Previous Medical News
2009/05/02
1. Influenza A (H1N1) (aka Swine Flu): An Update (Multiple sources)
Symptoms include a fever of more than 100, coughing, joint aches, severe headache and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea. It could take four to six months before the first batch of vaccines are available. Frequent hand washing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and staying away from work or school if not feeling well is advised.
2. FDA warns of salmonella in sprouts (FDA, 4/26/09)
Do not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts, they may be contaminated with salmonella.
3. Contaminated spinach found in Wisconsin: Kleen-Pak curly-leaf spinach contaminated by salmonella (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 4/30/09)
4. Researchers find first common autism gene (Nature/Molecular Psychiatry, 4/09)
Researchers have found the first common genetic link to autism and conclude it could potentially account for 15 percent of the disease's cases.
5. Doctors urge baseline test for prostate cancer at age 40 (American Urological Association, 4/27/09)
An influential doctors group is backing off its call for annual tests after age 50 to screen for prostate cancer. Many men do not need yearly screening, but each man's risk should be individually assessed, according to the American Urological Association. Apparently, annual screening is leading to unnecessary biopsies and treatment with little proof that it saves lives. Screening involves a physical exam and a blood test for a substance called PSA. The urology group's new advice says men should be offered a baseline PSA test at age 40, and follow-ups at intervals based on each man's situation. A high PSA at age 40 greatly predicts a risk of prostate cancer.
6. 1 in 5 U.S. Deaths Attributed to Smoking, High BP (PLoS Medicine, 4/09)
Want to reduce your risk of dying prematurely? Don't smoke and keep a healthy blood pressure level. Each of those factors accounts for about one in five deaths among U.S. adults. Other dietary, metabolic and lifestyle factors also accounted for a substantial number of deaths in the United States:
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- High salt intake
- Low intake of fruits and vegetables
- High blood sugar levels
- High "bad" cholesterol
- Overweight or obesity
- High intake of trans fat
- High intake of salt
- Low intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Low intake of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish)
- Alcohol intake
7. New Treatment Combo Better Against Hepatitis C (New England Journal of Medicine, 4/30/09)
Adding the antiviral drug telaprevir to standard treatment for hepatitis C increases the cure rate. Current treatment for hepatitis C (HCV) genotype 1, the most common subtype, is a combination of two drugs, pegylated interferon and ribavirin, given over 48 weeks. This treatment cures less than half of patients and has side effects that make it difficult for some patients to complete the treatment. 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.
8. High Doses of Vitamin D Cut MS Relapses (annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, 4/28/09)
High doses of vitamin D dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis.
9. Tysabri May Treat Myelin Sheath Damage From MS (annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, 4/28/09)
The drug Tysabri (natalizumab) appears to regenerate and stabilize damage done to the myelin sheath in people with multiple sclerosis.
10. Diabetes fundamentally a lifestyle disease (Archives of Internal Medicine, 4/27/09)
Diet, activity level and other lifestyle factors play a pivotal role in a person's risk of developing diabetes -- even after age 65. With aging, diabetes is common and it's almost entirely preventable. Physical activity level, diet, smoking habits, alcohol use, body weight and waist circumference are lifestyle factors that affect risk of developing diabetes. A person's risk of diabetes fell by 35 percent for every low-risk lifestyle factor they had. 9 out of 10 of the cases of diabetes that occurred among the study participants could be attributed to lifestyle factors.
11. Easing job stress may ward off depression (American Journal of Epidemiology, 5/1/09)
Reducing on-the-job stress and strain may lower the risk of depression.
12. Botox’s First Major Rival Cleared for Sale in U.S.: Dysport (FDA, Ipsen SA and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., 4/30/09)
The Botox shot, the most popular U.S. cosmetic procedure, will soon face competition from a new wrinkle smoother. Ipsen SA and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell their product, Dysport, for both aesthetic and therapeutic use. Like Allergan Inc.’s Botox, the new injection uses a type of botulinum toxin to relax the muscles that cause forehead lines and a neck-twisting disorder called cervicaldystonia.
13. Pain drugs to carry more prominent U.S. warnings (FDA, 5/28/09)
Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Advil will be required to carry bolder warnings about the risk of liver damage or stomach bleeding. The new warnings will also point out the increased risk of liver damage with acetaminophen in consumers who drink three or more alcoholic drinks each day. They also call on consumers taking the widely used blood thinner warfarin to consult their doctors before taking acetaminophen products.
14. Computerized Scan Detects Heart Disease (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 4/28/09)
A computerized chest scan successfully singles out those people coming into emergency rooms with chest pains who have serious heart disease. Of the 368 people in the study, computed tomography angiography (CTA) was 100 percent effective in identifying the 31 who actually had acute coronary syndrome. None of the people who were cleared by the scans had a coronary event in the following six months.
15. Statins Guard Against Prostate Cancer (American Urological Association's annual meeting, 4/26/09)
Statins help prevent prostate cancer and reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.
16. Pomegranate Juice May Slow Prostate Cancer (American Urological Association's 104th annual scientific meeting, 4/26/09)
Drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily may slow the progression of localized prostate cancer (prostate cancer that hasn't spread). The study included 48 men who had surgery or radiation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer. The men, who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily, slowed down the time it took for their PSA levels to double.
17. Drinking wine makes men live longer (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 4/09)
Drinking up to half a glass of wine per day can help you live up to five years longer -- at least for men. More than half a glass starts bringing life expectancy down again. Drinking wine was strongly associated with a lower risk of dying from heart attack, stroke, and death from all causes. Those drinking only wine, and less than half a glass a day, lived some 2.5 years longer than those who drank beer and spirits, and almost five years longer than non-drinkers. The proportion of men drinking alcohol nearly doubled over the four decades, from 45 percent in 1960 to 86 percent in 2000. The proportion of those drinking wine skyrocketed, from two percent to 44 percent over the period.
18. FDA warns dieters: Stop Hydroxycut use immediately (FDA, 5/1/09)
The FDA has warned dieters and body builders to immediately stop using Hydroxycut, a widely sold supplement linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.
19. Doctors warn about camphor poisoning in children (Pediatrics, 5/09)
Doctors are warning parents to avoid using imported camphor products after poisonings in several New York City children. The products included folk remedies, pesticides and air fresheners.
20. Babies given transfusions in the womb do well (Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 5/09)
Babies with severe anemia who are given blood transfusions while still in the womb do not show signs of short-term or long-term developmental abnormalities.
21. Recall: Mama Mucci's Pasta (AP, 4/27/0)
The products were prepared without the benefit of federal inspection.
22. Recall: Personal Care Products Conducts Nationwide Recall of Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover Because of Possible Health Risk (FDA, 4/29/09)
Personal Care Products of Bingham Farms, MI is voluntarily conducting a nationwide recall of all lots of Personal Care non-acetone nail polish remover, conditioner enriched with gelatin, 6 fl. oz., UPC 4815592076, because it does not meet product specifications and has the potential to cause chemical burns to the fingers of users.
