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Shildt Financial Services
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State College, PA 16801
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 Weekly Health News + Safety Alerts
Shildt Financial Services hopes that you find the following news items to be helpful and informative.
We specialize in NO FEE Employee Benefits Insurance: Health/Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life, Legal, 401(k)/Pension and Long Term Care.
Please Select Your Choice Of News items from our
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS IN REVIEW for each week dating back to September, 2008 that is located below the SAFETY ALERTS Links.
 SAFETY ALERTS: go to CPSC, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, to help keep your family and yourself safe by checking product recalls and safety news.
Or go to FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts.
 WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS
IN REVIEW:
Health News Back To September, 2008
Health Highlights
**Recalled Dietary Supplements May Contain Steroids.
**BPA in Canned Foods Cause for Concern.
**Breast Cancer May Change When It Spreads.
**Tests Can Detect Early Dementia.
**Cereal's 'Immunity' Claim Outrages Experts.
**Diabetes Drug Label to Address Safety Concerns: FDA.
**Recalled Ground Beef Possibly Tied to Two Deaths.
**Chinese Drywall Contains Higher Chemical Content.
**Academy of Family Physicians' Deal with Coca-Cola Co. Sparks Outrage.
**Obesity Linked to Cancer.
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- Anemia Drug, Aranesp, Appears to Double the Risk of Stroke in Patients with Diabetes and Kidney Disease Without Substantially Improving Their Quality of Life
Darbepoetin alfa, marketed as Aranesp and known as an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), is often prescribed for diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease and mild anemia. Dr. Ajay Singh, clinical chief of the renal division and director of dialysis at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said this "landmark study" raises the fundamental question of whether epoetin or darbepoetin should routinely be used in treating anemia of chronic kidney disease. "In my own practice, I will be cautious in using ESAs for most patients with chronic kidney disease, balancing risk with benefits and reserving treatment largely for patients who need frequent blood transfusions or who are candidates for a kidney transplant," he said.
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- FDA Issues Warning for Diabetes Drug: Reports of kidney problems for those using Byetta prompted action
FDA Issues Warning for Diabetes Drug: Reports of kidney problems for those using Byetta prompted action
"Patients also should be aware that problems with kidney function could lead to changes in urine color, frequency of urination or the amount of urine, unexplained swelling of the hands or feet, fatigue, changes in appetite or digestion, or dull ache in the mid- to lower back," Dr. Amy Egan said. She advised patients with any of these symptoms to immediately consult with a health-care professional. Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the most common side effects associated with the drug. These side effects may contribute to the development of kidney malfunction, which can lead to a build-up of waste products in the blood, resulting in serious illness and potentially life-threatening conditions.
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- CDC Study Links 2 Antibiotics to Birth Defects: No added risk was found, however, for most commonly used infection-fighters
The study found that two types of antibiotics were linked with a higher risk for several birth defects: nitrofurantoins and sulfonamides, sometimes called "sulfa drugs," which are prescribed for urinary tract and other infections. Women whose children had anencephaly, a fatal malformation of the skull and brain, were three times more likely to have taken sulfonamides, the study found. Sulfonamides were also tied to an increased risk for such heart defects as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and coarctation of the aorta, choanal atresia (a blockage of the nasal passage), transverse limb deficiency and diaphragmatic hernia, an abnormal opening in the diaphragm that results in severe breathing difficulties. Nitrofurantoins were also associated with multiple birth defects, including anophthalmia and microphthalmos (eye defects) and several congenital heart defects.....
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- Focused Radiation May Help Some With Lung Cancer: Study reports successes, especially for those with good lung function
Three-year survival was 100 percent for people with early-stage lung cancer and good lung function who were treated with radical stereotactic radiosurgery using CyberKnife, according to a new study funded by the product's maker. Stereotactic radiosurgery, despite its name, is not surgery but rather a type of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered X-rays on abnormal tissue only, sparing nearby healthy tissue. "What we also learned from this study is that patients with poorer lung functioning don't do nearly as well," Dr. Brian T. Collins stated in the news release. The overall survival in this group of patients was only 30 percent, the researchers found. "This information is important for the doctor and patient when making treatment decisions. In treating someone with poor lung function, it would seem prudent to.....
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- Diet Soda, Sodium Tied to Kidney Trouble: It's more proof that what you eat and drink affects health, researchers say
A diet high in salt or artificially sweetened drinks increases the risk of kidney function decline, two studies show. "While more study is needed, our research suggests that higher sodium and artificially sweetened soda intake are associated with greater rate of decline in kidney function," said Dr. Julie Lin. The association between artificially sweetened beverages and kidney function decline persisted after Lin and colleague Dr. Gary Curhan accounted for other factors, such as age, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, physical activity, caloric intake and cardiovascular disease.
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- Virulent Strain of MRSA Resists Treatment: Type that causes bloodstream infections can be quickly fatal, study finds
New research holds bad news for health officials worried about a potentially lethal infection called MRSA that haunts hospitals: A strain that infects the bloodstream is five times more deadly than other strains. To make matters worse, the USA600 strain appears to be at least partially immune to an antibiotic that's used to treat the condition. A full half of patients infected with the strain died within a month. That's nearly five times the death rate of other people infected with MRSA, and 10 to 30 percent of those who acquire MRSA infections in the bloodstream die within a month, the study found. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, causes infections in the skin and bloodstream. It can also infect surgical wounds and cause pneumonia. In most cases, it sickens people in the hospital, but cases are becoming more common outside the health-care community.
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- Nicotine Patch Plus Lozenge Best for Quitting Smoking: This combo wins out in first head-to-head study of various smoking-cessation aids
The first head-to-head comparison of different quit-smoking products finds that a nicotine patch combined with a nicotine lozenge had the most success. More than other methods, including antidepressants, this combination best mimics the actual highs and lows of smoking to help smokers kick their habit, experts said. "The reasoning behind it is that the patch supplies a steady supply of nicotine replacement and the lozenges give a boost of nicotine which you can use when you have an extra craving. It gives people control," said Dr. Whiteson, who was not involved in the research. "But also remember that in this study people got a lot of counseling. It was that combination that resulted in a 40 percent quit rate [at six months out]," added Megan E. Piper. Coupling the patch with the lozenge was the only intervention that performed better than a placebo.
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- Switch to 'Light' Cigarettes Makes Quitting Tougher: Smokers may mistakenly believe they're 'healthier,' researchers say
According to the authors, an estimated 84 percent of cigarettes sold in the United States are so-called low-tar and low-nicotine, with many of them called "lights." Some smokers may assume they're healthier than other cigarettes, but medical researchers say smokers still suck in about the same level of carcinogens. And research has shown that "lighter" cigarettes don't reduce smoking-related illness and death. Regardless of what brand they smoke, "the average smoker dies 13 to 14 years earlier than he or she would die if he or she did not smoke," Dr. Hilary Tindle said. Regardless of how cigarettes are marketed, Tindle said, "the best solution for the problem of how to live longer and healthier is to quit smoking now."
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns of Bogus Swine Flu Products.
**EPA Seeks to Expand Lead Safety Rules.
**Cancer Drug Prevents Premature Labor.
**FDA Lax on Drug Follow-Up Studies.
**Cell Phones Linked To Brain Tumors.
**Unhealthy Breakfast Cereals Heavily Marketed to Children.
**Antibody May Benefit Trauma Patients.
**Enzyme May Be Key in Nerve Fiber Regeneration.
**Cars Big Threat To Trick-or-Treaters.
**High-Fiber Foods May Protect Against Inflammatory Diseases.
**Immune-Suppressing Drugs May Boost Bladder Cancer Risk.
**Curry Spice Chemical Kills Esophageal Cancer Cells.
**Radiation Treatment Required For Fresh Gulf of Mexico Oysters.
**Antibody May Benefit Trauma Patients.
**FDA Panel Recommends First Non-Drug Asthma Treatment.
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- Adding Chemo Helps Head, Neck Cancer Patients: Study found it doubled survival time
Combining chemotherapy with radiation treatment for patients with advanced head and neck cancer increases their event-free survival to 2.2 years from just one year with radiotherapy alone, finds a new study. According to the study authors, "events" include cancer recurrence, new tumors or death. Overall, non-platinum-based chemotherapy given at the same time as radiotherapy reduced deaths and cancer recurrence in patients who hadn't undergone surgery, with acceptable toxicity. But patients who'd undergone surgery didn't benefit from this combined treatment. The researchers also found that chemotherapy given after radiotherapy was ineffective, didn't improve survival, and doubled the rate of toxicity.
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- Migraine With Aura Can Double Stroke Risk: Young women who smoke and use birth control pills are most susceptible, researchers say
Women who get migraine headaches with aura should stop smoking and using birth control pills because they may increase their risk of stroke, researchers say. For people who suffer migraine headaches with aura -- visual disturbances before or during the migraine -- the risk for ischemic stroke is doubled, they found. Being female, under 45, smoking and using oral contraceptives that contain estrogen added to the risk. "The risk of stroke for most people with migraine is low -- stroke is an uncommon event -- and so a doubling of that low baseline risk is not cause for alarm,"Dr. Elizabeth Loder said. "Although it's not a reason for panic, having aura is a reason to pay extra attention to other stroke risk factors that can be modified. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and use of estrogen-containing contraceptives."
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- Toxins Make Halloween Face Paints Scary: Report finds all products tested contained lead and some had known skin allergens
"All 10 face paint products tested contained lead, and six out of 10 had known skin allergens, including nickel, cobalt or chromium, at levels above recommendations of industry studies," said Stacy Malkan. Dr. Wally Ghurabi believes that even once-a-year use of the face paints may not be worth it. "Concerned parents should skip it," he said. If those who apply the paints aren't careful, he said, and get the paint too close to the eyes or nose, that could be potentially harmful. Another option is to "go natural," said Jessa Blades. First, look up "safe" or green cosmetics on the campaign's Web site. Then, consider black eye pencil for whiskers. Or mix a quarter teaspoon of the spice turmeric with unscented lotion to make "war paint." For fake blood, mix corn syrup, Castile liquid soap and a dash of red food coloring, Blades said.
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- Antipsychotic Drugs Spur Rapid and Dramatic Weight Gain in Kids: Researchers urge other alternatives, close monitoring of patients
Children and teens who take medicines for conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism tend to put on a substantial amount of weight, a new study finds. The worry is that excessive weight gain and other metabolic changes in childhood can place kids at risk for chronic health problems as adults. The study focused on four antipsychotics commonly prescribed to children: aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel) and risperidone (Risperdal). After nearly 11 weeks, the treated kids gained an average of 18.7 pounds on Zyprexa, 13.4 pounds on Seroquel, 11.7 pounds on Risperdal and 9.7 pounds on Abilify, while the control group gained less than half a pound.
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- Even Light Smoking Affects Young Adults' Arteries: Damage makes it harder to run and climb steps, researcher says
Smoking just one cigarette stiffens the arteries of young adults by 25 percent, says a new study. The stiffer a person's arteries, the greater their risk for heart disease or stroke, noted researcher Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou. "Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries," Daskalopoulou said. "In effect, this means that even light smoking in otherwise young healthy people can damage the arteries, compromising the ability of their bodies to cope with physical stress, such as climbing a set of stairs or running to catch a bus," she said. "It seems that this compromise to respond to physical stress occurs first, before the damage of the arteries becomes evident at rest."
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- Light Touch Helps Grip of MS Patients: Study shows ways to optimize hand movements
People with MS use excessive force when lifting objects, which can lead to fatigue and make everyday tasks difficult, physical therapists from the University of Illinois at Chicago explained. Using the finger of the opposite hand to apply a gentle touch to the affected hand may help improve control and coordination, they stated. In each case, the grip force required to lift an object decreased," said Alexander Aruin. "When we use our second hand and touch the wrist of the target hand, available information to the central nervous system about the hand-object interaction may increase. Without the touch, the information needed to manipulate an object comes only through vision and sensory input from just the target arm and hand."
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- Radiation From Medical Scans Soaring: Americans now get 6-fold more exposure than in 1980, researchers say
In 2006, almost 380 million diagnostic and interventional radiological procedures were performed in the United States, on top of 18 million nuclear medicine examinations. "Back in about 1980, 15 percent of radiation that the U.S. population got was from medicine and the rest was predominantly from natural background radiation," noted Dr. Fred Mettler Jr. In the last 20 years, medical exposure has gone up between 600 and 700 percent from what it was, and it is now the biggest source of radiation to the U.S. population." "The issue," Mettler continued, "is that this is a controllable source. We regulate the effluent from nuclear power plants so the public doesn't get exposure but medical exposure is essentially unregulated. The largest source in the U.S. is essentially unregulated, and it's up to your family doctor or any other doctor to hand it out."
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- New Clues to How Fish Oils Help Arthritis Patients: Findings may boost treatments for other inflammatory diseases, researchers say
The body converts an ingredient in fish oils called DHA into a chemical called Resolvin D2, which reduces the inflammation that can lead to various diseases. "We have known for some time that fish oils can help with conditions like arthritis, which are linked to inflammation. What we've shown here is how the body processes a particular ingredient of fish oils into Resolvin D2. We've also looked in detail at this chemical, determining at least some of the ways it relieves inflammation. It seems to be a very powerful chemical and a small amount can have a large effect," said Mauro Perretti. Unlike current anti-inflammatory drugs, Resolvin D2 doesn't appear to suppress the immune system, the researchers noted.
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- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors: Two hours per week can improve osteoarthritis symptoms in older patients
Half of the group took part in Yang-style Tai Chi sessions for an hour at a time, twice weekly over a period of three months. The Tai Chi session consisted of 10-minutes of self-message and review, a half hour of movement, 10 minutes of breathing exercises and 10 minutes of relaxing. The other participants took two 60-minute classes per week for three months and learned about issues such as diet and nutrition, and treatments for osteoarthritis. They also stretched for 20 minutes. Those who practiced Tai Chi had significantly less knee pain than the other group and also reported less depression, more physical function and better overall health.
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Health Highlights
**Botulism Fears Trigger Baby Food Recall.
**Turtle-Related Salmonella Outbreak in 2007-2008 Sickened 107 People.
**Car Booster Seats Significantly Reduce Crash Injuries Among Children Ages 4 to 8.
**FDA Cracks Down on Misleading Food Labels.
**Check Commercial Drivers, Ship Pilots for Sleep Apnea: NTSB.
**German Study Suggests the Placebo Effect Isn't in Your Head; It's in Your Spinal Cord.
**Suspected Negative Health Effects Associated With Regular Marijuana Use Include Breathing and Cardiovascular Harm, Psychotic Episodes, Poor School Grades and Car Accidents.
**Special Bracelets Don't Help Arthritis Patients.
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- Babies Injured in Car Seats Used Outside of Cars: Study found more than 43,000 emergency-room visits during five-year period
Accidents occur when unrestrained babies, especially those older than 2 months, rock and fidget inside an unattended seat, causing the device to tip over or fall, said Dr. Peter Richel. According to Parikh, the most common injuries during the five-year period were to the head, followed by fractures and dislocations. Three babies died. The study comes two months after another study advised parents to remove their children from infant car seats after a car trip because the seats can compress the chest and lower levels of oxygen. However, experts all agree that car seats are critical inside a vehicle to protect children from injury in a collision, just like seatbelt restraints protect adults.
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- Suicidal Thoughts May Vary by Antidepressant: Men face higher risk when taking nortriptyline than escitalopram, study finds
Men who take the antidepressant nortriptyline (Aventyl) are nearly 10 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who use the antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex), a new study has found. The study included 811 people with moderate to severe unipolar depression. Though it found an overall reduction in suicidal thoughts, men who took nortriptyline were found to have a 9.8-fold increase in emerging suicidal thoughts and a 2.4-fold increase in worsening suicidal thoughts, compared with those who took escitalopram. "The study also refutes the idea that newer antidepressants such as the SSRIs [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors] are worse than older medications in terms of increasing suicidal thoughts," Dr. Nader Perroud added.
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- Breast Cancer Gene Tied to Diagnosis at Younger Age: Researchers concerned that disease may be developing earlier
Women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer are being diagnosed sooner than similar women in the past, which may suggest that tumors are developing earlier in the younger generation, researchers say. The median age of diagnosis in the newer generation was 42, but 47 in the older women. The study authors report that this is worrisome because it could mean that the cancer is developing earlier. "These findings are certainly concerning and could have implications on the screening and genetic counseling of these women," said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Litton. "In BRCA-positive women with breast cancer, we actually might be seeing true anticipation -- the phenotype or cancer coming out earlier per generation. This suggests more than the mutation could be involved, perhaps lifestyle and environmental factors are also coming into play."
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- Timing of Oxygen After a Stroke May Matter: Treatment while blood flow is blocked protects tissue, animal study finds
Contradicting previous research, scientists have shown in animal studies that providing supplemental oxygen during an ischemic stroke can reduce brain damage. But it's not a simple matter. Success in preventing brain damage, their new study says, depends on when 100 percent oxygen is given. "The use of supplemental oxygen after blood flow is restored in the brain appears to actually cause harm by unleashing free radicals," said Savita Khanna. "Ultimately, the supplemental oxygen after blood flow is restored is more than the tissue can handle and is more than it needs," said Cameron Rink. "Why add oxygen on top of tissue that's already oxygenated? Supplemental oxygen during the blockage, on the other hand, is highly protective."
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- Heart Failure Treatment Underused: Two-thirds of patients in U.S. hospitals fail to get recommended therapy, study finds
The use of aldosterone antagonist therapy in patients with heart failure is designated as "useful and recommended" in chronic heart failure guidelines established by the ACC/AHA but this study found that less than one-third of patients hospitalized for heart failure receive the treatment. "These data confirm that in the context of a hospital-based performance improvement program, aldosterone antagonist therapy can be used according to guidelines with little inappropriate use. Given the substantial morbidity and mortality risk faced by patients hospitalized with HF and the established efficacy of aldosterone antagonist prescription in HF, a stronger uptake of aldosterone antagonist therapy indicated by evidence-based guidelines may be warranted," the researchers concluded.
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- Tylenol May Weaken Effectiveness of Kids' Vaccines: Giving analgesic to prevent fever at shot time could be counterproductive, researchers say
Fever after a vaccination is a normal and essential part of building an immune response, and giving children acetaminophen -- best known in the U.S. as Tylenol -- after a shot could dampen that response, a new study finds. Therefore, "unless your doctor specifically recommends it, do not administer fever-reducing medicines at the same time as vaccination to prevent your child from developing a fever," said Dr. Robert T. Chen. "It is still okay to use antipyretics [acetaminophen or ibuprofen] to treat a fever, but just not recommended to prevent fever," he added. "High fevers can be serious, especially in infants. It is important to work with your doctor to provide the best care for your child."
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- Prolonged Use of Pacifier Linked to Speech Problems: Kids with sucking habit for more than 3 years may be at increased risk, researchers say
In a study of 128 children aged 3 to 5 in Patagonia, Chile, researchers found that children who used a pacifier or sucked their fingers for more than three years were three times as likely as other kids to develop speech impediments. The study also found that children will have a lower risk of developing speech disorders if they don't start using bottles until they're at least 9 months old. "These results suggest extended use of sucking outside of breast-feeding may have detrimental effects on speech development in young children," study author Clarita Barbosa said.
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- Radiation Treatments Made Safer for Cancer Patients: In mice, scientists say they can protect healthy tissue
The key is a biochemical signaling pathway that can influence how radiation exposure affects both healthy and cancerous cells. In experiments with mice, the researchers found that blocking a molecule called thrombospondin-1 from binding to its cell surface receptor (CD47) resulted in nearly total protection for normal tissue when exposed to standard and very high doses of radiation. "This dramatic protective effect occurred in skin, muscle and bone marrow cells, which is very encouraging. Cells that might have died of radiation exposure remained viable and functional when pre-treated with agents that interfere with the thrombospondin-1/CD47 pathway," Dr. Jeff S. Isenberg said. The researchers also found that blocking this pathway delayed the regrowth of tumor cells after radiation exposure.
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- Want Sun Protection? Wear Deep Blue or Red: Fabric color affects absorption of UV radiation, researchers say
Deep blue and red cotton fabrics are better than yellow at protecting skin against damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, according to Spanish scientists. The researchers dyed cotton fabrics in a wide range of red, blue and yellow shades and measured the ability of each to absorb UV light. Deep blue shades had the highest UV absorption, while yellow shades had the least, they found. The results could be used by clothing makers to design more effective anti-sun clothing, Ascension Riva and colleagues suggested.
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Health Highlights
**Immune System Linked to Osteoporosis In Celiac Patients.
**Falls Common Cause Of Seniors' ER Visits.
**Web Site Evaluates Swine Flu Severity.
**Breast Cancer Cells Mutate As Disease Progresses.
**Ill College Students Can Keep Health Insurance.
**FDA Considers New Insulin Inhaler.
**Death Caused By Improper Relenza Use.
**Adult Stem Cells Used to Create Jaw Joint.
**Learning Juggling or Other Complex New Skills Benefits Brain.
**Aspirin Overdoses May Have Caused Some 1918 Pandemic Deaths.
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- Shared Bed May Raise SIDS Risk: Parental use of alcohol, drugs noted in about a third of deaths, study finds
Researchers analyzed 80 cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in southwest England between January 2003 and December 2006. Of the deaths, 54 percent occurred while parent and child were sharing a bed or sofa, called co-sleeping. Parental use of alcohol or drugs before co-sleeping occurred in 31 percent of the cases, and 17 percent of the deaths occurred while co-sleeping on a sofa. One-fifth of the infants were found with a pillow and one-quarter were swaddled, the study authors noted, suggesting these situations as potential risk factors. The study included a number of different social groups, and the results suggest that the risk factors were similar throughout the entire community, which the study said indicates that the deaths were not related to social deprivation.
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- Swine Flu Can Move Quickly to Severe Illness: Canadian, Mexican studies suggest U.S. hospitals need to be ready for surge of cases
Canadian and Mexican intensive care units were swamped with patients who rapidly became critically ill with H1N1 flu this past spring and summer, new reports find. Many of these patients were relatively healthy adolescents and young adults who needed to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) within a day or two of being admitted to the hospital, note doctors from both countries. Many patients required mechanical ventilators. Indications are that, overall, most cases of H1N1 flu remain mild. But with more people getting sick overall, the number falling severely ill will swell. The average age of the 168 confirmed or probable H1N1 swine flu cases in the Canadian study was 32.3 years. In Mexico the mean age was older (44 years) but still relatively young.
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- Shingles Raises Stroke Risk: Patients with the virus should be monitored for high blood pressure, expert says
Adults with the skin disease shingles appear to be at raised risk for stroke, especially when it affects the area around the eyes, researchers report. Kang and his colleagues studied data on 7,760 adult Taiwanese who were treated for shingles between 1997 and 2001. In the year after treatment, 133 of them, or 1.7 percent, had strokes. The incidence in a control group of 23,280 adults who were not treated for shingles was 1.3 percent (306 people). Analysis of the data found that the risk of stroke in that one-year period was 31 percent higher in the shingles group. The incidence was dramatically higher for those with a shingles infection in or around the eye -- nearly 4.3 times higher than in the control group.
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- With Hormone Therapy, Tender Breasts May Signal Cancer Risk: Symptom might warrant a reassessment of treatment, experts suggest
Women taking estrogen plus progestin who reported developing breast tenderness after starting the hormone therapy were 48 percent more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than women on hormone therapy who did not experience breast tenderness. Researchers said more study is needed before they would recommend that women who experience this symptom discontinue taking the hormones. But women who develop breast tenderness might want to reassess if the hormones are really necessary to control their menopausal symptoms. Researchers aren't certain why some women on hormone therapy develop breast cancer while others don't, though the breast tenderness may provide a clue, Crandall said. Tenderness could be a sign that the cells of the breast are multiplying rapidly. Cell proliferation is a risk factor for cancer.
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- Vitamin D Good for Breast Cancer Patients: Supplements help fight treatment-related bone loss, researchers say
"Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health, and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It's important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake," said Luke Peppone. Peppone and colleagues studied 166 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer and found that nearly 70 percent had low levels of vitamin D in their blood. The researchers found that weekly supplementation with high doses of vitamin D (50,000 IU or more) boosted the levels of the vitamin among all the women. Along with strengthening bones, vitamin D plays an important role in cell growth and keeping the immune system strong.
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- Impotence, Incontinence Risk Casts Doubt on High-Tech Prostate Surgery: Marketing is buoying use of the technique, researchers say, but surgeon's experience is key
The presumed good stemming from the robotic technique are being oversold to a public that is all too willing to believe, said Dr. Jim C. Hu. "Given the expense of the procedure and the hype around it, expectations are being raised that are too high," said Hu. "Patients are demanding it," agreed Dr. Stephen J. Freedland. The numbers in the new study "are really worrisome," Freedland said. "They are finding an incontinence rate that is 30 percent higher and an erectile dysfunction rate that is 40 percent higher, and those are really important." And the robotic technique is not readily mastered by surgeons, he said. "The learning curve is 150 to 200 patients, so the first 150 you do, you're practicing on them," Freedland said.
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- Drop in Certain Visual Skills May Precede Alzheimer's: Decline in spatial understanding can occur 3 years before diagnosis, study finds
The ability to perceive relationships between objects (visuospatial skills) may decline years before a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. The researchers used data from the cognitive assessments to chart declines in various areas before participants were diagnosed with dementia. They found an inflection point (sudden change to a steeper slope of decline) in visuospatial abilities three years before clinical diagnosis of dementia. Declines in overall cognition occurred the next year, while inflection points for verbal and working memory weren't seen until one year before diagnosis. "These findings suggest that research into early detection of cognitive disorders using only episodic memory tasks, such as word lists or paragraph recall, may not be sensitive to all of the earliest manifestations...." wrote David K. Johnson.
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Health Highlights
**Web Site Evaluates Swine Flu Severity.
**Convertibles Pose Serious Hearing Threat.
**Exercise Helps Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
**Menu Calorie Info Doesn't Change Eating Habits.
**Eating Licorice During Pregnancy May Harm Children.
**FDA Panel Backs PegIntron as Skin Cancer Treatment.
**EU Regulators Approve Diabetes Drug Onglyza.
**U.S. Poisoning Deaths Nearly Double Since 1999: Drugs Played a Major Role.
**No Scientific Evidence for Probiotic Health Claims: EU Panel.
**Kidney Cancer Drug May Cause Liver Damage: FDA.
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- Fresh Blood Boosts Survival in Trauma Patients: Death risk rises when transfused blood is more than 28 days old, study finds
People who've suffered severe trauma and are given a major transfusion of red blood cells that have been stored for a month or longer are twice as likely to die as those who receive fresher red blood cells, U.S. researchers have found. Reseachers found that even one unit of red blood cells stored more than 28 days doubled the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and increased death secondary to multiple organ failure. The increased risk of death persisted for up to six months after the transfusion. "With the widespread use of red blood cell transfusion for critically injured patients, this study has the potential to cut deaths in hospitals around the world," they wrote.
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- Cow's Milk Protein Could Help Save Preemies' Lives: Bovine Lactoferrin could cut serious blood infections by about two-thirds in babies born weighing less than 3.3 pounds
However, when isolated from milk and then concentrated -- as it was in this study -- bovine lactoferrin is not yet approved for use in the United States. "Preventive strategies in these infants are really critical. Many preterm babies don't survive because of infection. I hope this treatment gets fast-tracked for approval, because this is a big effect from what seems like a safe and minimal intervention," said David Kaufman. He explained that in these small infants, the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is often underdeveloped, which can allow bacteria to migrate from the digestive system into the bloodstream, causing infection. Lactoferrin helps kill bacteria and fungi, first in the stomach and then in the gastrointestinal tract.
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- Liver Cancer Patients May Get Hope: Finding could help identify patients who will benefit from interferon therapy, researchers say
A short strand of RNA (microRNA) may help doctors identify liver cancer patients who would benefit from treatment with interferon, say U.S. and Chinese researchers. "Our findings are exciting because we are rediscovering a drug that may have great potential for patients with a particular genomic profile," added senior author Xin Wei Wang. A separate analysis of liver tumor samples from 135 patients who had had surgery revealed that those with low levels of miR-26 benefitted from receiving adjuvant interferon therapy. Patients who received interferon lived at least 7.7 years longer than those who didn't receive the drug. Interferon didn't benefit patients with normal levels of miR-26. The findings suggest that checking miR-26 levels in liver tumors may help determine patient prognosis and identify patients who might benefit from interferon treatment.....
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- Tiny Batteries Can Cause Big Problems for Young Children: Ingestion of 'button' batteries may have serious consequences, researchers say
Some kids swallow the batteries, while others stick them up their nose. An estimated 3,000 people of all ages accidentally ingest the batteries each year in the United States. About two-thirds of the cases involve children under age 5, with 1- and 2-year-olds at highest risk, the researchers noted. In the most severe cases, serious consequences can develop, such as vocal paralysis, the need for throat and gastrointestinal tubes, and perforation of nasal passages, according to the study authors. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, ingested batteries can cause a variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain, chest pain and vomiting.
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- Drug Combo May Prevent Heart Attacks, Strokes: 'Inexpensive, well-proven medications' could have huge impact, expert says
Giving daily doses of a statin and a blood pressure-lowering ACE inhibitor to people at high risk for a heart attack or stroke reduced their incidence by more than 60 percent in two years, researchers report. People in the study all had diabetes or a history of cardiovascular disease, but the drug regimen probably could provide similar benefits to anyone vulnerable to cardiovascular trouble because of obesity, high blood pressure or simply old age, said Dr. R. James Dudl. "This was accomplished by using three inexpensive, well-proven medications that don't have significant side effects," Dudl said.
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- Daily Dose of Vitamin D Helps Prevent Falls in Seniors: Supplements of 700 to 1,000 IU linked to reduced risk, study finds
The analysis revealed that taking between 700 and 1,000 international units (IU) of supplemental vitamin D per day (vitamin D2 or D3) reduces falls by 19 percent and by up to 26 percent with vitamin D3. The beneficial effect was significant within two to five months of starting treatment, extended beyond 12 months, and was independent of age, type of dwelling, or additional calcium supplementation, the researchers noted. Supplemental vitamin D doses of less than 700 IU per day didn't reduce falls, wrote Dr. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari. Active forms of vitamin D didn't appear to be more effective than the 700 to 1,000 IU supplemental vitamin D, said the study authors. They added that active forms of vitamin D cost more than standard supplemental vitamin D and are associated with increased risk for hypercalcemia -- elevated calcium levels in the blood.
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- As TV Drug Ads Increase, So Do Concerns: There is concern in the medical community that the drug ads could be damaging to both patients and the health-care system,br>You can't channel surf at all these days without stumbling across drug advertisements featuring happy people, sunny days, vague descriptions and a quickly mumbled list of side effects. The amount of money spent by pharmaceutical companies on direct-to-consumer advertising more than tripled between 1997 and 2005, growing from $1.3 billion to $4.2 billion since restrictions governing drug ads were relaxed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Only the United States and New Zealand allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise their medications directly to consumers, according to the FDA. Concerns about drug ads focus on several issues: Do they prompt patients to ask for the wrong treatment?; Do the ads lead to overprescribing?; and Do the ads increase medical costs and patient risks?
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Health Highlights
**Drug Deaths Outnumber Traffic Fatalities In 16 States: CDC.
**Tylenol Maker Recalls Some Products for Kids.
**FDA Advisers Back New OxyContin Pill.
**Possible Link Between Diabetes Treatment Januvia and Pancreatitis.
**Whooping Cough Vaccination Recommended for Adults and Teens.
**Toxins in Drinking Water at Thousands of U.S. Schools.
**Hundreds More Nursing Homes Candidates for Inspection.
**Switch to Digital Patient Records Driven by Big Hospitals.
**Neocate Infant Formula Recalled: FDA.
**EPA Warns About PCBs in School Window/Door Caulking.
**Swine Flu-Related School Closings Could Cost $47 Billion.
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- FDA Issues Health Alert on Kids' Tamiflu Dosages: Warning follows report that dosing instructions for liquid medication don't match syringe measurements
The alert, issued late Thursday, followed a warning by scientists that parents could give the wrong dose of Tamiflu to their children as treatment for the H1N1 swine flu because the dosing instructions don't always coincide with the measurement markings on the syringe that comes with the liquid medication. It advised health-care providers to "write doses in mg [milligrams] if the dosing dispenser with the drug is in mg. Pharmacists should ensure that the units of measure on the prescription instructions match the dosing device provided with the drug." "Tamiflu is one of the main courses of treatment right now for H1N1, and it is being widely used among children, even infants." Michael Wolf warned that an overdose could be toxic, and an underdose could be ineffective.
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- New Treatment May Beat Melanoma: In trials, advanced cancers shrunk rapidly, researchers say
"We are very excited about these results. Of the 22 patients we have been able to evaluate so far, 20 have had some objective tumor shrinkage. This is impressive as they all had metastatic disease, and most of them had failed several prior therapies," said Dr. Paul Chapman. "A lot of these patients were pretty sick, but many of them had a significant and rapid improvement in the way they function. We've had patients come off oxygen, and we've got several patients who have been able to come off narcotic pain medication soon after starting treatment," Chapman said. "PLX4032 is different because it attacks the genetic program that is causing the cells to divide uncontrollably, and we think the BRAF mutation is driving that program. The drug is blocking the genetics of the tumor, rather than trying to interfere with the proliferation of the cells and....."
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- Smoking in Pregnancy Linked to Psychotic Symptoms in Kids: Study also connects maternal alcohol use to psychiatric disturbances
If women need yet another reason to avoid smoking during pregnancy, researchers now say that tobacco use by expectant mothers may raise the risk that their children will develop psychotic symptoms. The researchers found that the children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were more likely to have the symptoms, and the risk rose in those whose mothers smoked the most while pregnant. The study authors suspect that tobacco exposure in the womb may indirectly affect the development and function of a child's brain, impacting impulsivity, attention or cognition.
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- Men Not Being Told Enough About PSA Tests: Pros, cons of cancer screen not understood, research shows
Although PSA tests can detect prostate cancer, they can't predict which cancers are aggressive and which are so slow-growing that they don't need to be treated. This leads to over-treatment, which can have immediate consequences, such as impotence and incontinence, and only a tiny increase in survival, researchers say. Pignone noted that the consequences of prostate cancer treatment, such as impotence and incontinence, occur with treatment. "You suffer the down sides right away," he said. "You only get the benefits, in most cases, far into the future." Pignone noted that even men with prostate cancer are more likely to die from heart disease or dementia than their cancer. Your chance of dying from prostate cancer is one in a 1,000, while the odds of dying from another cause is 113 in 1,000, he said.
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- Type 2 Diabetes Drug May Increase Fracture Risk: Study adds to evidence of possible link between thiazolidinediones and bone fractures, researchers say
In the study, Dr. Ian Douglas of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues searched a database of more than 6 million patients in the United Kingdom and found 1,819 people aged 40 and older who had had a bone fracture and had been prescribed a type of thiazolidinedione. The drugs were introduced in the 1990s and are used to treat type 2 diabetes. After adjusting their figures to account for the fact that older people are more likely to break bones, the researchers found that those taking thiazolidinediones had almost 1.5 times as many fractures while taking the drugs as they did when they weren't taking the drugs. The risk grew the longer the people took the medications.
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- New Hope for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer: By inhibiting key enzyme, researchers shrank tumors, prolonged survival in mice
Inhibiting the action of an enzyme called TAK-1 reverses pancreatic cancer resistance to chemotherapy, a finding that could lead to the development of a new way to treat the disease, researchers say. Pancreatic cancer is resistant to every currently available anti-cancer treatment. "The use of this TAK-1 inhibitor increased the sensitivity of pancreatic cells to all three chemotherapeutic drugs," Dr. Davide Melisi said. "By combining it with classic anti-cancer drugs, we were able to use doses of drugs up to 70 times lower in comparison with the control to kill the same number of cancer cells. In mice, we were able to reduce significantly the tumor volume, to prolong the mice survival, and to reduce the toxicity by combining the TAK-1 inhibitor with very low doses of a classic chemotherapeutic drug, gemcitabine, that would have been ineffective otherwise."
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- New Treatments Hold Hope for Failing Eyes: As the U.S. ages, macular degeneration rates are expected to swell
Macular degeneration comes in two forms, wet and dry. Current treatments for the wet form of the disease -- in which abnormal new blood vessels in the eye cause leakage and bleeding -- have proven quite successful. The wet form is more rare but can cause rapid vision loss if not caught early. Researchers have discovered a combination therapy of vitamins and antioxidants that reduces the risk of progressive vision loss by more than 20 percent, said Dr. David W. Parke II. Other progress against the wet form of the disease has come through the use of drugs that target vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a substance in the body that promotes the growth of new blood vessels. No effective treatments have been found for the dry form of macular degeneration, which causes less catastrophic vision loss but accounts for 85 percent of all macular degeneration cases.
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Health Highlights
**Obesity Could Become Leading Cause of Cancer in Women.
**FDA Requests Review Of Medical Device Approval System.
**Green Tea May Protect Bones.
**Personal Emergency Response Button Poses Choking Hazard: FDA.
**New OxyContin Offers 'Limited' Resistance to Abuse.
**Exercise Boosts Postmenopausal Women's Cardiovascular Fitness.
**Eye Test Detects Stroke Better Than MRI.
**U.S. Issues Alert About Cocaine Laced With Veterinary Drug.
**Model Predicts Postnatal Depression Risk.
**Sunshine, Vacation Linked to Lower Summer Death Rate.
**Aspirin May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk.
**Patients in Vegetative State Able to Learn.
**Delinquents Misinterpret Facial Expressions.
**FDA Approves New AIDS Test.
**FDA Warns About Stolen Respiratory Medicines.
**Brain Infection Warning Added To Safety Info About MS Drug.
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- Leukemia Drug in High Dose Helps Survival in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia [AML]: Two trials find daunorubicin benefits certain subsets of patients
A pair of studies independently reported higher rates of complete remission and overall survival in those who received high doses of the chemo drug daunorubicin, compared to those who receive the standard dose. Though those benefits were mostly limited to specific subsets of patients -- those younger than 50 or between 60 and 65, who had so-called "favorable" or "intermediate" genetic profiles -- they also came without any apparent increase in serious side effects. "The bottom line is survival," Dr. HUgo Fernandez said. "We achieved it without great cost to the patients, and without any new fancy drugs, either. This wasn't reinventing the wheel; it was using the drugs optimally. We finally got the right dose." Fernandez noted there are "nay-sayers"...."But my retort is, with the high dose, they are more likely to be alive."
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- New Chemo Regimen May Benefit Ovarian Cancer Patients: Dose-dense treatment improved survival, but too toxic for some
Currently, paclitaxel and carboplatin given every three weeks is considered standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. However, dose-dense weekly treatment with paclitaxel is seen as a way to increase progression-free and overall survival in these patients, according to the new study findings. Women in the dose-dense group had a 29 percent lower risk of cancer progression and a 25 percent lower risk of death, the authors explained. Toxicity forced 113 patients in the dose-dense group and 69 patients in the conventional therapy group to stop treatment, the researchers noted. Severe anemia occurred in 214 patients (69 percent) in the dose-dense group and in 137 (44 percent) of the standard therapy group. The survival benefits seen in the dose-dense group are rare in patients with advanced ovarian cancer....concluded Dr. Noriyuki Katsumata.
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- New Drug May Offer Hope to Some With Lung Cancer: Pemetrexed improves survival with advanced non-small-cell tumors, study finds
Maintenance therapy with the drug pemetrexed improves the survival of people with non-small-cell lung cancer whose disease has not progressed after chemotherapy, a new study has found. Those in the pemetrexed group had a 50 percent reduction in the risk for disease progression or death and a 21 percent reduction in the risk of death only, the researchers said. "Pemetrexed maintenance therapy is well tolerated and offers significantly improved progression-free and overall survival compared with placebo, making it a new treatment option for patients with advanced non-squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer who do not progress after initial induction therapy," Dr. Chandra Belani and her colleagues concluded.
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- Hormone Therapy May Make Lung Cancer More Likely: Expert says finding supports doubts about value of treatment
After eight years, 73 women taking the hormone therapy and 40 women in the placebo group had died of lung cancer. That meant, according to the researchers, that women who took the drug were 71 percent more likely to die from the disease. The researchers urged that the findings "be incorporated into risk-benefit discussions with women considering combined hormone therapy, especially those with a high risk of lung cancer ... such as current smokers or long-term past smokers." Dr. Apar Kishor Ganti questioned whether hormone therapy should be used at all. "These results, along with the findings showing no protection against coronary heart disease, seriously question whether hormone-replacement therapy has any role in medicine today," he wrote.....
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- Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Raises Heart Risks: Treatment methods should take into account side effects, researchers say
"We found that prostate cancer patients treated with hormone therapy had an elevated risk of developing all of the individual types of heart problems and that they were more likely than normal to die from those causes," said Mieke Van Hemelrijck. "In a more detailed analysis by type of hormone therapy, the lowest increase in risk for ischemic heart disease, heart attack and heart failure was seen in the group taking anti-androgen therapy, and we saw no increase in risk of death from heart disease in this group. Patients on gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy had the highest risk of these problems," Van Hemelrijck said. The findings suggest that physicians should consider heart-related side effects when prescribing hormone therapy for prostate cancer patients and may want to refer patients to a cardiologist before the start of hormone therapy....
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- Could Swine Flu Panic Be Worse Than Outbreak Itself?: With infections typically causing only mild illness, experts point to exaggerated fears as the real threat
"We have limited resources in the U.S. -- if this [swine flu] captures our negative imagination, it's going to hurt our health-care system," said Dr. Marc Siegel. "Our emergency rooms will be flooded with worried people, doctors' phones will be hanging off the hook, everyone will be afraid of every sniffle and wanting to get tested for the flu." Some examples of moves that many believe are stoking Americans' flu fears this season: Numbers out of context: nearly 600 Americans have died from H1N1 swine flu. That sounds like a scary number, until you realize that the "regular" seasonal flu kills about 36,000 Americans each year; Dramatic moves by public health officials: The widespread U.S. school closings ordered when H1N1 flu first surfaced in the spring can incite societal fear.
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- With Alcohol, Starting Young May Lead to Dependency: Study suggests teens who drink could trigger genetic predisposition
Teens who start drinking before age 15 could jump-start any genetic conditions they might have that predispose them to developing alcohol dependency, according to an Australian study. From a biological perspective, taking that first drink at a young age "may induce changes in the highly sensitive adolescent brain, which may also modify an individual's subsequent genetic vulnerability to [alcohol dependence]," said Arpana Agrawa. The younger people were when they had their first drink, especially if that occurred before age 15, the more symptoms of alcohol dependency they developed, the study found. Early drinkers also tended to have an increased genetic vulnerability for alcohol. Agrawal said the findings should be used to discourage young people from experimenting with drinking early because such behavior might trigger an onset of alcohol abuse.
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- Lower Drinking Age Linked to Later-Life Problems: Study finds more alcohol, drug abuse among those who could drink before 21
People who grew up in a place and time when they could legally buy alcohol before age 21 are more likely than others to be alcoholics or have a drug problem, even well into adulthood, new research shows. In the study, people who had been allowed to buy liquor legally before age 21 were 33 percent more likely to have suffered from alcoholism in the year before they were surveyed. Drinking at a younger age also was found to increase the risk of abusing other drugs. Those allowed to drink legally before age 21 were 70 percent more likely to have had a problem with drugs than were those who had to wait until 21 to drink legally, the study found. The study "substantiates something that has not been substantiated this way before -- that the [legal] drinking age really has long-term impact," said Dr. Marc Galanter. "Even in [people's] 40s and 50s, this impact was felt."
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Health Highlights
**Antihistamine and Anti-Nausea Drug Promethazine Must Carry Warning About Possible Tissue Damage: FDA.
**35 Percent Of Iraq War Vets Will Seek Treatment for PTSD.
**Pneumonia Replaces Coronary Artery Disease As Top Cause of Hospitalization in U.S. In 2007.
**Broken Heart Increases Heart Attack Risk.
**Swine Flu Shots May Come Earlier; New Flu Drug Shows Promise.
**Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found at 5 Washington Beaches.
**Battery Warning Issued on Implanted Defibrillators.
**Ghostwriting Rampant in Medical Journals.
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- More Chest Compressions During CPR Improves Survival Odds: Amount of time spent doing them directly related to success, study shows
The study found that survival was directly related to the percentage of CPR time spent doing chest compressions. Heart function returned to normal in 58 percent of cases when that time was less than 20 percent. Normal function was restored in 79 percent of cases when the time spent in chest compressions was 81 percent or more, the researchers found. While no exact rate has been set, "we do believe that compressions at about 100 per minute and two inches of depth should be maintained while CPR is being delivered," Benjamin S. Abella said. How long should it be delivered? "Until a pulse is restored or it is deemed futile," Abella said.
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- Traffic Deaths Near Peak in September: School children, school buses, wet leaves and deer pose driving challenges this time of year, safety group says
Last year, September had the second-highest number of deaths per mile driven of any month in the U.S. -- 1.42 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. To avoid accidents, NSC urges drivers to buckle up and avoid texting and using cell phones while driving. Also, it asks parents to review the traffic safety tips in this article with your children. Drivers should remember that fall is deer breeding season, so be on the lookout and keep in mind that deer travel in groups. When you see one deer, be alert for more. Remember that deer are in suburban and urban locales as well as rural settings. If you hit a deer, call 911.
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- Scientists Spot Key to Breast Cancer Spread: Have discovered a key molecular mechanism for the deadly transition of non-invasive breast cancer into invasive disease
Scientists found that the overproduction of the protein 14-3-3 zeta, when combined with the known breast cancer protein ErbB2, or HER2, can change premalignant epithelial cells into mobile mesenchymal-like cells. The resulting process, known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, triggers cancer spread from one site in the body to another. The researchers identified a biomarker in 14-3-3 zeta that may help doctors identify these high-risk patients so that more aggressive treatment can be given before the breast cancer has a chance to convert to an invasive kind. The findings may have far-reaching implications. Yu and her team had previously found that lung, liver, uterine, stomach and several other cancers also overproduce the 14-3-3 zeta protein.
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- Medications That Lower Breast Cancer Risk Carry Other Dangers: Analysis notes tamoxifen, raloxifene can up chances of other cancers, clots
While the medications provided similar reductions in breast cancer risk, each carries its own level of side effects. "They did differ on the harm side," Dr. Heidi D. Nelson said. "That's important to know." Dr. Scott Maul urged women to talk it over with their doctors first. Nelson encourages women to get genetic testing and to use that genetic information...."The discussion on whether to use these drugs is a very detailed one with women," Maul said. While the decision is extremely individual, he did offer this advice: "Women should only take these [to reduce first-time breast cancer risk] if they are truly at higher risk for breast cancer." Even then, they may decide not to take them, he said, for good reasons. "If someone has risk factors for heart attack or stroke, these medications may not be a good idea."
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- Timing, Type of HRT May Determine Breast Cancer Risk: Starting estrogen-progestagen therapy early may up odds of disease, study shows
Overall, starting estrogen-progestagen therapy soon after menopause appears to boost the risk of breast cancer, even when only used for short periods of time. Women who began the therapy in the three years after menopause and took it for two years or less had a 54 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who never used the therapy, said study co-author Francoise Clavel-Chapelon. They also found that short-term treatment of two years or less that was started more than three years after the beginning of menopause didn't increase breast cancer risk. However, longer duration of use elevated risk, no matter when the therapy was begun. "I see this paper as a warning," Leslie Bernstein said. "You want to take a conservative approach."
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- Discovery May Pave Way to Better Diabetes Care
Newly discovered gene affects insulin resistance, study finds
This gene, instead, "has to do with the function of the other tissues in the body," Dr. Robert Sladek said. "Rather than reduce production of insulin, this gene reduces the effect of insulin in muscles, liver and fat, a process called insulin resistance." Diabetes occurs when the body fails to produce or process insulin properly. The gene "basically tells the rest of the cell, 'Hey, insulin is here, start taking in glucose from the blood!'" Dr. Robert Sladek said. If that fails to happen, the body's processing of insulin is disrupted. "It's possible that in diabetic patients, the signal to turn this gene on and off might be impaired," Sladek said. "But we might be able to use one of the other pathways to turn it on."
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- Curbing Obesity Epidemic Key to Health Care Reform: Overweight is major contributing factor for chronic disease, U.S. health groups say
"We are in essence addicting our children to sedentary lifestyles; we're addicting them to high-salt, high-sweet, high-fat diets,"Dr. David Satcher said, "and then we pay for it later on when they come to us with cancer, heart disease, [and] diabetes." America's weight problem is pervasive. Two-thirds of the population is now overweight and obese, according to the CDC, and as many as 72 million adults are considered obese. In fact, obesity rates have doubled for adults and tripled for children since 1980. Obesity accounts for 9.1 percent of annual health-care spending in the United States, or nearly $150 billion annually.
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Health Highlights
**One-Dose Swine Flu Vaccine Looks Promising.
**ADHD Drug Approved for Children and Teens.
**Glaxo Cervical Cancer Vaccine Up for Approval.
**Baby Boomers' Hospital Care Costs Mounting.
**Poor Trial Results a Setback for First Stem Cell Drug.
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- Even Mild Infections Hasten Decline With Alzheimer's: They speed memory loss as much as 10-fold, researchers find
For people with Alzheimer's disease, even a minor infection can double the rate of memory loss, British researchers report. In this new study, researchers found that Alzheimer's patients who had respiratory, gastrointestinal or other infections -- even minor bumps and bruises -- can have high levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), in their blood. TNF-a is a protein linked to inflammation, and has been associated with memory loss or other types of cognitive decline. "Illnesses that we normally consider to be of little consequence in the healthy aged person need to be taken more seriously in patients with Alzheimer's disease," said lead researcher Clive Holmes. "The effect of these illnesses on memory function is most marked in subjects who also have existing chronic inflammatory conditions," Holmes said. "Here, the rate of memory decline is 10-fold."
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- Severe, Lasting Depression Tied to Heart Patient Deaths: For those who have been hospitalized, risk may double over 7 years, research shows
The patients most at risk are those who suffer from the most severe depression within a few weeks of being hospitalized for a cardiac event, such as a heart attack, and those whose depression doesn't get better within six months. The study authors noted that about one out of every five people who survive a heart attack hit a patch of major depression over the next few weeks. Regardless of whether the patients took antidepressants, those whose depression didn't improve within six months were more likely to die. In patients with active coronary heart disease, it seems likely that the association with depression is a two-way street, and each can aggravate the other," the study authors concluded.
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- Scientists Find Clue to Dangerous Side Effect of MS Drug: Tysabri appears to awaken dormant, common virus that crosses over into brain
Scientists may have discovered part of the reason why Tysabri, a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis, may lead to the development of a rare but potentially deadly brain disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), in some patients. "We don't advocate a change in management [of the disease] at this point because the clinical relevance of these findings is still unknown," said Dr. Igor J. Koralnik. The JC virus is present yet dormant in about 90 percent of people. It can reactivate in people with AIDS or otherwise compromised immune systems. Until there is a good way to predict who is at risk for PML, experts urged doctors to be alert for early signs of this brain infection. "Patients and physicians still need to have tight vigilance for any new symptoms that can occur while a patient is on Tysabri," Patricia O'Looney said.
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- Giving Swine Flu Drug by IV Could Save Lives: British case supports using Relenza in this as-yet-unapproved form, experts say
Their success in bringing this very sick patient back from the brink augurs for the wider acceptance of intravenous Relenza for patients seriously affected by the swine flu this fall and winter, Dr. Michael Kidd said. "We consider it very important to further investigate this approach as soon as possible, since apart from the obvious individual patient benefit, it could help relieve the pressure on beds that is likely to occur in critical care facilities during the colder seasons," he said. According to Kidd, the woman he treated exhibited no side effects from the strategy. "IV Relenza is well-tolerated in adults at quite high doses, previously shown in clinical trials, and it can be used in children from 6 months of age," he said. There are certain "contraindications" for its use --......
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- Metabolic Syndrome May Raise Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease: Women much more likely to develop PAD if they had constellation of other symptoms, researchers found
Women with metabolic syndrome had a 62 percent increased risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared to those without metabolic syndrome. Each metabolic syndrome symptom raised the risk of PAD by 20 percent, the study found. About 8 million Americans have peripheral artery disease, which typically affects the arteries in the pelvis and legs. Symptoms include cramping and pain or tiredness in the hip muscles and legs when walking or climbing stairs, although not everyone who has PAD is symptomatic. The pain usually subsides during rest. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, high triglyceride levels and insulin resistance.
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- Nicotine Plays Tricks on Brain: Environmental cues then trigger urge to smoke, researchers say
Researchers have found that nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, "tricks" the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behavior. This could help explain why former smokers miss lighting up when they are in a bar or after a meal. "The brain sends a reward signal when we act in a way that contributes to our well being," said Dr. John A. Dani. "However, nicotine commandeers this subconscious learning process in the brain so we begin to behave as though smoking is a positive action." Dani said that environmental events linked with smoking can become cues that prompt the smoking urge. Those cues could include alcohol, a meal with friends or even the drive home from work.
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- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter: Extract used in 1918 pandemic may have antiviral properties, scientists say
A plant with a particularly malodorous sap has components that show great efficacy in killing off the H1N1 swine flu virus, Chinese scientists report. In their laboratory experiments, researchers Fang-Rong Chang, Yang-Chang Wu and colleagues identified a group of chemicals in the plant's extracts that appear to have a stronger potency against H1N1 flu than a prescription antiviral medication already in use against the flu. They write that these compounds "may serve as promising lead components for new drug development against influenza A (H1N1) viral infection." The plant, Ferula assa-foetida, grows throughout Iran, Afghanistan and mainland China, and is commonly dubbed "Dung of the Devil" due to its ill-smelling sap.
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Health Highlights
**Pregnant Women, New Parents Urged to Get Swine Flu Vaccine.
**U.S. Issues New Guidelines for Treating Children With HIV.
**UN Wary of Swine Flu in Birds.
**Docs to Watch for Guillain-Barré Syndrome After H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine.
**Workouts Trump Angioplasty for Heart Woes, Experts Say.
**2-in-1 Heart Device Cuts Heart Failure.
**Communities Can Do More to Stop Childhood Obesity.
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- New Technique Offers Hope for Kids With Immune Deficiency: Stem-cell transplant without chemo can help avoid treatment toxicity, research shows
For children born with immunodeficiencies, researchers may have found a better way for them to get the help they need from stem-cell transplants. A regimen using antibodies instead of high-dose chemotherapy may help even in the sickest children, according to Dr. Persis J. Amrolia. With this approach, the 16 children with primary immunodeficiencies in this study, who were too sick for a traditional stem-cell transplant, were able to avoid much of the toxicity caused by chemotherapy. The approach was well-tolerated despite the fact that most patients were extremely sick at the time of transplant. Patients recovered twice as fast as those given standard treatment, and almost all are doing well and are expected to have few problems associated with the treatment later in life, the study authors added.
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- New Therapy Spares Organ in Early Esophageal Cancer: Less invasive procedure shaves off lesions, researchers say
Esophageal cancer arising from Barrett's esophagus is increasing in frequency faster than any other cancer in the United States, and 90 percent of patients die within five years of being diagnosed. Dr. Ganapathy Prasad said: "Our team compared surgery to the use of endoscopic therapy, where a scope is inserted in the esophagus and the cancer cells are shaved off. Our results showed the less invasive therapy was just as effective as surgery for early-stage cancers." Esophagectomy surgery patients typically are in hospitalized for a week, and up to 50 percent of patients have complications after the surgery. In addition, patients whose esophagus has been removed face lifelong dietary restrictions. On the other hand, endoscopic treatments are performed in an outpatient setting, and patients are allowed to eat full meals within days of the procedure, the researchers explained.
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- Hormone Therapy for Early Prostate Cancer Not Always Best: Study finds treatment raises death risk in those who also have heart disease
Hormone therapy, when used with radiation therapy, can increase survival in more aggressive cases of prostate cancer. But this benefit tended to shrink in men who also suffered from other conditions. Hormone therapy was not linked with a higher risk of death from any cause in men who had no underlying cardiac conditions or only one risk factor for coronary artery disease. But men who had congestive heart failure or who had suffered heart attacks as a result of coronary artery disease had almost double the risk of death, the researchers found. "Our results would suggest that if they do have preexisting heart disease that either hormone therapy not be used or that their underlying heart disease be initially addressed by their primary care physician and/or a cardiologist," Dr. Akash Nanda added. "The risks need to be balanced with the benefits....."
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- Treating COPD Early Improves Outcomes: New drug might slow the destructive lung condition, studies show
Although there is no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), starting treatment early may slow progression of the illness and add years to the lives of sufferers, new research finds. In the first report, patients who began treatment early with the inhaled drug tiotropium (Spiriva) had better outcomes compared with untreated patients. Two other reports show the benefit of the new drug roflumilast (Daxas) in treating COPD. Daxas, an anti-inflammatory, is still going through the drug approval process in the United States and elsewhere.
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- Statins Before Vascular Surgery Cut Deaths, Complications: Problems halved in patients getting blood-vessel repairs done, study finds
The study of nearly 500 patients who had surgery for a variety of blood-vessel problems found the incidence of heart artery blockage and deaths was halved in those who received an 80-milligram dose of fluvastatin before their operation, compared to those given a placebo. The new study confirms the growing idea that statin therapy is a valuable tool in blood-vessel surgery, American experts said. Statins can cause acute muscle pain in a minority of people, and they can be dangerous in people with poor liver function, but are otherwise safe, Dr. Louis E. Teichholz said. One practical reason why physicians might not prescribe a statin before vascular surgery is that so many people already are taking them, Dr. Bruce A. Perler said. "In my practice, it is very unusual to see patients who are not on statins," he added.
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- Colon Cancer Stopped in Its Tracks In Swiss Study: Gene-based treatment could help prevent colon cancer from reaching advanced stages and moving to other organs, researchers say
Swiss scientists report that they may have found a way to stop colon cancer in its tracks by tinkering with a genetic pathway that allows cells to communicate with one another. The research could lead to new anti-cancer treatments that may help prevent colon cancer from metastasizing to other areas of the body, even after a patient appears to have recovered. "Recurrence is a major problem in cancer treatment," Ruiz i Altaba added. The researchers used cyclopamine, a product derived from plants, to block the pathway in mice with cancer shortly after their tumors disappeared. The mice lived up to one year and remained tumor-free. Colon and rectal cancer kill an estimated 50,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
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- New Anti-Clotting Drug Beats Plavix: Ticagrelor prevents heart attacks and improves survival, researchers say
The greatest risk associated with these drugs is life-threatening bleeding, but there was no significant difference between the drugs in the risk of bleeding, the researchers noted. However, patients taking ticagrelor were more likely to have spontaneous intracranial and gastrointestinal bleeding than people taking clopidogrel. Dr. Lars Wallentin noted that ticagrelor and clopidogrel work differently. "Clopidogrel has an irreversible affect on the platelets, so platelets remain inactive for up to a week. With ticagrelor, as soon as you stop the treatment the effect stays for one to two days," he said. This difference is important for patients who need surgery where excess bleeding is a major risk, Wallentin explained. Also, about 30 percent of patients do not respond to clopidogrel, Wallentin said. Ticagrelor is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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- Driving After Binge Drinking More Common Than Believed: Study finds nearly one in eight drinkers drive within two hours
Binge drinking was defined as having five or more drinks during an occasion, such as an evening out or at a party. According to the CDC, about 1.5 billion binge drinking episodes occur in the United States each year. If you look only at bars and clubs, Nick Ellinger said, one of five binge drinkers who drink at those locations drive afterwards. "It's wise ahead of time to make your plans for how you are going to get home safely because after you have begun drinking that decision-making process breaks down," Ellinger said. But designated drivers have not been shown to work, David Jernigan added. "It creates a carload of designated drunks," he said, some of whom may insist on driving. Public transportation is another, and sometimes safer, option.
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Health Highlights
**Lead Dust on Child Safety Seats Poses Risk.
**Meningitis Vaccine Given Accelerated Approval by FDA.
**To Fight HIV, U.S. May Urge Circumcision for Baby Boys.
**Herbicide in Drinking Water May Pose Hazard.
**Many Doctors Unfamiliar With 'Off-Label' Use of Drugs.
**U.S. Issues New Guidelines for Treating Children With HIV.
**FDA Approves Swine Flu Test for Troops.
**Extreme Obesity Takes Years Off Life.
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- Car Seats Can Limit Kids' Oxygen Supplies: Experts say risk is small but warrants reminder about proper use
Kids should be put in car seats only when traveling, not while sleeping or "hanging out" at home, child health experts warn. That's because sitting upright in a car seat -- the position that's recommended -- can compress the chest and lead to lower levels of oxygen. "There are people who have no baby beds and have their kids sleep in the car seat all the time," noted Dr. Iley Browning. "That's not a good choice. And dropping oxygen levels are going to get worse when children have colds so you're making your child worse by putting them in a car seat when they're sick. And I guarantee that parents do this more when their child is sick."
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- As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: For every excess pound piled on the body, the brain gets a little bit smaller
New research found that elderly individuals who were obese or overweight had significantly less brain tissue than individuals of normal weight. "The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than their healthy counterparts while [those of] overweight people looked 8 years older," said Paul Thompson. "Obesity affects every system in your body. The body can't be splintered. It's completely linked. We are what we eat and we eat too much," Dr. Mitchell Roslin said. "The bottom line is that an obese, sedentary person is going to have a breakdown of every organ system, and that includes a greater chance of impotence and infertility and other things that people don't generally think are directly related to obesity."
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- FDA Investigating Weight-Loss Drug Orlistat: 32 cases of serious liver injury reported since Orlistat came on market in 1999
As U.S. health officials announced Monday that they are investigating the weight-loss drug orlistat for possible incidents of liver damage, experts noted the drug might not even work well enough to warrant such potential risks. Orlistat is available in the United States, both as a prescription product (Xenical) and as an over-the-counter medication (Alli). The agency does recommend that patients tell their doctor if they are having symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, fever, jaundice or brown urine. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching and loss of appetite might also signal trouble. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 30 percent of American adults aged 20 and older -- more than 60 million people -- are obese. Another 36 percent are considered overweight.
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- Tobacco Use Kills 6 Million People Annually: And costs the global economy $500 billion each year
Tobacco use kills an estimated six million people worldwide each year and drains $500 billion annually from the global economy in lost productivity, misused resources, and premature deaths. By 2015, an estimated 2.1 million cancer deaths annually will be caused by tobacco products. And by 2030, most of these deaths -- 83 percent -- will occur in poor and middle-income countries, the atlas reported. The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition also pointed to what it called an "undeniable trend" -- the tobacco industry has shifted its marketing and sales efforts to less-developed countries that have less effective public health policies and fewer tobacco-control resources.
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- Experimental Treatment Could Fight Muscular Dystrophy: In some patients, injected molecule appears to restart production of missing protein
Injecting a therapeutic molecule into muscle appears to jump-start the production of a crucial protein that's missing in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The treatment so far is only applicable to about 13 percent of people with the debilitating and ultimately fatal disease, but scientists are hopeful that similar molecules might expand the treatment to a wider range of patients. Annemieke Aartsma-Rus and Gert-Jan van Ommen noted that while only about 13 percent of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients can be expected to be helped by AVI-4658, molecules that skip other exons on the gene could be used, potentially spreading the benefit to more than 70 percent of patients.
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- Tamoxifen May Up Risk of Second, More Aggressive Breast Cancer: But survivors shouldn't stop taking the anti-cancer drug, experts say
New research suggests Tamoxifen raises the risk of getting a more aggressive cancer in the healthy breast by more than four times. However, the finding is no reason to ditch the anti-cancer drug, as even the lead researcher emphasized. "All treatments have risks and benefits," said Dr. Christopher Li. "We know that the benefits of tamoxifen treatment clearly outweigh the risks. This study adds another risk, but doesn't change the overall balance. If you consider the full balance, for most women the benefits are going to far outweigh the risks." "The thing we have to remember is tamoxifen saves lives," said Dr. Victor Vogel. "Even though the risk of ER-negative goes up, only with five years or more, the risk of ER-positive [second breast cancer] goes down," Vogel said. "We shouldn't lose sight of that."
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- Abuse of ADHD Drugs on the Rise: Jump in poison control center calls mirrors increasing prescriptions, study shows
As more and more prescriptions are being written for medications to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), more and more children are abusing these drugs. That's the conclusion of new research in the September issue of Pediatrics that found the rate of ADHD medication abuse was up 76 percent from 1998 to 2005, and at the same time, the rates of prescriptions for these medications rose about 80 percent. The study also reports that next to marijuana, prescription medications are the most common drugs that teenagers use to get high. This may be because teens believe these medications are safe because they've been prescribed by a doctor, or simply because of their availability.
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Health Highlights
**Childhood Radiation Tied to Pregnancy Problems.
**Fatty Foods Impair Memory and Exercise Performance.
**German Doctors Implant World's Smallest Artificial Heart Pump.
**FDA Approves New Drug For Gaucher Disease.
**Researchers Sequence Exomes of 12 People.
**Blood Sugar Testing Strips Sometimes Wrong: FDA.
**Grassley Wants Tougher Stance Against Medical Ghostwriting.
**Nestle Starts Shipping New Cookie Dough Products.
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- Sleep Apnea Raises Risk of Death, Especially for Men: Major study links disordered breathing to deadly cardiovascular complications
The classic manifestations of sleep apnea -- loud snoring, interrupted breathing and sleep disruption -- nearly double the risk for chronic disease and premature death among middle-aged and elderly men. "The primary finding of our study is that sleep apnea can increase the risk of death by about 40 percent, even after other factors have been accounted for," said study lead author Dr. Naresh Punjabi. "Our study also shows that it is the decrease in oxygen levels during sleep from sleep apnea that explains the increased risk of death," added Punjabi. Men with sleep apnea between the ages of 40 and 70 are particularly at risk of death from any source, but especially from cardiovascular disease, the researchers found. Sleep apnea is a common, chronic condition that affects about one in four men and about one in 10 women, the authors note.
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- Newer Drug Beats Tamoxifen for Older Breast Cancer Patients: Letrozole boosted survival and should be first-line treatment, experts say
For postmenopausal women with breast cancer, treatment with the drug letrozole (Femara) increases survival after surgery more than the widely used tamoxifen, a new study confirms. "This study reinforces the benefits of letrozole over tamoxifen, and leaves five years upfront use [of letrozole] as the preferred option, especially in patients judged to be at higher risk for recurrence," said Dr. Alan Coates. "The message to lay people is letrozole is better. That's the unequivocal, unconfused message," Dr. Victor Vogel said. "If you are a postmenopausal women taking tamoxifen for early breast cancer, it's probably a good idea to switch from tamoxifen to letrozole." However, tamoxifen should be used for patients who find it difficult to take letrozole, Vogel said.
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- Estrogen Plays Surprise Role in Breast Cancer Treatment: Study finds it may slow disease if anti-estrogen therapies stop working
Researchers report that the paradoxical strategy of treating breast cancers that have become resistant to anti-estrogen therapies with estrogen actually shrank some tumors. Not only that, but the estrogen made some of the tumors sensitive to anti-estrogen drugs once again. "Giving estrogen actually was a standard-of-care practice prior to tamoxifen approval, so this trial simply confirms previously known knowledge, that estrogen can be used to treat metastatic hormone-dependent breast cancer in postmenopausal women," said Dr. Ramona Swaby. The researchers said they were planning further studies to see which group of women might benefit most from the protocol.
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- Avandia Raises Heart Failure Risk More Than Actos: Diabetes drug shouldn't be used when there's a safer alternative, study says
The type 2 diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) increases the risk of heart failure and death more than another drug in the same class, Actos (pioglitazone), new Canadian research contends. There is increasing evidence that Actos is safer than Avandia, Dr. David Juurlink said. "Not a single study has suggested that pioglitazone might be less safe than rosiglitazone," he said. "And rosiglitazone doesn't have a single advantage -- not even a theoretical one." "As a clinician, I cannot envision an instance in which I would recommend rosiglitazone," Juurlink said. "Until then, this current study provides further ammunition against using Avandia or at least for trying Actos first......." Dr. Carl J.Lavie said. "Most will, and should, avoid either agent in a patient with heart failure or high heart failure risk."
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- Some Birth Control Pills Safer Than Others: European studies find types of hormones used raise or lower blood clot risk
Pills containing a second-generation progestogen -- levonorgestrel or norgestrel -- and a low dose of estrogen are safest, they concluded. Older contraceptive pills double or triple that risk, and the newest generation of oral contraceptives increase the risk fourfold or fivefold, Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard said. It won't be easy for a woman to act on the information in the studies, Dr. Astrid van Hylckama said. "By just looking at the package, you can't tell which generation of progestogen is used," she said. A consultation with the physician writing the prescription is advisable, she said. "Women with any sort of family history should think very carefully before taking any contraceptive pill," he said. "These papers strongly suggest that there are safer pills among the choices that are available," Dr. Nick Dunn said.
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- Ibuprofen Rated Best for Pain of Broken Arms: Study finds kids don't do as well when given acetaminophen with codeine
For a child with a broken arm, ibuprofen is as effective at treating pain as acetaminophen with codeine, U.S. researchers report. "Our study calls into question the practice of using acetaminophen with codeine as a rescue medicine if ibuprofen fails to treat fracture pain for children," the study's leader, Dr. Amy Drendel. The study found no overall difference in the number of cases of pain treatment failure in the two groups but did find that those who were given ibuprofen reported better functional outcomes and higher satisfaction than those given acetaminophen with codeine, and fewer had adverse effects -- 29.5 percent vs. 50.9 percent. Nearly 90 percent of the children who took ibuprofen said they would prefer the same treatment for future fractures, compared with 72 percent of those who took acetaminophen with codeine.
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- Antioxidants Abound in Cereals, Popcorn, Whole-Grain Snacks: Study finds these foods contain high levels of polyphenols
"We found that, in fact, whole-grain products have comparable antioxidants per gram to fruits and vegetables," Joe Vinson said. As for snacks, Vinson found that popcorn had the most polyphenols (2.6 percent), followed by whole-grain crackers (0.45 percent). "But moderation is the key. Many cereals contain ingredients that may not be very good for you, such as excessive sugar," said EvaTo. Also, she added, "cereals are easy to binge on. It is very important to follow the serving size suggestions." To Vinson, the benefits of eating more cereals may outweigh the negatives. "We always think of fruits and vegetables as the primary sources of polyphenols," he said. "But many people, especially students, don't eat enough of them. Here we have a product that is very familiar in the diet and that people like to eat. We can push kids to eat more whole grains."
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Health Highlights
**Ground Beef Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns.
**The Antiviral Drugs Tamiflu and Relenza Rarely Prevent Complications In Children With Seasonal Flu.
**U.S., Canada, Mexico to Unite Against Swine Flu.
**Many Older Drivers Unaware That Drugs Affect Their Driving Ability: Study.
**U.S. Birth Rate Declined in 2008: First Annual Decline Since the Start of the Decade.
**Chocolate Helps Heart Attack Survivors.
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- Suicide Risk With Antidepressants Falls With Age: Study reiterates that young are most vulnerable
The report was criticized by Dr. John Geddes. "These are hard trials to do so they exclude people who are very ill," he said. Because of this, he said, "they can't possibly observe how the drugs affect such people." "One of the things that we need to be clear about is that we can't rely on placebo-control trials of new medications done by the industry," Geddes said. Geddes also criticized the report for lumping together all SSRIs. Studies cited in the report indicate that sertraline, the generic name for Zoloft, carries only half the risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior of some other SSRIs, Geddes said.
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- Blows to the Chest Up Death Risk for Lacrosse Players: Injuries are fatal far more often than in other contact sports, study finds
Contact occurs between a lacrosse stick and an opponent's body, called a "body check". Hard hits to the chest, according to the American Heart Association, can cause what's called commotio cordis, a Latin term meaning "commotion of the heart." The mortality rate for deaths attributed to commotio cordis was higher in lacrosse than in all other sports except hockey. It accounted for 43 percent of all deaths in the sport, according to the study. Deaths from commotio cordis occurred in lacrosse at more than double the rate for baseball, about 15 times greater than for football, 20 times greater than for soccer.....The study's authors also contended that commercially available chest protectors are not adequate. Several researchers indicated that they were working on better versions.
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- Drinking Moderately or More Ups Men's Cancer Risk: Canadian study links regular alcohol consumption to six cancers
Among men considered "regular drinkers," defined as drinking on a daily or weekly basis, alcohol was linked to an increased risk for nearly half of the cancer types -- specifically, esophageal, stomach, colon, liver, lung and prostate cancer. And the more alcohol that such regular drinkers consumed, the higher their risk rose relative to those who did not drink at all or drank infrequently, the study reported. One recent study specifically revealed that heavy drinking in particular raises the risk for developing aggressive prostate cancer in men while undermining the effectiveness of the popular prostate cancer prevention drug finasteride (Proscar). Another study suggested that, among women, even moderate drinking might elevate risk for breast, liver and other cancers.
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- Fertility Can Be Preserved in Ovarian Cancer Patients: Conservative approach worthwhile in young women with early-stage malignancy, study shows
Saving the uterus or one ovary of a young woman with early-stage ovarian cancer can preserve her fertility without compromising her survival, a new study has found. Researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons found that survival rates during the first five years following the cancer diagnosis were similar between women who had one ovary or their uterus spared and those who had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or both ovaries removed. A hysterectomy or removal of both ovaries, in addition to ending a woman's reproductive ability, can cause estrogen deprivation that leads to many other health issues, but is often viewed as the best surgical treatment for the cancer.
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- New Bone-Building Drug [denosumab (Prolia)] Promising Against Prostate Cancer: Monoclonal antibody denosumab counters effects of hormone therapy, study finds
Over 24 months, bone density increased 5.6 percent in men who got denosumab and decreased 1 percent in men given a placebo, the researchers found. The 36-month incidence of spinal fractures was 1.5 percent among those receiving denosumab, while it was 3.9 percent among those given placebo. Anywhere from one-third to one-half of the 2 million American men receiving hormone-blocking therapy as treatment for prostate cancer are potential users of denosumab, said study author Dr. Matthew R. Smith. The prostate cancer study was pioneering because "there have been no prior, large-scale fracture-preventing studies in men," Smith said. It enrolled more than 900 men being treated at 156 medical centers in the United States and Europe.
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- Stray Breast Cancer Cells Yield to Post-Op Chemo: Women with microscopic disease helped by additional treatment, research shows
The researchers followed the women for a median of 5.1 years (half followed longer, and half for less time) to see if the extra therapy reduced cancer recurrence and increased disease-free survival. Those with the tiny cancer cells present who are treated with additional therapy had a nearly 10 percent improvement in disease-free survival at five years, they found. "So, five years after the diagnosis of every 100 patients with micrometastases or isolated tumor cells, 10 more will have a disease event compared with 100 patients with comparable primary tumor characteristics who did not have metastases in the axillary nodes," Dr. Vivianne Tjan-Heijnen said. The study proves that the micrometastases and the isolated tumor cells are important considerations when evaluating the prognosis, she said.
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- Weight Lifting Can Ease Painful Arm Swelling in Breast Cancer Survivors: Finding runs counter to standard advice doctors have given for years
"The significance of the study is that women who have had breast cancer surgery or radiation treatment have been told that they shouldn't lift any weight and to avoid repetitive motions. As a result, we have a generation of women who have almost become incapacitated," Wendy Demark-Wahnefried said. "They've been leery to lift groceries or their children, or fail to go back to jobs due to the risk of lymphedema. This study helps to lift some of that concern." For some of the women in the study, the weight-lifting regimen, which was done at YMCAs in the Philadelphia area with fitness instructors who had received a three-day training in lymphedema care, left them feeling fitter than even before they had cancer, Kathryn Schmitz said.
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- Steroid Can Ease Severe Sore Throat: Single dose speeds relief but should be reserved for worst cases, researchers say
A single dose of a corticosteroid, given along with antibiotics, can relieve severe sore throat pain faster and more effectively than antibiotics alone, a new study suggests. "In people with severe sore throat, a single dose of an oral steroid is effective in relieving pain in 24 and 48 hours," said researcher Dr. Carl Heneghan. This treatment is not advised for a mild sore throat, which will go away by itself, Heneghan stressed. Dr. Julie Wei agreed that steroids work well in relieving severe sore throat pain, but she cautioned that they are not a substitute for antibiotics, which treat the infection, not the pain. "The use of steroid should never be for the purpose of replacing antibiotics," Wei said. "Based on the current information, that is not the conclusion people should have."
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- Beetroot Juice May Boost Physical Stamina & Increase Exercise Endurance: Study findings could apply to athletes, elderly, researchers say
The researchers found that nitrate in beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to a degree that can't be achieved by any other means. The findings could benefit endurance athletes, elderly people and those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases. "We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training. I am sure professional and amateur athletes will be interested in the results of this research. Andy Jones and his colleagues don't know the exact mechanism that causes nitrate in beetroot juice to increase stamina, but they suspect that nitrate may turn into nitric oxide in the body, leading to a reduction in oxygen uptake and making exercise less tiring.
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Health Highlights
**House Passes Food Safety Bill.
**FDA Approves Once-a-Day Pill for Type 2 Diabetes.
**Clarcon Skin Products Pose Health Threat: FDA.
**FDA Approves Avastin for Most Common Kidney Cancer.
**Blocking Protein May Prevent Premature Labor.
**Pneumonic Plague Outbreak In China Claims Second Victim.
**Swine Flu Deaths Surge, WHO Reports.
**Novartis Starts Swine Flu Vaccine Test in Humans.
**Ghostwriters Produced Journal Articles Promoting Hormone Therapy.
**Seasonal Flu Vaccines Shipped Early.
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- Certain Arthritis, Crohn's Drugs May Raise Kids' Cancer Risk: FDA
Agency strengthens 'black box' warning on medicines such as Enbrel, Remicade
Drugs widely used to fight rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and other inflammatory disorders must now carry an updated "black box" warning label cautioning patients and doctors that the medicines may boost cancer risk in children and adolescents, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. The drugs, called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, work by interrupting a protein that causes inflammation and damage to bones, cartilage and other tissue. They include Remicade (infliximab), Enbrel (etanercept), Humira (adalimumab), Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) and Simponi (golimumab). TNF blockers already carry FDA-mandated warning labels for other potential safety issues, including fungal infections.
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- Antidepressant Use in U.S. Has Almost Doubled: Study also finds increases in use of other psychotropic medications
Antidepressant use among U.S. residents almost doubled between 1996 and 2005, along with a concurrent rise in the use of other psychotropic medications, a new report shows. The increase seemed to span virtually all demographic groups. "Over 10 percent of people over the age of 6 were receiving anti-depression medication. That strikes me as significant," said study author Dr. Mark Olfson. "Who's really taking these medications?" Dr. Eric Caine said. "It's not clear that it makes anyone healthier. That's a fundamental issue that we don't know. We don't have any way of telling if this made people's lives better."
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- Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Risk Factors in Kids
Studies find many U.S. children not getting enough
Most American youngsters aren't getting enough vitamin D, and that deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of risk factors for cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke, two new studies find. The 25 percent of youngsters with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 2.36 times more likely to have high blood pressure, 54 percent more likely to have low HDL cholesterol levels, 2.54 times more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels and 3.88 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome. Adequate vitamin D intake can be achieved with 15 minutes a day of exposure to sunlight or consuming fortified milk, bread and other wheat products, among other foods, Jared P. Reis said.
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- Fish Oils May Prevent and Treat Heart Disease: Review of studies involving 40,000 people points up benefits
A new review shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish not only prevent cardiovascular disease, but may even help treat it. "For the general population, it should be 500 milligrams a day [of omega-3 fatty acids]," Dr. Carl J. Lavie said. "If you have heart disease, it should be 800 or 1,000 milligrams a day." Lavie includes himself in the second category, because "I have a family history of heart disease. I eat a lot of fish and take a supplement just to be sure." It's got to be the right kind of fish, the oily species that have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, Lavie added. "Redfish, trout, salmon," he said. "Salmon is my favorite." Not much effort is needed for most people to achieve the recommended intake, Lavie said. "Five hundred milligrams a day is two fatty fish meals per week," he added.
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- Periodic Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer Risk: In lab studies, intermittent calorie restriction led to dramatic decrease in tumors
Periodically cutting calories may lower the risk of developing breast cancer better than full-time dieting, according to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research. Three sets of mice predisposed to developing breast tumors were put on different diets: unlimited eating, intermittently cutting calories by 25 percent, or permanently reducing caloric intake 25 percent. Those on the intermittent diet fared best, with only 9 percent developing mammary tumors compared to 35 percent of those chronically restricted and 71 percent of those that ate all they wanted. This study "contributes to accumulating evidence that caloric restriction acts by altering hormone levels rather than by directly starving cancers of energy," said Dr. Michael Pollak. "In particular, lower levels of insulin are associated with reduced food intake, & this may be protective," he said.
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- Special Eye Drops May Reverse Glaucoma Damage: More testing still needed, but nerve growth factor proved effective in study
A new type of eye drop appears to protect retinal and optic nerve cells -- and even reverse some sight loss -- in patients battling glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, new research suggests. Italian researchers found that the topical use of nerve growth factor, which is easily absorbed by the eye in drop form, spares retinal ganglion cells from nerve damage caused by the build-up of eye pressure associated with glaucoma. "These impressive findings are promising, but still far from any broad clinical application, since nerve growth factor is not currently available for clinical use," said Dr. Stefano Bonini. "And these pilot clinical results should be confirmed in large clinical trials. But the study team suggested that the findings could theoretically pave the way for new options in treating eye disease and a range of other neurodegenerative diseases.
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- Social Stress Sends Body Fat to the Stomach: In turn, that meant heart risks were raised, researcher says
Social stress may cause the body to deposit more fat in the abdomen, which increases the risk of heart disease, a new study of monkeys suggests. The findings could lead to new ways to combat rising rates of obesity in the United States and other Western nations, according to principal investigator Carol A. Shively. "Much of the excess fat in many people who are overweight is located in the abdomen, and that fat behaves differently than fat in other locations. If there's too much, it can have far more harmful effects on health than fat located in other areas," she said. This abdominal (visceral) fat promotes the build-up of plaque in blood vessels that leads to heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns About Body Building Products.
**Texting Greatly Increases Crash Risk.
**Probiotics May Help Fight Flu in Children.
**Swine Flu Death Toll 816: WHO.
**Chemical In Some IV Bags May Cause Infant Liver Damage.
**Trans Fats Eliminated From Unilever Soft-Spread Margarines.
**Study Looks at Implanted Pig Cells to Treat Type 1 Diabetes.
**Major Medicare Fraud Bust Targets 'Arthritis Kits'.
**Dietary Supplements Recalled.
**Perfume Sickens 144 People.
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- Resistance to Malaria Drug Reported in Cambodia: Millions of Lives at risk if artemisinin treatment becomes ineffective, study says
Artemisinin-based drugs are the first-line treatment for malaria, which kills more than a million people a year, mainly children and pregnant women. Artemisinin causes fewer side effects than other anti-malaria drugs and, until recently, malaria parasites had no resistance against it. "Our study suggests that malaria parasites in Cambodia are less susceptible to artemisinin than those in Thailand," Dr. Arjen Dondorp said. "This means that it takes longer to kill the parasites. Artemisinin should clear the parasites at an early stage, preventing them further maturing and reproducing. When the drug's action is impaired, it becomes more difficult to eliminate the parasites from the body." "Artemisinins are essential weapons in our war against malaria," Nick White said. "If they become ineffective, we have no immediate replacement....."
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- Older Diabetics Should Avoid Dementia Meds: Combo linked to higher risk for hyperglycemia hospitalization in study
"Our study indicates that the initiation of antipsychotic therapy represents a critical period during which seniors with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to metabolic decompensation [the failure of the metabolic system to function adequately]," the authors wrote in a news release. "The new use of both atypical [newer] and typical antipsychotic drugs was associated with a significant increase in hospitalizations for hyperglycemia, which appeared independent of baseline diabetes treatment and was strikingly high during the initial period of antipsychotic therapy." Until experts do more studies, "other options to manage behavioral symptoms of dementia should be considered among older persons with diabetes," the authors concluded.
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- Ovary Removal May Play a Role in Lung Cancer: Nearly doubles a younger woman's risk for developing lung cancer
Medically induced menopause, particularly when it involves removal of both ovaries, nearly doubles a younger woman's risk for developing lung cancer, a new Canadian study has found. "It's possible that vulnerability to lung cancer is caused by early and sudden decrease in estrogen levels or potentially long-term use of hormone replacement therapy, and further research is needed to explore these hypotheses," said study co-author Jack Siemiatycki. "Although smoking is the dominant cause of lung cancer, we know other factors can play an important role in enhancing the impact of tobacco carcinogens," Anita Koushik added. "This research suggests that, in women, hormonal factors may play such a role."
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- Radiation Plus Chemo a Good Option in Lung Cancer: Surgery alone not linked to improved survival in non-small-cell lung cancer study
Radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, with or without surgery, works well for people with stage 3A non-small-cell lung cancer, a new study has found. In an exploratory analysis, the researchers found that overall survival did improve for patients who only had part of a lung removed (lobectomy) rather than an entire lung. They speculated that removing an entire lung left patients more likely to die from acute respiratory distress syndrome or other respiratory diseases. "On the basis of the findings of our study, patients should be counseled about the risks and potential benefits of definitive chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with, and without, a surgical resection (preferably by lobectomy)," the authors concluded.
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- Giving Statins to Kids Provokes Debate: Cholesterol-lowering drugs may help young hearts, but long-term use raises concerns
Dr. Simeon Margolis is concerned that many more children than that will be put on statin treatment by doctors who are not strictly following the guidelines. If that happens, families will find themselves paying potentially large amounts of money for drugs and follow-up health screenings that aren't necessary, he said. Beyond that, there's also the cost to the child's self-image. "The child will find that they are no longer a healthy 8-year-old but are sick," Margolis said. The overuse of statin drugs could also cause families to miss out on the chance to improve every member's health. "Rather than have the family as a whole initiate healthy lifestyle habits, they'll instead say, 'Well, we'll just take this pill,'" Margolis said. Some doctors are also concerned about the effects that decades of statin treatment could have on the long-term health.....
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- Swine Flu Could Eventually Affect 40% of Americans: CDC. Vaccine testing -- set to begin next week -- could lessen impact
The H1N1 swine flu could end up affecting as many as 40 percent of Americans, if one includes workers who stay home to care for people who contract the illness, U.S. health officials said Friday. The projection from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based on the influenza pandemic in 1957, when almost 70,000 people in the United States died from the flu. The CDC also reported Friday that there have been 43,771 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection and 302 deaths in the United States, although officials believe more than 1 million Americans have been stricken with swine flu. The reason for the disparity: The virus continues to produce mild symptoms and patients typically recover quickly.
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Health Highlights
**Swine Flu Vaccine Could Get Scarce: Experts.
**Hepatitis C Investigation Is Widened.
**Male Enhancement Products Recalled.
**Experimental Lupus Drug Shows Some Promise.
**Worldwide Death Toll From Swine Flu Surpasses 700.
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- FDA Investigating Safety of Asthma Drug Xolair: Injected medication may be linked to higher risk of heart attack, stroke, agency says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun a safety review of the asthma drug Xolair (omalizumab) after reports of an increased risk of heart attack, abnormal heart rhythm, heart failure and stroke. Currently, the FDA is not telling people using Xolair to stop taking the drug. However, the agency believes that patients and doctors should be aware of potential problems when taking Xolair, including the possible risk for heart attack and stroke. Two years ago the FDA asked Genentech to update the existing label warning and to provide a Patient Medication Guide with a strengthened warning for anaphylaxis [a sudden, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction].
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- Baking Soda May Be Key Ingredient for Kidney Patients: Progression of chronic disease appears to slow with daily tablet, study finds
The rate of kidney function decline was about two-thirds slower in the patients who took sodium bicarbonate than in other patients. Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in 9 percent of patients taking sodium bicarbonate, compared with 45 percent in other patients, the researchers found. The study found that patients taking sodium bicarbonate showed improvement in several measures of nutrition, and, even though their sodium levels increased, there were no problems associated with higher blood pressure. These patients were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. "This cheap and simple strategy has the potential of translating into significant economic, quality of life and clinical outcome benefits," said researcher Dr. Magdi Yaqoob.
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- E-Cigarettes Pose a Health Hazard, FDA Warns: Agency says testing shows devices contain carcinogens, other toxins
Testing of electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, has shown that they contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins. E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals. "The device turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, into a vapor that is inhaled," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "E-cigarettes might encourage children, preteens and young adults to take their first step toward smoking cigarettes, Dr. Jonathan Winickoff said."
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- Fetal Alcohol Disorders Often Misdiagnosed as ADHD: Behavioral difficulties can look the same, researchers note
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often initially diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, since the two problems can manifest in similar ways, a new study shows. However, children with FASD have more difficulty interpreting social information than children with ADHD, and this results in more severe behavioral problems, the researchers found. The study also found that children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have a high risk of psychiatric problems. "Our findings show that ... overall, children with FASD have more severe behavioral problems. In terms of social cognition and emotional processing, the core deficit in FASD appears to be in understanding and interpreting another's mental states and emotions," said Joanne Rovet.
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- Elevated Insulin Levels Linked to Breast Cancer: Study finds strong association in postmenopausal women
The researchers found that women with insulin levels in the highest third were twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women in the bottom third. The team also discovered that the link between elevated insulin levels and breast cancer was stronger for thin women than for obese women, who tend to have higher insulin levels. "This finding is potentially important because it indicates that, in postmenopausal women, insulin may be a risk factor for breast cancer that is independent of obesity," Geoffrey Kabat said in the news release. The study is ongoing, but Kabat recommended that postmenopausal women try to keep insulin at normal levels through weight loss, regular exercise and other methods.
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- High-Salt Diet Dampens Effects of Blood Pressure Drugs: To avoid sodium in processed foods, experts advise reading food labels
Not only does a high-salt diet contribute to hypertension, but it can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications, a new study finds. "What is striking about these results is the degree of the effect," said Dr. David A. Calhoun. Those on the low-salt diet had an average drop of 22.7 points in systolic blood pressure (the higher of the 120/80 reading, measured when the heart is contracting) and 9.1 points in diastolic blood pressure. The two studies show that attention must be paid to both drug treatment and diet, Dr. Martha Daviglus said. "They give us some hope that by doing a combination of both, we will be able to reach our goal," she said.
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- Indoor Lightning Injuries On the Rise: Don't use hard-wired electrical devices while waiting out the storm
"Follow the rule: 'When thunder roars, go indoors,'" Dr. Mary Ann Cooper. Once inside, don't use landline phones, wired computers or video games. If it's not possible to go indoors, seek shelter in a hardtop car, bus or truck. Never go under a tree during a lightning storm, Cooper advised. Don't go back outside immediately after a storm appears to be over, she added. "Wait 30 minutes after the last crack of thunder or flash of lightning before resuming [outdoor] activities or driving home," Cooper said.
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Health Highlights
**lcraft Recalls Children's Play Yards.
**Nicotine Patch Before Quitting Smoking Ups Chances of Success.
**WHO Approves 2nd Cervical Cancer Vaccine.
**Another Recall Linked to Milk Products Cooperative.
**Ebola Virus Found in Pigs.
**Cookie Dough E. Coli Doesn't Match Outbreak Strain: FDA.
**1918 Flu Pandemic Survivors Immune to Swine Flu.
**Kidney Transplant Drugs Must Carry Infections Warning: FDA.
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- Arthritis Drug Raises Risk of Tuberculosis: But researchers still don't know why a certain therapy appears to reactivate latent TB
Their study examined the connection between TB and two anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases -- soluble TNF receptor therapy (etanercept) and anti-TNF monoclonal antibody therapy (infliximab or adalimumab). Patients receiving the monoclonal antibody were at higher risk for TB, they found. Most of the TB cases involved reactivation of a latent TB infection. The drugs treat other auto-immune diseases in addition to rheumatoid arthritis, such as psoriasis, Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis. The researchers did not advise patients or healthcare providers to avoid taking the drug. However, health authorities worldwide recommend screening for latent TB and treating patients before starting any anti-TNF therapy.
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- Combination Therapy Best for Aggressive Prostate Cancer: Adding radiation and hormone treatment to brachytherapy improves survival, study shows
Men with aggressive prostate cancer who have brachytherapy alone are more likely to die than those who receive a combination of treatments, new findings show. "In order to get the highest cure rate for men with high-risk prostate cancer, it appears that five weeks of external beam radiation and at least four months of hormonal therapy should be added to brachytherapy," Dr. Anthony D'Amico added. Despite a higher baseline risk of death from prostate cancer, patients who had a combination of brachytherapy, hormone therapy and external beam radiation therapy had a lower risk of death from prostate cancer after treatment than those who received brachytherapy alone, brachytherapy and external beam radiation, or brachytherapy and hormone therapy.
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- Heavy Drinking Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer: Consumption also appears to undercut effect of cancer-prevention drug
The study, which included more than 10,000 men, found that those who drank heavily -- 50 grams (1.7 ounces) of pure alcohol a day, the amount in four shots of hard liquor, five or more days a week -- were more than twice as likely as less heavy drinkers to develop what is called high-grade prostate cancer. Most heavy drinkers in the study drank beer, Kristal said. "They are six-pack-a-day drinkers," he said. "But there is no logical reason to think there is anything special about beer that increases the risk that does not apply to other forms of alcohol." "Certain cancers are commonly associated with alcohol -- head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld said.
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- Repair ACL Injuries in Young Athletes Quickly: Postponing surgery can lead to more problems, study finds
New research confirms what many orthopedists have long suspected -- it's better to operate quickly on a young athlete's ACL injury than it is to wait a few years for the child to grow some more. "The gold standard has moved," said study co-author Dr. Theodore J. Ganley. "If we have a message, it's to treat these injuries when they occur." The researchers found that the patients who delayed surgery had three to 11 times the risk of some types of related injuries, including torn cartilage. In some cases, the injuries couldn't be repaired. Essentially, "it's better to fix something sooner," said Ganley. "It's like fixing your car: you can change a few spark plugs, or you can wait and change more significant things."
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- Type of Knee Surgery Makes Difference in Football Career: Meniscus repair may cut playing time more than ACL reconstruction, findings show
Complex anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction of a knee doesn't appear to shorten the career of a professional football player, but a simpler meniscus repair might, new research has found. "ACL reconstruction is a reliable surgical technique that enables professional football players to have similar-length careers as their counterparts without ACL injuries," said study author Dr. Robert H. Brophy. "Although meniscectomy has a shorter recovery time than ACL reconstruction, these surgeries appear to lead to a significantly shorter career with fewer games played in the long term," he stated.
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- Excess Weight Speeds Up Osteoarthritis: Rapid loss of knee cartilage directly linked to being overweight in study
This is the first study to connect obesity with fast progression of the disease and cartilage loss. In fact, for every one-unit increase in body mass index, the chances of rapid cartilage loss increased 11 percent. "It is a disease without treatment at present other than symptomatic -- mostly pain therapy and surgical total joint replacement," Dr. Frank W. Roemer said. "Don't let yourself get heavy," Dr. Dean Scully Scully said. "This study shows a direct correlation -- people who are heavy are the ones that are getting worse," he said.
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- Bathtub Accidents Injure 43,000 U.S. Kids Each Year: Manufacturers need to make tubs more slip-resistant, experts say
There are things that can be done to prevent these injuries, Smith said. "Parents need to use slip-resistant mats in and outside of bathtubs to prevent slips and falls," Dr. Gary A. Smith said. Dr. David L. Katz said it's "alarming that more than 40,000 children are injured badly enough each year in bath and shower tumbles to warrant a trip to the emergency room." If these injuries were unavoidable, that would be one thing, Katz said. "But they are extremely, if not completely, preventable, and by simple means," Katz noted. "Bath and shower surfaces can be engineered to provide more friction, and surfaces in tubs and showers can be designed to pose less menace should a fall occur," he said.
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Health Highlights
**Utility Knife Blades Found in Energy Drinks.
**FDA Approves Drug for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
**Laser Treatment Shows Promise Against Vision Loss.
**CDC's Internet Tool Combines Data on Pollutants/Health.
**Insomnia Patients May Benefit From Web-Based Therapy.
**Kroger Recalls Popcorn Seasoning, Sprinkles.
**Report Contends Lack of Oversight for Bottled Water.
**Wednesday Darkest Day for Suicides.
**U.S. Doctors Complete Largest Kidney Transplant Chain.
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- FDA Mandates Tougher Warnings for Pain Pills: Drugs like Darvon, Darvocet have been linked to fatal overdoses
Concerns about the possibility of fatal overdoses led U.S. health officials Tuesday to take several steps to limit the risk of using pain medications containing propoxyphene, including Darvon and Darvocet. Propoxyphene-containing products have been linked to fatal overdoses, FDA officials said. Between 1959 and 2005, 91 deaths attributed to an overdose of these products have been recorded in the adverse-events database, said Dr. Gerald Dal Pan. Last month, European regulators called for the withdrawal of dextropropoxyphene from the market because people taking the 50-year-old drug have been dying from overdoses. Dextropropoxyphene, which is called propoxyphene in the United States, is an opioid widely used to treat mild to moderate pain.
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- Cystic Fibrosis Treatment May Cause Hearing Loss: Ear evaluation urged for youngsters taking common antibacterial medication
Researchers reviewed the medical records of 50 cystic fibrosis patients treated over a 13-year period at Children's Hospital Boston and found that seven (14 percent) of them suffered from sensorineural hearing loss. Of those seven patients, 43 percent had received more than 10 courses of aminoglycosides intravenously. Patients who underwent more than five treatments with nasal irrigation of aminoglycosides were also at risk for sensorineural hearing loss, the study found. Cystic fibrosis patients should have regular hearing tests that specifically assess sensorineural hearing loss, especially when patients have undergone repeated courses of systemic or intranasal aminoglycoside treatments, the researchers concluded.
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- Genetic Breakthrough Spells Hope for Lung Fibrosis Patients: Might help those with advanced disease buy time until transplant, study shows
Genes that can help doctors predict when patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are becoming seriously ill have been identified by U.S. researchers, who said the findings might help keep patients alive until they can get a lung transplant. Differences in the expression of nearly 600 genes were noted between IPF patients with accelerated disease and those with stable disease. The researchers found no evidence that infection or inflammation was the cause of accelerated IPF. They did find signs that the cells of the alveolar epithelium, the tissue that covers the surface of the lung's air sacs, were rapidly dying. "That could mean that drugs that are used to protect the epithelium in other illnesses, such as cancer, might help IPF patients survive an exacerbation,".....said Dr. Kevin Gibson.
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- Statins May Cause Muscle Damage in Some Patients: People with serious muscle aches showed muscle fiber damage even after halting drugs, researchers say
Statins, medications widely used to lower cholesterol, may cause structural damage to the muscles of people experiencing muscle aches and weakness, a new study has found. The damage may occur even when tests for a protein thought to signal injury are normal, and may persist even after statin use is halted. The researchers stressed that people not experiencing significant pain had no cause for alarm and should continue taking the medicine. The researchers also found that most participants showed signs of muscle injury even after they'd stopped taking statins. A study found that statins may hinder the body's ability to repair muscles. Muscle cells exposed to increasing doses of simvastatin (Zocor) showed less ability to multiply and, therefore, heal and regenerate.
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- Research Reveals Clues to Breast Cancer's Spread: Interrupting key signals might prevent recurrence, investigators say
A U.S. research team says it has spotted key signals that help breast cancer cells survive in the bone marrow of patients who've undergone treatment. The researchers analyzed samples from more than 600 breast tumors and found that a cancer-related enzyme called Src was associated with late-onset bone metastasis. Dr. Joan Massague and colleagues then identified Src-regulated signaling molecules that were expressed in bone marrow and promoted survival of breast cancer cells. They also found that Src increased resistance to a key cell death-inducing signal. They also noted that drugs designed to inhibit Src have recently been developed "that may be worthy of consideration" to help fight tumor recurrence.
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- New Drug Could Work Against Leukemia: Researchers see promise for treatment of AML and other cancers
A new targeted therapy shows promise in treating acute myeloid leukemia, a highly treatment-resistant blood cancer, according to a new study. Researchers created an antibody (7G3) that recognizes and binds to a molecule called CD123, which is expressed at high levels on leukemia stem cells (LSCs), but not on normal blood cells. LSCs are cells that can cause acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are critical for its long-term growth. When AML-LSCs from human patients were transplanted into mice, those treated with 7G3 survived longer than mice that didn't receive the antibody. The researchers found that 7G3 blocked a signaling pathway in tumor cells, impaired migration of AML-LSCs to bone marrow and activated the immune system to destroy AML-LSCs. The findings hold promise for future cancer treatments, according to the study authors.
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- Heartburn Drugs May Contribute to the Problem: Study suggests proton pump inhibitors could aggravate acid trouble
Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may actually cause heartburn. A new study found that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) actually produced heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion in healthy volunteers who took the medication for eight weeks. "The findings in our study [indicate that] this liberal prescribing is likely to create the disease the drugs are designed to treat," she continued. "Patients who are treated on uncertain indication thus risk developing a true need for continued therapy. Our findings challenge the very liberal prescribing of these drugs, and this study should lead to careful consideration about possible changes in prescribing habits."
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- Humans Can Develop Bat-Like and Dolphin-Like Echolocation: Acoustic signaling using palate/tongue clicks could aid the blind, study shows
Spanish researchers say that producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without having to use their eyes, a skill that would be benefit the blind. This ability could also help firefighters, rescue teams or even people lost in fog, according to Juan Antonio Martinez. No special physical skills are needed to develop echolocation, said Martinez, who noted that some blind people have taught themselves the ability through trial-and-error. "Two hours per day for a couple of weeks are enough to distinguish whether you have an object in front of you, and within another two weeks you can tell the difference between trees and a pavement," he said.
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Health Highlights
**TB Vaccine May Be Fatal for Infants With HIV.
**Many Factors Contribute to AMD: Study.
**E. Coli Found in Nestlé Cookie Dough: FDA.
**Too Few Young Adults Treated for Alcohol, Drug Problems.
**Salmonella Fears Trigger Plainview Food Products Recall.
**Beef Products Recall Expanded.
**Nestle Refused to Give Cookie Dough Records to FDA.
**European Regulator Wants Painkiller Off Market.
**E. coli Scare Spurs Big Beef Recall.
**Gray Hair Might Indicate Reduced Cancer Risk.
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- FDA Panel Urges Ban on Vicodin, Percocet: Also recommends dosing limits for OTC painkillers that contain acetaminophen, like Tylenol or Excedrin, because of link to liver damage.
The popular prescription painkillers Vicodin and Percocet, which combine acetaminophen with an opiate narcotic, should be banned, and the maximum dose of over-the-counter painkillers with acetaminophen, like Tylenol or Excedrin, should be lowered, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel urged Tuesday. The panel's recommendations followed the release of an FDA report last month that found severe liver damage, and even death, can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen -- which is easier on the stomach than such painkillers as aspirin and ibuprofen -- can cause such injury. The dangers from use or abuse of Vicodin and Percocet may be even more concerning, one key panelist said.
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- Anti-Smoking Drugs Get FDA 'Black-Box' Warning: Reports link Chantix and Zyban to risk of psychiatric side effects, including suicidal thoughts
The agency's review found that some people who used Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion) experienced unusual changes in behavior, became depressed, or had their depression worsen and had thoughts of suicide or dying, the FDA said. Dr. Curt Rosebraugh said there were reports of 98 suicides and 188 suicide attempts involving Chantix, and 14 suicides and 17 attempts reported with Zyban. For many users, the problems started soon after they began taking the drugs and ended when they stopped taking them. Some users, however, continued to have symptoms even after stopping the drugs. In a few cases, the problems started after the drugs were stopped, Rosebraugh said.
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- The More Alcohol Men Drink, The More Time They Spend In A Hospital: Heavy drinkers were affected most, but link holds for even mild use, study finds
A unit of alcohol, or an average drink, was considered to be half a pint of beer (about a cup) or a 4-ounce glass of wine, for example, according to the study. Men who drank more than 22 units of alcohol a week had a 20 percent higher hospital admission rate than non-drinkers, the study found. Even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption were associated with a higher number of days spent in the hospital, the researchers found. Drinkers of eight or more units of alcohol a week were hospitalized more days than non-drinkers, and the length of stay increased as weekly consumption of alcohol went up. The heaviest drinkers spent 58 percent longer in a hospital than non-drinkers, according to the study.
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- Smoking May Trigger Brain Damage: Compound in tobacco causes attack on healthy cells, study finds
The scientists found that a compound in tobacco triggers white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, resulting in severe neurological damage. The compound, NNK, doesn't cause direct harm to brain cells, but appears to cause neuroinflammation that leads to disorders such as multiple sclerosis. This demonstrates that NNK triggers an exaggerated response from the brain's immune cells, called microglia. Normally, microglia cells attack damaged or unhealthy cells, but when provoked by NNK, they attack healthy brain cells, the researchers added. Since NNK is present in all tobacco products, it can also enter the body by chewing, the researchers noted. Secondhand smoke also contains high levels of NNK and can have a harmful effect on the brain, they said.
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- Low Blood Sugar in Hospital Tied to Higher Death Risk for Diabetics: Hypoglycemia likely a sign of additional illness, suggest experts
Being a diabetic and having just one episode of low blood sugar during a hospital stay was associated with a significantly increased risk of dying, both in the hospital and up to a year later, new research shows. Each additional day with a hypoglycemic episode was associated with an 85 percent increase in the risk of death while hospitalized. The study also found a 66 percent increased mortality risk for one year following discharge in patients who'd had hypoglycemia. "If patients develop low blood sugar, they should be closely monitored for clinical deterioration," said Dr. Alexander Turchin. "Keeping blood sugar high doesn't have a benefit, but being too aggressive in lowering it may not be such as a good idea either."
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- Eating Animal Fat May Lead to Pancreatic Cancer : Added risk is tied to red meat and dairy products, study finds
During an average of six years of follow-up, 1,337 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Men who consumed the most fat from animal sources had a 53 percent increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer and women had a 23 percent increased risk, compared with men and women who ate the least fat, the study found. In addition, it found that people who ate high amounts of saturated fats had 36 percent higher rates of pancreatic cancer than did those who ate low amounts. Being overweight in your 30s was associated with a 60 percent increased risk for pancreatic cancer, and being obese was associated with a twofold to threefold higher risk, the researchers found.
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- Air Traffic Patterns Predict Swine Flu Spread: H1N1 case rates associated with number of air passengers arriving from Mexico, analysis shows
Countries that received the most airline passengers from Mexico this spring were the most likely to see H1N1 swine flu infection, new research says. From Mexico, nearly 81 percent of air passengers flew to the United States or Canada. The United States received the bulk of passengers from Mexico, with about 1.74 million arrivals, followed by Canada with 149,137 arrivals. Cities receiving the most arrivals from Mexico were Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston and Minneapolis-St. Paul. "The traffic was so strongly correlated with the importation of this disease," Dr. Kamran Khan said. "Where people go, infectious diseases of people will follow."
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- Nonsurgical Treatment May Ease Rotator Cuff Injury: Minimally invasive procedure can significantly reduce pain and restore mobility of the shoulder
During the 20-minute procedure, a radiologist uses ultrasound guidance to inject a saline solution into the rotator cuff to wash the affected area and break up calcium deposits. Compared to patients in the control group, those who received treatment showed a considerable reduction in pain and improved mobility after one month, three months and one year. After five and 10 years, both groups of patients showed similar improvement, the researchers found. "With this treatment, we were able to establish a single inexpensive and effective treatment for calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff. This has never happened before," said Dr. Luca M. Sconfienza. "This treatment could completely replace other treatments that are affected by several limitations and complications."
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- New Drug Shows Promise for Rheumatoid Arthriitis: Small, early study finds few long-term side effects
A new drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis reduces joint inflammation in severe cases while causing only mild to moderate side effects, according to a report from the first clinical trial of the drug on humans. Masitinib, which is being developed by AB Science pharmaceuticals, is supposed to halt the activity of mast cells, a part of the immune system believed to be involved in the start and progression of rheumatoid arthritis. "We are encouraged from this study that masitinib not only appears to be effective, but that within the first three months of treatment, the worst of its side effects were over, possibly making it suitable for long-term treatment regimens," said Olivier Hermine. The next step will be placebo-controlled trials, he added.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Warns About Salmonella-Tainted Pistachios.
**Undiagnosed Condition Increases Women's Osteoporosis Risk.
**Bayer Threatened With Lawsuit Over Men's Vitamin Claims.
**Trainers Urge Halt to Two-a-Day Football Practices in August.
**Undiagnosed Condition Increases Women's Osteoporosis Risk.
**Bayer Threatened With Lawsuit Over Men's Vitamin Claims.
**Trainers Urge Halt to Two-a-Day Football Practices in August.
**Swine Flu Infections, Deaths Surge In Recent Days.
**Nutrient May Protect Babies' Brains From Alcohol.
**Only Four Shots Needed for Rabies Protection.
**Study Offers Surprise Discovery About Muscle Stem Cells.
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- Nestlé Recalls Cookie Dough Products: Move comes after FDA reports 66 cases of E. coli infection in 28 states
U.S. health officials are warning consumers not to eat any Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products because of the risk of E. coli contamination. "Whether eaten or handled (causing cross-contamination), the dough is a danger, especially to the elderly, anyone with a suppressed immune system or pregnant women and should be discarded,"Dr. Philip M. Tierno said. Twenty-five people have been hospitalized, seven with a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney damage and even death. The recall includes refrigerated cookie and brownie dough bar, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, seasonal cookie and brownie dough, and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It does not include any other Toll House products, the company said in a news release.
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- Electrocardiogram Blip Signals Heart Trouble: Greater risk of atrial fibrillation, need for pacemaker, early death, study shows
A slight abnormality in an electrocardiogram (EKG), until now thought to be insignificant, can be a warning sign of future cardiac problems and an increased risk of early death, a new study indicates. Lengthening of what is called the PR interval, the right-hand portion of the jagged blip that records electrical activity as the heart contracts and expands, was associated with a doubled risk of developing the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, three times the risk of needing a pacemaker, and one-and-a-half times the risk of early death. "Historically, this has been viewed as benign," said study senior author Dr. Thomas Wang.
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- Quick Angioplasty Best After Heart Attacks: Canadian study shows better survival when compared to those who got clot-busting treatment
A new Canadian study adds compelling support for current recommendations that people who first get clot-dissolving treatment for heart attacks should have artery-opening angioplasty as soon as possible afterward. "The original recommendation was based on a limited number of trials. This is the largest trial done to date looking at the strategy of doing angioplasty routinely after fibrinolysis [clot-dissolving therapy]. It confirms that it is a safe approach with no increase in major bleeding, and that patients do better when they undergo angioplasty," said Dr. Warren J. Cantor. The study shows that angioplasty should be done within six hours, Cantor said.
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- New Cancer Drug Fights Tumors in Those With BRCA Mutations: Olaparib prevents malignant cells from repairing themselves, researchers say
A new cancer drug called olaparib worked well in an early clinical trial against breast, ovarian and prostate cancers in individuals who were genetically vulnerable to developing these malignancies. Olaparib works differently than other cancer drugs in that it blocks Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a protein involved in DNA repair. Healthy cells use PARP to repair themselves, but cancer cells do the same, the scientists explained. "This is an entirely new class of drugs," said Dr. J. Dirk Iglehart. When you disable PARP, you prevent the cell from repairing itself, he said, and cancer cells that are deficient in BRCA are much more sensitive to this effect. "When you inhibit PARP, they can't stand it," Iglehart explained.
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- Chemicals in Marijuana Smoke May Harm DNA: Lab tests find cannabis even more toxic than tobacco
The smoke from cannabis, the plant from which marijuana is derived, contains compounds that can damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer just like tobacco smoke, says a new study. In laboratory tests, Rajinder Singh from the University of Leicester and colleagues found certain carcinogens in cannabis smoke in amounts 50 percent greater than those found in tobacco smoke. They noted that light cannabis use could possibly prove to be even more damaging because cannabis smokers usually inhale more deeply than cigarette smokers. "The smoking of three to four cannabis cigarettes a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day," the researchers noted.
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Health Highlights
**Medtronic Recalls 21,000 Pacemakers.
**Frozen Chicken Has Undeclared Allergens.
**Maker Pushed Zyprexa for Dementia, Without Evidence.
**Injected Ibuprofen Gets FDA Approval.
**Weight Loss Surgery Increases Fracture Risk.
**Breast-Feeding May Improve Academic Achievement.
**FDA Experts Recommend Gout Drug's Approval Despite Serious Adverse Effects.
**No Proof Anti-Aging Hormones Effective: AMA.
**FDA Targets Bogus Treatments for H1N1 Swine Flu.
**Experts Challenge Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption.
**Chopping Before Cooking Cuts Carrot's Cancer-Fighting Power.
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- ADHD Drugs Linked to Sudden Death in Kids: But these unexplained events are exceedingly rare, study finds
"What we found -- to our surprise -- is that even if you take out confounding factors, the association between stimulant use and sudden death was still significant," said Madelyn Gould. "I'm confident the association is real and significant, but it's very rare. I don't want our findings to change prescribing patterns or for a parent to change their willingness to use stimulant medications if they're called for, but physicians should monitor patients with any new medication they give a young person." If your child has been on stimulants for awhile, there's probably no need for concern, Gould said. Parents should not abruptly stop their child's medications, the three experts agreed. If you are worried, call the prescribing doctor and discuss the potential risks and benefits of the medications, because often the benefits will outweigh the risks.
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- Asthma Drugs Get 'Precaution' Labeling for Possible Psychiatric Side Effects: FDA says users of Singulair and similar meds should watch for such problems
The drugs in question include the blockbuster medication Singulair (montelukast), as well as Accolate (zafirlukast). Zyflo and Zyflo CR (zileuton), drugs in a class known as leukotriene synthesis inhibitors, are also included in the labeling change. "The reported neuropsychiatric events include post market cases of agitation, aggression, anxiousness, dream abnormalities and hallucinations, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, suicidal thinking and behavior [including suicide], and tremor," the agency said. In its advice to patients, the FDA said that patients taking these medications should be aware of the potential hazard and talk to their doctor if some sort of neuropsychiatric problem occurs. Doctors may then decide to discontinue the medication, the agency said.
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- FDA Issues Warning for Over-the-Counter Cold Remedy: Zicam nasal products can cause loss of smell, officials stress
The specific products contained in the warning include Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs Kids' Size. "The loss of the sense of smell is potentially life-threatening and may be permanent," Dr. Charles E. Lee said. "People without the sense may not be able to detect dangerous situations such as gas leaks, something burning in the house, or if food is spoiled before eating it. It also has a life-limiting effect, and can affect the livelihood of people in occupations where the sense of smell or taste is a crucial component."
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- Sepsis Treatment Offers Lifesaving Potential: Blood-cleansing therapy used in Japan warrants further study: researchers
A device designed to filter bacteria-produced toxins from the blood of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock appears to improve blood circulation and organ function and lower the risk of death, a preliminary study suggests. Italian researchers tested whether using a polymyxin B fiber column -- an antibiotic-based hemoperfusion device -- with conventional therapy would improve patient outcomes. Polymyxin B is an antibiotic, and hemoperfusion is blood filtering to remove toxins. After 28 days, the death rate was 32 percent in the polymyxin B hemoperfusion group and 53 percent in the group that received conventional therapy alone. The therapy used in this study is common in Japan, but not in the United States.
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- Heart Damage After Vascular Surgery Raises Death Risks:
Screening is urged because many people have no symptoms, researchers say
People who suffer heart damage after vascular surgery face a higher risk of dying within the next few years, even if they show no symptoms of heart problems, a new study has found. Lack of symptoms is common, according to the researchers. "It is estimated that one out of five patients undergoing major vascular surgery suffers cardiac damage around the time of the operation if patients are appropriately screened in the first week after surgery," Dr. Olaf Schouten added. After adjusting for the type of surgery and known risk factors such as diabetes, heart failure and heart attacks, people with cardiac damage had more than twice the risk of dying in the years shortly after surgery.
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- Psoriasis Raises Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death: Inflammation looks like common thread, researcher says
The research found a 78 percent higher incidence of heart disease, a 70 percent higher incidence of stroke and a 98 percent higher incidence of peripheral arterial disease (blockage of arteries in the legs) in the psoriasis group. The overall death rate for those with psoriasis was 86 percent higher than for those without the disease. The risk appears to stem from the chronic inflammation associated with psoriasis, said Dr. Robert S. Kirsner. "This systemic inflammation causes damage to blood vessels, leading to increased risk," he said. The medical lesson of the study is that "it is critical for people who have psoriasis to understand their increased risk and have their other risk factors addressed," he said.
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- New Anticoagulant Pill Works Well in Trial: Lower doses safe and effective after heart attack and stroke
The new anti-clotting pill rivaroxaban (Xarelto) lowers the risk of stroke, heart attack and death in patients who have had a heart attack or suffer from unstable angina, a new trial shows. There was an increase in bleeding episodes with rivaroxaban. Over six months, the researchers found that risk increased with dosage. However, patients receiving rivaroxaban had a 21 percent reduction in heart attacks, strokes, ischemic events and deaths compared with patients taking placebo. For heart attack, stroke and death alone, the risk was reduced by 31 percent compared with placebo, the researchers found. Dr. Richard C. Becker said this study is another step in the search for an anti-clotting drug to replace warfarin for many patients.
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- Cornflakes, White Bread Could Boost Heart Risk: 'High-glycemic' carbs like these hamper blood vessel function, study shows
Eating a diet rich in carbohydrates that boost blood sugar levels -- foods such as cornflakes or white bread -- may hamper the functioning of your blood vessels and raise your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests. Low-glycemic index foods include oatmeal, most fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts. White bread, cornflakes and instant potatoes are high-glycemic indexes. The higher the glycemic index, the more that food raises blood sugar levels. "The main take-home message is that high-glycemic index carbs are dangerous since they reduce or inhibit endothelial function, which is the 'risk of the risk factors,' leading to atherosclerosis and potentially leading to heart disease," Dr. Michael Shechter said.
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- Torn Surgical Gloves Put Patients at Risk for Infection: Giving antibiotics before operation might improve safety, study finds
Sterile gloves worn by surgical staff can be perforated by needles, bone fragments and sharp surgical instruments. In surgeries where antibiotics were used, glove perforation wasn't associated with surgical site infection. Among patients who didn't receive antibiotics, surgical site infection rates were 12.7 percent when glove perforation occurred and 2.9 percent when there was no glove perforation. "The advantages of this surgical site infection prevention strategy, however, must be balanced against the costs and adverse effects of the prophylactic antimicrobials, such as drug reactions or increased bacterial resistance," Dr. Heidi Misteli and colleagues concluded. The study authors noted that procedures to reduce the risk of glove perforation -- such as double gloving and replacing gloves more frequently --are effective and safe and should be encouraged.
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Health Highlights
**FDA: Don't Use Clarcon Skin Products.
**Controversial Chelation Study Enrolling New Participants.
**Diabetes Screenings Could Lower Medical Costs.
**Infection-Control Programs Suffering, Hospitals Report.
**Cancer Patients Still Taking Antioxidant Supplements Despite Concerns.
**Kids and Concussions: Guidelines Stir Controversy.
**Gum Disease Care Helps Arthritis.
**Puerto Rico Has High HIV Infection Rate.
**Big Differences Among States in Drug Abuse, Mental Illness.
**EPA Investigating Safety of Rubber Playgrounds, Sports Fields.
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- Some OTC Sleep, Cold Meds Could Harm Aging Brain: Drugs containing benadryl linked to slowed thinking, delirium, and risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease in elderly
These drugs include Benadryl, Dramamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM and Unisom. All of these over-the-counter (OTC) drugs contain benadryl (diphenhydramine), a molecule that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. "Any OTC medication with the term 'PM' will indicate the presence of benadryl, which is bad for the brain," Dr. Malaz Boustani concluded. He noted that the effects of benadryl can add up, so the more medications you take that contain benadryl the worse it may be for cognition. "There is a relationship with the number of medications and the burden on your aging brain," the researcher said. In addition, taking these medications for 90 days or more may triple your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, Boustani said.
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- Studies Report More Harmful Effects From BPA: Chemical in plastics may hurt heart and fertility, researchers say
More potentially harmful health effects have been discovered for the chemical bisphenol A, found in clear plastic bottles and other everyday items, according to several new animal studies. Not only are humans probably being exposed to generally unsafe levels of BPA, as the chemical is commonly called, but it could be causing arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, research shows. That could be especially problematic for women, who may be at higher risk for this type of cardiac threat. In addition, other researchers say that they have found the mechanism by which BPA, a synthetic hormone with estrogen-like properties, might affect later fertility of babies whose mothers were exposed to the chemical.
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- WHO Readies to Declare Swine Flu Pandemic: Emergency meeting on Thursday may be last step, health officials say
The World Health Organization was set on Thursday to declare the first influenza pandemic since 1968, due to the H1N1 virus' rapid spread in North America, Australia, South America, Europe and regions beyond, health officials said. According to the latest WHO data, there are now 27,737 reported cases of swine flu infection across 74 countries, including 141 deaths. That includes 13,217 cases and 27 deaths reported as of last Friday in the United States by officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the vast majority of infections and deaths have occurred in Mexico (the source of the outbreak) and the United States, person-to-person transmission in now being reported in Australia and Chile, as well as Great Britain, Spain and Japan, according to published reports.
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- Longer Hormone Treatment May Improve Prostate Cancer Outlook: European and U.S. studies find similar results
Men with moderately advanced prostate cancer who get hormone-blocking drugs after radiation therapy do better when the drug treatment is continued for two or more years after an initial six-month regimen, a European study has found. The results pretty much mirror those of a similar American trial reported in May, said Dr. Eric M. Horwitz. "We have long believed that longer-term hormone therapy is the standard of care," Horwitz said. "These studies support that belief." The results apply to men whose cancer shows signs of growth but has not spread beyond the prostate gland -- perhaps a quarter of all cases of prostate cancer, Horwitz said.
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- New Diabetes Drug Shows Promise in Trial: Liraglutide mimics effects of a natural hormone, researchers say
In the new phase III trial -- usually the last kind done before marketing approval is sought -- injecting liraglutide once daily showed greater benefits in terms of blood sugar control and appeared to be easier on patients than Byetta, which is injected twice a day. Patients taking liraglutide also lost more weight during the 26-week trial than those taking Byetta. "The results suggest that liraglutide might be a treatment option for type 2 diabetes, especially when weight loss and risk of hypoglycemia are major considerations," wrote a team led by Dr. John Buse.
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Health Highlights
**FDA to Review BPA-Safety Decision.
**Where Eating Will Kill Your Diet: Restaurant Awards.
**Curry May Protect Against Alzheimer's.
**FDA Approves First Cancer Drug for Dogs.
**FDA to Warn of Antidepressants' Impact on Tamoxifen.
**Experts Concerned About Popularity of Electronic Cigarettes.
**FDA Approves Reclast Use Once Every Two Years.
**Low Glycogen Linked to Drinking-Related Violence.
**Malaria Showing Signs of Drug Resistance.
**Deadly New Virus Identified in Africa.
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- Sedatives Greatly Increase Suicide Risk Among Elderly: Doctors should carefully screen older patients before prescribing, researcher says
In their study, hypnotic medication also was linked with a greater likelihood of suicides in older people. "Sedative treatment was associated with an almost 14-fold increase of suicide risk in the crude analysis and remained an independent risk factor for suicide even after adjustment for the presence of mental disorders," wrote Anders Carlsten. The drugs may increase suicide risk in the elderly by triggering aggressive or impulsive behavior, or by providing the means to take an overdose, the researchers said. It's also possible that sedatives may merely be markers for other factors related to suicide. However, given the extremely high prescription rates for these drugs, a careful evaluation of the suicide risk should always precede prescribing a sedative or hypnotic to an elderly individual," Carlsten said.
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- Mini-Stroke Can Mean Major One Within Hours: If full-blown stroke occurs, it often comes within a day, study shows
About half the people who have a major stroke soon after a less serious brain event, such as a transient ischemic attack or "mini-stroke," do so within 24 hours of the minor event. The message here for people who have a TIA is to "seek medical attention immediately, particularly if you have either weakness or speech disturbance that lasts more than 10 minutes," said Dr. Peter M. Rothwell. "Don't wait until the next day -- it may be too late," he said. "For the emergency department, TIA patients should not be sent right home but should be kept for observation and tested,"Dr. Howard S. Kirshner said. "They can be sent home if the tests are negative and they already are started on a secondary stroke prevention regimen."
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- Window for Stroke Treatment Opens Wider: Clot-busting drug found effective 4.5 hours after symptoms begin
A new analysis showing that a potent clot-dissolving drug can safely be used to treat strokes four-and-a-half hours after symptoms begin has prompted a change in a current recommendation, which set a three-hour deadline for the medication's use. The review of 1,622 cases of people treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in four separate studies finds that the benefit in keeping brain cells alive outweighs the risk of brain-damaging bleeding when the drug is given up to 4.5 hours after first symptoms. But tPA should not be used beyond the three-hour limit in a number of cases, the advisory committee said -- people aged 80 and older, those having a severe stroke, those with a history of stroke and diabetes and those taking clot-preventing drugs such as Coumadin. "Time lost is brain lost," Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver said. "Every minute, 2 million neurons die.
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- FDA Report Urges Tougher Acetaminophen Warning: The risk of overdose, and potential liver damage, is still too high, agency says
A new agency report that calls for stronger warnings, better consumer education, and limits on doses for both prescription acetaminophen and over-the-counter acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol. Part of the problem is that severe liver damage can result from a lack of consumer awareness that acetaminophen can cause such injury. Also, many people may take more than the recommended dose of over-the-counter pain relievers in the mistaken belief that taking more will be more effective against pain without posing health risks. And consumers may not know that acetaminophen is present in many over-the-counter products, including remedies for colds, headaches and fevers, making it possible to exceed the recommended acetaminophen dose.
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- Stimulant Chewing Gum Can Be Dangerous for Kids: Case report details how two packs sent 13-year-old to hospital
Stimulant chewing gum can be dangerous if used excessively by children and teens, warn doctors who wrote a case report about a teenage boy who was hospitalized after chewing a large amount of the caffeine-containing gum. The use of stimulant chewing gum should be considered in cases of caffeine intoxication. The risk of intoxication is high in children and teenagers in view of general caffeine-naivety, and the unrestricted sale of these substances," the authors concluded.
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- Chemo Alone Is Best for Advanced Colon Cancer: Better drugs have rendered surgery unnecessary in most cases, study finds
Surgery is no longer the best treatment option for most patients with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs, a new study suggests. Immediate colon resection (surgical removal) following diagnosis of stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer had previously been the standard procedure, followed by chemotherapy several weeks after the operation. However, "if the colon tumor is not causing obstruction, perforation or bleeding, we've found these patients are best treated with chemotherapy. By moving straight to chemotherapy, patients can avoid the risk of surgical complications and can start treatment for all sites of disease without delay," said study author Philip Paty. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.
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- Drug Combo Proves Powerful Against Lung Cancer: Study finds better outcome for advanced non-small cell malignancies
A two-drug combination treatment proved successful in safely slowing advanced non-small cell lung cancer in a recent clinical trial. In the study, a phase 3 trial involving 768 people with the disease, those who had erlotinib (Tarceva) added to their dose of the bevacizumab (Avastin) saw the progression of the disease slow more than if on bevacizumab alone. People on the combo therapy tolerated the drugs well and survived an average of 4.8 months before the disease grew worse, compared with 3.7 months for those on bevacizumab alone. Knowing which patients will get the greatest benefit from this combination, based on the identification of biomarkers, will be an important next step in this research," said Dr. Vincent Miller.
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- Two Drugs Safe for Rare Forms of Kidney Cancer: Early trial suggests efficacy against malignancies that don't respond to other drugs
Using a combination of the drugs temsirolimus (Torisel) and Bryostatin appears to be safe in patients with metastatic kidney cancer, according to early data from 25 patients in a phase 1 trial. The early data suggests the drugs may be active in patients with rare forms of renal cell cancer that are less likely to respond to other therapies. "Patients with non-clear cell renal cell cancer, including papillary renal cancer, don't respond as well to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib [Sutent] and sorafenib [Nexavar], as patients with clear cell renal cell. So there is an unmet need for therapy for these patients. We've seen that this combination may be active to some degree for them," Dr. Elizabeth Plimack said.
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- Heart Drug Combos Raise Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Specialists should consider risks vs. benefits, researcher says
The combinations include anticoagulant-antiplatelet (ACAP), aspirin-antiplatelet (ASAP), aspirin-anticoagulant (ASAC) or TRIP (aspirin-anticoagulant-antiplatelet). Patients prescribed ASAP and ASAC drug combinations were two and a half times more likely to suffer an upper gastrointestinal event than those not taking the drugs. The fewest upper GI problems occurred among people taking ACAP. The greatest risk came from TRIP, which correlated with a fourfold increased risk of an upper GI event. Younger patients -- those between 60 and 69 years old -- were at the highest risk. That age group was most likely to take the TRIP drug-combo because of a likelier history of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and peripheral artery disease.
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- Two Drugs Better Than One for Crohn's Patients: Remission rates higher with combination therapy, study finds
Crohn's disease patients who received a combination of the drugs infliximab (Remicade) and azathioprine (Azasan) were more likely to have the disease go into steroid-free remission than those who received only one of the drugs, researchers say. After 50 weeks, 72.2 percent of patients who'd received the infliximab/azathioprine drug combination were in steroid-free remission, compared to 60.8 percent who'd received infliximab alone and 54.7 percent who had taken azathioprine alone.
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- TV Interferes With Infants' Language Development: More time watching the tube means less time learning to speak, researchers say
Television reduces verbal interaction between parents and infants, which could delay children's language development, says a U.S. study that challenges claims that certain infant-targeted DVDs actually benefit youngsters. "Given the critical role that adult caregivers play in children's linguistic development, whether they talk to their child while the screen is on may be critical and explain the effects that are attributed to content or even amount of television watched," the team wrote. "That is, whether parents talk less (or not at all) during some types of programs or at some times of the day may be as important in this age group as what is being watched."
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Health Highlights
**No Decline in Pregnant Women's Alcohol Use: CDC.
**Japanese Women Have Longest Life Expectancy: WHO.
**Costly Hospital Care Doesn't Guarantee Better-Quality Care: Study.
**Court Rules 'Light' Cigarettes Duped Smokers.
**BPA From Bottles Shows Up in Urine: Study.
**Illinois Company Recalls Ground Beef.
**FDA Issues TV Drug Ad Guidelines.
**Test for Early Alzheimer's Moving Forward.
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- Advanced Prostate Cancer Deadlier in Younger Men: Patients under 44 were three times more likely to die, study finds
"Overall, young men with prostate cancer do quite well, although the young men that have more advanced prostate cancers did substantially worse than old men with similar forms of the disease," said Dr. Daniel W. Lin. "Really young men, those 35 to 44, have worse cancers," Freedland said. "This is not a group of men where we typically screen for prostate cancer. The percentage of metastatic disease is higher than for any other group. This is a failure of early diagnosis." So for physicians treating prostate cancer, "our message is that younger men with high-grade cancers do very poorly, and when you find one, be aware that it should be treated aggressively and with experimental methods if necessary," Lin said.
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- Drug May Lessen Amputation Risk for Diabetics: Researchers suggest that findings could alter treatment methods
The risk of a first amputation was 36 percent lower among people taking fenofibrate than those taking the placebo. The study also found that people in the fenofibrate group had a 47 percent lower risk of amputations below the ankle and without large-vessel disease in the amputated limb. Height was found to be a major predictor of amputations, with a 1.6-fold increase for every additional 10 centimeters in height. "These findings could lead to a change in standard treatment for the prevention of diabetes-related lower-limb amputations," they concluded, adding that the results "showed a reduction in amputation rates that seemed to emerge after just 1.5 years of fenofibrate use."
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- Strict Blood Sugar Control Lowers Heart Risks in Diabetics: It prevents many complications of chronic disease, experts say
Diabetics who strictly control their blood sugar levels also reduce their risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease, British researchers report. The implications are enormous, Dr. Kausik Ray said. "There have been claims recently by doctors that lowering glucose to less than 7 percent could be harmful. We disprove that in the largest study to date," he said. Those whose blood sugar was strictly controlled saw a 17 percent reduction in non-fatal heart attacks, and a 15 percent reduction in events associated with heart disease, the researchers found. Another report found that pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes have a seven-and-a-half times increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes after giving birth.
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- Low Vitamin D Levels May Initiate Cancer Development: Study suggests loss of communication among cells tied to this nutritional deficit
"The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels," said Cedric Garland. Garland and colleagues developed a scientific model that suggests "this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over." Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may help stop cancer development, Garland suggested. He noted that appropriate vitamin D levels can be restored and maintained through diet and supplements. Garland recommended that people get their vitamin D levels tested during annual check-ups.
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- Vitamin D May Help Keep Aging at Bay: Researchers speculate that brain might benefit from supplements
The study authors found that high circulating vitamin D levels were associated with high scores on memory and information-processing tests, while low vitamin D levels were associated with poor scores. The exact link between circulating vitamin D levels and mental agility isn't clear, but it's possible that vitamin D increases certain hormonal activity or protects neurons and chemical-signaling pathways, according to the researchers. If vitamin D supplements can help reduce the effects of aging on the brain, the health implications could be significant because many people, particularly the elderly, are vitamin D-deficient, the researchers pointed out.
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- Statins Can Help Prevent Second Stroke: New study strengthens prior research on the cholesterol-lowering drugs
The 10-year study of nearly 800 people who had strokes found a 35 percent lower incidence of second strokes and a 57 percent lower death rate among those who took statins compared to those who didn't. But Dr. Sotirios Giannopolous stressed that the cholesterol-lowering activity of a statin may not be the prime cause of related reductions in stroke. "Statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects," he said, "and [they] also prevent blood clotting and stabilize plaque in the arteries. So, one of these mechanisms may help to prevent recurrent stroke."
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Health Highlights
**Green Tea Chemical Thwarts HIV Transmission.
**New MRSA Strain Can Be Lethal to Flu Patients.
**Federal, State Governments Join Lawsuits Against Wyeth.
**Little Progress Made in Preventing Medical Errors.
**More Americans Pro-Life: Survey.
**Injectable Risperdal Approved for Bipolar Disorder.
**Later Retirement May Delay Dementia.
**Lower-Tar Cigarettes May Increase Risk of Type of Lung Cancer.
**U.S. Prescription Drug Use Falls for 1st Time in Decade.
**CDC Offers Tips to Prevent Summer Pool Chemical Injuries.
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- Immune Therapy May Aid Kids With Neuroblastoma: Researchers praise new treatment for deadly cancer
The new immune-based treatment -- called chimeric anti-GD2 antibody ch14.18 -- targets a key sugar-and-fat molecule lying on neuroblastoma cells called GD2. Left alone, the molecule inhibits the immune system from attacking the cancer cells. But the new antibody binds to GD2, encouraging such attacks, the researchers explained. After two years, the number of participants who had survived without a relapse reached 66 percent in the immunotherapy groups, compared with 46 percent among those who did not get the new treatment. Overall survival after two years reached 86 percent in the immunotherapy cohort and 75 percent among those who got standard treatment.
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- Study Reiterates Eye Risks Linked to Flomax: Men should be aware of dangers if taking prostate drug, experts say
Men taking Flomax to treat an enlarged prostate face more than double the risk for serious complications should they need cataract surgery. The problems were not found to the same extent among men taking other alpha-blockers, said the lead researcher, Dr. Chaim M. Bell. Whether stopping the drug before cataract surgery would reduce the risk of complications is not clear, he said. But before taking Flomax, people should be made aware of the risks, including the risk associated with cataract surgery, Dr. Chaim M. Bell said. In addition, he said, surgeons need to know if a patient is taking Flomax so that the procedure can be adjusted to take the risks into account. "A better system needs to be in place to better identify patients taking Flomax so that surgeons can best prepare during the operation," he said.
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- Risk to Baby Rises With Repeat C-Sections: Procedure doubles odds for intensive care compared to vaginal birth newborns, researchers say
Babies delivered by elective, repeat cesarean section delivery are nearly twice as likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) than those born vaginally after the mother has previously had a c-section, a new study finds. These c-section babies are also more likely to have breathing problems requiring supplemental oxygen, the researchers say. "The decision to have your first c-section is very important," he said. "There should be a clear medical indication [because] your first may dictate subsequent [delivery methods]," said Dr. Alan Fleischman. Women also need to know that vaginal delivery is possible for many women who have already undergone a c-section, Fleischman said. Some hospitals do not allow vaginal delivery after a prior c-section, so he suggested finding out early what a hospital's policy is.
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- Drug Combo Keeps Kidney Artery-Vein Grafts Viable: Aspirin plus anti-clotting therapy boosts dialysis patients' quality of life, study says
A combination of aspirin and the anti-clotting drug dipyridamole reduces blockages and extends the useful life of new artery-vein access grafts used for kidney dialysis, new research has found. "Our trial results show that we now have a drug therapy that significantly prolongs the viability of AV grafts. This is an important step forward as we proceed to develop therapies to improve dialysis patients' quality of life," said lead author Dr. Bradley S. Dixon. The researchers found that the combination treatment decreased the rate of loss of primary unassisted graft patency (the useful life of a graft before it's blocked for the first time) by 18 percent and the rate of developing significant stenosis by 28 percent.
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- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients: Airways remained clear and moist in studies, researcher says
A new aerosol spray may help keep the airways of cystic fibrosis patients moist and clear, researchers say. In cystic fibrosis, a genetic defect causes the airway to absorb sodium, and therefore moisture, too quickly. When the airway is too dry, the body can't clear mucus, a key defense mechanism of the respiratory system, Andrew Hirsh said. This deficiency can cause cystic fibrosis patients to have chronic respiratory infection and impaired lung function, he explained. "The potency and the length of time that the drug was effective in cells and in animal studies was an outstanding feature that distinguishes this compound from other agents," he said.
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- An Aid to Tailoring Prostate Cancer Treatment: Study identifies factors to help decide how aggressive therapy should be
Four risk factors that can help predict how long men could survive with metastatic prostate cancer have been identified by researchers from the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, who say such information would help doctors individualize treatments. "There is a need for identification of accurate and simple-to-use prognostic factors for men with prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate," said Andrew Armstrong. The researchers found four risk factors that predicted how well someone would respond to treatment: The presence of cancer-related pain; Anemia; How extensively the cancer has spread to other organs; and The progression of cancer in bone.
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- Glucose Control Pays Long-Term Benefits for Diabetics: Analysis shows even small improvements may prevent eye, kidney and nerve damage
For diabetics, the key to managing their disease is keeping their blood glucose levels at a normal, low level. But new studies show just how important this is when it comes to avoiding the complications of the disease, which can include eye, kidney and nerve damage. "Our results show that the risk of complications 10 to 15 years after the start of treatment probably decreases significantly following even small improvements in blood glucose control," said physician Marcus Lind. "If the treatment of all Swedish diabetes patients could be even slightly improved, we believe that tens of thousands of cases of injuries to the eyes, kidneys, heart, nerves and brain could be prevented."
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- New Insights Show Ginseng Fights Inflammation
Scientists spot anti-inflammatory components in the traditional remedy
Ginseng has been used in medicine for centuries, and now its reputation for improving health is expanding: A new study has found that the herb, which is used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine, fights inflammation. The NIH notes that traditional and modern uses of ginseng include: Improving the health of people who are recovering from an illness; Increasing a person's sense of well-being and stamina, and improving both mental and physical performance; Treating erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C and symptoms related to menopause; and Lowering blood glucose and controlling blood pressure.
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Health Highlights
**Kids' Face Paint Product May Be Contaminated, FDA Warns.
**Medicare Says It Won't Pay for Virtual Colonoscopies.
**Many Americans Struggling to Control Diabetes.
**Lawsuit Challenges Practice of Gene Patenting.
**FDA Probes 2 Delaware Deaths That May Be Linked to Heparin.
**FDA Challenges Cheerios Health Claims: General Mills quick to respond that the science of its claims is not in question.
**Cervarix Induces Stronger Immune Response Than Gardasil.
**West Nile Test Produced False-Positive Results.
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- FDA Orders Label Warning for Testosterone Gels: Men who use the medications must be sure none rubs off on children, agency says
Accidental pediatric exposures to the gels can occur when the "consumer forgets to wash their hands or forgets to cover a treated area, and then has close contact with the child, or may have not waited for their skin to dry and then picks up a child," said Dr. Dianne Murphy. Over time, these exposures can lead to premature and/or abnormal development of male characteristics in both boys and girls, the FDA said. The two affected prescription medications are AndroGel 1%, made by Solvay Pharmaceuticals, and Testim 1%, made by Auxilium Pharmaceuticals. These are currently the only topical gel drugs approved by the FDA to address an insufficient or total lack of testosterone production among men. And they added that women should not use either gel even though about 25,000 of the AndroGel prescriptions in 2007 were dispensed to women.
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- Older Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Do Better After Standard Chemotherapy Than They Do With The Oral Drug Capecitabine (Xeloda)
Women taking capecitabine were roughly twice as likely to have a relapse of their cancer or die, the researchers found. Three years after treatment, 85 percent of women who received standard chemotherapy were alive and cancer-free compared with 68 percent of the women who received capecitabine, the team found. "This is a critical trial for two reasons," Dr. Nancy Davidson said. "It demonstrates that properly selected older women, who comprise the vast majority of patients with breast cancer, can benefit from state of the art chemotherapy just as younger women do. Thus, age alone should not be a reason to withhold chemotherapy," she said. "It also demonstrates, yet again, that multi-agent chemotherapy gives better results than single agent chemotherapy for early breast cancer," Davidson said.
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- Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger: What's OK for the kidney and brain may not be best for the heart, expert says
While too-high blood pressure is a clear hazard for most people, too-low pressure can apparently be a threat in some cases as well. When the results were in, the lowest rate of deaths and major coronary problems such as heart disease was seen not in the participants with the lowest blood pressure but in those slightly to the right on the curve, with a reading of 139.9 for systolic pressure (the reading when the heart contracts) and 79.2 for diastolic pressure. "If you treat people with coronary artery disease for hypertension, you don't want to go too low, to diastolic pressure below about 70," said Dr. Alan H. Gradman. "That's the take-home message here."
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- New Guidelines Recommend Opioids for Seniors' Pain: NSAID use for persistent aches needs to be curbed, Geriatrics Society says
The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or cox-2 inhibitors to treat persistent pain in seniors should be drastically reduced. The original guidelines recommended the use of over-the-counter or prescription NSAIDs and cox-2 inhibitors such as aspirin or ibuprofen before seniors were prescribed an opioid drug to treat persistent pain. But this is a risky strategy in older patients, because the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and other risks posed by the drugs often outweigh the benefits, the authors of the new guidelines said. They said NSAIDs and cox-2 inhibitors should be used rarely, and with extreme caution, in highly selected patients.
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- Early Exercise Boosts Outcomes for ICU Patients: Interrupting sedation for daily physiotherapy led to better post-discharge function, study finds
The team tracked patients after discharge for signs of "independent functional status" -- the ability to walk unaided and carry out six tasks of daily living. According to the Chicago researchers, 59 percent of those who got the early exercise achieved that functional milestone over four weeks of follow-up, compared to 35 percent in the standard care group. Early physical therapy also cut the rate of delirium episodes in half and reduced the number of days in which patients required a ventilator. Weakness and neuropsychiatric disease are often complications of the immobilization caused by long-term sedation in the ICU.
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- 3-Drug Combo Reduces Nausea After Chemo: Study finds adding casopitant mesylate to regimen cuts side effects
The addition of the drug casopitant mesylate (CM) to the conventional two-drug regimen of dexamethasone and ondansetron greatly reduces chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC), a new study concludes. HEC is used to treat many types of solid tumor cancers, including colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The study found that 86 percent of patients in the single oral CM group and 80 percent of those in the intravenous plus oral CM group achieved a complete response (no vomiting, retching or use of rescue medications) for the first 120 hours after their first cycle of HEC treatment, compared with 66 percent of patients in the placebo group.
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Health Highlights
**Once-Weekly Diabetes Drug Submitted for FDA Approval.
**Zinc/Copper Supplements May Not Curb Diarrhea: Study.
**Secondhand Smoke Lowers Kids' Antioxidant Levels: Study.
**Ranbaxy Announces U.S. Recall of Antibiotic.
**FDA OKs Avastin as Brain Cancer Tumor Treatment.
**FDA Backs Drug That Controls Blood Sugar Via the Brain.
**Workouts Benefit Lung Cancer Patients: Study.
**Seattle Company Recalls Salads.
**Jardine Cribs Recalled Due to Breaking Slats.
**Teen Smokers Have Low Quit Rates: Study.
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- Anemia Drugs May Raise Death Risk in Cancer Patients: Latest findings support recent label warnings for Procrit, Aranesp, experts say
Two new studies provide more evidence that drugs such as Procrit and Aranesp, often used by cancer patients to fight anemia-linked fatigue, may boost the risk of death and serious adverse events such as blood clots. These drugs, called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), have also been associated in prior studies with increased risk of heart attack, stroke and tumor growth. Dr. Anthony Reiman said his team is "supporting other groups that are recommending great caution in using these drugs for cancer patients, and in routine circumstances they may not be indicated. We hope the drugs would still be made available for people for whom transfusion isn't a good option -- but those are very limited circumstances." "The message is clear: There is a safety concern that's real and significant," Dr. Charles Bennett said.
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- Irregular Heartbeat During Angioplasty Could Raise Death Risk:
It tripled the 3-month odds among heart attack patients, study found
People treated for heart attack who experience abnormal heart rhythms during artery-opening procedures such as angioplasty may be at increased risk of death. Patients who experienced these cardiac arrhythmias during the procedure had about triple the odds of dying within 90 days as those whose hearts beat normally. Another important finding of the study was that "most deaths occur very early in this population," Dr. Rajendra H. Mehta said. "Most deaths occur in the first 30 days. Most cardiologists now believe that episodes of abnormal heart rhythm during PCI are not important, he added. The new findings could change that attitude.
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- Cholesterol Drugs May Help in Cardiac Emergency: A dose of a statin in time of crisis improved long-term outcomes, study found
The one-year risk of death or major heart problems was more than halved for people suffering life-threatening episodes of acute coronary syndrome who received the drugs, compared to those who didn't, cardiologists at the Na Homolce Hospital in Prague reported. After one year, 10 of the 78 people (about 13 percent) who took the statin had died or suffered a major coronary problem, such as a heart attack or recurrent angina, compared to just under 27 percent (21 of 78) of those who didn't receive the drug. Only about 18 percent of those who received statins had problems requiring hospitalization during the follow-up period, compared to nearly 44 percent of those not taking the medication. The major benefit noted in the Czech study was a nearly two-thirds reduction in angina.
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- Delivering Chemo Directly Into Brain Tumors Shows Promise: Survival times for those with malignant gliomas increased, study found
With the new method, researchers inserted catheters carrying the chemotherapy drug Topotecan (Hycamtin) directly into the tumors of 16 patients with recurrent malignant gliomas. The patients who received the Topotecan had a median survival of 59 weeks, although a few patients lived much longer. The median time to tumor progression was 20 weeks, and 77 percent of patients survived for at least six months. "Those numbers are better than any treatment for recurrent gliomas we have now," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Bruce. The next step will be multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial, which will begin in the next two to three months, Bruce said.
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- Urine Test Predicts Vein Clot Risk: Those with elevated albumin levels were more likely to get DVT, pulmonary embolisms
A higher-than-normal level of the protein albumin in urine indicates an increased risk of dangerous blood clots in the deep veins of the lungs and legs, a Dutch study finds. These venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clotting in the lower extremities which gained recent notoriety when it occurred in passengers on long-haul flights. These clots can become dangerous if they travel to the lungs to produce a pulmonary embolism. The incidence of such clots was 40 percent higher for people with slightly elevated urine levels of albumin and more than twice as high for people with more elevated levels than for those with normal levels, after adjustment for known risk factors such as diabetes, the researchers found.
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- Younger Age of More Severe Swine Flu Cases Worries Experts: Average age of those hospitalized in U.S. is 15, CDC says
"We are seeing the same distribution in hospitalized patients as we are in milder cases in the community, and that's younger than what you would see in seasonal flu," Dr. Richard Besser said. "In seasonal flu you tend to see a predominance of burden of disease in the elderly and in the very young, and here we are seeing it more in the younger population." Why the more severe cases are skewing young remains unclear, he said, but it could be that younger people are getting sicker sooner, or older people may have some kind of built-in immunity. What health experts don't know is whether the never-before-seen virus will return, perhaps in a more dangerous form, when the regular flu season begins again late this year. Because the pathogen is a genetic mix of pig, bird and human flu strains, health officials are worried that humans may have no natural immunity to it.
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- Swine Flu: A Primer
Dr. Charles Ericsson, head of clinical infectious disease at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, spoke to HealthDay about what scientists know right now about the swine flu outbreak.
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Health Highlights
**Smoking, Secondhand Smoke Increase Breast Cancer Risk: Experts.
**Morning Sickness Linked to Smarter Babies: Study.
**Team IDs Bacteria That Use Toxins to Cause Infections.
**Specialized Immune Cells Linked to Malaria: Study.
**Group Wants New Term for Shaken Baby Syndrome.
**Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella Outbreak: FDA.
**Taking Aspirin May Reduce Adults' Cancer Risk: Study.
**Heart Rate Predicts Heart Attack Risk: Study.
**FDA Says Recalled Nail Polish Can Cause Chemical Burns.
**Libimax Sexual Supplements Recalled.
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- WHO Raises Swine Flu Alert Signifying that a Pandemic is Imminent, and Urged Countries to Implement Their Pandemic Plans
An estimated 170 deaths in Mexico are believed to have been caused by the never-before-seen virus, according to published reports. The new flu strain is a combination of pig, bird and human viruses, prompting worries from health officials that humans may have no natural immunity to the pathogen. Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there were 91 confirmed cases of infection with the swine flu virus in 10 states, with the one death. Sixty-four percent of the cases involve people under age 18, but patients range in age from 8 to 81, he said.
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- Drug May Help Against Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Study shows those who respond to lapatinib survive longer
For patients resistant to conventional anthracycline or taxane and trastuzumab, treatment options are limited. Lapatinib inhibits HER2, a protein that's expressed much more in inflammatory breast cancer than in other, less aggressive breast cancers. "Patients who responded to treatment with lapatinib had a longer median overall survival than did those patients who did not respond, irrespective of previous exposure to trastuzumab," the researchers wrote. "Patients exposed to previous trastuzumab treatment who experienced a response to lapatinib had the longest median overall survival. This finding confirms the clinical benefit of targeted therapy in these patients." "Lapatinib monotherapy is potentially clinically effective in heavily pretreated patients with inflammatory breast cancer with HER2+ tumors," they said.
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- New Treatment Combo Better Against Hepatitis C: Adding antiviral telaprevir increases cure rate, studies show
The results show that, by using a triple combination of telaprevir, pegylated interferon and ribavirin for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of pegylated interferon and ribavirin, a sustained viral eradication can be achieved in 69 percent of cases, whereas only 46 percent of patients receiving standard of care for 48 weeks achieve a cure, Pawlotsky said. "This is a breakthrough in HCV therapy," Dr. Jean-Michel Pawlotsky said. "For the very first time, almost 70 percent cure rates are reached." These findings open the way to an ongoing phase 3 trial, which could lead to the approval of this combination within the next two years, he said. "The triple combination could become the new standard of care," he noted.
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- Statins Guard Against Prostate Cancer: Other studies found they also reduced chances of erectile dysfunction
One study found that men who were taking statins before undergoing surgical removal of their prostate had a lower risk of having the cancer return. Another study found that men who were using statins prior to surgery had a significantly lower risk for inflammation within their prostate tumor," Dr. Lionel L. Banez said. In a third report, researchers led by Dr. Stacy Loeb, found statins may help in reducing the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. In a fourth report, researchers led by Dr. Rodney H. Breau, found that statins were associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. In a fifth study, Mayo Clinic researchers found that statins and/or with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) resulted in fewer lower urinary tract symptoms related to an enlarged prostate.
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- Drug Combo May Relieve MS Symptoms: Adding steroid drug methylprednisolone to multiple sclerosis treatment shows promise in study
During the three-year study, the patients were assessed every three months. Those who took the steroid/interferon drug combination had 38 percent fewer relapses (episodes when the disease is active) than those who took the placebo and interferon, the study found. The patients in the steroid/interferon group also showed slight improvement on a test of MS disability, while those in the placebo/interferon group showed a slight decline. The Biogen Idec-supported study also found that MS-related brain lesions stayed the same size or shrank in the steroid/interferon group but grew larger in the placebo/interferon group. "This is a promising finding, as the benefit from interferon is only moderate, and not everyone responds fully to the treatment, so anything we can do to boost those results is positive," said study author Dr. Mads Ravnborg.
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- Abnormal Heartbeat After Bypass a Bad Sign: Atrial fibrillation ups long-term risk of dying, researchers report
People who develop the heartbeat abnormality called atrial fibrillation after heart bypass surgery are at increased long-term risk of dying. The report sounds a warning bell for doctors about an issue that has not been a matter of major concern, said Giovanni Filardo. "After this surgery, almost 50 percent of patients develop atrial fibrillation," Filardo said. "Historically, it has been regarded as a transient problem, and therefore surgeons have not paid too much attention to it." But data revealed a 29 percent higher death rate among those who did not have atrial fibrillation before the bypass but developed it after the procedure, he said. The 10-year mortality rate was 47.7 percent for those who developed postoperative atrial fibrillation, compared to 30.6 percent for those who did not.
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- Too Few Screened for Abdominal Aneurysm, Study Says: Potentially life-threatening condition often goes undetected until rupture
An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a weak area in the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As blood passes through, the weakened area can bulge. Most abdominal aortic aneurysms initially have no symptoms but can be deadly if they rupture. Symptoms of a rupture include sudden and increasing back and abdominal pain. An estimated 1.5 million to 2 million Americans have this condition, but most are unaware of its potential threat to their lives, the researchers noted. In the study, the researchers found that only two of 43 people -- or 4.6 percent -- identified as being at risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm had received the proper screening. Guidelines recommend one-time screening of men 65 to 70 years old who have ever smoked.
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Health Highlights
**Suicide Claims One Million Lives a Year: Study.
**Surgical Gel May Mimic Signs of Early Breast Cancer: Study.
**U.S. Waters Hold Millions of Pounds of Drug Ingredients: Analysis.
**Vegan Women Have Healthy Bones: Study.
**Cheap Vaccine Will Help Control Cholera.
**Softball Windmill Pitch Linked to Shoulder Pain: Study.
**Suicide Is A Major Threat Among U.S. College Students Who Report High Levels of Binge Drinking.
**California Swine Flu Cases Investigated by CDC.
**Avastin Has Little Impact in Colon Cancer Recurrence: Trial.
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- Drug May Be Dangerous for Kids With Graves' Disease: Medication known as PTU can cause liver disease, experts say
A recommendation to restrict the use of the antithyroid drug (PTU) in children has been endorsed by the Endocrine Society. Two experts wrote that PTU can cause severe liver disease in children and should no longer be used as a first-line treatment for children with Graves' disease. An estimated 40,000 children are treated for Graves' disease each year in the United States. If 40 percent of those children are treated with PTU, then as many as one to two of those children could develop severe liver disease that could lead to a liver transplant or death. "Even one excess death is too many if it can be prevented," the society said. It suggested that until more study was done, methimazole ought to be considered the preferred treatment for children.
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- Binge Drinking May Damage Teens' Brains: 'White matter' impairment could mean a 10% decline in information recall, scientists say
When teens go on a binge drinking episode, they may be doing serious damage to the sensitive "white matter" in their brain, a new MRI-based study suggests. This means that damage caused to the developing brain by bouts of heavy drinking could affect thinking and memory, even lowering school performance. "This is further evidence of the deleterious effects of heavy drinking on the developing adolescent brain," Dr. John R. Knight said. "There is a growing body of scientific evidence on alcohol-related neurotoxicity, as well as evidence that brain development continues well into the third decade of life," he said. "We strongly recommend not lowering the legal drinking age, as some well-intentioned -- but very misguided -- college presidents have recently advocated. We do not strive to deprive teens and young adults, only to protect their futures," he said.
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- Breast-feeding a Boon to Mom's Heart: Nursing baby brings cardiovascular benefits decades later, study suggests
"We found that the longer women breast-feed, the lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes or heart disease," said Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz. It's well-established that breast-feeding can benefit infant health, yet just 11 percent of American mothers breast-feed exclusively for the first six months of their babies' lives. In addition to benefiting babies, breast-feeding can help women lose pregnancy weight, since breast-feeding helps women burn almost 500 extra calories a day. According to Schwarz, the reason breast-feeding may benefit women even many years later is because it "resets the body after pregnancy. There are certain hormonal and physiologic changes the body expects to go through after pregnancy and when those changes don't happen, that leaves certain body systems in a precarious way."
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- Chemo Combo Shows Promise Against Ovarian Cancer: Lab-based study focused on certain types of malignancies
Adding the drug dasatinib to a standard, two-drug chemotherapy regimen for treating ovarian cancer boosted the effectiveness of the drugs in laboratory tests, new research shows. Researchers at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center added dasatinib, along with carboplatin and paclitaxel, to four types of ovarian cancer cells. "These findings indicate that we may be able to direct the use of a targeted therapy like dasatinib based on gene expression pathways in select ovarian cancers," said Dr. Deanna Teoh.
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- Having Psoriasis Raises Risk of Diabetes, Hypertension: Researchers suspect chronic inflammation is common thread among all 3 conditions
A new study lends more credence to a long-suspected connection between psoriasis, diabetes and hypertension. Researchers suspect the link may have to do with the chronic inflammation that is associated with all three conditions. Women with psoriasis turned out to have a 63 percent increased risk of developing diabetes and a 17 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure, compared to women without psoriasis. Importantly, the connection between psoriasis and the other two conditions was independent of body-mass index, ruling out the possibility that obesity or metabolic syndrome might explain the phenomenon.
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- Secondhand Cigarette Smoke, Wood Smoke and Cooking Oil Smoke Quickly Affect Blood Vessels: As little as 10 minutes of exposure changes cardiovascular function
Cardiovascular function can be affected by as little as 10 minutes exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and other air pollutants such as wood smoke and smoke from cooking oil, say U.S. researchers. The study confirmed previous research that has shown that smoke harms cardiovascular function and extended those findings by showing that this harm can occur with lower levels of smoke and shorter exposure times. "I was surprised we got statistically significant results with this low level of exposure. If we can detect these effects with smaller exposures, then the public health hazard from cigarettes and other particulate exposures may have been underestimated," study author Joyce McClendon Evans said.
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- Melatonin May Ease Sleep Problems in Autistic Children: Small study finds over-the-counter melatonin reduces time to slumber
Taking the melatonin increased sleep duration by 21 minutes, shortened sleep-onset latency by 28 minutes, and reduced sleep-onset time by 42 minutes, compared to the placebo. "Sleep-onset problems at the beginning of the night are very troublesome for children and their families. Sometimes children may take one to two hours to fall asleep, and often they disrupt the household during this time," Beth L. Goodlin-Jones said. Goodlin-Jones and colleagues noted that sleep problems occur in up to 89 percent of children with autism and 77 percent of children with FXS, an inherited form of mental impairment that's the most commonly known cause of autism.
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- Charring Meat May Boost Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Increases production of carcinogens thought to invite disease, study finds
Meat-eaters who preferred their steak very well done were almost 60 percent more likely to get pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate steak less well done or did not eat steak. Those with highest intake had 70 percent higher risk than those with the lowest intake. Frying, grilling or barbecuing meat to the point of charring can form carcinogens, which do not form when meat is baked or stewed, explained Kristin Anderson. Anderson suggesting cooking meat thoroughly enough to kill bacteria but avoiding charring. The precursors of cancer-causing compounds can also be reduced by microwaving the meat for a few minutes and pouring off the juices before cooking it on the grill.
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Health Highlights
**Thyroid Drug Can Cause Liver Failure in Children, Doctors Warn.
**Stress During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Asthmatic Child: Study.
**New Tests Better Identify Causes of Back Pain.
**Sprouts Recalled After Positive Test for Listeria.
**FDA Halts 2 Firms From Marketing Unapproved Cold Medications.
**Poor Diabetes Control Affects Brain: Study.
**Ethanol Raises Cost of Food Aid for Needy.
**Prostate Cancer Drug Improves Patient Survival: Study.
**New Drug Targets Alzheimer's-Related Protein.
**C-Sections Increase in U.S: Analysis.
**Home Birth Safe for Low-Risk Women: Study.
**Homeopathic Meds May Ease Cancer Therapy Side Effects: Study.
**Most Widely Used Brand Name Drug Prices Increase While Prices of Generic Drugs Decrease.
**Brain Injuries Overdiagnosed in U.S. Troops: Army Psychiatrist.
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- Epilepsy Drug Impairs Baby's Intelligence: When taken during pregnancy, valproate lowers IQ, study finds
When a pregnant woman takes the epilepsy medication valproate, her child's intelligence may be lowered for at least three years, and possibly beyond, a new study suggests. "The take-away message from this study is that the danger of neurocognitive impairment is real with the use of valproic acid (valproate)," said Dr. Inna Vaisleib. "Not using valproic acid in women of childbearing age is a good idea, as approximately half of all pregnancies are unplanned," she said, adding that "epilepsy is common, and about one in 200 pregnant women are receiving anti-epileptic drugs." Vaisleib cautioned strongly against stopping any medications without first consulting a neurologist, because seizures can also be damaging to a growing fetus, as well as to the expectant mother.
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- Radiation-Chemo Combo Boosts Lung Cancer Outcomes: Getting both simultaneously linked to longer survival, study concludes
A study found that patients with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer survived, on average, almost 16 months after diagnosis when given high-dose radiation and chemotherapy at the same time. This compares with an average of about seven months for those treated only with radiation and almost 15 months for those receiving radiation before chemotherapy. The difference becomes more pronounced when looking at five-year survival rates. More than 19 percent of those treated with concurrent radiation and chemotherapy in the study were still alive half a decade after diagnosis, compared with only 7.5 percent of those who had radiation followed by chemotherapy. "Our study shows chemotherapy helps, and high-dose radiation helps. But it's challenging to administer these treatments at the same time because of the potential toxicity associated with the high-dose radiation,":Dr. Kong
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- Heart Disease and Depression Up Heart Failure Risk: Use of antidepressants makes little difference, study finds
Depression increases the risk that people with heart disease caused by blockage of coronary arteries will develop heart failure, a new study finds. That finding was to be expected, said Heidi May. What was not expected was the finding that treatment with antidepressant drugs did not reduce the risk of heart failure among people with depression in the group May studied -- 13,708 people who were diagnosed with coronary artery disease. The lesson for physicians, May said, is that there is increased danger for people with heart disease and depression, even if they take medicine that reduces the symptoms of depression.
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- Severe Low Blood Sugar Ups Older Diabetics' Dementia Risk: Study finds being hospitalized for hypoglycemia linked to mental decline
"Hypoglycemic episodes that were severe enough to require hospitalization or an emergency-room visit were associated with a greater risk of dementia, particularly for patients who had multiple episodes. And these findings, a little bit to our surprise, were independent of glycemic control," said study author Rachel A. Whitmer. "Episodes of hypoglycemia may be associated with neurological consequences in patients already at risk for dementia. This study seems to suggest that hypoglycemia is one of the reasons people with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk for dementia. It also adds to the evidence base that balance of glycemic control is a critical issue, and particularly for the elderly." However, the study looks at association only, and doesn't actually prove any cause-and-effect link between the two conditions, cautioned Dr. Nir Barzilai.
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- Acetaminophen, Cholesterol Drugs May Help Fight Stroke: Statins could help prevent attack, while painkiller might minimize damage, studies find
Two new studies find that acetaminophen and statins can be of great benefit in either preventing or treating stroke. In the first study, statin use seemed to be correlated with a lower risk of having a first stroke, according to a group of French researchers. Meanwhile, another team in the Netherlands found that patients with a body temperature ranging from normal (98.6 F) to 102.2 F who received acetaminophen soon after the onset of a stroke fared better than patients who did not receive the drug. The study authors warned that acetaminophen should not be dispensed to all patients having a stroke. And even the finding that the drug benefits those with a certain body temperature needs to be confirmed, they added.
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- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health: Vegetables, nuts, and 'Mediterranean' fare most beneficial, researchers find
Vegetables, nuts and the so-called "Mediterranean" diet are heart-friendly, while trans fats and foods with a high glycemic index can harm your heart, say researchers who reviewed 189 studies published between 1950 and 2007. The Mediterranean died is typically loaded with fruits, vegetables, grains and olive oil. The researchers also found modest evidence of a causal relationship between heart health and several other foods and vitamins, such as fish, omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources, folate, whole grains, alcohol, fruits, fiber, dietary vitamins E and C and beta carotene. There was weak evidence of a causal relationship between heart health and vitamin E and C in supplement form, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and total fats, alpha-linoleic acid, meat, eggs and milk.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Orders Safety Review for 25 Older Medical Devices.
**FDA Approves Faster Bird Flu Test.
**U.S. Sets 2010 Medicare Advantage, Part D Drug Rates.
**Pistachio Recall Expanded.
**CDC Finds Rocket Fuel Chemical in U.S. Baby Formula.
**Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Learning Problems: Study.
**FDA Panel Splits on New Diabetes Drug.
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- Early Psychiatric Issues May Predict Suicide in Boys: Study finds a 'pathway of persistence' throughout life
"The main finding of our study is that severe suicidality in adolescence and early adulthood has different childhood trajectories among males and females," the researchers wrote. "The present study shows that among males severe suicidality [i.e., completed suicide or serious, life-threatening attempts] shows a pathway of persistence throughout the life cycle, starting in early childhood. The study also found that teen and young adult males who either seriously attempted or committed suicide were more likely at age 8 to have lived in a family that did not include two biological parents, to have had psychological problems reported by a teacher, or to have had conduct, hyperactive or emotional problems.
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- Certain Diabetes Drugs May Pose Eye Risk: Use of Avandia, Actos tied to a retinal disorder, study finds
A class of diabetes drugs called glitazones are associated with an increased risk of a vision-threatening complication called diabetic macular edema (DME), which features swelling and fluid accumulation in the retina. The U.S. study of 996 DME patients found that those who took glitazones were 2.6 times more likely to develop DME than those who didn't take the drugs. Even after adjusting for other factors, the risk of DME remained 60 percent higher for patients who took glitazones, said the researchers. "Safety is as important as the efficacy of a drug. However, long-term safety is not currently monitored, because the approval process is based on smaller, shorter-term clinical trials. Safety necessarily requires monitoring of treatment in larger groups of people over longer periods of time. This monitoring is often neglected and should be required of all therapies," Dr. Liesegang said
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- Another Study Supports Early HIV Therapy: New British findings echo those of an American team
Antiretroviral treatment for HIV should begin earlier than it does for many patients, say researchers who analyzed data on more than 45,000 HIV-infected patients in Europe and North America. The new findings come on the heels of a similar study, reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. In that study, researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that starting therapy earlier -- before the body's immune system is too badly weakened -- rather than later in the infection process, boosted survival by up to 94 percent. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that 350 cells per microliter should be the minimum threshold at which antiretroviral therapy is started. "Unfortunately, many patients are not diagnosed with HIV until their CD4 count has fallen well below 350 cells per microliter, sometimes even below 200 cells per microliter," the UK team said.
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- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk: Waist size important in women, not men, researchers report
"The take-home message is that body-mass index, however we measure it, is associated with the risk of heart failure," said Emily B. Levitan. In women, BMI was associated with heart failure risk only among those who were fattest at the waist. In men, each one-point increase in BMI was associated with a 4 percent increase in heart failure risk, no matter what the waist size. These are several possible explanations for the difference, Levitan said. "One is that the type of heart failure that men and women get is different," she said. "Another is that overall body size is more important than body shape in men." "For many years, at least among physicians, we were taught that obesity in and of itself was not a risk factor for heart failure," said Dr. Muriel Jessup. While the incidence of coronary disease among Americans has been going down, heart failure has increased, she said.
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- More U.S. Kids Taking Diabetes, Blood Pressure Drugs: Prescriptions rose by more than 15 percent in 3 years, researchers say
The number of American children and teens taking drugs to lower blood pressure and control diabetes has risen significantly since 2004, according to a new study. "Children and adolescents are starting to show signs of chronic health conditions and cardiovascular risk factors that are typically reserved for adults," said Joshua N. Liberman. Liberman blames the rise on one factor: the dramatic increase in obesity among children. But in addition, he said, doctors are becoming more aware of the health consequences of obesity among children and starting treatment early.
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- Pot-Smoking Drivers Tied to Range of Road Accidents: Study finds third of these risk-takers had been in 1 or more crashes in previous 3 years
Marijuana use and reckless driving are interconnected, say Canadian researchers. "We observed that dangerous driving behaviors are interrelated. Individuals scoring high on impulsivity or sensation-seeking scales demonstrated an elevated risk of driving under the influence of cannabis," said study senior author Jacques Bergeron. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the association between driving under the influence of cannabis and a wide range of dangerous driving behaviors." "Our study found that men with self-reported DUIC (driving under the influence of cannabis) tend to be associated with an increased risk of being involved in a car accident," said study author Isabelle Richer.
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- Psychotherapy Can Ease Post-Surgical Depression: Two techniques worked for patients after heart bypass procedures, study finds
Two non-drug treatments -- cognitive behavior therapy and supportive stress management -- seem to be more effective than the usual care for treating depression in patients who've had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, a new study finds. After nine months, the rates were 73 percent for the cognitive behavior therapy group, 57 percent for the supportive stress management group and 35 percent for the usual care group. "In conclusion, this randomized, controlled trial showed that cognitive behavior therapy was an efficacious treatment for depression in patients with a recent history of coronary bypass surgery," the researchers said. "Supportive stress management was also superior to usual care for depression in these patients, but it had smaller and less durable effects than cognitive behavior therapy."
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- Parents Worry That 'Alcopops' Encourage Teen Drinking: The flavored drinks should carry warning labels, survey respondents say
"Alcopops are sweet drinks made to taste like cola or soda pop or punch or lemonade. Typically, alcopops have between 5 and 8 percent alcohol content, which is a little bit more than most beers, and they're marketed to look like familiar drinks to kids," said Dr. Matthew Davis. The survey of 2,100 adults, ages 21 and older, found that 52 percent believe alcopops definitely or probably encourage underage drinking, and that 92 percent strongly support the use of warning labels on alcopops. Most of the respondents also favor greater restrictions on alcopop advertising that focuses on youth.
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Health Highlights
**Evenflo High Chairs Recalled.
**Energy Drinks Increase Blood Pressure, Heart Rate: Study.
**Hot Tea May Increase Throat Cancer Risk: Study.
**U.S. Task Force Urges Docs to Screen for Depression in Teens.
**Triathlons Can Pose Deadly Heart Risks for the Unprepared: Study.
**Study Looks at Caffeine Use, Exercise Pain.
**Caraco Recalls Digoxin Tablets: Report.
**FDA Advisory Panel Backs Avastin for Brain Cancer.
**New Diabetes Drug Gets FDA Panel's Backing.
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- Insomnia Linked to Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts: But researchers say it's not clear if one causes the other
People who had trouble getting to sleep were 5.1 times more likely than those who didn't to have had thoughts about suicide. They were also 9.1 times more likely to have planned suicide and 7.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide within the past 12 months. Other kinds of sleeplessness -- waking up too early and having trouble sleeping through the night -- were also linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts. Research links anxiety to trouble falling asleep and difficulty sleeping through the night, while early awakening is connected to depression, said Alan Berman. Also, insomnia "basically lowers the threshold for impulsive behavior and for being reactive to an emotional event."
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- FDA Warns Drug Makers to Stop Selling Unapproved Prescription Painkillers:
Action should not affect consumers or lead to shortages, the agency says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned nine companies to stop making 14 unapproved prescription narcotic painkillers. These unapproved products pose a risk for consumers, said Deborah Autor. "These include respiratory depression and other serious adverse events, including death," she said. The companies getting warning letters are: Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane Inc., of Columbus, Ohio; Cody Laboratories Inc., Cody, Wyo.; Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., Mahwah, N.J.; Lannett Co., Philadelphia; Lehigh Valley Technologies Inc., Allentown, Pa.; Mallinckrodt Inc. Pharmaceuticals Group, St. Louis; Physicians Total Care Inc., Tulsa, Okla.; Roxane Laboratories Inc., Columbus, Ohio; and Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc., Newport, Ky.
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- Plavix Plus Aspirin Lowers Stroke Risk: Clot-busting combo can boost outcomes for patients with atrial fibrillation, study finds
Combining the clot-preventing drug Plavix with aspirin is an effective substitute treatment for people at high risk of stroke and heart attack because of the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation but who cannot take the recommended therapy. Standard treatment for atrial fibrillation. is the anticoagulant warfarin (Coumadin). But at least 40 percent of the more than 2 million Americans with atrial fibrillation do not take the drug, said Dr. Stuart Connolly. Because of the trial results, "I personally as a clinician would prescribe clopidogrel and aspirin for patients who could not take warfarin but who appeared to be at limited bleeding risk or risk of falling," said Dr. Aaron D. Kugelmass. But he said he would not recommend the combination for people advised to take Coumadin for other reasons, such as having an artificial heart valve.
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- No Increase in Clots With Drug-Eluting Stents: Risk appears the same for bare metal or drug-eluting devices, study found
Despite initial concerns that stent thrombosis, a blood clot inside a stent, is more common with the drug-eluting device, there appears to be no difference in the clot risk for either drug-eluting or bare metal stents, a large new study found. "We had a thrombosis rate of 3.3 percent over a year, which sounds high, but these are patients with acute [heart attacks] getting a stent, said lead researcher Dr. George Dangas. "So it's not that high after all." "With any type of bare metal stent or drug-eluting stent, there was no difference after one year," Dangas added. A related study found that patients with coated stents were significantly less susceptible to non-fatal heart attacks or death.
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- New Device 'Fingers' Heart Risk: Fingertip sensor tracks changes in blood flow, predicting odds for heart attack
A simple finger sensor is highly accurate at predicting a heart attack or stroke in people considered at low or moderate risk for major cardiac events, U.S. researchers report. The EndoPAT test takes about 15 minutes. Two thimble-like finger probes are placed on each index finger and connected to a machine that measures blood flow. The study included 270 patients, ages 42 to 66, who had a low-to-medium risk of a major cardiac event and were followed from August 1999 to August 2007. During that time, 49 percent of patients whose EndoPAT test indicated poor endothelial function suffered a cardiac event. The EndoPAT was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2003.
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Health Highlights
**Children's Exercise Sessions Often Too Short to Prevent Obesity.
**Children's Taste for Sweets Linked to Growth.
**Symbyax Approved for Treatment-Resistant Depression.
**Westco Peanut Products Recalled.
**HIV Contributes to a Quarter of TB Deaths: WHO.
**VA Hospital Warns Colonoscopy Patients About Unclean Equipment.
**Real Doctors Learn Poor Technique From TV Doctors: Study.
**Treating Heart Ailments Costs $78 Billion: Survey.
**Overactive Nerves Cause Tinnitus[Ringing in the Ears].
**Single Embryo Transplant More Effective, Cheaper: Study.
**One-Third of U.S. Stroke Patients Under 65, Study Says.
**Report Finds Few Blind People Now Using Braille: This Leaves Them Illiterate.
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- Licorice May Block Absorption of Organ Transplant Drug: Study finds potential interaction with cyclosporine could lead to fatal complications
People taking the immunosuppressant cyclosporine should avoid consuming licorice because it may weaken the drug's effectiveness and possibly lead to deadly consequences, new research suggests. Cyclosporine is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile myositis and various skin conditions, and it is known to interact poorly with some medicines, foods and herbs. St. John's wort, onions and ginger, for example, can also lower cyclosporine levels in the blood, while grapefruit juice can sending cyclosporine levels soaring. Licorice has been reported to possibly interfere with high blood pressure medications, aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, insulin and oral contraceptives.
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- AIDS Drug Slows Spread of Deadly Childhood Brain Cancer: Study finds it suppresses enzyme vital to tumor growth
A drug approved to combat AIDS may also help slow the spread of a deadly type of brain tumor that tends to attack children. A study reports that ABC (Abacavir) suppresses the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase activity appears to be essential for certain tumor survival and growth, such as medulloblastoma -- a highly malignant cancer of the central nervous system. The medication appeared better tolerated by patients than other drugs used to target telomerase in trials, and ABC's safety record in long-term AIDS treatment would make it a good treatment option, said lead researcher Francesca Pentimalli. The drug was also able to pass through the blood-brain barrier more easily than other tested compounds, so it could reach the medulloblastoma.
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- Drug Combo Helps Larynx Cancer Patients Preserve Voice Box: Adding third medicine to standard therapy made the difference, researchers say
People with cancer of the larynx who received a three-drug chemotherapy combination were more likely to keep their larynx than those who received a two-drug treatment, French researchers report. Their study compared treatment with a combination of three drugs -- docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil (TPF) -- during induction chemotherapy, against a combination of cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil (PF). After a median follow-up of three years, larynx preservation rates were just over 70 percent in the three-drug group and 57.5 percent for those on the two-drug regimen.
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- Insights Give New Hope Against Cystic Fibrosis: Behavior of certain white blood cells [neutrophils] may open up new targets for treatment
"Cystic fibrosis patients have a problem with turning down the inflammatory response in the lungs. We've found that patients' neutrophils become kind of schizophrenic, doing a number of things that are opposite to the textbook view of neutrophils' role," said Rabindra Tirouvanziam. He and colleagues found that signals from the patients' lung tissue were reprogramming live neutrophils with conflicting messages that "are messing them up completely." As a result, the neutrophils may release large amounts of an enzyme called human neutrophil elastase, which destroys the elastic fiber of the lungs, the researchers said. In healthy people, neutrophils never release this enzyme into nearby tissue.
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- Flushing From Alcohol a Risk Factor for Esophageal Cancer: Recognizing the enzyme deficiency would save many lives, study suggests
People who experience facial flushing when they drink alcohol are much more likely to develop alcohol-related esophageal cancer. Facial flushing, nausea and increased heart rate when drinking alcohol occurs mainly due to an inherited deficiency in an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). There is increasing evidence that people with this deficiency are at much higher risk for alcohol-related esophageal cancer than people with fully active ALDH2, the experts wrote. However, many doctors and people with alcohol flushing response aren't aware of this increased risk; esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Our goal in writing this article is to inform doctors firstly that their ALDH2-deficient patients have an increased risk for esophageal cancer if they drink moderate amounts of alcohol the researchers said.
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- Tight Blood Sugar Control May Raise Risks in the ICU: Very ill patients have higher mortality when glucose is too strictly controlled, study finds
People hospitalized in intensive care units, or ICUs, often experience spikes in blood sugar, and current practice is to try to lower these levels. But a new study found that this strategy might actually boost the person's relative risk of death by 10 percent. "Intensively lowering blood glucose in critically ill patients is not beneficial and may be harmful," said Dr. Simon Finfer. "Based on our findings, we do not recommend pursuing a normal blood glucose level in critically ill patients." Expert groups warned against "letting this study swing the pendulum of glucose control too far in the other direction, where providers in hospitals are complacent about uncontrolled hyperglycemia." The team said that they "can't exclude the possibility that some patients may benefit from intensive insulin therapy and be at less risk of hypoglycemic events
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- Too Much Red Meat May Shorten Lifespan: Major study finds an effect, but critics say meat offers important nutrients
Diets high in red meat and in processed meat shorten life span not just from cancer and heart disease but from Alzheimer's, stomach ulcers and an array of other conditions as well, a U.S. National Cancer Institute study has found. In fact, reducing meat consumption to the amount eaten by the bottom 20 percent seen in the study would save 11 percent of men's lives and 16 percent of women's, according to the study. Guidelines include choosing fish, poultry or beans instead of beef, pork and lamb; choosing leaner cuts of meat; and baking, broiling or poaching meat rather than frying or charbroiling it. Meat contains many carcinogens as well as saturated fat, which might explain the increased mortality risk, the authors stated.
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- FDA Panel Backs New Anti-Clotting Drug: Rivaroxaban could replace heparin after hip- or knee-replacement surgery
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) could be one of the long-sought alternatives to commonly used blood thinners, particularly for hip- and knee-replacement patients. The drug was more effective at reducing potentially fatal blood clots than heparin, a widely used blood thinner, with no increase in side effects. Heparin is commonly used in hospitals, because it is easier to manage than Coumadin (warfarin), which requires frequent blood tests for close control. Rivaroxaban is a pill that does not require constant monitoring. The once-a-day pill could prevent clots from forming and traveling to the lungs. Clots are a common side effect after these replacement procedures.
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- 3 Steps Might Stop MRSA's Spread:E-monitoring of hand washing, better room cleaning and checks on patient transfers are key, studies find
The first report described an inexpensive way of electronically monitoring staff to be sure that they wash their hands before entering an intensive care unit. The system uses a wireless technology similar to Wi-Fi to transmit signals to a computer. The second report found that 40 percent of MRSA and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections are transmitted by touching nearby surfaces such such as doorknobs, countertops, computer keyboards and bed trays. The third report found the transmission of infections from hospital to hospital is "being overlooked. "In fact, routine decontamination of patients -- whether they are known to be carrying dangerous pathogens or not -- should be the status quo, Marc Siegel said. "It has to become standard practice to decontaminate all patients who are in areas of high prevalence of dangerous bacteria," he said.
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- Many Americans Fall Short on Their Vitamin D: Recommended levels in foods need to be increased, experts say
Over the course of two decades, vitamin D levels have dramatically decreased among Americans, a new study finds. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with rickets in children and lower bone mineral density in adults. Recent research has also linked insufficient vitamin D to cancer, heart disease, infection and poorer health overall. Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D Laboratory at Boston University, noted that the recommended levels of vitamin D are under review and likely to be increased. "An Institute of Medicine panel is planning to have new recommendations out by mid-2010," Dr. Michael F. Holick said. Holick said people are drinking less milk and staying out of the sun, which are the main reasons for the decreasing vitamin D levels in the population.
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Health Highlights
**Firm Announces Defibrillator Recall.
**Mushrooms, Green Tea May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk.
**Some Mental Abilities Begin Decline in Late 20s: Study.
**Frankincense Kills Bladder Cancer Cells: Study.
**USDA Approves Conditional License for E. Coli Cattle Vaccine.
**Shoppers Get More Information About Food Origins.
**FDA Panel Backs Heart Drug Multaq.
**Chinese Officials Test Johnson & Johnson Baby Products For Potential Carcinogens.
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- Narcolepsy Drug [Modafinil (Provigil)]Might Be Addictive: Finding comes as use of stimulant for enhanced mental function is on the increase
"This drug does seem to show properties that it can be habit-forming," said Dr. Richard A. Friedman. "This is the first human study that shows that it does cause the release of dopamine, which is a hallmark of drugs of addiction. This is a little bit of an early warning that this drug may not be free of habit-forming properties." In addition to being used for sleeping disorders, modafinil is also used to boost cognitive functioning in individuals with schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This new finding suggests that the drug may work more like stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine than previously thought. These drugs, used to treat ADHD, increase dopamine levels. And now people are also buying it without a prescription, on the Internet or from France.
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- Dialysis Via Fistulas May Help Young or Old: Technique is underutilized in the U.S., expert says
A new study finds that people with chronic kidney disease, whether young or old, respond equally well to dialysis done through arteriovenous (AV) fistulas, surgically created passageways between veins and arteries to help in the circulation of filtered blood. In calling AV fistulas the "gold standard of access for kidney dialysis patients," one of the study's authors said the findings show that the pathways last longer, require less repair work, and are linked to lower rates of infections, hospitalization and death than other types of dialysis. "AV fistulas are underutilized in the United States, yet they are best for keeping blood vessels open for access so individuals can continue to get their lifesaving dialysis," said Dr. Andrew R. Forauer.
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- Cancer Drug May Offer New Hope for Lupus Patients: Small U.K. study says Rituxan could become 1st new drug for disease in 50 years
The 22-month study included 20 people with lupus nephritis, a severe kidney disorder caused by the disease lupus. After treatment with Rituxan, 60 percent showed significant signs of improvement, the researchers found. But the drug was not effective in people of African ancestry or in those with very low levels of albumin protein in their blood. Rituxan targets hyperactive B cells, which contribute to kidney inflammation in people with lupus. If these study results can be repeated in larger trials, Rituxan might be approved to treat lupus, the researchers said. "This is very welcome news to the 40 percent of lupus patients who are suffering with kidney involvement in their battle with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, and who until now had very little hope of a breakthrough for lupus nephritis," said Virginia T. Ladd.
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- Alzheimer's Drug May Someday Help Head Trauma Victims: Finding may prevent long-term harm that often follows brain injury, researcher says
The drugs -- gamma-secretase inhibitors -- are designed to target amyloid plaque that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. "No one knows why it occurs, but abnormal amounts of amyloid plaque have been found during an autopsy in about a third of brain injury victims, some of whom were children who would ordinarily never have had these deposits," said Mark Burns. "Remarkably, these deposits occur in less than one day after injury." It's also known that people who've suffered a brain injury have a 400 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The researchers said that their findings suggest that this class of drugs could do something no other drug has been able to do -- prevent the long-term and continuing damage that often follows serious brain injury.
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- When Breast Cancer Recurs, Finding Pre-Symptoms Is Key:
Early stage cancers are usually smaller and more contained, study finds
Early detection of second breast cancers can reduce the risk of death by as much as half, according to an international study. The study found that chances of survival improved between 27 percent and 47 percent if the second breast cancer was detected in the early, asymptomatic stage rather than at a later stage when women started to experience symptoms. The researchers also found that mammography was more sensitive than clinical examination for detecting second breast cancers -- 86 percent vs. 57 percent. However, 14 percent of the cancers were detected only by clinical examination.
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- Obesity Takes Years Off Your Life: It's similar to smoking when it comes to effect on longevity, researchers note
For those with a BMI over 25, every 10 to 12 pound increase translated to about a 30 percent increased risk of dying. In addition, there was a 40 percent increase in the risk for heart disease, stroke and other vascular disease, a 60 percent to 120 percent increased risk of diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease, a 10 percent increased risk of cancer, and a 20 percent increased risk for lung disease, the researchers reported. "Obesity causes kidney disease, liver disease and several types of cancer, but the most common way it kills is by causing stroke and, most importantly, heart disease. Obesity causes heart disease by pushing up blood pressure, by interfering with blood cholesterol levels, and by bringing on diabetes," Whitlock said. More than 1 in 3 middle-aged Americans weigh about a third more than is ideal, which would mean being about 50 or 60 pounds overweight.
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Health Highlights
**Companies Halt U.S. Sales of Baby Bottles With BPA.
**Viruses May Cause Diabetes: Study.
**Daytime Naps May Boost Diabetes Risk.
**Rise in Women's Smoking May Cause Global Health Disaster: Study.
**Diarrhea Kills 2 Million Children Each Year: WHO.
**Doctor May Have Faked Data in Many Studies.
**Prostate Cancer Overdiagnosed in U.S.: Study.
**Health Surveys, Political Polls May Be Skewed by Excluding Cell Phones.
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- 'Male Lumpectomy' May Help Some With Prostate Cancer": New Procedure involves freezing tumor rather than removing entire gland
A new procedure for prostate cancer that destroys only the part of the gland that is cancerous results in fewer side effects than surgery or radiation therapy, a new study finds. The so-called "male lumpectomy" is a minimally invasive procedure that freezes part of the prostate. The study suggests that it might prove especially beneficial for men who have local prostate cancer or those for whom radiation has not worked. "This is a new paradigm where instead of treating the whole gland, you just treat the cancer," said Dr. Gary M. Onik. "We have shown that you have the same advantages in the local treatment of prostate cancer that women have found with local treatment of breast cancer." "You will get as good, if not better, results with a fraction of the complications," he said. And the procedure virtually eliminates incontinence and impotence, Onik said.
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- Drug Could Make Melanoma More Vulnerable to Chemo: Compound disabled protein fueling tumor growth, making therapy more effective
Sixteen patients with advanced melanoma on an extremity (feet, hands, etc.) were given the compound ADH-1 intravenously and then underwent chemotherapy by infusion in the affected limb. The melanoma was eradicated in half the patients. "These early results are very exciting, because metastatic melanoma is one of the most deadly cancers and one which is typically very unresponsive to therapy," lead author Dr. Georgina Beasley said. A Phase II trial involving 46 patients has recently completed recruiting participants. The incidence of melanoma is increasing at a rate faster than any other cancer. Melanoma that spreads beyond the primary site is rarely curable, and there are limited treatment options.
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- Combo Treatment for Aggressive Brain Tumor May Lengthen Life: Study finds longer-term survival benefit with chemo and radiation
Treatment with a combination of the chemotherapy drug temozolomide and radiotherapy increases survival for glioblastoma brain tumor patients better than radiotherapy alone, and the improvement persists for up to five years, say Swiss researchers. Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of primary brain tumor. The improvements in survival among people who received TMZ/RT were seen across all subgroups, including people considered to have a poor prognosis, such as more elderly people and those whose tumor could not be surgically removed. The researchers suggested that testing tumors for the methylation status of the MGMT gene would identify people most likely to benefit from TMZ/RT. Though this combination treatment can prolong survival, it is not a cure, they noted.
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- Skin Patches Can Cause Burns During MRIs: The medication patches should be removed ahead of time, FDA says
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday that some medication skin patches can cause burns if worn while patients undergo an MRI. Thursday's warning applies to brand name and generic patches and those bought over-the-counter -- including nicotine and pain-control patches. Some of these patches do not include a warning that their backing contains aluminum. Although aluminum is not attracted to an MRI's magnetic field, it can conduct electricity, causing heat that can result in burns, the FDA said. There are a total of 60 medication patches on the market, and about 25 percent contain metal, Dr. Sandra Kweder said. Until the review is complete, the FDA recommends that people wearing medicated skin patches talk with their doctor about wearing a patch during an MRI. The doctor should tell you to remove the patch before the MRI and put it back on after the procedure.
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- Are Hospital Mobile Phones Dialing Up Superbugs? Turkish study finds 95% of headsets contaminated with bacteria that could infect patients
A new culprit has emerged in the spread of the tough-to-kill "superbug" bacteria and other infections in hospitals -- mobile phone headsets. Turkish researchers testing the phones of doctors and nurses working in hospitals found that 95 percent were contaminated with bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause serious staph infections and is resistant to certain common antibiotics. "Our results suggest cross-contamination of bacteria between the hands of health care workers and their mobile phones. These mobile phones could act as a reservoir of infection which may facilitate patient-to-patient transmission of bacteria in a hospital setting," the authors wrote .
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- Ozone/Oxygen Shot Helps Heal Herniated Disk: New technique eases pressure on local nerves, researchers say
One study of more than 8,000 patients found that injecting a gas mixture of oxygen and ozone into a herniated disk significantly relieves the pressure put on the nerves, easing patients' pain. A second study showed that the oxygen/ozone treatment works by reducing disc volume through ozone oxidation; the reduced volume eases disc pressure on the nerves. "Oxygen/ozone treatment of herniated disks is an effective and extremely safe procedure. The estimated improvement in pain and function is impressive when we looked at patients who ranged in age from 13 to 94 years with all types of disk herniations," said Dr. Kieran J. Murphy. "Equally important, pain and function outcomes are similar to the outcomes for lumbar disks treated with surgical diskectomy, but the complication rate is much less (less than 0.1 percent)," Murphy said.
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- Some Elderly Heart Failure Patients Get Little Help From Meds, Study Finds: Experts say new drugs and guidelines are needed to treat diastolic dysfunction
The researchers found that none of the usually prescribed drugs seemed to make any significant difference in who survived and who died. "At least for patients above the age of 80 with diastolic heart failure, whether they are treated or not with these kind of medications does not affect their mortality or their long-term outcome," Dr. Ernst R. Schwarz said. "I would be very cautious when drawing conclusions from this study," Dr. Byron Lee said. "This is not a randomized, controlled study. The patients on the cardiovascular drugs might have been much sicker than the comparison group. Therefore, the drugs may have actually had a big impact -- keeping the sicker patients alive as long as the ones not on heart medications."
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- Overweight Preschoolers Raise Their Heart Disease Risk: Study found they showed early signs of cardiovascular trouble
In yet another sign that obesity poses health risks at any age, new research shows that overweight children as young as age 3 can begin to show signs of cardiovascular disease risk factors. About 24 percent of U.S. children aged 2 to 5 are overweight, defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or above for their height and age. That number rises to 33 percent among children aged 6 to 11. Researchers stressed that the key message of the study was that all children should have their BMI and waist circumference monitored, and if the numbers are found to be creeping up, doctors and parents should intervene. "It's frightening," Messiah said. "We have never had this number of children this heavy so young. We don't know the cumulative effect of all of these years of having all of your organs under stress from being overweight."
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- New Laser Combo Therapy Zaps Acne: Small study finds pulsed-dye beam with topical meds improved lesions in 1 to 2 weeks
Laser therapy can safely and effectively treat mild to severe cases of acne, according to a small preliminary study of 18 people. Fourteen of the participants were treated with a combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a long-pulsed, pulsed-dye laser and a photosensitizer called topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). Complete clearance of acne was achieved in all 14 people in the ALA PDT group, who received an average of 2.9 ALA PDT treatments, the study found. Improvement in acne lesions was visible within one to two weeks after the first treatment. "The first-of-a-kind study found this particular form of photodynamic therapy used in conjunction with topical therapy to be the first such treatment to achieve complete clearance of acne up to 13 months post-treatment and a 77 percent clearance rate per treatment," said Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas.
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Health Highlights
**Black Box Warning Ordered For Heartburn Drug.
**Drug Maker Suppressed Data on Antipsychotic: Report.
**HIV Infection Among People 50 and Older Concerns WHO.
**Scientists Identify Cause of Gray Hair.
**Doctor's Plan for Custom-Made Babies Condemned.
**Vaccine Said to Trigger Instant Immune Response.
**Egg Protein Boosts Muscles and Energy Levels: Study.
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- Post-Traumatic Stress Tied to Increased Suicide Risk: How young adults respond to early trauma seems to play a role, study finds
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases the risk of suicide in young adults, says a U.S. study of 1,698 participants who were tracked for 15 years after they started first grade in Baltimore public schools. Suicide had been attempted by 10 percent of those with PTSD, compared with 2 percent of the youths who experienced trauma but did not develop PTSD and 5 percent of those never exposed to a traumatic event. They noted that previous research found that up to 20 percent of suicide attempts by young people can be attributed to sexual abuse during childhood. By distinguishing between trauma-exposed persons without and with PTSD, we found that it is PTSD that is associated with an increased risk of a suicide attempt. Whether or not this finding applies to sexual abuse in childhood or adulthood should be investigated in future studies."
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- Blood Thinner, Heartburn Drugs May Be Risky After Heart Attack: Patients taking Plavix, PPIs have 25 percent increased chance of death, re-hospitalization
The study doesn't change the reasons for prescribing Plavix, Ho said. "But both clinicians and patients should look at why the PPI is being prescribed. It shouldn't be prescribed prophylactically just to prevent a GI bleed, because there might be an interaction between the PPI and Plavix," Dr. P. Michael Ho said. A proton pump inhibitor should only be prescribed to patients who have had a stomach bleed, since they are at higher risk of another bleed, Ho said. "Oftentimes, the PPIs are just being prescribed routinely to patients who may not have an indication for the medication," he noted. "To lower the risk of recurrent heart attacks, we should probably think about switching some of these patients from proton pump inhibitors to H2 blockers [such as Zantac or Tagamet], at least temporarily," Dr. Byron Lee said.
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- New Test May Mean Faster Breast Cancer Treatment: Genetic analysis method can be used on all women with diagnosis, study says
A new genetic test that analyzes a set of 50 genes to identify four types of breast cancer could lead to quicker, more immediate treatment for patients. "Unlike a widely used genomic test that applies only to lymph-node-negative, estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, this new genomic test is broadly applicable for all women diagnosed with breast cancer," said Dr. Matthew Ellis. "Our test is the first to incorporate a molecular profile for the basal-like type breast cancers," Ellis said. "That's important because these breast cancers are arguably the most aggressive yet the most sensitive to chemotherapy. By identifying them, we can ensure they are treated adequately." The researchers also said that the 50-gene test was highly accurate in predicting how 133 breast cancer patients would respond to chemotherapy.
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- Men's Stroke Risk Rises Dramatically in Mid-40s: And the contributing factors are often those seen in older patients, study finds
And the risks associated with stroke even at this earlier age are startlingly similar to the risk factors seen in older patients, a new study found. "Silent strokes" -- which have no obvious symptoms but can cause residual damage -- are also common in this younger group of men, researchers reported Feb. 26 in the journal Stroke. "The risk factors are most of the ones we start thinking about in older people -- mostly cholesterol, but also smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes. So that's something we need to start looking at, at a younger age," said Dr. Michael Palm. As expected, the occurrence of stroke increased dramatically with age. Females were more likely to have a stroke among people under the age of 30, while males predominated starting at about age 44.
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- Drug Improves Mobility in Some MS Patients: Fampridine may boost walking ability, but some risks tied to dose strength, study says
Eleven patients (5 percent) in the fampridine group had to withdraw from the study due to adverse events, but only two serious adverse events (focal seizure and severe anxiety) were considered to be connected with the drug, according to Andrew Goodman and colleagues. But they added that the risk of seizure noted in previous studies seems to increase in a dose-dependent way with fampridine. "Treatment with fampridine produces clinically meaningful improvement in walking ability in some people with multiple sclerosis, irrespective of disease course type or concomitant treatment with immunomodulators," the researchers concluded. MS patients suffer a progressive decline in mobility, but there are few treatment options available to complement physiotherapy. There are questions about fampridine's efficacy and safety.
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- Snowblower Hand Injuries Often Extensive, Study Finds: Finger loss is one result, and experts urge better awareness of how machines work
"The nature of the tissue damage caused by snowblowers makes a full recovery extremely difficult and often leads to amputation, he said, and "even if you have the amputated part, it's essentially useless," said Dr. Daniel Master. "The weather is a major factor that causes the cluster of these injuries," Master said. "When the snow is dense, the machines get clogged, and people put their hands down the shoot" to clear it. In addition, he explained, snowblowers usually have two blades, including one that's not visible. That's the one that causes most injuries, he said. Also, "there's a lag time between when you release the dead-man's switch and when the blade stops moving," Master said. Danger apparently exists even when the machines do not seem to be running, though. Master said that when a clog is removed, the blades can spin again using stored energy.
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- 2 Hours Glued to TV Doubles Kids' Asthma Risk: Association found in both genders regardless of weight issues, study finds
Children who watch TV for more than two hours a day or are otherwise inactive have a doubled risk for asthma, according to a U.K. study. Researchers looked at more than 3,000 children whose respiratory health was monitored from birth to 11.5 years of age. The results weren't confined to one gender and weren't related to the children's current weight. The link between physical activity, sedentary behavior and asthma is complex, noted Dr. Andrea Sherriff, of the University of Glasgow, and colleagues. They noted that previous research suggests breathing patterns in children may be associated with sedentary behavior, triggering developmental changes in the lungs and subsequent wheezing.
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Health Highlights
**Allergic Children Able to Build-Up Tolerance to Peanuts: Study.
**Unhealthy Lifestyle Boosts Stroke Risk.
**Peanut Company Recalls All Products in Salmonella Outbreak.
**New Blood Thinner Approved by EU.
**Potato Items Pulled From Store Shelves.
**Video Game Overuse Causes Skin Disorder.
**Fish Pedicure Banned in Florida.
**Texas Peanut Plant Linked to Salmonella Outbreak.
**Gene May Determine Life Attitude.
**Smarter Living Could Cut World's Cancer Cases, Report Says.
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- FDA Warns Users on Psoriasis Drug: Three have died from rare brain infection while taking Raptiva, officials report in health advisory
U.S. health officials issued a public health advisory Thursday for the psoriasis drug Raptiva after confirming that three people using the medication have died. All three had been treated with Raptiva (efalizumab) for at least three years, and none was taking other immune suppressants. European regulators on Thursday called for sales of Raptiva to be suspended, Bloomberg news reported. In an e-mail cited by Bloomberg, the regulators said that "the benefits of Raptiva no longer outweigh its risks, because of safety concerns." The black-box warning for the drug also notes the risk of serious infections -- such as viral meningitis, bacterial blood infections and invasive fungal disease -- that have led to hospitalizations or deaths in people taking Raptiva.
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- Drinking Raises Cancer Risk for Middle-Age Women: Even one drink a day poses danger, large study finds
Research involving more than a million middle-age women finds that even moderate drinking raises risks for breast, liver and other cancers. "Even relatively low levels of drinking -- on the order of one alcoholic drink per day -- increase a woman's risk of developing cancer," said lead researcher Naomi Allen. "Because a high proportion of women drink low amounts of alcohol regularly and because most of the increased risk is for breast cancer, the risk among women associated with drinking alcohol is of particular importance." In fact, the study found that moderate drinking accounts for 13 percent of breast, liver, rectum and upper respiratory/digestive tract cancers among women. "People who are not drinkers should not start drinking to prevent heart disease, and even people who are drinking should discuss this with their physicians," Dr. Michael Lauer said.
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- Early Menopause Doubles Stroke Risk: Experts suspect lowered estrogen levels might be a factor
"Women who reached menopause before age 42 had a doubling in the risk of ischemic stroke, compared to all other women," said Dr. Linda Lisabeth. After adjusting for such factors as age, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and heart disease, they still found that those who went through early menopause were two times more likely to have had a stroke than were the others. For now, the best advice for women who go through menopause early is to modify whatever other risk factors they can, Dr. Brian Silver said. "That means exercise, weight loss, smoking cessation, a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, blood pressure control." It's also a good idea for women to have their blood sugar checked and to be sure their cholesterol is at normal levels, he said.
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- New Advances May Treat Stroke Faster, Better: Innovations include 'brain stents' and a clot-busting drug delivered directly to the brain
Tiny tubes called stents, used for years to open blocked coronary blood vessels, may also work well to reopen brain blood vessels clogged from strokes. A variety of other advances include: Using new delivery systems to make a medication more effective in breaking up clots in the brain; Finding new genetic clues to predict who might develop an aneurysm, a weakened brain blood vessel that can rupture and cause a devastating hemorrhagic stroke; and Treating people who have low cholesterol levels but elevated levels of a stroke-linked inflammatory marker with the anti-cholesterol drug Crestor, which nearly halved users' risk for stroke in a recent trial.
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- Antibiotic Combo Fights Resistant TB: 2 FDA-approved drugs inhibit both normal and virulent strains, study finds
In laboratory tests, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that a combination of the drugs clavulanate and meropenem inhibited the growth of 13 XDR-TB strains. The combination treatment was also effective against normal TB. Both drugs are approved in the United States for treating other bacterial infections in adults and children. "This discovery could be one of the most promising developments in TB research since the discovery of isoniazid -- it is very exciting," said William Jacobs. Plans are under way for clinical studies in Korea and in South Africa to determine whether the combination treatment is effective in patients with XDR-TB.
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- Adapting Gait May Help Elderly Avoid Falls: Volunteers trained on moveable platform kept better balance in a slippery situation
The research improves understanding of how the brain develops fall prevention strategies that can be used in a variety of situations. And experts say such training might prove particularly helpful for elderly people, who are at increased risk for falls that can lead to serious complications, disability and death. The trained volunteers were better at controlling the landing foot -- the foot that's on the ground when someone starts to slip. They could slow the movement of the landing foot as it began to slide forward, whereas the landing foot of the untrained participants went out from under them much faster, the study found. "Controlling this foot, which is sliding forward, plays an important role in maintaining stability and prevents a backward fall," said Chung Pai.
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- Joint Replacement Soars as Number of Docs Falls: Low reimbursement rates turning many young doctors off the specialty, researcher says
"I understood that there were not as many young surgeons going into the arthroplasty field as were retiring from the arthroplasty field, but it shocked me that, if the trends continue, nearly a million patients who need hip and knee replacements in 2016 will not have access to this life-changing procedure," Dr. Thomas K. Fehring said. Low insurance reimbursements for these procedures appear to be keeping new doctors from choosing this specialty, Fehring said. Reimbursement for joint replacement has decreased 60 percent in inflation adjusted dollars since 1990. "These economic realities are not lost on our residents in training when selecting a career," Fehring said. "Unless things change, this will lead to excessive waiting times for our senior citizens requiring joint replacement. Wait times of one to two years may ensue, which will be unacceptable...."
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Health Highlights
**Counterfeit Toothbrushes Pose Choking Hazard.
**Bad Colonoscopy Equipment May Have Exposed Thousands of Veterans to Infection.
**Many Factors Can Contribute to PTSD Risk.
**Acrylamide May Increase Heart Disease Risk: Study.
**FDA Approves New Gout Drug.
**DNA Decoys Prompt Cancer Cell Suicide.
**Food Banks Throwing Out Thousands of Pounds of Recalled Food.
**FDA Experts Suggest Change for Next Season's Flu Vaccine.
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- 2 or More Sodas a Day Boost Women's Kidney Risks: They're twice as likely to show early damage, and study says it's likely all that sugar
Women who consume two or more cans of soda pop daily are almost two times more likely than other women to show early evidence of kidney disease, according to a U.S. study. But there's no increased risk for men who drink lots of soda pop or for people who drink diet soda. Rates of diabetes, obesity and kidney disease are increasing in the United States, along with consumption of high fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in most sodas. But the amount of sugar is more important than the type, David Shoham said. A recent study found that nine of 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup from three manufacturers contained detectable levels of mercury. "This adds the intriguing possibility that it is not just the sugar itself in high fructose corn syrup that is harmful, because mercury is harmful to kidneys as well," Shoham said.
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- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy: Tests in mice were successful, and human trials are under way
A new herbal formula based in ancient Chinese medicine may be able to control allergic reactions to peanuts and other foods. "We can reverse the peanut allergic reaction," said lead researcher Dr. Xiu-Min Li. In addition, protection from allergic reactions to peanuts persisted for almost nine months after treatment was stopped, Li said. "The herbal formula can stop peanut allergy and produce a prolonged protection," she said. "This formula may be effective for human peanut allergy." For the study, Li's team tested their new herbal remedy, called Food Allergy Herbal Formula (FAHF-2), on mice allergic to peanuts. They found that the formula protected mice from allergic reactions from peanuts. Based on these findings, FAHF-2 has been given investigational new drug approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; a human trial started last year.
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- Fast Arrival at Hospital After Stroke Pays Off: These patients were twice as likely to get clot-busting drug, study shows
People who get to a hospital no more than an hour after having the first symptoms of a stroke are twice as likely to get the powerful clot-dissolving drug that is the first line of treatment. The bad news is that only about a quarter of patients are getting to hospitals within an hour of having stroke symptoms," said Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver. Stroke symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; or sudden, severe headache. When such symptoms occur, emergency help should be sought by calling 911 or a local emergency medical service number, the stroke association recommends.
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- Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Raise Shingles Risk: Older people and those also taking steroids are most vulnerable, study finds
People taking Remicade or Humira had almost double the risk of developing shingles, the study found. According to an accompanying editorial, the risk was roughly the same as that seen in general populations over the age of 80. People in the study were, on average, in their early 50s. The cases of shingles observed in the study seemed to be worse than those usually seen in the general population, with 20 percent of episodes categorized as "severe" and 13 percent requiring hospitalization. "As this is not enough data on the possible benefit of vaccination against shingles in older, immunosuppressed patients with a chronic disease, we are only able to advise a careful monitoring of patients under treatment with TNF blockers for early signs and symptoms of herpes zoster," Dr. Anja Strangefield said. People on Enbrel had a lower risk of developing herpes zoster.
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- Liver Cirrhosis May Also Harm Brain, Heart: Inflammation may be the common link, study shows
Increased inflammation caused by cirrhosis of the liver might lead people with this disease to also develop neurological, cognitive and heart rhythm problems, a new study finds. All three conditions are linked to increased systemic inflammation, say a team from the University College London Medical School and the Royal Free Hospital in London. In studying people with cirrhosis, the team found strong ties between heart rate issues and hepatic encephalopathy. A person's level of inflammatory cytokines -- molecules that switch on the body's response to inflammation -- climbed as cognitive impairment increased and heart rate variability fell.
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- New Anti-Clotting Treatment Urged for Cancer Patients: Warfarin failed to reduce catheter-related clots, study finds
The blood thinner warfarin does not reduce catheter-related blood clots in cancer patients, so new treatments are needed to prevent this complication, says a U.K. study. "The rate of symptomatic catheter-related thromboses reported in clinical trials has fallen substantially over the past decade," wrote Annie Young and colleagues. "The improvements in catheter technology, placement and aftercare are contributing to this reduction. When any benefit of thromboprophylaxis (treatment to prevent blood clots) was balanced against the risk of major bleeding, the combined outcome showed no advantage with the use of any dose of warfarin." "These findings only add to the assertion that the time has come to move on from warfarin for thromboprophylaxis in patients with cancer," they wrote. "We should consider new treatments."
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- Working With Robots May Help After a Stroke: People who lost use of a hand recaptured movement, study finds
Robotic therapy might help stroke victims regain some of their impaired physical abilities, even if it's been years since the debilitating event. People with partial paralysis on the right side after a stroke were better able to use their hands to pick up, hold and move objects after they participated in robot-assisted practice grabbing and releasing objects. The participants all had had a stroke four months to 10 years before the treatment. "Robotic therapy may be useful in its own right," Steven C. Cramer said. "But it could also help rewire, or reshape, the brain in conjunction with other stroke therapies. One of the key points in the current study is that the way we use robots to help people recover function might differ according to how severe their stroke was."
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- Secondhand Smoke Linked to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: Exposure may increase risk by 44%, researchers say
What's more, Iain Lang said, the risk of impaired cognitive function increases with the amount of exposure to secondhand smoke, the findings suggest. "For people at the highest levels of exposure, the risk is probably higher," he said. "We know that active smoking is bad -- being a smoker is bad for your health and increases your risk of Alzheimer's. This study suggests that this is the same for passive smoking," Lang said. "We know that passive smoking is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. This is just another reason to avoid exposing other people to your smoke, and if you are not a smoker to stay away from smoking places." Maria Carrillo said smoking is already recognized as a risk factor for Alzheimer's, and the risk can be extended to exposure to secondhand smoke.
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- Tobacco Companies Targeting Teens, Study Says: Marketing aims to get them to smoke and choose certain brands, experts note
Each of the major cigarette companies in the United States has a leading youth brand, Terry F. Pechacek said. "Industry documents show that all the tobacco companies are continuing to note that if they don't have a leading youth brand, they are in corporate trouble," he said. Pechacek noted that the U.S. National Cancer Institute report found that partial bans on tobacco advertising are ineffective. There was a dramatic drop in teen smoking since 1997, Pechacek said. "But that drop stalled in 2003. But we are stalled at probably one in five high-school students smoking," he said. "That's pretty much a replacement number for adults that quit."
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- Experts Release Guidelines on Use of Breast MRI: The technology can supplement, but not replace, standard screening, they say
The research calls for screening, mammography and ultrasound to still be the primary line of defense. MRI would then be used in selected situations, such as providing a better look within a breast thought to have cancer and look for it in the opposite, or "contralateral," breast. The guidelines recommend biopsy of suspicious lesions found on MRI before deciding on whether to proceed with breast cancer surgery, since MRI findings are not fully accurate in this respect. The guidelines also call for imaging centers to be able to perform MRI-guided needle biopsy of these MRI-detected lesions.
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Health Highlights
**Drug for Hereditary Angioedema Gets FDA Panel Approval.
**FDA OKs 1st Drug From Genetically Altered Animals.
**Mentally-Ill More Sensitive to Narcotics.
**1st U.S. Case of Deadly Marburg Fever Confirmed: CDC.
**Salmonella Suspected at Second Peanut Plant.
**Postpartum Psychosis Risk Increases With Age.
**Doctor Who Fueled Vaccine-Autism Link Altered Data.
**Overweight/Obesity Rates Increase in U.S. Military.
**Gum Disease Activates HIV, Study Says.
**Exercise May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk.
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- Marijuana Linked to Aggressive Testicular Cancer
Smoking marijuana over an extended period of time appears to greatly boost a young man's risk for developing a particularly aggressive form of testicular cancer, a new study reveals. In fact, researchers found that men who smoked marijuana once a week or began to use the substance on a long-term basis while adolescents incurred double the risk for developing the fastest-spreading version of testicular cancer -- nonseminoma, which accounts for about 40 percent of all cases. The disease is the most common type of cancer for American men between the ages of 15 and 34, the study noted. The researchers noted that the testes could be particularly vulnerable to the effects of marijuana, given that the organ -- along with the brain, heart, uterus and spleen -- carries specific receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
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- Inhaled Corticosteroids Boost Pneumonia Risk in COPD: Benefits should be weighed against downside, experts say
The use of inhalers containing corticosteroids to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might increase the risk of pneumonia by as much as 70 percent, researchers report. No one should stop using their inhaler based on this study, Dr. Sonal Singh said. However, the inhalers are not effective for COPD, "and then you have these substantial risks," he said. The researchers found that people taking corticosteroids alone or in combination with bronchodilators increased their risk of developing pneumonia by 60 to 70 percent. However, this increase in pneumonia was not associated with an increased risk of dying. People should discuss the risks and benefits of the drugs with their doctor, Singh said. "You have to balance the risks, and, unfortunately, there are few options for patients with COPD."
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- Gene Therapy May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis: 2 women who got injections report reduced pain and swelling
The study included two postmenopausal women with advanced RA. Researchers injected the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene into the women's affected joints. IL-1Ra protein blocks the actions of interleukin-1 protein, which plays a role in the breakdown of cartilage that occurs in arthritis patients. "The idea is that by remaining in place, the new gene can continuously block the action of the interleukin-1 within the joints. In essence, the gene becomes its own little factory, continuously working to alleviate pain and swelling," said Christopher Evans. Four weeks after IL-1Ra was injected into their affected joints, both women reported reduced pain and swelling. Evans added arthritis "is a good target for this treatment, because the joint is a closed space into which we can inject genes."
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- Long-Term Aspirin Use Seems to Protect Against Colorectal Lesions: The benefit lasts even if you stop taking the drug, study finds
Prolonged use of low-dose aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appears to reduce the risk of precancerous lesions that can lead to colorectal cancer. That's the conclusion of a new study of people at high risk for the disease. "It's increasingly clear, and arguably proven, that NSAID drugs do interfere with the development of cancer in the large bowel," said study co-author Dr. John A Baron. One, if you take the NSAID drug for a while and then stop, you won't get a big rebound in terms of adenoma tumor risk. And two, if you don't stop taking an NSAID, but instead continue its use over time, the protective benefit will continue," he added. Dr. Jerald D. Wishner said high-risk patients shouldn't turn to NSAIDs instead of routine screenings, such as a colonoscopy.
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- Mediterranean Diet Aids the Aging Brain: Study. Eating plan seems to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia
Chalk up another endorsement for the so-called Mediterranean diet: The eating regimen, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and olive oil, may help the brain stay sharp into old age, a new study suggests. Following the healthful diet reduced the risk of getting mild cognitive impairment -- marked by forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. And it also cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease if cognitive impairment was already present. They found that the diet helped in both cases -- preventing mild cognitive impairment and also the risk of further decline, even if people weren't entirely strict in their adherence to the diet. It's not known exactly how the diet may help keep the brain healthy, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas said. The diet may work by reducing inflammation, which plays a role in brain disease. Or it may work by improving cardiovascular risk factors
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- Low Humidity Levels Help Flu Germs Spread: Finding explains why infection more common in winter months
Flu viruses survive longer and are more easily transmitted when humidity levels are low, such as in the peak flu months of January and February, Oregon researchers say. "The correlations were surprisingly strong. When absolute humidity is low, influenza virus survival is prolonged, and transmission rates go up," said study author Jeffrey Shaman. Relative humidity is the ratio of air water vapor content to the saturating level, which varies with temperature. Absolute humidity refers to the actual amount of water in the air, irrespective of temperature. "In some areas of the country, a typical summer day can have four times as much water vapor as a typical winter day -- a difference that exists both indoors and outdoors," Shaman said. "Consequently, outbreaks of influenza typically occur in winter when low absolute humidity conditions strongly favor influenza survival and transmission."
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Health Highlights
**Disaster Relief Food Kits in Kentucky and Arkansas May Contain Tainted Peanut Butter: FEMA.
**Ethex Expands Drug Recall.
**FDA Reviews Sepsis Drug Xigris.
**Zimbabwe Cholera Cases Surpass 65,000.
**FDA Panel Backs New Blood Thinner.
**Nine More Canadian Poultry Farms Quarantined.
**Europeans and Japanese Have Same Longevity Gene.
**Manganese, Defective Genes Linked to Parkinson's Disease.
**New Technique May Provide Early Osteoarthritis Diagnosis.
**Surgical Procedure May Persuade More People To Become Organ Donors.
**Driving While Having a Cold or the Flu Can Be Hazardous.
**FDA Experts Recommend Banning Darvon.
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- Aggressive Treatment Effective in Kids' Brain Cancer: Newer radiotherapy delivery systems cut dose, side effects after rare disease surgery
The best way to treat a rare form of childhood brain cancer called ependymoma is aggressive surgery followed by targeted radiotherapy, U.S. researchers say. Aggressive surgery has proven effective, but concerns about side effects have limited the use of radiation therapy. "This study highlights the long-term benefits ... of gross total resection and high-dose postoperative radiotherapy for the treatment of children with localized ependymoma, even for those who are younger than 3 years," Merchant said. The study also "provides unique insight into the role of radiation therapy in the initial management of young children" and indicates "that future efforts to combat ependymoma should also prioritize increasing the rate of gross total resection."
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- New Tool Predicts Women's Outcome in Breast Cancer
Evaluating how various proteins interact in tumors can help predict a woman's chances of surviving breast cancer, allowing doctors to better tailor treatment, Canadian researchers said on Sunday. They said tracking these protein interactions enabled them to accurately predict in 82 percent of patients whether their breast cancer would kill them or not. If a newly diagnosed patient has protein interactions that suggest a bad outcome, a doctor could give more aggressive treatment through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Mount Sinai Hospital has a patent on the process and the researchers have formed a Toronto-based company called DyNeMo Biosystems to explore commercial applications. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, with about 465,000 dying annually.
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- Fractures in Older Adults Up Death Risk: Study finds all breaks, not just hip fractures, tied to increased mortality
Any bone fracture that occurs in people over age 60 needs to be taken seriously, a new study concludes. That's because the Australian researchers found the risk of dying goes up for at least five years following any low-trauma fracture, and for at least 10 years after a hip fracture. "All low-trauma fractures are associated with premature mortality, not just hip fractures," said study senior author Dr. Jacqueline Center. The researchers found the risk of death increased more than twofold for women and more than threefold for men following a hip fracture. The risk of death after other major fractures increased by 65 percent for women and 70 percent for men. Even after minor fractures, such as a wrist fracture, the mortality risk increased by 42 percent in women and 33 percent in men, although this increase was only statistically significant for those over 75.
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- Leprosy Drug Holds Promise for Autoimmune Diseases: Study says 1890s antibiotic could prove effective in treating MS
A century-old antibiotic used to treat leprosy may prove effective as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, Johns Hopkins researchers say. They identified clofazimine, created in the 1890s, as a drug that targets a molecular pathway that plays an important role in guiding the body's immune response. "People have been working for years and spending tens of millions of dollars on developing a drug to inhibit a specific molecular target involved in these diseases, and here we have a safe, known drug that hits that target," said Jun O. Liu. The prolonged accumulation of calcium inside of immune cells is one of the key steps involved in turning on the body's immune response. The researchers found that clofazimine short-circuits the signaling pathway involved in autoimmune diseases.
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- Stem Cell Transplants Help MS Victims: 'Resetting' overactive immune system in early stages of disease worked, study finds
Stem cell transplantation seems to stop and, in some cases, undo neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis, a small study shows. The trial involved just 21 patients, but a larger, randomized trial is under way in the United States, Canada and Brazil. "This is the first trial for any phase of MS, whether early or later, of any therapy anywhere that has shown reversal of neurological disability," said study author Dr. Richard K. Burt. The technique used in this study, autologous non-myeloablative hemopoietic stem cell transplantation, "resets" the immune system and is already used for secondary-progressive MS. For the new study, researchers tweaked the technique and moved it to relapse-remitting patients who were younger than in previous studies. Immune cells are stripped from the body & the body repopulated with the patient's bone marrow stem cells.
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- Vitamin D Deficit May Trigger MS Risk Gene: Supplements during pregnancy and early years could cut child's susceptibility, study says
A direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant may affect a person's risk of multiple sclerosis, according to British and Canadian researchers who also said that vitamin D deficiency while in the womb and early in life may increase the risk of MS later in life. "In people with the DRB1 variant associated with MS, it seems that vitamin D may play a critical role. If too little of the vitamin is available, the gene may not function properly," Julian Knight said. "Our study implies that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years may reduce the risk of child developing MS in later life," said Dr. Sreeram Ramagopalan. "There is accumulating evidence that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing cancer and offer protection from other autoimmune diseases."
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- High Resting Heart Rate Spells Trouble for Women: Study finds it raises risk of heart attack, while expert notes exercise best antidote
The study used data on 129,135 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative. It found that the 20 percent of women who had heart rates of 76 beats a minute or greater had a 26 percent greater risk of a heart attack in a follow-up period of 7.8 years. Heart rate doesn't seem to matter in younger women, she said. But a higher heart rate in a woman over 50 would indicate a need for the recommended lifestyle modifications needed to prevent cardiovascular problems -- a low-fat diet, lower blood pressure, avoiding obesity and more physical activity, Dr. Judith Hsia said. Physical activity is the key element in prevention for these women, said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum. "When you exercise, you increase the tone of the autonomic nervous system, which causes a decrease in heart rate and a decrease in blood pressure."
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- Quick Orthopedic Repair Can Save Young Shoulders: Arthroscopic surgery for athletes greatly reduces risk of recurring injury, study says
Surgery to repair a young athlete's dislocated shoulder may greatly reduce the risk of recurring injury, according to experts who looked at two types of shoulder injuries (dislocation and overuse damage) in children and teens. "Studies show that performing arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum (the firm rubbery tissue around the rim of the shoulder socket that is important for maintaining shoulder stability) following an initial shoulder dislocation in young patients results in better patient-reported outcomes and reduces the chance of a second dislocation from more than 80 percent to less than 10 percent," said Dr. Dean Taylor. Warning signs of a shoulder injury include: Pain either during or after throwing a ball, Chronic pain in the shoulder area that doesn't respond to rest, A numb sensation in the arm, and A numb sensation in the arm.
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- Therapy, Meds Best for Lumbar Low Back Pain: Barring complications, surgery can be avoided since most symptoms fade within 6 weeks, experts say
A combination of physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs is the most effective treatment for low back pain caused by symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease, according to a review of published studies. The review authors found that in 90 percent of people with low back pain, symptoms disappear on their own within three months and that most of those patients recover within six weeks. Those findings indicate that, barring an emergency, initial treatment of all patients with low back pain should be noninvasive. Noninvasive treatments include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, and patient education about body mechanics -- for example, lifting with the legs instead of the back.
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Health Highlights
**Diet Pills Contain Potentially Harmful Chemical: FDA.
**Multiple-Virus Flu Vaccine Developed in Japan.
**Short, Intense Exercise Improves Metabolism: Study.
**Brain Damage Found in Sixth NFL Player Who Died Young.
**High Folate Levels Seen in Children With Bowel Disease.
**Mixed Reactions to Medicare's Coverage of Off-Label Cancer Treatments.
**Heartburn Drugs May Neutralize Plavix.
**Imported Diet Pills May Contain Amphetamines: Study.
**Protein's Removal from Platelets May Help Control Harmful Clotting.
**Drug Maker to Seek Approval for MS Pill.
**Vitamin D May Help Maintain Seniors' Brain Health.
**Short-Term Hormone Therapy Safe: Canadian Experts.
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- Additional Steroid Dose May Help Preemies: Fewer babies have complications, without ill effects, study finds
Giving a second dose of steroids to babies still in the womb can reduce their post-birth respiratory problems and does not seem to affect their growth the way multiple courses can, new research shows. In babies born before 34 weeks, about 43 percent of those given a second dose of steroids in utero had complications, compared with about 63 percent of the babies given a placebo. "We saw a 31 percent reduction in overall composite neonatal morbidity. That's highly significant," said study author Dr. James Kurtzman. The real advantage, he added, came from the reduction in respiratory problems. Fewer babies had respiratory distress syndrome, and fewer babies needed mechanical ventilation.
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- Plavix Plus Heartburn Drugs May Hike Heart Risk: Combination might interfere with Plavix's anticlotting ability, experts say
People taking the clot-preventing drug Plavix and an acid-reducing proton pump inhibitor medication after a heart attack have a dramatically higher risk of a second heart attack than those taking Plavix alone, a Canadian study finds. That increased risk could have enormous public health implications. Proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec and Prevacid are among the most widely prescribed drugs, and Plavix (clopidogrel) is the second highest-selling drug in the world, the researchers said. Dr. Robert Epstein said: "The take-home message is that if you are taking Plavix, you should continue to take it. The question is whether you should take a proton pump inhibitor."
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- Concussion's Effects May Linger for Decades: Attention, memory, physical processes affected 30 years later, study finds
Compared to those who were concussion-free, the participants who'd been concussed only once or twice in their early adulthood showed declines in attention and memory, as well as a slowing of some types of movement. "This study shows that the effects of sports concussions in early adulthood persist beyond 30 years post-concussion and that it can cause cognitive and motor function alterations as the athletes age," said study first author Louis De Beaumont. "In light of these findings, athletes should be better informed about the cumulative and persistent effects of sports concussion on mental and physical processes, so that they know about the risks associated with returning to their sport," he said.
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- Ovary Removal May Not Be Needed in Endometrial Cancer: In women 45 and younger, study finds no survival difference when ovaries left intact
Younger women with early-stage endometrial cancer need not lose their ovaries when undergoing treatment for the cancer, a new study contends. The largest study to date has found no difference in five-year survival rates among women who kept their ovaries and those who did not. Removal of the ovaries, called an oophorectomy, has long been a standard part of therapy for endometrial cancer. As always, though, no one decision is right for all women all the time. The benefits of preserving the ovaries would be considerable. Young women would be spared the discomfort of hot flashes, vaginal dryness and other symptoms of induced menopause before their time. Also, avoiding the procedure would reduce the risk of cardiac disease and bone loss and would probably result in a longer life span.
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- Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury: Half of batches tested positive, third of popular sweetened products showed traces
HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average. "Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," said Dr. David Wallinga. "The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said.
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- Controversial Chemical Lingers Longer in the Body: Study. BPA exposure has been linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, developmental problems
Bisphenol A, a controversial chemical used to harden plastics for consumer products such as baby bottles and food containers, appears to remain in the body much longer than thought, a new study says. The finding suggests that exposure to BPA may come from many different sources, not just food products, or that the body doesn't metabolize the chemical as fast as has been thought, the researchers said. Richard W. Stahlhut noted that BPA is used to harden plastics in many products, including plastic bottles, PVC water pipes and food-storage containers. It's also used to coat the inside of metal food cans and in dental sealants. It's even found in cash register receipts and recycled paper, he said. About 93 percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their urine, according to the CDC.
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- Why Cancer in One Breast May Affect the Other: Researchers identify certain factors that seem to increase risk
In a study by researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, three independent risk factors were found in women who had cancer in both breasts: Having cancer cells with certain invasive characteristics; Having cancer in more than one quadrant of the breast; Having a five-year risk of 1.67 percent or greater on a standardized breast cancer risk assessment tool that's based on what is known as the "Gail model." Designed for women without breast cancer, the model incorporates a woman's medical history, age, race and other characteristics. The study also found a greater risk for women who are initially diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50 or older or who have additional moderate- to high-risk cells in their affected breast.
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- Database Helps Assess Your Breast Cancer Risk: Lifestyle factors and environmental hazards are included in the searchable site
If you want to learn more about the key risk factors for breast cancer, such as obesity, pollutants or smoking, a database can guide you to the available evidence that confirms or quells an association. The database includes information on 216 chemicals, diet, smoking, physical activity and weight that may play a role in the development of breast cancer. Although many factors have been associated with breast cancer, Robert Schneider said his top three would include the chemical bisphenol A, radiation exposure from CT scans and delayed first pregnancy. "I advise my patients to try to control the things you have good control over. Weight is a huge issue in breast cancer, as is the use of combined estrogen/progesterone after menopause," Dr. Jay Brooks added.
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- Recess Makes for Better Students: Study finds getting enough of it each day helps kids perform better in classroom
Children learn as much on breaks as they do in the traditional classroom, experimenting with creativity and imagination and learning how to interact socially. "Conflict resolution is solved on the playground, not in the classroom," said Dr. Jane Ripperger-Suhler. Recess is recommended at least once a day, for 20 or more minutes. Physical activity should also be part of this time. Most Asian elementary schools allow children a 10-minute break after every 40 minutes to 50 minutes of instruction, the authors stated. Although it's unclear how much recess children in the United States are getting, some studies have documented a dramatic decrease, and this study reported that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has resulted in less recess for many children. Kids with more recess behaved better in school, according to a teacher rating system.
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Health Highlights
**Pneumonia Vaccine for Young Children Works: CDC.
**FDA Lax in Review of High-Risk Medical Devices: Report.
**4th Human Bird Flu Case Reported in China.
**Many Children Have Mild Autistic Symptoms: Study.
**Early Pregnancy Drinking Boosts Pre-Term Birth Risk.
**Zimbabwe's Cholera Death Toll Rises 20 Percent in One Week.
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- FDA Warns of Skin-Numbing Drug Dangers that have caused 2 reported deaths: Popular over-the-counter and prescription topical anesthetics can cause serious and life-threatening reactions
These skin-numbing products in cremes, ointments or gels contain anesthetic drugs such as lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, and prilocaine that are used to desensitize nerve endings near the skin's surface. If used improperly, the FDA said in an agency news release, the drugs can be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause reactions such as irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma or even death. Women considering using a topical anesthetic before a mammogram should talk to their physician first, the FDA said. The agency also recommended against using these products over large areas of skin, especially irritated or broken skin, and not to wrap the treated skin with dressings or apply heat to the treated area.
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- Tiny Chemo Beads Boost Liver Cancer Outcomes: While the chemo attacks the cancer, the beads choke off the blood supply to the tumor
A minimally invasive therapy that uses beads soaked with anti-cancer agents has been successful at halting liver tumors, according to new studies. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) attacks liver tumors on two fronts. Microspheres, or beads, combined with cancer-killing chemotherapeutic agents are delivered to the blood vessel feeding the tumor. While the chemo attacks the cancer, the microspheres get stuck in the vessels and choke off the blood supply to the tumor -- a process called embolization. While surgically removing a tumor is the most effective way to treat one, this is not an option for most liver cancer patients. In two out of three instances, the size or location of the liver cancer prevents surgery, or the tumor has grown into the blood vessels. Typically, only a quarter of people with liver cancer survive two years after diagnosis.
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- Angioplasty Via Wrist May Be Safer: It's seldom used but entails lower risk, speedier recovery, researchers say
The catheterization technique reduces risk, bleeding, cost and patient recovery time when treating blocked arteries, researchers said. Researchers concluded that accessing blocked arteries through the wrist (radial) artery significantly reduces the risk of bleeding (0.3 percent) and nerve damage (0 percent) compared with femoral artery access (2.8 percent risk of bleeding or nerve damage). "Using the radial approach results in lower cost, less time before the patient can get up and walk around and fewer complications," said Dr. Ramon Quesada. "I believe 75 percent of patients would be candidates for the radial approach if it were an option. The radial approach is a bit more technically challenging for physicians, but once they master it, I think most would prefer it. One of the main barriers is a lack of training opportunities," Quesada said.
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- New Test May Help Kidney Transplant Patients: Carolina researchers say it could detect virus that can lead to failure
A new urine test that can detect a common cause of kidney transplant failure may help lead to better diagnosis and treatment of patients with polyomavirus nephropathy, which affects about 9 percent of kidney transplant patients. Currently, doctors rely on invasive and expensive kidney biopsies to diagnose polyomavirus nephropathy, and these tests sometimes give false negative results. The researchers said the test takes three hours, costs less than $400, and is easy to perform with existing laboratory equipment. When the test was used on 160 people, including 21 with early- or late-stage polyomavirus nephropathy, the researchers detected Haufen in urine samples from all 21 people with the virus but in none of the 139 study participants without the condition. "Our diagnostic test is unique and could have a tremendous clinical impact," said Dr. Volker Nickeleit.
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- MRI Scans Reveal Post-Heart Attack Bleeding: Images could offer doctors a better assessment of patient's condition, chances of recovery
The first images of post-heart attack bleeding within the heart have been made by U.K. scientists using MRI scans. The Imperial College London team said their research shows that the amount of bleeding can indicate the degree of damage caused by a heart attack. MRI can detect the degree of bleeding inside the heart due to the magnetic effects of iron in the blood, the researchers explained. "Using this new scanning technique shows us that patients who develop bleeding inside their damaged heart muscle have a much poorer chance of recovery. We hope that this will help us to identify which patients are at most risk of complications following their heart attack," said Dr. Declan O'Regan.
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- Cholesterol Levels May Not Measure Cardiac Risk: Normal readings showed up in many who had heart attacks, study shows
Nearly three-quarters of patients hospitalized for heart attacks had cholesterol levels indicating they were NOT at high risk for cardiovascular trouble, a new, nationwide study shows. The finding points to the possibility that current guidelines on cholesterol levels should be changed, said study author Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow. LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind, collects to form plaques that can eventually block arteries. Guidelines set an LDL cholesterol blood level target of 130 milligrams per deciliter for people with no cardiovascular disease or diabetes and 70 for those at high risk. But the study of nearly 137,000 Americans hospitalized for heart attacks between 2000 and 2006 found that about 72 percent had LDL levels below 130 on admission, while 17.6 percent had LDL levels below 70. The study also found HDL levels below 40 in 54.6 percent of the heart attack patients
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- Hard, Cold Facts About Frostbite: Takes only minutes when temperatures drop to cause permanent damage, group warns
"It takes only minutes for exposed skin to become frostbitten if the temperature falls below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 20 miles per hour or more," said Dr. Taizoon Baxamusa. "Your hands, fingers, feet, toes and ears are especially susceptible, so you need to take special care protecting them." Frostbite can cause permanent damage, causing long-term chronic pain and sensitivity to cold or numbness. In extreme cases, amputation may be necessary. In this article the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers tips and precautions to avoid frostbite.
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Health Highlights
**Consumers Union Urges Expanded Testing of Infant Formula.
**FDA Delays Decision on Gardasil Approval for Older Women.
**FDA Lax in Overseeing Doctors' Conflicts in Trials: Report.
**Chinese Distributor Pulls Suspect Dog Food.
**FDA Approves Guidelines for 'Off-Label' Drug Use.
**Software Glitch Exposed Vets to Wrong Drug Doses.
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- Kellogg Halts Sales of Peanut Butter Crackers: Cereal giant calls action 'precautionary' as salmonella outbreak probe continues; 5 deaths now linked; victim count up to 430 in 43 states
Cereal giant Kellogg has asked stores to stop selling its popular Keebler and Austin brand peanut butter crackers, as health officials reported two more deaths in the nationwide salmonella outbreak that is linked to peanut butter. Kellogg, of Battle Creek, Mich., said it hadn't received any complaints or discovered any problems with the crackers, but took the action as a "precautionary measure" after one of its peanut paste suppliers, Peanut Corp. of America, announced a nationwide recall of peanut butter made in a Georgia plant. The company is "removing product from retail store shelves and encouraging customers and consumers to hold and not eat these products until regulatory officials complete their investigation of PCA," a news release on the Kellogg Co. Web site said late Wednesday.
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- Peanut Butter Eyed as Source of Salmonella Outbreak: Ohio distributor issues recall of King Nut brand after Minn. officials find bacteria in one container; almost 400 Americans in 42 states have been sickened as probe continues
Late Saturday, King Nut Companies of Solon, Ohio, announced it had issued a recall of all peanut butter distributed under its label and manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America, of Lynchburg, Va. The company also recalled its distribution of Parnell's Pride peanut butter, which is also made by Peanut Corporation, according to a prepared statement by King Nut. Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after contact with the germ. Severe infections can occur, particularly in infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In severe cases, the salmonella infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and other parts of the body, causing death unless antibiotics are used.
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- Newer Antipsychotics Pose Cardiac Risk: Study. Patients advised to avoid the drugs in some cases
A new study warns that the second generation of antipsychotic drugs, used to treat conditions ranging from schizophrenia to anxiety, put patients at higher risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest. At issue are newer antipsychotic drugs -- clozapine (Clozaril), quetiapine (Seroquel), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and risperidone (Risperdal). The odds of a heart problem are low, and specialists said that the drugs are appropriate for certain patients. Still, doctors, families and patients should be cautious, said Wayne Ray. "If they're being used for schizophrenia, consider a cardiology evaluation. If you're considering using them for bipolar disorder, think about using another alternative drug first," Ray said. And patients should rarely, if ever, take the drugs to treat other conditions, he said.
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- Vicks VapoRub Linked to Infant Breathing Problems: Misuse may cause respiratory distress, researchers say; company says product is safe
The popular cold remedy Vicks VapoRub may cause airway inflammation that can restrict breathing in infants and toddlers, a new study says. "The company is really clear that you don't put it in the nose, and you never use it in kids under 2," said lead researcher Dr. Bruce K. Rubin. Dr. Daniel Craven, a pediatric pulmonologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, said parents shouldn't use Vicks VapoRub, because it has no medicinal value and may even be dangerous. "Previous research has failed to demonstrate any respiratory benefits of VapoRub, and conscientious pediatricians have thus usually tried to dissuade families from spending money on this and similarly ineffective therapies," Craven said.
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- Surgeon's Checklist Saves Lives: List is being adopted in the U.S. and around the world, researchers say
To aid in reducing surgical complications and deaths, Dr. Atul Gawande's team developed a one-page checklist that can be read aloud like a pilot's checklist before take off and landing. The list is designed to make sure that all those in the operating room communicate important patient information during what is known as "timeouts": before anesthesia is started; before the first incision is made; and before the patient is rolled out of the operating room. During the year of the study, the rate of major complications in operating rooms dropped by more than a third when the checklist was used -- from 11 percent to 7 percent. More importantly, deaths dropped by more than 40 percent when the checklist was introduced, from 1.5 percent to 0.8 percent, the researchers found. The value of the checklist was seen in hospitals worldwide, with similar reductions in deaths and complications.
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- Ovary Removal Lowers Odds of Cancer in High-Risk Women: Study confirms women with BRCA mutations are wise to take preventive action
Removing the ovaries of women with a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer due to mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes does substantially reduce their risk of getting both cancers, a new study confirms. But even removal of the ovaries cannot guarantee that a woman will never get ovarian cancer, Dr. Timothy Rebbeck said. Sometimes, for instance, ovarian cells get left behind in the surgery, he explained. But in reality, a woman undergoing preventive removal of the ovaries today would probably have "closer to a 90 percent" reduction in ovarian cancer risk, Dr. Jeffrey N. Weitzel estimated. For women who are BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers, preventive ovary removal is often recommended at age 35 or after completion of childbearing, Rebbeck said. Another way to reduce risk would be for a woman to go on oral contraceptives in her 20s, before childbearing, he said.
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- Multiple Screening Strategy Boosts Cervical Cancer Detection: Two extra steps improve results, study finds
A Pap smear is the standard test, but findings in the Jan. 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute call for patients to get human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing first and then again after the Pap smear if they have HPV infections. The study found this screening approach improved detection of precancerous growths with minimal increase in false-positive tests. In tests done on more than 6,200 women, those found to have HPV infections through the primary screening went on to have a standard Pap test; those with normal Pap smears were given a repeat HPV DNA test at least one year later. The method found 30 percent more cases of cervical cancer, but with only 12 percent more tests required.
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- Certain Antidepressants Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Tricyclic medications helped with pain, fatigue and depression, study shows
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants helped the most to reduce pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances, according to the report. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors helped with those three symptoms but to a much lesser extent, while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and monoamine oxidase inhibitors helped lessen pain some. "Since evidence for a long-term effect of antidepressants in [fibromyalgia] is still lacking, their effects should be re-evaluated at regular intervals to determine whether benefits outweigh adverse effects," the authors wrote in a news release from the journal. "The identification of patient characteristics associated with positive and negative therapeutic outcomes are needed to better target antidepressant therapy for [fibromyalgia]."
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- Team Designs Gold Nanoparticles to Deliver Multiple Drugs: New technique might better control treatment of diseases like cancer, AIDS
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a drug-delivery system using gold nanoparticles that, when exposed to infrared light, can release multiple drugs attached to their surfaces. The chief advantage of the new system is that it can be controlled externally, potentially delivering up to three or four drugs, the team reported. Current drug-delivery devices exist that can release two drugs, but the timing of their release must be built into the device and cannot be controlled from outside the body. Exposed to infrared light, the gold nanoparticles melt, releasing drug payloads attached to their surfaces.
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- When It's Cold Outside, Be Careful Inside With Heaters: 1 in 6 house fires are blamed on faulty heating equipment
The National Fire Protection Association reports that heating equipment is the cause of one of every six fires in the home. Space heaters caused a third of these incidents, resulting in three-fourths of home-heating-related deaths. At the same time, U.S. fire departments have been responding to an increasing number of non-fire, carbon monoxide incidents in recent years. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, colorless but deadly gas that can come from fuels burned incompletely in space heaters, fireplaces, generators or even cooking equipment. Robert Emery advises people to limit their chances of home-heating tragedy by following the tips listed in this article.
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Health Highlights
**Blood Clot Drug Causes Higher Death Rate in Elderly Patients, Maker Says.
**Consumers Union Urges Expanded Testing of Infant Formula.
**Salmonella Cases Still a Mystery.
**Large Lab Admits Problems With Vitamin D Tests.
**56 Substances That Interact With E.D. Drugs Listed.
**Red Cross Says It Needs Blood Donors.
**'Fire-Safe' Cigarettes Required in 14 States by End of 2009.
**Avian Flu Returns, This Time in Hong Kong Poultry.
**FDA Mulls OK for Blood Thinner From Genetically Engineered Goats.
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- Antipsychotics Up Death Risk in Alzheimer's Patients: Long-term study says the drugs should only be used short-term, as last resort
While the short-term use of antipsychotics has been found to benefit Alzheimer's patients, studies have found that prolonged use can have serious side effects, including Parkinson-like symptoms, sedation, chest infections, decline in brain function, stroke and death. "Antipsychotics are not and never were indicated for use in people with dementia," Dr. Murali Doraiswamy added. "But millions of elderly [people] were put on antipsychotics in nursing homes, often with little or no evidence to support such use." "If there is no other way to stop an Alzheimer's patient from acting dangerously and all other measures have failed, then antipsychotics can be used as a measure of last resort, but only for the shortest possible time at the lowest possible dose," Doraiswamy said.
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- War Vets With Headaches Could Have Brain Problems: Reduced sense of smell might also signal need for testing, expert says
Headache frequency and severity caused by traumatic brain injury might signal cognitive deficits, suggests a new study of Iraq war veterans. Traumatic brain injuries, also called concussions, are common among veterans who served in Iraq. Among veterans who had brain impairments, 93 percent reported having headaches, compared with 13 percent of those who showed no dysfunction on the neurological tests. Their headaches also were more severe and persistent. In addition to more frequent and severe headaches, many of the veterans also experienced other PTSD symptoms, including sleep disorders & problems with their sense of smell, the study found. The findings may lead not only to new diagnostic techniques but to different approaches for treating people with concussions, Dr. Robert L. Ruff said. "We need to treat not just head trauma or the PTSD but to treat them together"
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- Deep Brain Stimulation Helps Those With Advanced Parkinson's: Study found both physical function and quality of life improved
The largest study of its kind finds that deep brain stimulation improves both physical function and quality of life after six months in patients with Parkinson's disease. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) performed better than currently available drug treatments, but it did carry some risks, including one death. Seventy-one percent of DBS patients, and only 32 percent of patients in the control group, experienced "clinically meaningful motor function improvements." "This study, to me, confirms the tremendous usefulness of the procedure in spite of the warning, of course, that there were certain adverse effects," said Dr. Carlos Singer. "It means that we have to continue refining our selection of patients. You don't want to be overzealous in picking up patients . . . take into account that the surgery was not effective for everybody."
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- Studies Challenge Framingham Risk Score: The long-standing assessment for heart risk may not be accurate in some cases
Use of that score did not accurately predict risk in a group of 1,653 people with no history of coronary heart disease. "The key word here is age," Dr. Wouter de Ruijter said. "The Framingham Risk Score is validated up to age 75. There have been signs in the medical literature that the classic risk factors such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia [high cholesterol levels] were not performing that well for people with advanced age." The new study "indicates that the traditional risk factors become blurred or wane with age," he said. What the study does show is "a 10-year gap here" in the effectiveness of the Framingham Risk Score, he said. "The primary preventive strategy for people at an advanced age is unknown," de Ruijter said. "Measuring blood pressure levels and total cholesterol levels are not predictive any more."
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- Surgeons Often Are Blamed When Hip Replacements Fail: Consumers urged to pay more attention to choosing the doctor, not the device
"Yet this study is the first to give us information from a very big national database on the cause of failure in a large population, which we didn't previously have," Dr. Kevin Bozic added. "And what it does suggest is that when hip replacement does fail, the weak link is not the wearing out of the bearing surface, but other problems that in large part are probably related more to the surgical technique used rather than the implant device itself." The bottom line, Dr. Jay Mabrey said, is that "as a consumer you really should be concerned more with the surgeon who is going to put in the replacement and less concerned with which implant is being put in."
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- FDA Backs Cholesterol Drug Vytorin: Review says it lowered bad cholesterol more effectively than Zocor
After nearly a year of review, U.S. health officials said Thursday that they supported the continued use of the controversial cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said there was no significant difference in carotid artery thickness between patients taking Vytorin and patients taking the drug Zocor. But, the agency reported, the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol decreased by 56 percent in the Vytorin group compared to 39 percent for the Zocor group. The results of an earlier, small study published last year suggested that Vytorin might boost the chances of developing cancer. But, a three-study analysis in the Sept. 2, 2008, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine did not find compelling evidence of such a connection.
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- Lingering Cold Symptoms May Mean Sinusitis: Common wintertime problem stems from blocked sinus cavities
"Early on, the symptoms of colds and sinusitis are similar," said Dr. Anju Peters. "But if symptoms are worsening after three to five days, or if they are present for more than 10 days, then sinusitis is the likely culprit." Sinusitis occurs when cold- or allergy-related inflammation causes blockage of the sinus cavities, hollow areas behind the forehead and cheeks. The blockage prevents normal drainage of mucus, a situation that leads to infection. Symptoms of sinusitis include green or gray nasal discharge, foul tasting post-nasal drip, facial pain or pressure, and light fever. If not properly treated, sinusitis can last for months or even years. Typical treatment includes antibiotics to deal with the infection and decongestants to relieve stuffiness.
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- To Protect Yourself, Wash Those Germs Away: Doctors say it's the best way to keep colds and flu at bay
The order in which you do things is important. Start with warm water and wet your hands. After that, dispense the soap into your hands. "What that does is [help] disperse the soap over the hands' surface," Marcia Patrick said. "If you put the soap in your hands and then wet them, you lose a lot of the soap to the running water." Then rub your hands together vigorously for at least 15 to 30 seconds, scrubbing all surfaces of the hands and fingers, Dr. Thomas Weida said. That friction is key because it dislodges all the germs -- bacteria and viruses -- from the skin surface. Afterward, rinse your hands briskly in running water to remove the suds -- and with them, the germs. Blot your hands dry with a couple of paper towels to finish the job. You might also consider using the paper towels to turn off the faucet and open the door on your way out of the restroom, too, Patrick and Weida said
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- Shovel Snow Safely: Experts offer tips on how to avoid injury while performing winter task
In 2007, more than 118,000 people were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms, doctors' offices, clinics and other medical facilities for injuries suffered while shoveling or doing other types of snow and ice removal. That same year, there were 15,000 snow blower-related injuries, triple the number in 2006. "People tend to think of snow removal as just another household task, but it really involves a lot of bending and heavy lifting, particularly in wet snow," said Dr. Robert Dunbar. "It may be especially dangerous for people who do not regularly exercise, as their bodies, specifically back, shoulder and arm muscles, may not be prepared for that level of activity." The AAOS offers advice on how to prevent injuries while shoveling or using a snow blower.
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Health Highlights
**Premature Birth Can Lead to Sensory Damage.
**Chemo Medication Errors Common in Outpatient Setting.
**Team IDs Genes Behind Lethal 1918 Flu Pandemic.
**Drug Makers Agree to Voluntary Ban on Doctor 'Freebies'.
**Firm Says FDA OKs Its Generic Version of Nicotine Gum.
**New Immunization Recommendations for Children Unveiled.
**New Year's Resolution: Restock That Medicine Cabinet.
**Family History Doesn't Impact Prostate Cancer Treatment.
**One Way to Thwart Disease: Make Mosquitoes Die Earlier.
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- Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble: Condition marked by pain, swelling, loose teeth and exposed bone
The proportion of people taking widely prescribed oral osteoporosis drugs who develop a nasty jaw condition may be much higher than previously thought, a new study suggests. "This is more frequent than everybody would like to think it is," said Dr. Parish Sedghizadeh. ONJ [osteonecrosis of the jaw] is characterized by pain, soft-tissue swelling, infection, loose teeth and exposed bone. Use of bisphosphonates has been associated with other problems in the past, including an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (a type of abnormal heart rhythm), unusual fractures of the thigh bone, and inflammatory eye disease. Dr. James Liu said the finding "does not mean that women should stop taking the drug if they're on it. It does mean that there may be more frequent side effects than was previously known."
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- Rising Blood Sugar May Harm the Aging Brain: And exercise might help offset the effect, study suggests
Scientists have unmasked what appears to be a major mechanism contributing to normal, age-related cognitive decline. Happily, it's a mechanism that is amenable to change: rising blood glucose levels, which means that exercise might be the antidote. Researchers showed that rising blood sugar levels, a normal part of aging, affect a part of the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical to learning and memory. "This would suggest that anything to improve regulation of blood glucose would potentially be a way to ameliorate age-related memory decline," said senior study author Dr. Scott Small. The findings may also help explain why people who exercise don't have as many cognitive problems as they age: Exercise helps stabilize blood glucose levels.
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- High Insulin May Boost Odds of Breast Cancer: Finding may clarify the disease's connection to obesity
Women with high levels of insulin in their blood appear to be more likely to develop breast cancer than those with lower insulin levels. And that might be the link between obesity and breast cancer, say researchers. Those whose fasting insulin levels were the highest had a 1.5 times greater risk of breast cancer than did women with the lowest fasting insulin levels, the study found. The risk was even greater among women who were not taking hormone therapy. The study found that those women were 2.4 times more likely to have developed breast cancer if their insulin levels were high than if they were low.
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- A Better Method of Kidney Storage: Continuous pumping of solution through donated organ improved odds, study shows
Pumping a solution continuously through a donated kidney raised the chances of a successful transplant when compared to simple cold storage of the organ, European researchers report. It was hailed as "a landmark study" by Dr. Jonathan Bromberg. "Machine perfusion has been performed for upwards of 20 years, and there has been a general perception among people in the field that it might do several important things -- better preservation of the kidney, clearing away toxins, giving data on whether the kidney is any good," Bromberg said. "But all the data until this have come from small, single-center retrospective studies. This is the largest and far away best to be done." The study showed "a significant reduction of delayed organ function, which is certainly a very unique finding, and this is the first trial showing it," Dr. Stefan G. Tullius said.
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- Lung Cancer: Still the Biggest Cancer Killer, by Far: While researchers make advances, quitting smoking remains your best bet
It's the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing more people each year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers combined. It's typically discovered too late to be treated successfully, with about 85 percent of victims dead within five years of diagnosis. And nine out of 10 cases of the disease are tied to a single behavior -- smoking. Lung cancer killed 160,390 people in 2007. That's an average of 439 people a day. And tobacco caused 90 percent of those deaths, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
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- America Losing the Fight With Type 2 Diabetes: Yet simple lifestyle changes can make all the difference
The type 2 diabetes epidemic that continues to sweep across the United States has left an estimated 24 million Americans struggling with the disease, up more than 3 million people since 2005. And, of course, with the epidemic comes the wave of illnesses and disabilities brought on by diabetes -- heart disease and stroke, blindness, amputations, kidney disease and nervous system damage. Studies have shown that if a person loses even a small amount of weight, they can decrease their diabetes risk, Ann Albright said. Dropping just 5 percent to 7 percent of body weight can help. "It's not huge amounts of body weight that people need to lose," she said. "Weight loss is the best way to head off type 2 diabetes." A half hour of physical activity most days of the week, adding up to 150 total minutes per week, combined with a low-calorie healthy diet, have been shown to help.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Repeats Caution on Chicken Jerky Treats for Dogs.
**FDA to Re-Examine Favorable Ruling on Safety of Plastic Container Additive.
**FDA Says Diet Coke Plus Claims Violate Regulations.
**Approval Given for New Use of Cancer Drug Gleevec.
**Anti-Flu Drug May Not Work Against This Year's Strain, CDC Says.
**Zimbabwe's Cholera Epidemic Death Toll Passes 1,000: U.N.
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- FDA Warns About Weight Loss Products: Agency says more than 2 dozen contain dangerous ingredients not listed on label
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Monday to avoid more than two dozen products marketed for weight loss because they contain undeclared ingredients that could pose serious health risks. The FDA identified the weight loss products as: Fatloss Slimming, Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet, 7 Day Herbal Slim, 999 Fitness Essence, Imelda Perfect Slim, Perfect Slim, ProSlim Plus, Slim Express 360, Superslim, Venom Hyperdrive 3.0, 2 Day Diet, 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming, 8 Factor Diet, Extrim Plus, Lida DaiDaihua, Perfect Slim 5x, Royal Slimming Formula, Slimtech, TripleSlim, 3x Slimming Power, 3 Day Diet, 7 Diet Day/Night Formula, GMP, Miaozi Slim Capsules, Phyto Shape, Slim 3 in 1, Somotrim, and Zhen de Shou.
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- Drug Combinations Putting Seniors at Risk: Mixing prescription, nonprescription meds poses dangers, researchers say
As many as 4 percent of older adults in the United States combine over-the-counter medications with prescription drugs in ways that put them at risk for potentially dangerous interactions, a new survey finds. A recent report estimated that adults over 65 account for more than 175,000 emergency department visits for adverse drug reactions each year, and commonly prescribed medications accounted for 33 percent of these drug reactions. "No one is looking over the number of medicines they are on to look for potential interactions," Dr. Laurie Jacobs said. "Someone other than the patient should go over the whole list." This article lists common adverse drug reactions.
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- Statins Help Prevent Delirium After Heart Surgery: Cholesterol-lowering meds seem to shield against troublesome complication, study finds
Elderly patients who take cholesterol-lowering statins before cardiac surgery may lower their chances of having postoperative delirium, a new study finds. Depending on variables such as age and the complexity of the surgery, up to 47 percent of people experience this condition of confusion following heart surgery. The condition adds to hospital stay length, health care costs and may contribute to higher death rates, experts say. But in the Toronto General Hospital study of 1,059 patients, pre-op statins appeared to cut the chances of having delirium almost in half. Dr. Rita Katznelson estimated that delirium adds about $6.9 billion to Medicare hospital expenditures.
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- Moms-to-Be Who Drink May Damage Fetus' White Matter: Study says brain microstructural changes may lead to cognitive problems
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can damage white matter in a fetus' frontal and occipital lobes, which play a major role in executive function and visual processing. The finding may help explain problems seen in infants whose mothers drink during pregnancy, a new study says. "Also, within the alcohol-exposed group, we generally found that white-matter microstructure did not differ based on whether youth met criteria for a diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). In other words, similar brain alterations and behavioral problems can occur because of prenatal alcohol exposure, with or without the facial features and physical growth insufficiency required to diagnose FAS."
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- Most Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Lack Vitamin D: Deficiency can increase bone fracture risk, researchers say
Almost 75 percent of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes have insufficient levels of vitamin D. "We found in children with type 1 diabetes a pretty significant level of vitamin D insufficiency -- much more than we had expected to find," said lead researcher Dr. Britta Svoren. "One of the things that might be going on is that, for a lot of children and adolescents, the primary source of vitamin D is through vitamin D-fortified milk," Svoren said. "The problem is that a lot of teenagers with type 1 diabetes, rather than drinking milk, a lot of these individuals are probably drinking increased amounts of sugar-free colas."
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Health Highlights
**Test Predicts Onset of Preterm Labor.
**Certain Dementia Patients Can't Detect Sarcasm.
**Salt-Cured Alewives (also known as gaspereaux fish) Pose Botulism Risk: FDA.
**Behavioral Therapy Helps Eating Disorder Patients: Study.
**Brushing Teeth Reduces Intubated Hospital Patients' Pneumonia Risk by 50%.
**Home-Based Therapy Benefits COPD Patients: Study.
**Illinois Company Faces Lawsuit Over Preemie Heart Drug.
**Gene Mutation Effects Should Be Listed on Cancer Drug Labels: Lilly, Amgen.
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- FDA Adds Suicide Warning to Epilepsy Drugs: Says patients on antiepileptics need to be monitored for indications of mood changes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it was adding a label warning on heightened suicide risk for users of antiepileptic drugs. In addition to clonazepam, phenytoin and topiramate, the drugs covered by the new FDA-mandated labeling are: carbamazepine (marketed as Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol XR); clorazepate (Tranxene); divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene); ethosuximide (Zarontin); ethotoin (Peganone); felbamate (Felbatol); gabapentin (Neurontin); lamotrigine (Lamictal); lacosamide (Vimpat); levetiracetam (Keppra); mephenytoin (Mesantoin); methosuximide (Celontin); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal); pregabalin (Lyrica); primidone (Mysoline); tiagabine (Gabitril); trimethadione (Tridione), and zonisamide (Zonegran). Some of these drugs are also available as generics.
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- Magnets in Kids' Toys Pose Broad Dangers: Swallowing them can block bowel; warnings not mandated on packages, study says
When ingested, multiple magnets can stick to each other across a bowel wall, leading to infection in the digestive tract, the need for surgery, and even death. Often parents don't seek medical attention for a child who has swallowed a magnet as quickly as necessary. The authors urged parents to pay particular attention when buying toys for small children as written warnings are not mandatory on toys containing magnets. Symptoms of ingested magnets can be mild and flu-like, but nausea, vomiting, cramps or abdominal pain should be given medical attention, especially if the child is autistic or has other developmental issues. More than 16 percent of the children aged 4 and older who had swallowed magnets had autism.
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- Elective Early Deliveries Pose Risks for Babies: C-sections done too soon can lead to respiratory trouble, other problems, doctors say
The rise in Caesarean deliveries could be fueling the increase in the number of preterm babies, and these early births carry risks, including respiratory problems, jaundice and developmental problems. While babies are considered preterm if they are born before 37 weeks of gestation, even those born before 39 weeks -- called early term -- could be missing out on the last benefits of gestation, the doctors said. "There is more and more data suggesting that there is lots of development between 37 and 39 weeks [of gestation]," said Dr. Laura E. Riley. It's in the best interest of the baby to stay in the womb for a full-term delivery, she said. "It is very important for lay people to understand that every week counts, and that they shouldn't be cavalier about delivering early," added Dr. Lucky Jain.
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- Smoking Ups Colon Cancer Risk: Risk of getting colorectal cancer is higher in smokers, as is the risk of dying from that disease
"Smoking is significantly associated with colorectal cancer incidence and mortality," said the study's lead author, Edoardo Botteri. "People should be aware that smoking increases the risk of cancer not only in organs where there is direct contact with tobacco-related carcinogens, such as lung, oropharynx, larynx and upper digestive tract, but also in organs where exposure to tobacco degradation products is indirect, such as the pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix, colon and rectum," explained Botteri. Tobacco is responsible for about 100 million deaths during the past century and more than 5 million deaths a year. There are still more than 1 billion smokers worldwide. Eighty percent of lung cancers are directly attributable to smoking, reports the study.
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- Risk Info for Breast Cancer Patients Too Confusing: Could lead to bad treatment decisions, study shows
"The main benefit of additional treatments such as chemotherapy after surgery is long-term risk reduction. But chemotherapy does not provide much benefit for some women, and those women can potentially avoid unnecessary side effects by skipping chemotherapy," said study author Brian Zikmund-Fisher. "So understanding how large or small the risk reduction is can help women make the right choice." "Even when patients are given the information they need, they have to be able to understand it well enough to make the right choice. We're making patients work too hard. Discussions of risk need to be simple and transparent so doctors can spend as little time as possible explaining the numbers to patients and as much time as possible talking about what those numbers mean," Zikmund-Fisher said.
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- Progress Made in Predicting Breast Cancer Risk: Breast density, tumor characteristics help fine-tune treatment, study says
Patients with breast cancer tumors known as HER2-positive, even those a centimeter or less in diameter, have a substantially increased risk for relapse, and additional treatment after surgery should be considered, said Dr. Ana Gonzalez-Angulo. Currently, guidelines call for no further treatment after surgery for these small cancers, but Gonzalez-Angulo said her findings suggest that thinking be reconsidered. In other findings reported at the meeting, changes in breast density during treatment with tamoxifen, a drug often used to lower breast cancer risk, can help predict how well the drug is working, said Jack Cuzick. Isaacs called that finding valuable. Being able to identify whether a woman is benefiting from the tamoxifen early will allow her physician to consider other treatments, Dr. Claudine Isaacs said.
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Health Highlights
**Medicare, Social Security Owe $52 Trillion.
**Alzheimer's Drug May Help Brain Cancer Patients.
**Irish Pork May Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals.
**Cold Sore Virus Linked to Alzheimer's.
**Body Clock Gene Fault Linked to Diabetes.
**Bed Sore-Related Hospitalizations Up 80 Percent.
**FDA Officials Differ Over Asthma Drugs' Risks.
**Doctors Call for Human Studies of New Defibrillators Before FDA Allows Them To Be Sold.
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- Higher Chemo Drug Dose Prolongs Lives of Leukemia Patients: Side effects similar to those seen with standard dose of daunorubicin, study shows
A high dose of the chemotherapy drug daunorubicin prolonged survival for patients with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This study included 633 patients, aged 16 to 60, who were randomly assigned to receive either high-dose or standard-dose daunorubicin. Both doses were given in combination with another chemotherapy drug called ara-C (cytarabine). The patients in the high-dose group received 90 milligrams of daunorubicin per square meter of body surface area (90 mg/m2) on each of the first three days of treatment. The standard dose is 45 mg/m2. Patients in the high-dose group had a median overall survival of 23.7 months, compared to 15.1 months for those in the standard-dose group. Both groups had similar frequencies of serious treatment-related toxicity, according to the study.
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- Late Preterm Birth Poses Developmental Risks: Caesarean or induction should not be done before 39 weeks unless necessary, study says
Dr. Joann Petrini and colleagues found that late preterm babies (those born between 34 weeks and 36 weeks) were more than three times as likely as full-term babies to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy and were also at increased risk for developmental delay or mental retardation. "The negative outcomes of many babies born late preterm can no longer be described as temporary or benign," Petrini said in a news release. She added that elective delivery through Caesarean section or induction should not be performed before 39 weeks unless medically necessary. Petrini also suggested that late preterm babies may benefit from neuron-developmental assessments.
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- Statin Use Doesn't Inhibit Lymphoma Drug Therapy Cholesterol-lowering meds may actually help patients on rituximab, study suggests
Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs don't interfere with rituximab, a medication used to treat lymphomas, say Mayo Clinic researchers, who also found that statins may actually slow progression of some kinds of lymphomas. Statin use didn't influence outcomes for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Among the patients with follicular lymphoma, those taking statins actually had better outcomes. "These results can provide reassurance to oncologists and their patients that statins will not reduce the effectiveness of rituximab (brand name Rituxan) and may in fact improve outcomes of some patients with lymphomas," Dr. Grzegorz Nowakowski said.
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- Lung Disease Tied to Increased Risk for Cardiac Events: IPF patients 3 times more likely to suffer heart problems, study says
People with the deadly lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are three times more likely than people without the disease to suffer severe cardiac events such as a heart attack, according to a British study. IPF patients were 23 percent more likely to have angina, 60 percent more likely to have a stroke, and three times more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis. The researchers also found that IPF patients were more than twice as likely to have been prescribed amiodarone, a medication used to treat irregular heartbeats. The drug has been implicated as a cause of fibrotic lung disease, the researchers said.
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- 2 Diabetes Drugs Double Fracture Risk in Women: Both Avandia and Actos lower bone density, new analysis shows
Two widely prescribed diabetes drugs, Avandia and Actos, double the risk of fractures in women but not in men, a new British analysis finds. "Women who are taking these drugs should reconsider the options," said lead researcher Dr. Yoon Loke. "There are quite a lot of choices for women with type 2 diabetes. I am not sure that taking a drug that causes fractures is the best choice." Loke thinks that these drugs need stronger warnings about potential side effects. "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to give a much stronger warning to women. And the warning should be that really these drugs should be avoided if at all possible," he said.
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- Aggressive Therapy May Stem CF Progression in Infants: Treating cystic fibrosis in first 6 months appears most effective, Australian study finds
It may be possible to control the progression of cystic fibrosis through early detection and aggressive treatment of the disease in infants, according to Australian researchers. They found that progressive lung damage in CF patients can start as early as infancy, even though lung function shortly after diagnosis is normal. The finding challenges current scientific belief. The most significant finding was that infants with CF had normal lung function test results shortly after birth and within their first six months of life, the researchers said. "We might be able to stop some of the lung function reduction we're identifying in the first months of life," said study author Dr. Sarath Ranganathan. "We don't know what's going to work, but we have to target those patients in the first six months of life if we're going to be effective."
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- FDA Panel Mulls Safety of Asthma Meds: Long-acting beta agonists may cause asthma problems and death, agency officials warn
One expert thinks the problem is not with the drugs, but with their misuse. "This is an over-interpretation of the risk without adequate consideration of benefit," said Dr. Miles Weinberger, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa. "However, there has been irresponsible marketing of the products, salmeterol and formoterol, and irresponsible prescribing by many physicians." "Since most patients with chronic asthma can be controlled with inhaled steroids alone, using these more expensive combination formulations as first line is inappropriate but strongly encouraged by marketing practices" of drug makers, Weinberger said. Weinberger thinks that long-acting beta agonists should be used only in combination with inhaled steroids. "The sensible approach is to use the combination products only after inadequate control is observed with an inhaled steroid alone.
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- Diabetic Eye Disease Rates Soaring: CDC study projects that by 2050, up to 16 million people will have vision problems
Diabetic retinopathy, which is damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in the United States. "Vision loss related to eye disease among people with diabetes is an important disability that threatens independence and can lead to depression, reduced mobility and reduced quality of life," the researchers wrote. "In summary, our projections have shown higher numbers than previously estimated for diabetic retinopathy, vision threatening diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma among Americans with diabetes. Efforts to prevent diabetes and to optimally manage diabetes and its complications are needed," the researchers concluded.
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- Electronic Prescribing Saves Patients Money: It steers doctors toward lower-cost drugs, study finds
An electronic prescribing system that tells doctors which drugs are the least expensive can save millions a year, a new study finds. And those savings were possible when just 20 percent of the doctors who had access to e-prescribing used it. "The potential savings increase with more availability and use of e-prescribing; for complete e-prescribing use, the projected savings are $3.91 million per 100,000 patients per year," the report said. A number of different electronic prescribing systems are available, but many doctors have been reluctant to use them. Establishing a system can cost an estimated $3,000, with maintenance costs estimated at $80 to $400 a month. A study earlier this year found that only 17 percent of U.S. doctors have embraced electronic medical record systems. The e-prescription system is growing rapidly, said Kate Berry.
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Health Highlights
**FDA Announces Recalls of Weight-Loss Pill, Dietary Supplement.
**FDA Sets Acceptable Melamine Threshold for Infant Formula.
**Doctors Upset About Losing Money on Vaccinations: Survey.
**Study Questions Use of Antioxidants to Fight Aging.
**Gene May Protect Against Lung Cancer.
**5 Distinct Types of Ovarian Cancer: Study.
**Cleveland Clinic to Disclose Doctors' Business Ties.
**294,000 Children Sickened by Melamine-Tainted Dairy Products: China.
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- Another Study Warns of Risk From Cardiac Surgery Drug: Patients given Trasylol have a higher death risk, data review finds
In the new study, Canadian and Australian researchers reviewed findings from 49 randomized clinical trials. They concluded that Trasylol posed a higher risk of death for patients than other anti-bleeding drugs, called lysine analogues. While Trasylol was somewhat more effective at controlling blood loss and transfusions than lysine analogues, its higher risk of death and significantly higher price are deterrents to its use, said the authors. They recommended tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid as alternatives to prevent blood loss during surgery. "Lysine analogues are almost as effective as aprotinin in controlling blood loss, are cheaper, and appear not to increase mortality," concluded Dr. David Henry and his co-authors. "The FDA has to be considered part of the problem," Dr. Eric J. Topol said. "Why weren't trials like this part of the early approval process...?
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- Preemies' Low Blood Pressure Linked to SIDS: Preterm infants already at higher risk for SIDS and this may be why, researchers say
Premature infants often have lower-than-normal blood pressure that persists during the first six months of life and may be one reason these infants are more prone to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Australian researchers suggest. One theory of the cause of SIDS is a profound drop in blood pressure during sleep, from which the infant cannot recover. "We hypothesize that if blood pressure is already low in preterm babies, then if there was an event during sleep that made it fall even further they may be at risk of a profound drop in blood pressure," Rosemary S.C. Horne said.
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- Beware of Toxic Toys This Holiday Season: Dangerous chemicals make some playthings unfit for kids, report claims
Plastic fish squirt guns and plastic ponies containing the controversial compounds called phthalates. Toy cars and toy earrings laced with lead. Plastic pet animals that pose a choking hazard. "The same old advice for parents and consumers applies to ensure safe play -- shop for brands you know at retailers you trust; and especially when there are young children in the home -- read and follow age labeling on toys; demonstrate safe play for your child, and supervise play," the Toy Industry Association (TIA) said. "It is not unreasonable for parents to think that if you can buy a toy in a store, it must be safe," Dr. Karen Sheehan said. "However, this is definitely not the case. "Parents need to carefully choose toys -- especially for young children who put things in their mouths," she said.
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- Blood Pressure Pill Combo More Effective Than Diuretics: Study suggests need to change therapeutic guidelines
A pill that contains two blood pressure drugs was more effective than a diuretic-based strategy in reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular problems and death in people with high blood pressure. The patients took either a tablet containing benazepril (an ACE inhibitor) and amlodipine (a calcium channel blocker) or a tablet that contained benazepril and hydrochloro-thiazide, a type of diuretic (water pill). The researchers said the findings suggest the need to change current blood pressure control guidelines, which call for initial treatment with a diuretic, with other drugs added only as needed to lower blood pressure. "This robust study showed us that switching patients to a single-pill combination meant that twice as many patients got to their blood pressure goal, regardless of previous therapy," said study leader Dr. Kenneth Jamerson.
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- Robotic Device Could Help Stroke Patients: Appears to help stroke victims recover motor skills, even more than six months after a stroke.
U.S. researchers say they've developed a hand-exercising robotic device that appears to help stroke victims recover motor skills, even more than six months after a stroke. Brain scans using fMRI technology found that the device seemed to boost activity in the cortex, the region of the brain that corresponds with hand use, even after patients stopped using the tool. In another study researchers reported that hospitals can significantly boost the number of stroke patients who get a crucial drug treatment, if they make portable CT (computed tomography) scanners available in hospital rooms. According to the study authors, making a CT scanner immediately available could quicken diagnosis and improve by 86 percent the number of stroke patients who could be treated with tPA within the crucial three-hour window after a stroke.
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- Vitamin D Vital for the Heart: Lack of the sunlight-derived nutrient tied to increased cardiovascular events
A lack of vitamin D, which is absorbed primarily through exposure to sunlight, helps boost the risk of heart attacks and strokes, new research finds. Experts estimate that up to half of adults and 30 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are vitamin D-deficient, according to the report. Vitamin D is not just another vitamin, Robert U. Simpson said. "It is a precursor to a hormone, and this pre-hormone is responsible for making a very important regulator of cardiovascular processes," he said. Supplementation is an acceptable way of getting enough vitamin D, Simpson added. "Food is not really an option," Simpson said. "You don't get enough vitamin D in the foods we ordinarily eat. Supplementation is my preferred choice, although I get sunlight whenever the sun shines here in Ann Arbor."
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- Women Smokers Lose 14.5 Years Off Life Span: November is lung cancer awareness month, and doctors urge everyone to kick the habit
Even though smoking takes an average of 14.5 years off women's lives, almost one in five American women age 18 and older smokes. "The damaging effects of smoking on women are extensive, well-documented, and can be observed from the cradle to the premature grave," Dr. Sharon Phelan said. "Smoking is a harmful habit that negatively affects nearly every organ in the body. There's just no good reason not to quit," she said. Almost 60 percent of children ages 3 to 11 are exposed to secondhand smoke, which puts them at increased risk for a wide range of health problems. This article includes a list of the dangers of smoking.
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- Contact Lens Cases Often Contaminated: Study finds germs appear even in the presence of disinfecting solutions
Pathogens were found in all the types of storage solutions examined in the study, and some of the solutions tested positive for pathogens every time they were tested. These pathogens can cause keratitis, an often painful inflammation of the cornea. Complications from keratitis can lead to vision loss. The researchers advised contact lens users to closely adhere to contact lens care guidelines, including frequent cleaning and replacing their lens case regularly in order to prevent contamination. If contact lenses aren't properly cleaned and disinfected, there's an increased risk of severe eye infection. Any lens that's removed from the eye needs to be cleaned and disinfected before it's reinserted. Care of contact lenses includes cleaning the storage case, since it's a potential source of infection, the AAO said.
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- Binge Drinking Clogs Arteries With Plaque: Immune cells stick inside blood vessels causing inflammation, blockage, study finds
Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, which is mostly converted into acetaldehyde. The Rochester team found that binge drinking-related levels of acetaldehyde make immune cells called monocyctes more likely to stick to blood vessel walls and cause inflammation that contributes to blood vessel blockage -- atherosclerosis. The study contributes to a growing body of evidence that drinking patterns have as much, or more, impact on cardiovascular disease risk than the total amount of alcohol consumed. Binge drinking means having five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women in two hours, according to the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Some studies have suggested that an irregular pattern of heavy drinking increases the risk of heart attack about two-fold.
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- TV, Internet Causing Kids Harm: There's a strong link between media exposure and childhood obesity, smoking and sexual activity experts say
"This review is the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of the many ways that media impacts children's physical health," said lead researcher Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel. "The results clearly show that there is a strong correlation between media exposure and long-term negative health effects to children. This study provides an important jumping-off point for future research that should explore both the effects of traditional media content and that of digital media -- such as video games, the Internet, and cell phones -- which kids are using today with more frequency," Emanuel said. He and his colleagues recommend that parents limit their children's exposure to media and make wise, age-appropriate decisions for their children.
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- Generic Heart Drugs as Good as Brand-Name Counterparts: Review found most were as effective, despite editorials urging opposite
Brand-name drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease are no better than generics, a new review of available evidence shows. All of the studies involving beta blockers, antiplatelet agents, statins, ACE inhibitors and alpha-blockers showed clinical equivalence, while 91 percent of randomized controlled trials showed clinical equivalence for diuretics, and 71 percent showed the same for calcium-channel blockers. Yet 53 percent of 43 editorials had a negative take on substituting generic drugs. "We found no evidence that a brand-name drug is clinically superior," Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim said. Almost half of the trials and nearly all of the editorial and commentaries failed to identify funding sources. The advantage to generic medications, of course, is that they cost substantially less.
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Health Highlights
**IKEA Blinds Recalled After Girl's Death.
**FDA Announces Recalls of Weight-Loss Pill, Dietary Supplement.
**Epilepsy Drugs May Cause Skin Reactions in Asian Patients: FDA.
**New Gout Drug Backed by FDA Panel.
**Medicaid Paying for Unapproved Drugs: Report.
**Infrared Light May Hold Clue to 'Clarifying' Cochlear Implants.
**N.P.R. Radio Host Has Ties to Drug Makers.
**Forward-Facing Strollers Stress Babies.
**Hairspray May Increase Risk of Male Birth Defect: Study.
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- Improper Microwaving Led to Pot Pie-Salmonella Outbreak: CDC urges clearer cooking instructions to protect consumers
A salmonella outbreak across dozens of states last year was caused by microwaveable frozen pot pies that weren't properly cooked. Other microwaveable not-ready-to-eat foods, such as chicken nuggets and breaded pre-browned chicken breasts, have been linked with other salmonella outbreaks. Although some of these products appear to require only warming, they contain raw ingredients that require full cooking, the CDC report said. Microwave ovens heat unevenly and that means some parts of a food item might be more thoroughly heated than other areas. To help prevent food-illness outbreaks, manufacturers need to provide clear labeling and cooking instructions on not-ready-to-eat foods so that consumers are aware of health risks and cook the foods properly, the CDC said.
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- Weight Boosts Older Women's Breast Cancer Risk: It's the added pounds, not impaired detection, that's to blame, study concludes
Being overweight boosts the risk of getting advanced breast cancer for older women, according to a new study that looked at more than 287,000 women and took into account their mammogram habits. The weight itself is to blame for the added risk, the researchers concluded. "The risk of an advanced stage cancer for an obese women is 56 percent to 82 percent higher than for a normal-weight woman," Dr. Karla Kerlikowske said. And the findings also revealed the more obese a woman was, the higher her risk for breast cancer. Women who were overweight but not obese had a 10 percent to 35 percent increased risk of breast cancer compared to normal-weight women, the researcher said. "While many risk factors are not changeable, losing weight remains under a woman's control," Dr. Joann Elmore said.
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- Depression's Behavior Changes Linked to Heart Risks: But lifestyle modifications, especially exercise, can cut the odds, study says
Negative changes in health behaviors are a major reason why heart patients with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, say U.S. researchers. Heart patients with depression are less likely to follow dietary, exercise and medication recommendations, and poor health behaviors can lead to cardiovascular events, said the authors of the study. They said their findings "raise the hypothesis that the increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with depression could potentially be preventable with behavior modifications, especially exercise.
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- Iressa as Good as Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer: Daily pill easier to take, has fewer side effects than chemotherapy, experts say
The cancer-fighting pill Iressa works as well as chemotherapy as a second-line treatment for lung cancer, researchers report. Although neither therapy prolongs survival beyond eight months, Iressa (gefitinib) causes fewer serious side effects and may be a better choice for patients who did not do well on their first round of chemotherapy. "A pill, with less side effects, taken once a day, has similar activity to traditional chemotherapy given by vein every three weeks," said lead researcher Dr. Edward Kim. This finding should reassure doctors that they are not compromising effective therapy by using a pill, Kim said. Iressa is not available in the United States, but a similar drug, Tarceva, is.
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- Long-Term Erythromycin Cut COPD Complications: But researchers remain cautious about future antibiotic resistance from widespread use
People with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be able to reduce the frequency of exacerbations through a regular, low dose of a common antibiotic, a new report says. The study found that twice-daily 250-milligram doses of erythromycin reduced exacerbations by as much as 35 percent. "Many patients with advanced COPD receive highly potent, extended spectrum antibiotics during acute exacerbations. The relative risks of breeding resistance with a long-term preventative use of erythromycin versus more frequent short-term dosing of highly potent antibiotics for acute exacerbations require careful analysis. If future studies demonstrate similar efficacy of prolonged erythromycin therapy, especially if patients are already receiving inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilators, the benefits likely will outweigh the risks."
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- FDA Approves New Drug for Severe Epilepsy: Trials showed Banzel proved effective against Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
A new drug called Banzel (rufinamide) has been approved as a supplementary treatment for a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Compared to patients who took a placebo, those who took the drug had 41 percent fewer tonic plus atonic seizures and 20 percent fewer seizures of any type, the agency said in a news release. Common side effects included headache, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, double vision, nausea, vomiting, and problems walking. As with all other antiepileptic drugs, Banzel will carry a warning that it may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. All patients who take Banzel must be given a patient medication guide that describes the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors associated with this class of drugs, the FDA said.
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- Exercise Keeps the Brain Young: Experiments in mice find running increases production of neural stem cells
In experiments in mice, exercise appears to reverse the decline in the production of brain stem cells usually seen with aging, Taiwanese researchers report. This remarkable restoration of the brain's ability to stave off aging appears to be due to exercise's ability to restore a neurochemical that is essential for the production of new brain cells. "As we age, the ability of producing new neurons is decreasing. However, moderate running can improve the production, survival and maturation of new neurons in the brain," said lead researcher Yu-Min Kuo. "The production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus decreases dramatically by middle age, and moderate running exercise can slow this trend," Kuo said. "Chronic moderate running enhances the production of neurotrophic factor, which promotes neurogenesis, and the differentiation and survival of newborn neurons."
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Health Highlights
**U.S. to Detain Milk Products From China.
**Nearly Half of Primary-Care Doctors Want To Stop Practicing or Reduce Patient Loads: Too Many Government Regulations and Government Red Tape.
**Scientists Working on Skin Cancer Vaccine.
**Liver Cells Damaged by Levels of Arsenic That Meet U.S. Standards for Drinking Water.
**Gardasil Protects Men Against Genital Warts: Study.
**New Drug-Resistant Bacteria Spreading: Report.
**Burlington, Vt. 'Healthiest' U.S. City.
**Plastic Pieces Found in Lean Cuisine Chicken Meals.
**G.E. Wall Ovens Pose Fire Hazard: Report.
**Protein Linked to Ability of Breast Cancer Cells to Spread.
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- IV 'Ice Slurry' Quickly Cools Body for Surgeries: Innovative approach could give heart attack victims, other patients more time, developers say
The "ice slurry" can be pumped easily into the body through a small intravenous catheter directly into a patient's bloodstream. This cooling effect slows the demand for oxygen by the brain and other organs, giving doctors added time to diagnose and treat critical emergency cases or protect the heart, brain, kidneys and spinal cord in certain surgeries. "Current medical guidance says that if you want to save the brain, you have to lower its temperature by four or five degrees Celsius within five to 10 minutes of cardiac arrest if paramedics can't restart the heart," said engineer Ken Kasza. "For the first time, we have a means of attaining the necessary temperature in that short span of time."
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- Vitamin D Deficit Could Lead to Heart Woes: Winter's lack of sun means adults at risk should be monitored, experts say
The lack of sunshine during winter may diminish vitamin D levels in the body and harm cardiovascular health, U.S. researchers say. Diet alone isn't sufficient to manage vitamin D levels, study author Penckofer and her team concluded. Treatment options, such as vitamin D2 or D3, may decrease the risk of severe heart disease or death. "Most physicians do not routinely test for vitamin D deficiency. However, most experts would agree that adults at risk for heart disease and others who experience fatigue, joint pain, or depression should have their vitamin D levels measured," Sue Penckofer said. She and her colleagues reviewed a number of studies that linked vitamin D deficiency to heart disease. The studies said rates of severe heart disease or death may be 30 percent to 50 percent higher in sun-deprived heart disease patients.
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- Early HIV Treatment Best for Babies: It saves lives and slows the progression of AIDS, study confirms
A new study finalizes research that changed guidelines around the world regarding when HIV-infected babies should begin drug therapy. Based on preliminary findings released last year, several health agencies like the World Health Organization now advise doctors to begin HIV treatment early in babies, instead of waiting because of fear that the medications will do more harm than good. The researchers stopped the trial in 2007, because survival rates were greatly improved among those children who received early treatment. Infant mortality was reduced by 76 percent, and HIV progression by 75 percent, the study said. Death rates among those who got early treatment were similar to those among infants who weren't HIV-infected, said study co-author Dr. Diana Gibb.
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- Unique Bone Marrow Transplant Said to Cure Sickle Cell: Technique is safe and effective, say Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reseachers
A unique form of bone marrow transplantation is the only safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh report. This new transplant method relies on reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, which are less toxic to patients and eliminate life-threatening side effects generally associated with bone marrow transplantation. This means transplants can be offered to patients with severe sickle cell disease. "Through the reduced-intensity approach we developed, the potential for complications is dramatically lessened. This study offers hope for a cure for thousands of patients with severe sickle cell disease," Dr. Lakshmanan Krishnamurti said.
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- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel: These older treatments may sometimes work best, researchers say
For some patients, the best therapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be older, cheaper drugs such as fiber, antispasmodics and peppermint oil, a new study finds. According to researchers, these simple treatments have fallen out of favor because of the availability of newer (and more expensive) drugs, some of which have been taken off the market due to safety concerns. But more traditional therapies should become first-line treatments in guidelines for the treatment of IBS, the experts say. There were no serious side effects associated with any of these treatments, the researchers note. Peppermint oil appeared to be the most effective therapy of those reviewed, the researchers found.
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- Enrollment for Medicare Drug Plans Begins Again: Changes since last year mean seniors should shop wisely, experts say
Premiums aren't the only consideration when choosing a plan. Another important issue is making sure the plan you choose covers the drugs you take. Covered drugs and restrictions on drugs vary from plan to plan, so it's important to review each plan before making a choice, Paul Precht said. One of the most serious issues in choosing a plan is the coverage gap, or so-called "doughnut hole." While in this gap in coverage, most Part D participants must pay 100 percent of their total drug costs. For most plans this will total $3,454 in 2009, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Considering the price of drugs in a plan is also important, Precht said. "There are a number of plans that charge quite a bit more for generics than other plans," he said. "Particularly for people who take multiple drugs, that can make a difference between getting in the doughnut hole......"
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- Traces of Corn Found in Almost All Fast Food: Only 12 servings out of hundreds had nutrients that didn't contain it, researchers say
"We found that corn is not just a grain used in the production of fast food, it is the basis of all fast food," said study author A. Hope Jahren. "Of the hundreds of fast-food meals we purchased across the country, there were only about 12 servings of food that could potentially be traced back to something besides corn." The findings may not be very surprising considering that corn and its byproducts -- including the controversial high-fructose corn syrup -- are such an integral part of the American diet. Still, "the heavy use of corn in the U.S. food supply has been linked with obesity related to the availability of cheap, low-nutrient food," said Cynthia Sass. The study authors pointed out that their research didn't include another possible source of corn in a fast-food diet: soft drinks that use high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener.
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- Post-Workout Snack May Hamper Weight Loss: It's smart for athletes, not so smart for average gym-goer, studies show
Elite athletes are advised to "fill the tank" with an energy bar or sports drink soon after a workout. But for mere mortals -- folks who are simply trying to keep their weight in check or stave off heart disease -- adding calories right after burning them up could negate the benefits of the sweat, researchers say. "If people are going to go out and exercise to benefit their health, they should not be eating back the calories immediately upon finishing, or within a couple of hours of finishing," said Barry S. Braun. "In order to maintain the benefits, you need to be in this calorie deficit." "Athletes are always advised to do exactly the opposite," he continued. "That's great for athletes, but for the other 99.9 percent of the world, that's probably the wrong thing."
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Health Highlights
**Gas-Relief Drops for Babies Recalled.
**C. Difficile Infections Common in Hospitals.
**'Assassin' Immune Cells Target HIV.
**Women's Mental Health Affects Stillbirth Risk.
**Malaria Vaccine Tested in Large Study.
**Chromosome Screening Technique Boosts IVF Success.
**Lung Cancer Drug Shows Promise in New Trial.
**Contaminated Heparin Seized From Cincinnati Company.
**N. Dakota Warns About Lead in Wild Game Meat.
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- Overnight Dialysis Saves Lives: Study. Kidney patients also experienced better blood pressure control
Dialysis for eight hours a night, three times a week, reduced the risk of death for kidney patients by nearly 80 percent, compared to conventional, four-hour dialysis three times a week, a new study found. The overnight patients experienced a 78 percent drop in mortality compared with standard patients. Also, overnight patients experienced marked improvements in blood pressure control, which translated into a two-thirds drop in the use of blood pressure medications. And, levels of the mineral phosphate declined toward normal levels among the overnight dialysis patients, which led to a 72 percent decline in the use of drugs to lower phosphate absorption. The overnight patients also reported increased appetite, desirable weight gain, and a boost in blood protein levels.
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- Beta Blocker Use Questioned in Non-Heart Surgery: Increased risk of stroke a major issue in analysis of 33 research projects
An analysis of 33 studies on drugs known as beta blockers has concluded that they are not useful in any surgical procedure other than heart surgery. In fact, using beta blockers for non-coronary surgery may actually increase the risk of stroke, the scientists say. The increased risk of stroke, occurring in 1 of every 293 beta blocker recipients, is especially important, Dr. Franz Messerli said. "Stroke is one of the most devastating complications of cardiovascular disease," he said. "For that reason, we would be very reluctant to use beta blockers in noncomplicated patients." Beta blocker usage was also associated with a high risk of bradycardia, low heart rate requiring medical treatment, which occurred in 1 of every 22 people getting beta blockers, and of lower blood pressure dangerous enough to require treatment.
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- Study Upholds Stopping Plavix Use Before Surgery: Taken less than 5 days before operation leads to more bleeding, longer hospital stay, study finds
Someone who has taken the clot-preventing drug Plavix less than five days before having bypass surgery runs a higher risk of excess bleeding, is more likely to require a second operation, and will spend more time in the hospital, says a study that buttresses current guidelines. Those guidelines from the American College of Surgeons recommend discontinuing Plavix five to seven days before coronary artery bypass surgery, said Dr. Richard C. Becker. Bypass surgery should not be performed until five days after Plavix is stopped, "unless there is an absolute emergency to operate, which is not often these days, because we have other approaches," Dr. Jawahar L. Mehta said.
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- High Blood Fat Levels Tied to Ischemic Stroke Risk: Study says triglyceride tests done without fasting simpler, better define those in danger
"Our results are really quite clear," said Dr. Borge G. Nordestgaard. "For the highest level, those with triglycerides above 443 milligrams per deciliter [of blood], they have a three- to four-fold higher risk of ischemic stroke, compared to those with the lowest levels, less than 89 milligrams per deciliter." That association "is much higher than previously found for elevated cholesterol levels," Nordestgaard noted. And the new study did not measure triglyceride levels in the usual way -- after an eight- to 12-hour fast, Nordestgaard said. These no-fasting readings are better for two reasons, he said: "First, they are simpler for the patient, and second, they are better at defining people at higher risk of stroke and myocardial infarction [heart attack].
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- Heart Failure Hospitalizations Up Sharply: Epidemic linked to hypertension, obesity, diabetes, study shows
Hospitalization rates for heart failure among older Americans have increased dramatically in the past three decades, an epidemic that represents a mounting burden on the health-care system, a new study has found. In 2006, an estimated 807,082 men and women over 65 were hospitalized for heart failure, up from 348,866 in 1980 -- a 131 percent increase. And the increase in hospitalization rates has been more dramatic among women than men, according to the Drexel University study. The heart failure epidemic is mirrored by a number of other epidemics, such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, all of which are also risk factors for heart failure, the study authors said.
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- Excess Weight Ups Risk of Death, No Matter Where It Collects: But too much abdominal fat poses a bigger threat, study finds
Whether you're shaped like an apple or a pear, if you're overweight, you have a higher risk of dying than someone of normal weight, a new European study says. But, those who tend to collect their weight around the middle -- apple-shaped -- face an even higher risk of death than those whose excess weight tends to settle in their hips and thighs -- pear-shaped. When the researchers factored in abdominal fat, they found that men with the largest waist circumference had more than double the risk of death, and women with the largest waist circumference increased their risk of death by 78 percent. Dr. Marc Siegel said: "Fat is a problem. Obesity of all kinds correlates with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and more. But, abdominal fat is a more rudimentary indicator of risk."
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- Smoking Coupled With Obesity Raises Death Risk: Two factors increase risk 8-fold, researchers say
The researchers found that as weight increased, so did the rate of death. Across all weights, people who smoked had the highest death rates. In fact, obese smokers had a six to eight times greater risk of dying compared with normal weight people who never smoked. In addition, among smokers with a large waist, the risk of dying was five times greater than among people with the smallest waists who never smoked, Annemarie Koster's team found. "If you are overweight and smoke, fixing either one can markedly improve your chances for a normal life span," Dr. David L. Katz said. "Fix both, and the probability of benefit is huge. The message is clear: We all have the power to choose a better medical destiny."
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- Flu Shots Lower Risk of Blood Clots: Study found getting one reduced chances by 26%
People who get their annual flu shot may reap an extra benefit: a reduction in their risk of developing a blood clot. The benefit appeared stronger in those under the age of 52, according to research. Individuals who had had a flu shot were 26 percent less likely to develop a blood clot. People younger than 52 were 48 percent less likely to form a blood clot. In women under the age of 51, the risk reduction was 50 percent, and in women under 51 taking birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy, the risk reduction was 59 percent.
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- Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease: Those with difficulties in low-light activities more likely to develop AMD, study says
More than 1,000 people with early signs of AMD were given a 10-item questionnaire asking them to rate their difficulties with night driving and low-light activities like reading or watching movies, then were followed annually for up to six years. Those with the worst night vision at the start were most likely to develop reduced visual acuity and one of two types of advanced AMD -- geographic atrophy (GA) or choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Study leader Gui-shuang Ying said the simple questionnaire could prove useful in identifying patients at high risk of vision loss and advanced AMD. AMD destroys the macula in the eye's retina, the area that normally provides detailed, central vision.
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- MP3 Player Headphones May Throw Off Cardiac Devices: Study found they could cause interference when placed too closely to pacemakers, ICDs
Tucking the headphones for your iPod into your coat pocket might not be exactly heart-stopping, but it could interfere with the normal functioning of your implanted cardiac device. Harvard researchers report that magnets in these headphones might throw off pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) when placed within an inch of the devices. Although interference is unlikely to cause life-threatening problems, the authors of the study advise those with ICDs and pacemakers to keep headphones at least 1.2 inches from their device. "People need to take just as much care with their MP3 as much as they do with other sources of electromagnetic interference," said Dr. Daniel Morin.
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Health Highlights
**High-Fat Diet May Increase Alzheimer's Risk.
**Consumer Group Questions Safety of Nanoparticles in Sunscreens.
**FDA OKs New Drug for Overactive Bladder.
**Short Bursts of Exercise Seen as Effective as Endurance Activities.
**Too Much High-Fat Dairy and Eggs Increase Heart Risk.
**Researchers Study Lithium Treatment for Neuron Disease.
**Blood Test Could Identify Obesity Risk.
**Left-Handed People More Inhibited: Study.
**HIV Vaccine May Have Increased Infection Risk: Report.
**New Guidelines for Common Inner Ear Problem.
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- Consumer Group Seeks FDA Ban on Avandia: Public Citizen cites liver failure deaths, other risks of adverse events for diabetes drug
The group said it has identified 14 cases of Avandia-induced liver failure, including 12 deaths. The cases were found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System. Public Citizen's call for an FDA ban on Avandia (generic name rosiglitazone) comes as an American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes working group unanimously advised against the use of the drug. Liver toxicity is the latest problem linked to Avandia. According to Public Citizen, the drug increases the risk of heart attack by about 40 percent, doubles the risk of heart failure and bone fractures, and increases the risk of anemia and vision loss from macular edema, a swelling of the retina caused by fluid accumulation in the eye.
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- Sudden Death Risk Highest 30 Days After Heart Attack: But mortality rate has declined over past 3 decades, study shows
The study "underscores the imperative to work together to provide the best possible care" in the weeks after a heart attack, Dr. Veronique Roger said. "We need to be particularly alert to monitor patients regularly for any sign of heart failure, to apply additional treatments, therapeutic and management options," she said. If there are suspicions of heart failure an imaging study such as echocardiography should be done to verify the condition, she said. Treatment options include a variety of medications, from beta blockers to cholesterol-lowering statins to aspirin, Roger said. Lifestyle changes such as better diet should also be implemented, she said. Symptoms of heart failure that require immediate attention include shortness of breath, persistent coughing or wheezing, fatigue, confusion, bloating and swelling.
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- Tailored Treatment Boosts Kidney Cancer Survival: Study concludes one-size-fits-all therapy needs to be changed
Personalized treatment of kidney cancer patients can increase survival, according to a UCLA study of almost 1,500 patients that identified subsets of kidney cancer that behave differently and need to be treated accordingly. "We have shown that not all kidney cancer patients are the same, not all localized kidney cancers are the same, and not all metastatic kidney cancers are the same," said study senior author Dr. Arie Belldegrun. Patients with localized kidney cancer can have either low-, intermediate-, or high-risk cancers based on the chance for recurrence, the researchers found. Patients with kidney cancer that's spread (metastatic cancer) can also be categorized into similar subsets. "Now we can base treatment decisions based on that," Belldegrun said.
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- Coconut Oil May Help Fight Childhood Pneumonia: Symptoms eased faster when it was added to antibiotic therapy, study found
Virgin coconut oil, added to antibiotic therapy, may help relieve the symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia in kids faster than antibiotic therapy alone, a new study finds. Children who received coconut oil therapy along with antibiotics had fewer crackles (a wheezing sound in the lungs), a shorter time with an elevated respiratory rate and fever, better oxygen saturation in the blood, and shorter hospital stays. Dr. Daniel Rauch said he wouldn't discourage a parent from trying this treatment, as long as they were still using antibiotics, but he said it's important that children aren't forced to take virgin coconut oil, or any other oil for that matter. The concern, he said, is that if a child is forced to ingest something like coconut oil, and doesn't really don't want to, he may end up choking on it and aspirating the oil into the lungs which is very dangerous
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- Epilepsy Drug May Prevent, Treat Alzheimer's: Valproic acid blocked formation of brain plaques in mice, Canadian study finds
A drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder may help prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, according to Canadian researchers, who found that valproic acid (VPA) blocked the formation of Alzheimer's-related brain plaques in mice. The team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute also found that treatment with VPA in the early stages of Alzheimer's reversed memory decline. "We are very excited about these results, because we now know when VPA should be administered to be most effective, and we now know VPA is working to prevent AD. A small human clinical trial is currently under way, and we expect results to be available in the next year," Weihong Song said.
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Health Highlights
**High-Fat Diet May Increase Alzheimer's Risk.
**FDA Didn't Properly Assess BPA Health Risks.
**Cold Germs Found on Many Household Surfaces: Can Survive For Up To Two Days.
**FDA Didn't Properly Assess BPA Health Risks: Experts.
**Vitamin E, Selenium Don't Cut Prostate Cancer Risk.
**Inhibitor Neutralizes E. Coli Toxins.
**Earlier AIDS Drug Treatment Saves Lives: Study.
**Implantable Artificial Heart Nearly Ready for Human Tests.
**Mechanical Heart Pump Recalled After Deaths.
**Tagless Label Ink May Cause Baby Rashes.
**Sales of Anti-Obesity Drug Acomplia Suspended in Europe.
**Didj Gaming System Batteries, Rechargers Pose Overheating Risk.
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- Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart: Greater risk of heart attack, and more complications later, studies find
People newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis face twice the risk of a heart attack, and those who do suffer a heart attack tend to have more heart-related complications, new research says. It seems that a condition called diastolic dysfunction, which causes the lower chambers of the heart to become stiff, is the culprit. For the study the researchers found that the rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 45 percent greater risk of developing heart failure after a heart attack, compared with the general population, and a 75 percent greater risk of dying. For the second study over 10 years of follow-up, the researchers found that patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis had almost double the risk of a heart attack and dying from a heart attack. The increased risk grew over time, starting five years after diagnosis, the study found.
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- Common Heart Drugs May Hamper Blood Thinner: Calcium channel blockers could inhibit Plavix action, study say
Calcium channel blocker drugs, which are widely prescribed for coronary conditions, might reduce the effect of the clot-preventing drug Plavix, a new study says. Calcium channel blockers appear to inactivate an enzyme essential for the activity of Plavix, said the report by Austrian physicians. Studying 200 people who were taking Plavix after artery-opening procedures and stent placement, the University of Vienna researchers found a higher level of activity of platelets -- the blood cells that can clump together to form blood clots -- in those also taking calcium channel blockers. "Moreover, intake of calcium channel blockers was associated with adverse clinical outcome," the researchers wrote. Dr. John H. Alexander said "The clinical impact is to lead physicians to look for alternatives to calcium channel blockers," he said. "There are lots of alternatives...."
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- Osteoporosis Meds Linked to Heart Problem: Bisphosphonates may up rate of serious atrial fibrillation, review finds
The popular bone-building medications known as bisphosphonates may have a rare, but serious, cardiac side effect. A review of available research concludes that these medications may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation -- an erratic heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots that may cause heart attacks or strokes. For serious cases of atrial fibrillation, there was a significant increase in risk -- about 68 percent," said review lead author Dr. Jennifer Miranda. But Miranda noted that the absolute risk of someone experiencing atrial fibrillation while on these medications was actually quite small, probably around 1 percent to 2 percent.
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- High-Dose Flu Shot Benefits Elderly: Heightened immune activity seen in people 65 and older, study says
A high dose of seasonal flu vaccine gives an added boost to the immune system of people aged 65 and older and provides them with better protection, according to a U.S. study that included nearly 4,000 people. Blood tests showed that participants who received a dose four times greater than the standard flu vaccine had 30 percent to 80 percent more antibodies against flu than those who received the standard dose. The level of antibodies in the blood has long been considered a good indication of how much protection people have against the flu. In the United States, people 65 and older account for about 90 percent of the estimated 36,000 people who die from flu-related causes each year, according to background information in the news release.
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- Statins Reduced Death Risk From Pneumonia: One-third lower mortality for hospitalized patients, study found
The death rate among people hospitalized for pneumonia was one-third lower for those taking statins than for those not taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs, a Danish study found. While the findings are preliminary and offer hope, more research is needed before doctors can prescribe statins as infection fighters, experts said. The 30-day death rate for the statin group was 10.3 percent, compared to 15.7 percent for those not taking statins. The 90-day death rate was 16.8 percent for the statin group and 22.4 percent for those not taking the drugs. While Dr. Jeffrey Jacobson agreed that the current evidence does not support use of statins in the treatment of infections, "what is really promising about them is that they are readily available, relatively safe and affordable, and can be used immediately," he said.
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- Hot Flashes, Night Sweats a Good Sign for Breast Cancer Patients: Symptoms correlated with lower recurrence rates, study finds
Hot flashes, night sweats and joint symptoms in breast cancer patients getting endocrine treatment are signs of estrogen depletion or blockage and may point to successful treatment, British researchers report. They compared women who reported these symptoms and those who didn't mention such symptoms at their first follow-up visit during a trial assessing tamoxifen or anastrozole for adjuvant therapy of postmenopausal breast cancer. The differences in cancer recurrence rates were seen with both tamoxifen and anastrozole. Overall, patients with and without these symptoms who received anastrozole had lower recurrence rates than those who received tamoxifen.
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- Drug Improves Outcomes for Gout Patients: Study says pegloticase viable treatment for those who've run out of options
The patients -- mostly men with an average age of 55 years -- had a significantly better response to pegloticase than to the placebo. While there wasn't a significant difference in number of gout flares, more of the patients who took the drug had more complete resolution of tophi, which are chalky deposits or uric acid. The patients who took pegloticase also noticed improved physical function. Overall, pegloticase was successful in treating 40 percent of patients. Successful treatment was defined as having uric acid readings within the normal range at least 80 percent of the time in months three and six.
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- Research Reveals Why Tamoxifen Doesn't Always Work: Receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells may be the key, scientists say
Scientists have uncovered new clues to how breast cancer cells become resistant to the widely-used prevention and treatment drug tamoxifen. The findings, from a team at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), in Washington, D.C., could provide a way to identify tamoxifen users who have become resistant, so that doctors can try a better treatment option sooner. According to the study, tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells display few of the "alpha" estrogen receptors that the drug is designed to bind with and inhibit. Instead, they display many more "gamma" estrogen-related receptors, which tamoxifen appears to activate, the researchers said. The Georgetown group also tracked how, as tamoxifen resistance increases, breast cancer cells gradually lose their alpha receptors while gaining more estrogen-related gamma receptors.
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