA wants doctors to treat pain as is appropriate under accepted medical community standards," DEA chief Karen Tandy said at a news briefing. "Physicians acting in accordance with accepted medical practice should be confident that they will not be criminally charged."
No EPO in U.S. Sprinter's "B" Sample
Testing on American sprinter Marion Jones' "B" sample did not detect the banned endurance enhancer EPO, her lawyers said Wednesday night.
Jones initially tested positive for EPO on June 23 after she won the 100 meters at the U.S. nationals. But the negative result on the "B" sample means that the initial "A" sample test result will be discarded, the Associated Press reported.
This clears the way for Jones to return to competition.
"I am absolutely ecstatic. I have always maintained that I have never ever taken performance-enhancing drugs, and I am pleased that a scientific process has now demonstrated that fact," Jones said in a statement released by her lawyers.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Health Headlines - September 7
U.S. Will Have More Than 100 Million Flu Vaccine Doses
More than 100 million doses of influenza vaccine should be available in the United States for the upcoming flu season. About 75 million doses should be distributed by the end of October, with most of the remaining doses distributed in November, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
The previous largest amount of flu vaccine distributed in the United States was 83.1 million doses in 2003. There were 81.2 million doses distributed last year.
The best time for vaccination is in October or November, before the flu season typically begins, the CDC said. However, it's still worth getting vaccinated in December or later because, in most years, the flu season doesn't peak until February or after.
Each year in the United States, influenza infects between 5 percent and 20 percent of the population. About 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to influenza complications.
Antibiotics Overused to Treat Children's Sore Throats
Antibiotics are overused in American children with sore throats, says a survey released Wednesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The survey found that about 14 percent of children visited a health professional at least once a year for serious sore throat. More than two-thirds of them were prescribed antibiotics, but about 20 percent of those children didn't receive a throat swab to confirm a bacterial infection.
Antibiotics can cure sore throats caused by bacteria, but not those caused by viruses. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
The survey also found that:
* About 30 percent of children under age 5 were prescribed antibiotics without having their throats swabbed, along with 18 percent of those ages 5 to 12, and 24 percent of those ages 13 to 17.
* Hispanic children who were prescribed antibiotics were less likely (72 percent) to have their throats swabbed than white non-Hispanic children (81 percent).
* Children who were prescribed antibiotics and covered by private insurance were more likely to have a throat swab (81 percent) than children covered by Medicaid or other public insurance (71 percent).
Children's Asthma Attacks Surge at Start of School Year
The number of severe asthma attacks among children skyrockets at the start of the school year, according to studies done by U.S. and Canadian researchers.
They found that more than six times as many asthmatic children are admitted to the hospital in early fall than in the summer, Gannett News Service reported.
"Researchers speculate that it has to do with kids getting together in small indoor spaces again and passing around viruses. Getting a respiratory virus such as the flu or a cold can trigger an asthma attack," said Norman Edelman of the American Lung Association.
There are many other possible factors, including indoor air pollution, mold growing on ceiling tiles, fur shed by pet rodents in classrooms, or fumes from cleaners used by school janitors.
"Then there's the problem of the diesel-powered school bus sitting out front (of the school) with its motor running," Edelman told Gannett News Service.
In addition, many parents of children with asthma fail to provide teachers and school officials with the medication and information needed to prevent a serious asthma attack.
Edelman recommended that parents consult with their child's doctor and write up an asthma action plan to inform school staff about the child's asthma symptoms, daily medications, and limits on physical activity, Gannett reported.
FDA Wants to Regulate New Diagnostic Tests
Draft guidelines for regulating a new category of complex diagnostic tests were released Tuesday by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.
Theses tests, called multivariate index assays, measure multiple genes, proteins or other pieces of clinical information from patients. An algorithm or software program is used the analyze the data, The New York Times reported.
The FDA said requiring approval for such tests before they're marketed may better ensure that the tests are valid. But some experts caution that increased regulation and associated costs may discourage development of new diagnostic tests.
"We don't want to see innovation and access inhibited," Kathy Hudson, director of the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University, told the Times. "On the other hand, it's really important to make sure that patients and providers have accurate and reliable tests. It's a fine balance."
The FDA's draft guidelines are currently open for public comment.
Obesity Harder on Women: Report
Obesity causes more physical and social harm to women than men, an expert told delegates Wednesday at the International Obesity Congress in Australia.
Berit Heitmann, a nutritional and medical research advisor to the Danish government, said research shows that being "obese and female is as bad as it gets," Agence France Presse reported.
Obese women suffer more social stigma than obese men, Heitmann said. "Obese women are deprived of friendships, intimate relationships, social interactions, education, income and respect," she said.
Heitmann also said obese women suffer more health problems -- such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease -- than obese men, AFP reported.
However, obese men and women have similar death rates. This may be because women tend to collect fat on the backside, while men collect it more on the stomach, where it is more dangerous to health, she said.
In related news, a study by the Royal National Institute of the Blind in England found that obese people have double the risk of vision loss. This is because obesity increases the risk of diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, BBC News reported.
Hypertension Drug Lowers Diabetes Risk
The hypertension drug Norvasc, made by Pfizer inc., reduced the risk of diabetes in people with high blood pressure, according to a study presented Wednesday at the World Congress of Cardiology in Spain.
The study found that Norvasc reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 34 percent, compared with beta blockers, a class of drugs widely used to treat hypertension and abnormal heart rhythm, MarketWatch reported.
Among 14,120 patients who did not have diabetes at the start of the study, 8 percent of those who took Norvasc and a drug called Coversyl developed diabetes by the end of the study, compared with 11.4 percent of the patients who took the beta blocker atenolol.
The study authors said the finding is important because diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, MarketWatch reported.
More than 100 million doses of influenza vaccine should be available in the United States for the upcoming flu season. About 75 million doses should be distributed by the end of October, with most of the remaining doses distributed in November, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
The previous largest amount of flu vaccine distributed in the United States was 83.1 million doses in 2003. There were 81.2 million doses distributed last year.
The best time for vaccination is in October or November, before the flu season typically begins, the CDC said. However, it's still worth getting vaccinated in December or later because, in most years, the flu season doesn't peak until February or after.
Each year in the United States, influenza infects between 5 percent and 20 percent of the population. About 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to influenza complications.
Antibiotics Overused to Treat Children's Sore Throats
Antibiotics are overused in American children with sore throats, says a survey released Wednesday by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The survey found that about 14 percent of children visited a health professional at least once a year for serious sore throat. More than two-thirds of them were prescribed antibiotics, but about 20 percent of those children didn't receive a throat swab to confirm a bacterial infection.
Antibiotics can cure sore throats caused by bacteria, but not those caused by viruses. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
The survey also found that:
* About 30 percent of children under age 5 were prescribed antibiotics without having their throats swabbed, along with 18 percent of those ages 5 to 12, and 24 percent of those ages 13 to 17.
* Hispanic children who were prescribed antibiotics were less likely (72 percent) to have their throats swabbed than white non-Hispanic children (81 percent).
* Children who were prescribed antibiotics and covered by private insurance were more likely to have a throat swab (81 percent) than children covered by Medicaid or other public insurance (71 percent).
Children's Asthma Attacks Surge at Start of School Year
The number of severe asthma attacks among children skyrockets at the start of the school year, according to studies done by U.S. and Canadian researchers.
They found that more than six times as many asthmatic children are admitted to the hospital in early fall than in the summer, Gannett News Service reported.
"Researchers speculate that it has to do with kids getting together in small indoor spaces again and passing around viruses. Getting a respiratory virus such as the flu or a cold can trigger an asthma attack," said Norman Edelman of the American Lung Association.
There are many other possible factors, including indoor air pollution, mold growing on ceiling tiles, fur shed by pet rodents in classrooms, or fumes from cleaners used by school janitors.
"Then there's the problem of the diesel-powered school bus sitting out front (of the school) with its motor running," Edelman told Gannett News Service.
In addition, many parents of children with asthma fail to provide teachers and school officials with the medication and information needed to prevent a serious asthma attack.
Edelman recommended that parents consult with their child's doctor and write up an asthma action plan to inform school staff about the child's asthma symptoms, daily medications, and limits on physical activity, Gannett reported.
FDA Wants to Regulate New Diagnostic Tests
Draft guidelines for regulating a new category of complex diagnostic tests were released Tuesday by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.
Theses tests, called multivariate index assays, measure multiple genes, proteins or other pieces of clinical information from patients. An algorithm or software program is used the analyze the data, The New York Times reported.
The FDA said requiring approval for such tests before they're marketed may better ensure that the tests are valid. But some experts caution that increased regulation and associated costs may discourage development of new diagnostic tests.
"We don't want to see innovation and access inhibited," Kathy Hudson, director of the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University, told the Times. "On the other hand, it's really important to make sure that patients and providers have accurate and reliable tests. It's a fine balance."
The FDA's draft guidelines are currently open for public comment.
Obesity Harder on Women: Report
Obesity causes more physical and social harm to women than men, an expert told delegates Wednesday at the International Obesity Congress in Australia.
Berit Heitmann, a nutritional and medical research advisor to the Danish government, said research shows that being "obese and female is as bad as it gets," Agence France Presse reported.
Obese women suffer more social stigma than obese men, Heitmann said. "Obese women are deprived of friendships, intimate relationships, social interactions, education, income and respect," she said.
Heitmann also said obese women suffer more health problems -- such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease -- than obese men, AFP reported.
However, obese men and women have similar death rates. This may be because women tend to collect fat on the backside, while men collect it more on the stomach, where it is more dangerous to health, she said.
In related news, a study by the Royal National Institute of the Blind in England found that obese people have double the risk of vision loss. This is because obesity increases the risk of diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, BBC News reported.
Hypertension Drug Lowers Diabetes Risk
The hypertension drug Norvasc, made by Pfizer inc., reduced the risk of diabetes in people with high blood pressure, according to a study presented Wednesday at the World Congress of Cardiology in Spain.
The study found that Norvasc reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 34 percent, compared with beta blockers, a class of drugs widely used to treat hypertension and abnormal heart rhythm, MarketWatch reported.
Among 14,120 patients who did not have diabetes at the start of the study, 8 percent of those who took Norvasc and a drug called Coversyl developed diabetes by the end of the study, compared with 11.4 percent of the patients who took the beta blocker atenolol.
The study authors said the finding is important because diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, MarketWatch reported.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Health Headlines - September 6
EPA Orders Stores to Eliminate Illegal Confetti String
Five national store chains in the U.S. have been ordered to clear their shelves of, and destroy, cans of illegally imported confetti string products that contain banned hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) propellants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
HCFCs, which were banned in the U.S. more than a decade ago, deplete the Earth's ozone layer, which protects humans, animals and plants from the sun's harmful radiation. Damage to the ozone layer increases the risk of skin cancer, cataracts and crop damage.
The five chains -- American Greetings Inc., Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Target, and Too, Inc. (which owns Limited Too) -- have complied with the EPA order and pulled the children's products off their shelves. The companies will send more than 2.7 million cans of confetti string to a commercial incinerator for destruction.
The companies also agreed to audit their operation and adopt new policies to prevent a repeat of this kind of problem.
The illegal canned string products were made in China and Taiwan and went by various names, including Zany String, Crazy String, and Party Streamer.
Drugs for Overactive Bladder Offer Only Modest Benefits: Report
Five prescription drugs used to treat overactive bladder are only modestly effective and can cause side effects -- such as dry mouth, constipation, and mental confusion -- that can limit their usefulness, says a report from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs.
About 15 million to 20 million Americans have overactive bladder. People with severe overactive bladder may have to urinate up to 20 times a day. People without overactive bladder urinate an average of 6 to 10 times a day.
The report recommends that people with mild symptoms of overactive bladder try non-drug measures first, such as lifestyle changes and learning Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles. These techniques may also provide added relief for people with severe symptoms who are taking drugs to treat the condition, the report said.
People taking any of the five drugs -- oxybutynin (Ditropan, Ditropan XL and Oxytrol, a skin patch); tolterodine (Detrol, Detrol LA); trospium (Sanctura); solifenacin (Vesicare); and darifenacin (Enablex) -- can expect the number of times they need to urinate to drop from an average of about 12 per day to 7 to 10 a day, the report said.
Among people with severe overactive bladder, the drugs may reduce urination frequency from up to 20 times a day to about 15 to 18 times a day.
About half of people with overactive bladder also have incontinence. Among these people, the drugs reduce the average number of incontinence episodes from 3 to 5 per day to about 2 to 4 per day, the report said.
According to the report, studies have found that that lifestyle changes and other self-help measures -- when adhered to diligently -- can reduce the urge to urinate, decrease frequent urination, and restore sense of control in 80 percent of people who try them. One in four people get complete relief using such measures.
The authors said the report is based on a review of available medical evidence.
U.S. Medicare Chief Resigns
U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mark McClellan announced Tuesday that he is resigning and will leave the agency in about five weeks, the Associated Press reported.
No replacement has been named.
Over the past two years, McClellan's main priority was implementation of the new Medicare drug program, which was met with a barrage of complaints and criticism when it was introduced. However, the program's performance has improved in the past few months.
After his departure from CMS, McClellan said he will likely work for a think tank and write about how to improve health care in the United States, the AP reported.
A physician and economist, McClellan was one of President George W. Bush's economic advisors and was commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration before he was selected to take charge of CMS. He also worked in the Treasury Department during the Clinton administration.
Aggressive Statin Therapy for Metabolic-Syndrome Patients: Study
Patients with coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome require more aggressive treatment with statin drugs to lower their levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL -- "bad") cholesterol, says a study published online Tuesday in The Lancet journal.
Metabolic syndrome is a condition composed of three cardiovascular risk factors.
The study, which included 5,584 patients ages 35 to 75, was conducted at 256 sites in 14 countries between 1998 and 2004. The median patient follow-up was 4.9 years.
During the study, patients were assigned to receive either 10 milligrams a day or 80 mg a day (aggressive treatment) of atorvastatin. At three months, patients receiving 10 mg per day had mean LDL cholesterol concentrations of 2.5 mmol/L, compared with 1.9 mmol/L in patients receiving aggressive treatment.
Major cardiovascular events occurred in 13 percent of patients receiving 10 mg of atorvastatin, compared with 9.5 percent of patients receiving 80 mg per day, the study said.
Experts Tout 3-in-1 Heart-Disease Pill
A new three-in-one heart disease pill that contains aspirin, statins and ACE inhibitors could save millions of lives worldwide by reducing the number of heart attacks and strokes, experts said Monday at the World Congress of Cardiology.
The three drugs in the so-called "polypill" all prevent recurrent heart disease. The experts said the pill would target developing countries, which are experiencing dramatic increases in heart disease, the Associated Press reported.
People in low- and middle-income countries account for nearly 80 percent of the heart attacks that occur worldwide.
A polypill could be ready within the next year or two and could cost a fifth of what currently available heart-disease therapies cost, according to the World Heart Federation, which is promoting the initiative.
Ban Junk-Food Ads Aimed at Children: Task Force
There should be a global ban on junk-food advertising aimed at children, a group of experts said during a news conference at the International Congress on Obesity.
Obesity is affecting the health of more and more children around the world and the World Health Organization must take the lead in protecting youngsters from exploitive marketing techniques, the International Obesity Taskforce urged.
The experts said a ban on advertising junk food to children would be an important part of the fight against the worldwide obesity epidemic, Agence France Presse reported.
"No one can deny there is a link between food marketing and children getting fatter," task force spokesman Gerard Hastings said at a news conference.
More than one billion people -- one-sixth of the world's population -- are overweight, says the World Health Organization.
Five national store chains in the U.S. have been ordered to clear their shelves of, and destroy, cans of illegally imported confetti string products that contain banned hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) propellants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
HCFCs, which were banned in the U.S. more than a decade ago, deplete the Earth's ozone layer, which protects humans, animals and plants from the sun's harmful radiation. Damage to the ozone layer increases the risk of skin cancer, cataracts and crop damage.
The five chains -- American Greetings Inc., Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Target, and Too, Inc. (which owns Limited Too) -- have complied with the EPA order and pulled the children's products off their shelves. The companies will send more than 2.7 million cans of confetti string to a commercial incinerator for destruction.
The companies also agreed to audit their operation and adopt new policies to prevent a repeat of this kind of problem.
The illegal canned string products were made in China and Taiwan and went by various names, including Zany String, Crazy String, and Party Streamer.
Drugs for Overactive Bladder Offer Only Modest Benefits: Report
Five prescription drugs used to treat overactive bladder are only modestly effective and can cause side effects -- such as dry mouth, constipation, and mental confusion -- that can limit their usefulness, says a report from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs.
About 15 million to 20 million Americans have overactive bladder. People with severe overactive bladder may have to urinate up to 20 times a day. People without overactive bladder urinate an average of 6 to 10 times a day.
The report recommends that people with mild symptoms of overactive bladder try non-drug measures first, such as lifestyle changes and learning Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles. These techniques may also provide added relief for people with severe symptoms who are taking drugs to treat the condition, the report said.
People taking any of the five drugs -- oxybutynin (Ditropan, Ditropan XL and Oxytrol, a skin patch); tolterodine (Detrol, Detrol LA); trospium (Sanctura); solifenacin (Vesicare); and darifenacin (Enablex) -- can expect the number of times they need to urinate to drop from an average of about 12 per day to 7 to 10 a day, the report said.
Among people with severe overactive bladder, the drugs may reduce urination frequency from up to 20 times a day to about 15 to 18 times a day.
About half of people with overactive bladder also have incontinence. Among these people, the drugs reduce the average number of incontinence episodes from 3 to 5 per day to about 2 to 4 per day, the report said.
According to the report, studies have found that that lifestyle changes and other self-help measures -- when adhered to diligently -- can reduce the urge to urinate, decrease frequent urination, and restore sense of control in 80 percent of people who try them. One in four people get complete relief using such measures.
The authors said the report is based on a review of available medical evidence.
U.S. Medicare Chief Resigns
U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mark McClellan announced Tuesday that he is resigning and will leave the agency in about five weeks, the Associated Press reported.
No replacement has been named.
Over the past two years, McClellan's main priority was implementation of the new Medicare drug program, which was met with a barrage of complaints and criticism when it was introduced. However, the program's performance has improved in the past few months.
After his departure from CMS, McClellan said he will likely work for a think tank and write about how to improve health care in the United States, the AP reported.
A physician and economist, McClellan was one of President George W. Bush's economic advisors and was commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration before he was selected to take charge of CMS. He also worked in the Treasury Department during the Clinton administration.
Aggressive Statin Therapy for Metabolic-Syndrome Patients: Study
Patients with coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome require more aggressive treatment with statin drugs to lower their levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL -- "bad") cholesterol, says a study published online Tuesday in The Lancet journal.
Metabolic syndrome is a condition composed of three cardiovascular risk factors.
The study, which included 5,584 patients ages 35 to 75, was conducted at 256 sites in 14 countries between 1998 and 2004. The median patient follow-up was 4.9 years.
During the study, patients were assigned to receive either 10 milligrams a day or 80 mg a day (aggressive treatment) of atorvastatin. At three months, patients receiving 10 mg per day had mean LDL cholesterol concentrations of 2.5 mmol/L, compared with 1.9 mmol/L in patients receiving aggressive treatment.
Major cardiovascular events occurred in 13 percent of patients receiving 10 mg of atorvastatin, compared with 9.5 percent of patients receiving 80 mg per day, the study said.
Experts Tout 3-in-1 Heart-Disease Pill
A new three-in-one heart disease pill that contains aspirin, statins and ACE inhibitors could save millions of lives worldwide by reducing the number of heart attacks and strokes, experts said Monday at the World Congress of Cardiology.
The three drugs in the so-called "polypill" all prevent recurrent heart disease. The experts said the pill would target developing countries, which are experiencing dramatic increases in heart disease, the Associated Press reported.
People in low- and middle-income countries account for nearly 80 percent of the heart attacks that occur worldwide.
A polypill could be ready within the next year or two and could cost a fifth of what currently available heart-disease therapies cost, according to the World Heart Federation, which is promoting the initiative.
Ban Junk-Food Ads Aimed at Children: Task Force
There should be a global ban on junk-food advertising aimed at children, a group of experts said during a news conference at the International Congress on Obesity.
Obesity is affecting the health of more and more children around the world and the World Health Organization must take the lead in protecting youngsters from exploitive marketing techniques, the International Obesity Taskforce urged.
The experts said a ban on advertising junk food to children would be an important part of the fight against the worldwide obesity epidemic, Agence France Presse reported.
"No one can deny there is a link between food marketing and children getting fatter," task force spokesman Gerard Hastings said at a news conference.
More than one billion people -- one-sixth of the world's population -- are overweight, says the World Health Organization.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Health Headlines - September 5
Obesity Pandemic Looms, Health Experts Say
An obesity pandemic could paralyze health-care systems around the globe, health officials warned at an international conference on Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
More than 1 billion adults are overweight and 300 million of them are obese, according to the World Health Organization, and that puts those people at risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer.
"This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world," said Paul Zimmet, who chaired the International Congress on Obesity, in Sydney, Australia. There are now more overweight people in the world than malnourished, a figure estimated to be 600 million, the AP reported.
"We are not dealing with a scientific or medical problem. We're dealing with an enormous economic problem that, it is already accepted, is going to overwhelm every medical system in the world," said Dr. Philip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity Task Force.
He added that the cost of treating obesity-related health problems was immeasurable on a global scale, but it already billions a year in countries such as the United States, Britain and Australia.
Medicare Director McClellan to Resign: Report
Mark McClellan, the Texan doctor and economist who has managed federal Medicare/Medicaid programs since early 2004, will resign from the post, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.
Sources close to McClellan said the decision could be announced as early as Tuesday.
McClellan is brother to former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, and son to Texas comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin. Strayhorn, a Republican, is running as an independent for governor of that state.
The Morning News said McClellan was not available for comment, nor was there any comment on the move from the White House or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
President George W. Bush appointed McClellan to the top post at Medicare/Medicaid after a short stint as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McClellan oversaw the often-controversial launch of Medicare's 'Part D' drug-coverage program.
Sources close to McClellan told the Morning News that he had been mulling a move to the private sector or academia for some time, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Boredom Drives Binge Drinking in U.S. West
A recent survey found that seven of the top 10 areas for under-age binge drinking in the Unitd States. lie in the country's northern plains states such as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. Speaking to the New York Times, local residents and experts say boredom among young people is to blame.
"I think so many kids drink because the state is barren, desolate and boring to some people, and there's not really anything to do," Isaiah Springer, a recent high school graduate from Cheyenne, Wy., told the Times.
The all-night beer parties that break the tedium for kids often turn deadly, however. "Had a kid, drunk, flipped his car going 80 miles an hour, and that killed him; and another kid, drink, smashed his boat up against a rock just a couple months ago, killing two; and then there was this beating after a kegger -- they clubbed this kid to death," said Scott Steward, sheriff of Wyoming's Park County.
One federal survey, conducted three years ago, found that south-central Wyoming led the nation in alcohol abuse by people 12 years of age or under. The same survey found that rural 12-and-13-year-olds were twice as likely as urban youth to drink and abuse alcohol. Experts say drug abuse -- especially methamphetamine -- is also rampant in small towns in the north and west central plains.
Others point to an ingrained culture in the region that may encourage also drinking. "We're a frontier culture, and people say, 'I work hard and I'll be damned if I'm not going to have a beer or two on the way home,'" Rosie Buzzas, a Montana state legislator who oversees alcohol counseling services in the western part of the state, told the Times. "There's a church, a school, and 10 bars in every town."
Journal to Clarify Paper on Stem-Cell Research
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
An obesity pandemic could paralyze health-care systems around the globe, health officials warned at an international conference on Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
More than 1 billion adults are overweight and 300 million of them are obese, according to the World Health Organization, and that puts those people at risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer.
"This insidious, creeping pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world," said Paul Zimmet, who chaired the International Congress on Obesity, in Sydney, Australia. There are now more overweight people in the world than malnourished, a figure estimated to be 600 million, the AP reported.
"We are not dealing with a scientific or medical problem. We're dealing with an enormous economic problem that, it is already accepted, is going to overwhelm every medical system in the world," said Dr. Philip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity Task Force.
He added that the cost of treating obesity-related health problems was immeasurable on a global scale, but it already billions a year in countries such as the United States, Britain and Australia.
Medicare Director McClellan to Resign: Report
Mark McClellan, the Texan doctor and economist who has managed federal Medicare/Medicaid programs since early 2004, will resign from the post, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.
Sources close to McClellan said the decision could be announced as early as Tuesday.
McClellan is brother to former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, and son to Texas comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin. Strayhorn, a Republican, is running as an independent for governor of that state.
The Morning News said McClellan was not available for comment, nor was there any comment on the move from the White House or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
President George W. Bush appointed McClellan to the top post at Medicare/Medicaid after a short stint as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McClellan oversaw the often-controversial launch of Medicare's 'Part D' drug-coverage program.
Sources close to McClellan told the Morning News that he had been mulling a move to the private sector or academia for some time, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Boredom Drives Binge Drinking in U.S. West
A recent survey found that seven of the top 10 areas for under-age binge drinking in the Unitd States. lie in the country's northern plains states such as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. Speaking to the New York Times, local residents and experts say boredom among young people is to blame.
"I think so many kids drink because the state is barren, desolate and boring to some people, and there's not really anything to do," Isaiah Springer, a recent high school graduate from Cheyenne, Wy., told the Times.
The all-night beer parties that break the tedium for kids often turn deadly, however. "Had a kid, drunk, flipped his car going 80 miles an hour, and that killed him; and another kid, drink, smashed his boat up against a rock just a couple months ago, killing two; and then there was this beating after a kegger -- they clubbed this kid to death," said Scott Steward, sheriff of Wyoming's Park County.
One federal survey, conducted three years ago, found that south-central Wyoming led the nation in alcohol abuse by people 12 years of age or under. The same survey found that rural 12-and-13-year-olds were twice as likely as urban youth to drink and abuse alcohol. Experts say drug abuse -- especially methamphetamine -- is also rampant in small towns in the north and west central plains.
Others point to an ingrained culture in the region that may encourage also drinking. "We're a frontier culture, and people say, 'I work hard and I'll be damned if I'm not going to have a beer or two on the way home,'" Rosie Buzzas, a Montana state legislator who oversees alcohol counseling services in the western part of the state, told the Times. "There's a church, a school, and 10 bars in every town."
Journal to Clarify Paper on Stem-Cell Research
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Health Headlines - September 4
Medicare Director McClellan to Resign: Report
Mark McClellan, the Texan doctor and economist who has managed federal Medicare/Medicaid programs since early 2004, will resign from the post, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.
Sources close to McClellan said the decision could be announced as early as Tuesday.
McClellan is brother to former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, and son to Texas comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin. Strayhorn, a Republican, is running as an independent for governor of that state.
The Morning News said McClellan was not available for comment, nor was there any comment on the move from the White House or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
President George W. Bush appointed McClellan to the top post at Medicare/Medicaid after a short stint as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McClellan oversaw the often-controversial launch of Medicare's 'Part D' drug-coverage program.
Sources close to McClellan told the Morning News that he had been mulling a move to the private sector or academia for some time, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Boredom Drives Binge Drinking in U.S. West
A recent survey found that 7 of the top 10 areas for under-age binge drinking in the U.S. lie in the country's northern plains states such as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. Speaking to the New York Times, local residents and experts say boredom among young people is to blame.
"I think so many kids drink because the state is barren, desolate and boring to some people, and there's not really anything to do," Isaiah Springer, a recent high school graduate from Cheyenne, Wy., told the Times.
The all-night beer parties that break the tedium for kids often turn deadly, however. "Had a kid, drunk, flipped his car going 80 miles an hour, and that killed him; and another kid, drink, smashed his boat up against a rock just a couple months ago, killing two; and then there was this beating after a kegger -- they clubbed this kid to death," said Scott Steward, sheriff of Wyoming's Park County.
One federal survey, conducted three years ago, found that south-central Wyoming led the nation in alcohol abuse by people 12 years of age or under. The same survey found that rural 12-and-13-year-olds were twice as likely as urban youth to drink and abuse alcohol. Experts say drug abuse -- especially methamphetamine -- is also rampant in small towns in the north and west central plains.
Others point to an ingrained culture in the region that may encourage also drinking. "We're a frontier culture, and people say, 'I work hard and I'll be damned if I'm not going to have a beer or two on the way home,'" Rosie Buzzas, a Montana state legislator who oversees alcohol counseling services in the western part of the state, told the Times. "There's a church, a school, and 10 bars in every town."
Journal to Clarify Paper on Stem-Cell Research
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
FDA Offers Food-Safety Advice for Storm Victims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the food-safety risks that could arise from power outages and flooding as storms threaten the coastal United States this time of year.
"Foods that are inadequately refrigerated during storm-related power outages, and foods or bottled water contaminated by flood waters, present a potential health risk to consumers," said Robert E. Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Some of the safety steps recommended by the FDA include:
In advance of storm-related power outages and flooding:
* Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately.
* Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Have ice or gel packs ready for use in coolers.
* Keep a supply of bottled water stored where it will be safe from flooding.
* Purchase an appliance thermometer to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Make sure your freezer is at or below 0 F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 F.
In the event of a power outage:
* Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 24 hours, if the door remains closed.
* Buy dry or block ice to keep refrigerators as cold as possible during prolonged power outages. Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for two days, or a half-stocked freezer of the same size cold for one day.
* Throw out meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are at room temperature for more than two hours.
If flooding occurs:
* Don't eat any food that may have come in contact with flood water.
* Use bottled drinking water that has not come in contact with flood water.
* Boil tap water to kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. Filter cloudy tap water through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
* Discard food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come in contact with flood water. Food containers that aren't waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap-lids, pull-tops and crimped caps.
Mark McClellan, the Texan doctor and economist who has managed federal Medicare/Medicaid programs since early 2004, will resign from the post, the Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.
Sources close to McClellan said the decision could be announced as early as Tuesday.
McClellan is brother to former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, and son to Texas comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin. Strayhorn, a Republican, is running as an independent for governor of that state.
The Morning News said McClellan was not available for comment, nor was there any comment on the move from the White House or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
President George W. Bush appointed McClellan to the top post at Medicare/Medicaid after a short stint as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McClellan oversaw the often-controversial launch of Medicare's 'Part D' drug-coverage program.
Sources close to McClellan told the Morning News that he had been mulling a move to the private sector or academia for some time, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.
Boredom Drives Binge Drinking in U.S. West
A recent survey found that 7 of the top 10 areas for under-age binge drinking in the U.S. lie in the country's northern plains states such as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. Speaking to the New York Times, local residents and experts say boredom among young people is to blame.
"I think so many kids drink because the state is barren, desolate and boring to some people, and there's not really anything to do," Isaiah Springer, a recent high school graduate from Cheyenne, Wy., told the Times.
The all-night beer parties that break the tedium for kids often turn deadly, however. "Had a kid, drunk, flipped his car going 80 miles an hour, and that killed him; and another kid, drink, smashed his boat up against a rock just a couple months ago, killing two; and then there was this beating after a kegger -- they clubbed this kid to death," said Scott Steward, sheriff of Wyoming's Park County.
One federal survey, conducted three years ago, found that south-central Wyoming led the nation in alcohol abuse by people 12 years of age or under. The same survey found that rural 12-and-13-year-olds were twice as likely as urban youth to drink and abuse alcohol. Experts say drug abuse -- especially methamphetamine -- is also rampant in small towns in the north and west central plains.
Others point to an ingrained culture in the region that may encourage also drinking. "We're a frontier culture, and people say, 'I work hard and I'll be damned if I'm not going to have a beer or two on the way home,'" Rosie Buzzas, a Montana state legislator who oversees alcohol counseling services in the western part of the state, told the Times. "There's a church, a school, and 10 bars in every town."
Journal to Clarify Paper on Stem-Cell Research
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
FDA Offers Food-Safety Advice for Storm Victims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the food-safety risks that could arise from power outages and flooding as storms threaten the coastal United States this time of year.
"Foods that are inadequately refrigerated during storm-related power outages, and foods or bottled water contaminated by flood waters, present a potential health risk to consumers," said Robert E. Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Some of the safety steps recommended by the FDA include:
In advance of storm-related power outages and flooding:
* Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately.
* Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Have ice or gel packs ready for use in coolers.
* Keep a supply of bottled water stored where it will be safe from flooding.
* Purchase an appliance thermometer to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Make sure your freezer is at or below 0 F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 F.
In the event of a power outage:
* Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 24 hours, if the door remains closed.
* Buy dry or block ice to keep refrigerators as cold as possible during prolonged power outages. Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for two days, or a half-stocked freezer of the same size cold for one day.
* Throw out meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are at room temperature for more than two hours.
If flooding occurs:
* Don't eat any food that may have come in contact with flood water.
* Use bottled drinking water that has not come in contact with flood water.
* Boil tap water to kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. Filter cloudy tap water through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
* Discard food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come in contact with flood water. Food containers that aren't waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap-lids, pull-tops and crimped caps.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Health Headlines - September 3
Journal to Clarify Paper on Stem-Cell Research
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
FDA Offers Food-Safety Advice for Storm Victims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the food-safety risks that could arise from power outages and flooding as storms threaten the coastal United States this time of year.
"Foods that are inadequately refrigerated during storm-related power outages, and foods or bottled water contaminated by flood waters, present a potential health risk to consumers," said Robert E. Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Some of the safety steps recommended by the FDA include:
In advance of storm-related power outages and flooding:
* Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately.
* Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Have ice or gel packs ready for use in coolers.
* Keep a supply of bottled water stored where it will be safe from flooding.
* Purchase an appliance thermometer to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Make sure your freezer is at or below 0 F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 F.
In the event of a power outage:
* Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 24 hours, if the door remains closed.
* Buy dry or block ice to keep refrigerators as cold as possible during prolonged power outages. Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for two days, or a half-stocked freezer of the same size cold for one day.
* Throw out meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are at room temperature for more than two hours.
If flooding occurs:
* Don't eat any food that may have come in contact with flood water.
* Use bottled drinking water that has not come in contact with flood water.
* Boil tap water to kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. Filter cloudy tap water through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
* Discard food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come in contact with flood water. Food containers that aren't waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap-lids, pull-tops and crimped caps.
NYC Issues Health Guidelines for Ground Zero Workers
Long-awaited guidelines to help doctors treat Ground Zero-related illnesses were released Thursday by the New York City Health Department, the Associated Press reported.
The medical advice is considered vital for the thousands of people who worked at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center (WTC). The health department had previously offered guidelines for treating mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse linked to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
But there were numerous complaints from politicians, health experts, and advocates that the city had shelved instructions on how to deal with physical problems caused by 9/11 and its aftermath, the AP reported.
The medical guidelines offer suggestions to doctors about particular questions to ask 9/11 patients, tests to give, and treatments. The guidelines also include a specific warning about tobacco, saying that tobacco use heightens the risk and severity of many WTC-related diseases.
The guidelines will be mailed to all doctors in New York City. Elsewhere in the United States, they will be distributed by the federal government, the AP reported.
California Man With Bad Habits Dies at 112
Even though he had a poor health habits that included a diet dominated by sausages and waffles, George Johnson of Richmond, Calif., managed to live for 112 years. Good genes may be the reason.
Johnson, the state's last surviving World War I veteran, died of pneumonia this week.
"A lot of people think or imagine that your good habits and bad habits contribute to your longevity. But we often find it is in the genes rather than lifestyle," Dr. L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Associated Press.
He took part in an autopsy Thursday on Johnson's body. Johnson had told his relatives that he was in favor of an autopsy if it would help science.
"All his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112. Clearly his genes had some secrets," Coles told the AP.
FDA Urges Testing for Tissue Recipients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging doctors to contact patients who received tissue from a human tissue supply company in Raleigh, N.C., that was closed down a few weeks ago because of "serious deficiencies" in the way it operated.
The FDA said additional information from its ongoing investigation into Donor Referral Services and operator Philip Guyett Jr. "has heightened our concern," the Associated Press reported.
Tissue from the company was used across the U.S. and patients who received the tissue need to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, health officials said. It's estimated that fewer than 100 donors are involved in the company's case, according to the American Association of Tissue Banks.
The editors of the journal Nature said they will clarify a research paper published last week that described a way to create embryonic stem cells without destroying human embryos.
Many newspapers, TV stations and Web sites around the world portrayed the embryos' survival as the study's main innovation, the Associated Press reported.
In the paper, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., described their historic success in developing stem cells using single cells taken from early embryos. But none of the embryos that the researchers used to harvest cells was left intact.
In the study, the researchers took up to seven cells from 16 human embryos, then tried to grow stem cells from each individual cell. The researchers said this was done to maximize the number of cells they could test and improve the chances of obtaining stem cells. The scientists hope to show they can make stem cells from intact embryos that have had just one or two cells removed, the AP said.
Although the study's main findings remain unchallenged, the journal may modify the paper and a potentially misleading diagram, a Nature spokeswoman said.
Study leader Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology said the clarification "doesn't change the scientific point of the paper."
Scientists believe stem cells have the ability to develop into any cell type in the body, potentially leading to medical advances in which the cells might help replace diseased or injured tissue, thereby treating a host of diseases and conditions.
FDA Offers Food-Safety Advice for Storm Victims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the food-safety risks that could arise from power outages and flooding as storms threaten the coastal United States this time of year.
"Foods that are inadequately refrigerated during storm-related power outages, and foods or bottled water contaminated by flood waters, present a potential health risk to consumers," said Robert E. Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Some of the safety steps recommended by the FDA include:
In advance of storm-related power outages and flooding:
* Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately.
* Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Have ice or gel packs ready for use in coolers.
* Keep a supply of bottled water stored where it will be safe from flooding.
* Purchase an appliance thermometer to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Make sure your freezer is at or below 0 F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 F.
In the event of a power outage:
* Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours, and a half-full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 24 hours, if the door remains closed.
* Buy dry or block ice to keep refrigerators as cold as possible during prolonged power outages. Fifty pounds of dry ice will keep an 18-cubic foot, fully-stocked freezer cold for two days, or a half-stocked freezer of the same size cold for one day.
* Throw out meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are at room temperature for more than two hours.
If flooding occurs:
* Don't eat any food that may have come in contact with flood water.
* Use bottled drinking water that has not come in contact with flood water.
* Boil tap water to kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. Filter cloudy tap water through clean cloths, or allow it to settle and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
* Discard food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come in contact with flood water. Food containers that aren't waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap-lids, pull-tops and crimped caps.
NYC Issues Health Guidelines for Ground Zero Workers
Long-awaited guidelines to help doctors treat Ground Zero-related illnesses were released Thursday by the New York City Health Department, the Associated Press reported.
The medical advice is considered vital for the thousands of people who worked at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center (WTC). The health department had previously offered guidelines for treating mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse linked to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
But there were numerous complaints from politicians, health experts, and advocates that the city had shelved instructions on how to deal with physical problems caused by 9/11 and its aftermath, the AP reported.
The medical guidelines offer suggestions to doctors about particular questions to ask 9/11 patients, tests to give, and treatments. The guidelines also include a specific warning about tobacco, saying that tobacco use heightens the risk and severity of many WTC-related diseases.
The guidelines will be mailed to all doctors in New York City. Elsewhere in the United States, they will be distributed by the federal government, the AP reported.
California Man With Bad Habits Dies at 112
Even though he had a poor health habits that included a diet dominated by sausages and waffles, George Johnson of Richmond, Calif., managed to live for 112 years. Good genes may be the reason.
Johnson, the state's last surviving World War I veteran, died of pneumonia this week.
"A lot of people think or imagine that your good habits and bad habits contribute to your longevity. But we often find it is in the genes rather than lifestyle," Dr. L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Associated Press.
He took part in an autopsy Thursday on Johnson's body. Johnson had told his relatives that he was in favor of an autopsy if it would help science.
"All his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112. Clearly his genes had some secrets," Coles told the AP.
FDA Urges Testing for Tissue Recipients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging doctors to contact patients who received tissue from a human tissue supply company in Raleigh, N.C., that was closed down a few weeks ago because of "serious deficiencies" in the way it operated.
The FDA said additional information from its ongoing investigation into Donor Referral Services and operator Philip Guyett Jr. "has heightened our concern," the Associated Press reported.
Tissue from the company was used across the U.S. and patients who received the tissue need to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, health officials said. It's estimated that fewer than 100 donors are involved in the company's case, according to the American Association of Tissue Banks.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Health Headlines - September 2
NYC Issues Health Guidelines for Ground Zero Workers
Long-awaited guidelines to help doctors treat Ground Zero-related illnesses were released Thursday by the New York City Health Department, the Associated Press reported.
The medical advice is considered vital for the thousands of people who worked at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center (WTC). The health department had previously offered guidelines for treating mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse linked to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
But there were numerous complaints from politicians, health experts, and advocates that the city had shelved instructions on how to deal with physical problems caused by 9/11 and its aftermath, the AP reported.
The medical guidelines offer suggestions to doctors about particular questions to ask 9/11 patients, tests to give, and treatments. The guidelines also include a specific warning about tobacco, saying that tobacco use heightens the risk and severity of many WTC-related diseases.
The guidelines will be mailed to all doctors in New York City. Elsewhere in the United States, they will be distributed by the federal government, the AP reported.
California Man With Bad Habits Dies at 112
Even though he had a poor health habits that included a diet dominated by sausages and waffles, George Johnson of Richmond, Calif., managed to live for 112 years. Good genes may be the reason.
Johnson, the state's last surviving World War I veteran, died of pneumonia this week.
"A lot of people think or imagine that your good habits and bad habits contribute to your longevity. But we often find it is in the genes rather than lifestyle," Dr. L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Associated Press.
He took part in an autopsy Thursday on Johnson's body. Johnson had told his relatives that he was in favor of an autopsy if it would help science.
"All his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112. Clearly his genes had some secrets," Coles told the AP.
"Everything in his body that we looked at was clean as a whistle, except for his lungs with the pneumonia. He had no heart disease, he had no cancer, no diabetes and no Alzheimer's," Coles said.
Johnson, who was born May 1, 1894, continued driving until he was 102 but had to hang up the keys when his vision started to fail.
FDA Urges Testing for Tissue Recipients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging doctors to contact patients who received tissue from a human tissue supply company in Raleigh, N.C. that was closed down a few weeks ago because of "serious deficiencies" in the way it operated.
The FDA said Wednesday that additional information from its ongoing investigation into Donor Referral Services and operator Philip Guyett Jr. "has heightened our concern," the Associated Press reported.
Tissue from the company was used across the U.S. and patients who received the tissue need to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, health officials said.
It's estimated the fewer than 100 donors are involved in the Raleigh company's case, according to the American Association of Tissue Banks, an industry group. Each donor can provide 100 or more tissues.
A number of companies are voluntarily recalling tissues supplied by Donor Referral Services, the AP reported. They include: Alamo Tissue Services of San Antonio, Texas; Lost Mountain Tissue Bank of Kennesaw, Ga.; TissueNet of Orlando, Fla.; and U.S. Tissue of Cincinnati, Ohio. The U.S. Tissue recall is being handled by AlloSource of Colorado.
This was the second scandal to hit the U.S. tissue transplant industry in less than a year. In 2005, Biomedical Tissue Services of New Jersey was accused of using stolen bodies and of shipping about 20,000 potentially-tainted body parts.
Judge Halts U.S. Sales of Generic Plavix
Just three weeks after it was launched in the U.S., sales of a generic version of the popular blood thinner Plavix have been halted due to a patent dispute.
In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein of Manhattan said that Canadian drug maker Apotex Inc. must stop selling its generic drug in the U.S. The injunction was sought by U.S. drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and its partner Sanofi-Aventis of France.
While he agreed to halt sales of the generic version of Plavix, Stein rejected a request by Bristol-Myers and Sanofi that Apotex be forced to recall the drugs it had already sold to U.S. distributors, the AP reported.
In a statement, Apotex said it will appeal the court ruling to halt sales of its drug. The company also said it's filing an emergency motion with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to stay the injunction pending the appeal.
Since its U.S. launch on Aug 8, the generic version of the drug has captured a large market share, the AP reported.
U.S. Alcohol Industry Lax on Ad Guidelines: Report
The American alcohol industry isn't living up to voluntary standards on radio alcohol advertising and youth, suggests a study in Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers from the CDC and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) analyzed a sample of 67,404 alcohol ads that aired on 104 U.S. radio stations from June 15 to Aug. 5, 2004.
They found that 14 percent of the ads aired in programming where people ages 12 to 20 represented more than 30 percent of the listening audience. This was an improvement over 2003, when a similar study found that 28 percent of alcohol ads appeared to violate the guidelines. The rules were adopted voluntarily by the alcohol industry in 2003.
"Young people spend more time listening to the radio than they do reading magazines or surfing the net, so reducing youth exposure to alcohol ads on radio is critical," Dr. David Jernigan, CAMY executive director, said in a prepared statement.
"In September 2003, the alcohol industry made modest revisions to its voluntary code in order to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising. While progress is being made, the industry still has a long way to go," he said.
Pool Toys Pose Impalement Hazard
About 273,000 Jet Streamers Water Blasters pool toys have been recalled because they pose an impalement hazard to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
When partially filled with water, the straight squirt gun can stand upright on the pool floor with the rigid narrow end pointed upward. The company, Wild Planet Toys, Inc. of San Francisco, has received one report of an injury to an 8-year-old girl who landed seat first on one of the toys in a swimming pool. She suffered a puncture wound.
The toys were sold as a 2-pack set, in packages with other pool toys, and with boys' swim trunks.
Consumers should immediately stop using the Jet Streamers and contact Wild Planet for a redesigned product that can't stand upright, the CPSC said.
For more information, contact Wild Planet at 1-800-247-6570 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Long-awaited guidelines to help doctors treat Ground Zero-related illnesses were released Thursday by the New York City Health Department, the Associated Press reported.
The medical advice is considered vital for the thousands of people who worked at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center (WTC). The health department had previously offered guidelines for treating mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse linked to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
But there were numerous complaints from politicians, health experts, and advocates that the city had shelved instructions on how to deal with physical problems caused by 9/11 and its aftermath, the AP reported.
The medical guidelines offer suggestions to doctors about particular questions to ask 9/11 patients, tests to give, and treatments. The guidelines also include a specific warning about tobacco, saying that tobacco use heightens the risk and severity of many WTC-related diseases.
The guidelines will be mailed to all doctors in New York City. Elsewhere in the United States, they will be distributed by the federal government, the AP reported.
California Man With Bad Habits Dies at 112
Even though he had a poor health habits that included a diet dominated by sausages and waffles, George Johnson of Richmond, Calif., managed to live for 112 years. Good genes may be the reason.
Johnson, the state's last surviving World War I veteran, died of pneumonia this week.
"A lot of people think or imagine that your good habits and bad habits contribute to your longevity. But we often find it is in the genes rather than lifestyle," Dr. L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Associated Press.
He took part in an autopsy Thursday on Johnson's body. Johnson had told his relatives that he was in favor of an autopsy if it would help science.
"All his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112. Clearly his genes had some secrets," Coles told the AP.
"Everything in his body that we looked at was clean as a whistle, except for his lungs with the pneumonia. He had no heart disease, he had no cancer, no diabetes and no Alzheimer's," Coles said.
Johnson, who was born May 1, 1894, continued driving until he was 102 but had to hang up the keys when his vision started to fail.
FDA Urges Testing for Tissue Recipients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging doctors to contact patients who received tissue from a human tissue supply company in Raleigh, N.C. that was closed down a few weeks ago because of "serious deficiencies" in the way it operated.
The FDA said Wednesday that additional information from its ongoing investigation into Donor Referral Services and operator Philip Guyett Jr. "has heightened our concern," the Associated Press reported.
Tissue from the company was used across the U.S. and patients who received the tissue need to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, health officials said.
It's estimated the fewer than 100 donors are involved in the Raleigh company's case, according to the American Association of Tissue Banks, an industry group. Each donor can provide 100 or more tissues.
A number of companies are voluntarily recalling tissues supplied by Donor Referral Services, the AP reported. They include: Alamo Tissue Services of San Antonio, Texas; Lost Mountain Tissue Bank of Kennesaw, Ga.; TissueNet of Orlando, Fla.; and U.S. Tissue of Cincinnati, Ohio. The U.S. Tissue recall is being handled by AlloSource of Colorado.
This was the second scandal to hit the U.S. tissue transplant industry in less than a year. In 2005, Biomedical Tissue Services of New Jersey was accused of using stolen bodies and of shipping about 20,000 potentially-tainted body parts.
Judge Halts U.S. Sales of Generic Plavix
Just three weeks after it was launched in the U.S., sales of a generic version of the popular blood thinner Plavix have been halted due to a patent dispute.
In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein of Manhattan said that Canadian drug maker Apotex Inc. must stop selling its generic drug in the U.S. The injunction was sought by U.S. drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and its partner Sanofi-Aventis of France.
While he agreed to halt sales of the generic version of Plavix, Stein rejected a request by Bristol-Myers and Sanofi that Apotex be forced to recall the drugs it had already sold to U.S. distributors, the AP reported.
In a statement, Apotex said it will appeal the court ruling to halt sales of its drug. The company also said it's filing an emergency motion with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to stay the injunction pending the appeal.
Since its U.S. launch on Aug 8, the generic version of the drug has captured a large market share, the AP reported.
U.S. Alcohol Industry Lax on Ad Guidelines: Report
The American alcohol industry isn't living up to voluntary standards on radio alcohol advertising and youth, suggests a study in Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers from the CDC and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) analyzed a sample of 67,404 alcohol ads that aired on 104 U.S. radio stations from June 15 to Aug. 5, 2004.
They found that 14 percent of the ads aired in programming where people ages 12 to 20 represented more than 30 percent of the listening audience. This was an improvement over 2003, when a similar study found that 28 percent of alcohol ads appeared to violate the guidelines. The rules were adopted voluntarily by the alcohol industry in 2003.
"Young people spend more time listening to the radio than they do reading magazines or surfing the net, so reducing youth exposure to alcohol ads on radio is critical," Dr. David Jernigan, CAMY executive director, said in a prepared statement.
"In September 2003, the alcohol industry made modest revisions to its voluntary code in order to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising. While progress is being made, the industry still has a long way to go," he said.
Pool Toys Pose Impalement Hazard
About 273,000 Jet Streamers Water Blasters pool toys have been recalled because they pose an impalement hazard to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
When partially filled with water, the straight squirt gun can stand upright on the pool floor with the rigid narrow end pointed upward. The company, Wild Planet Toys, Inc. of San Francisco, has received one report of an injury to an 8-year-old girl who landed seat first on one of the toys in a swimming pool. She suffered a puncture wound.
The toys were sold as a 2-pack set, in packages with other pool toys, and with boys' swim trunks.
Consumers should immediately stop using the Jet Streamers and contact Wild Planet for a redesigned product that can't stand upright, the CPSC said.
For more information, contact Wild Planet at 1-800-247-6570 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Health Headlines - September 1
U.S. Alcohol Industry Lax on Ad Guidelines: Report
The American alcohol industry isn't living up to voluntary standards on radio alcohol advertising and youth, suggests a study in Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers from the CDC and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) analyzed a sample of 67,404 alcohol ads that aired on 104 U.S. radio stations from June 15 to Aug. 5, 2004.
They found that 14 percent of the ads aired in programming where people ages 12 to 20 represented more than 30 percent of the listening audience. This was an improvement over 2003, when a similar study found that 28 percent of alcohol ads appeared to violate the guidelines. The rules were adopted voluntarily by the alcohol industry in 2003.
"Young people spend more time listening to the radio than they do reading magazines or surfing the net, so reducing youth exposure to alcohol ads on radio is critical," Dr. David Jernigan, CAMY executive director, said in a prepared statement.
"In September 2003, the alcohol industry made modest revisions to its voluntary code in order to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising. While progress is being made, the industry still has a long way to go," he said.
Pool Toys Pose Impalement Hazard
About 273,000 Jet Streamers Water Blasters pool toys have been recalled because they pose an impalement hazard to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
When partially filled with water, the straight squirt gun can stand upright on the pool floor with the rigid narrow end pointed upward. The company, Wild Planet Toys, Inc. of San Francisco, has received one report of an injury to an 8-year-old girl who landed seat first on one of the toys in a swimming pool. She suffered a puncture wound.
The toys were sold as a 2-pack set, in packages with other pool toys, and with boys' swim trunks.
Consumers should immediately stop using the Jet Streamers and contact Wild Planet for a redesigned product that can't stand upright, the CPSC said.
For more information, contact Wild Planet at 1-800-247-6570 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
China Seeks More Volunteers for Bird Flu Trials
As many as 500 volunteers are being recruited in China to take part in the second-phase trial of a vaccine to protect people against the H5N1 bird flu virus.
A first-phase trial with 120 people found the vaccine was safe. Chinese state media said the second trial will determine how long the vaccine protects people against the virus, Agence France Presse reported.
Volunteers for the new study will have to be healthy, not pregnant, and between the ages of 18 and 65.
The vaccine has to pass three phases of clinical testing before it's allowed on the market.
Earlier this week, Chinese state media said that vaccine manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. planned to produce 20 million vaccines a year within the next few years, AFP reported. The company jointly developed the vaccine with government scientists.
Some Drugs from Canadian Web Sites Fake: FDA
A number of prescription drugs ordered from 10 Web sites linked to a Canadian pharmacy were fake, according to tests by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consumers should not use drugs bought from those Web sites because the medications may be unsafe, the agency warned Wednesday.
Drugs ordered from the 10 sites -- which include rxnorth.com, rxbyfax.com, and canadiandrugstore.com -- are filled by Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy, also known as Mediplan Global Health, the Associated Press reported.
In recent months, the FDA has seized thousands of prescriptions filled by Mediplan. Tests revealed counterfeit versions of numerous drugs, including the painkiller Celebrex, the cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Crestor, the baldness treatment Propecia, the blood pressure medication Diovan, and five other prescription drugs.
Even though the drugs seized by the FDA were ordered from Canada-based Mediplan, the drugs were not shipped from Canada, the AP reported.
A Mediplan executive said the FDA allegations about the counterfeit drugs are false. The executive would not divulge from which countries the company ships its drugs.
The FDA said consumers who've ordered drugs from the Mediplan-linked Web sites should talk to their doctors and get their prescriptions refilled, the AP reported.
Fruit, Veggie Juices Cut Alzheimer's Risk
Fruit and vegetable juices may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 76 percent, concludes a U.S. study of about 1,800 Japanese-American seniors in the Seattle area.
The decade-long study found that seniors who drank fruit or vegetable juice three or more times a week were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who drank one serving or less every seven days, the Toronto Star reported.
High concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols found in fruit and vegetable juices may help reduce the risk for Alzheimer's, said study lead author Qi Dai of Vanderbilt University.
However, only juices made with whole, fresh fruits and vegetables offer a strong dose of polyphenols. Dai noted that 99 percent of polyphenols are found in the skins of fruits and vegetables, the Toronto Star reported.
The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
$50 Million Vioxx Award Excessive: U.S. Judge
A U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday that a recent $50 million compensatory damage award against Merck in a trial over its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx was "grossly excessive."
A jury decided Aug. 17 that Merck must pay the award to a retired FBI agent who suffered a heart attack in 2002 after taking Vioxx for 2 1/2 years.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon said that a new trial must be held to decide how much Merck must pay in compensatory damages. But Fallon upheld the verdict, finding Merck liable in the case, the Associated Press reported.
Legal experts had mixed opinions about the significance of Fallon's ruling.
The fact that the judge upheld the liability verdict against Merck is important, said lawyer Robert Gordon, who represented a man who was severely disabled after taking Vioxx and was awarded $13.5 million from Merck.
""What Merck has always said is that Vioxx doesn't cause heart attacks. This jury has found that it does. And the federal judge in charge of all the cases has found that the verdict was reasonable," Gordon told the AP.
The American alcohol industry isn't living up to voluntary standards on radio alcohol advertising and youth, suggests a study in Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers from the CDC and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) analyzed a sample of 67,404 alcohol ads that aired on 104 U.S. radio stations from June 15 to Aug. 5, 2004.
They found that 14 percent of the ads aired in programming where people ages 12 to 20 represented more than 30 percent of the listening audience. This was an improvement over 2003, when a similar study found that 28 percent of alcohol ads appeared to violate the guidelines. The rules were adopted voluntarily by the alcohol industry in 2003.
"Young people spend more time listening to the radio than they do reading magazines or surfing the net, so reducing youth exposure to alcohol ads on radio is critical," Dr. David Jernigan, CAMY executive director, said in a prepared statement.
"In September 2003, the alcohol industry made modest revisions to its voluntary code in order to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising. While progress is being made, the industry still has a long way to go," he said.
Pool Toys Pose Impalement Hazard
About 273,000 Jet Streamers Water Blasters pool toys have been recalled because they pose an impalement hazard to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
When partially filled with water, the straight squirt gun can stand upright on the pool floor with the rigid narrow end pointed upward. The company, Wild Planet Toys, Inc. of San Francisco, has received one report of an injury to an 8-year-old girl who landed seat first on one of the toys in a swimming pool. She suffered a puncture wound.
The toys were sold as a 2-pack set, in packages with other pool toys, and with boys' swim trunks.
Consumers should immediately stop using the Jet Streamers and contact Wild Planet for a redesigned product that can't stand upright, the CPSC said.
For more information, contact Wild Planet at 1-800-247-6570 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
China Seeks More Volunteers for Bird Flu Trials
As many as 500 volunteers are being recruited in China to take part in the second-phase trial of a vaccine to protect people against the H5N1 bird flu virus.
A first-phase trial with 120 people found the vaccine was safe. Chinese state media said the second trial will determine how long the vaccine protects people against the virus, Agence France Presse reported.
Volunteers for the new study will have to be healthy, not pregnant, and between the ages of 18 and 65.
The vaccine has to pass three phases of clinical testing before it's allowed on the market.
Earlier this week, Chinese state media said that vaccine manufacturer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. planned to produce 20 million vaccines a year within the next few years, AFP reported. The company jointly developed the vaccine with government scientists.
Some Drugs from Canadian Web Sites Fake: FDA
A number of prescription drugs ordered from 10 Web sites linked to a Canadian pharmacy were fake, according to tests by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consumers should not use drugs bought from those Web sites because the medications may be unsafe, the agency warned Wednesday.
Drugs ordered from the 10 sites -- which include rxnorth.com, rxbyfax.com, and canadiandrugstore.com -- are filled by Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy, also known as Mediplan Global Health, the Associated Press reported.
In recent months, the FDA has seized thousands of prescriptions filled by Mediplan. Tests revealed counterfeit versions of numerous drugs, including the painkiller Celebrex, the cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Crestor, the baldness treatment Propecia, the blood pressure medication Diovan, and five other prescription drugs.
Even though the drugs seized by the FDA were ordered from Canada-based Mediplan, the drugs were not shipped from Canada, the AP reported.
A Mediplan executive said the FDA allegations about the counterfeit drugs are false. The executive would not divulge from which countries the company ships its drugs.
The FDA said consumers who've ordered drugs from the Mediplan-linked Web sites should talk to their doctors and get their prescriptions refilled, the AP reported.
Fruit, Veggie Juices Cut Alzheimer's Risk
Fruit and vegetable juices may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 76 percent, concludes a U.S. study of about 1,800 Japanese-American seniors in the Seattle area.
The decade-long study found that seniors who drank fruit or vegetable juice three or more times a week were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who drank one serving or less every seven days, the Toronto Star reported.
High concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols found in fruit and vegetable juices may help reduce the risk for Alzheimer's, said study lead author Qi Dai of Vanderbilt University.
However, only juices made with whole, fresh fruits and vegetables offer a strong dose of polyphenols. Dai noted that 99 percent of polyphenols are found in the skins of fruits and vegetables, the Toronto Star reported.
The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
$50 Million Vioxx Award Excessive: U.S. Judge
A U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday that a recent $50 million compensatory damage award against Merck in a trial over its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx was "grossly excessive."
A jury decided Aug. 17 that Merck must pay the award to a retired FBI agent who suffered a heart attack in 2002 after taking Vioxx for 2 1/2 years.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon said that a new trial must be held to decide how much Merck must pay in compensatory damages. But Fallon upheld the verdict, finding Merck liable in the case, the Associated Press reported.
Legal experts had mixed opinions about the significance of Fallon's ruling.
The fact that the judge upheld the liability verdict against Merck is important, said lawyer Robert Gordon, who represented a man who was severely disabled after taking Vioxx and was awarded $13.5 million from Merck.
""What Merck has always said is that Vioxx doesn't cause heart attacks. This jury has found that it does. And the federal judge in charge of all the cases has found that the verdict was reasonable," Gordon told the AP.
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