Medicine Digest

Tweeting for Trials

2009-08-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

A new Twitter application by TrialX allows patients to use do-it-yourself social media to find clinical studies that match their health and disease profile. TrialX also lets patients with electronic personal health records like Microsoft HealthVault or Google Health import their information instead of filling out online pre-screening forms to be matched for trials. Clinical trials are an import

Patients Who Don't Take Their Medications Pay a Price

2009-08-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

Patients who don't take their medications as prescribed have more frequent hospitalizations, and a higher risk of death."One study cited in the report found that the death rate among diabetic and heart patients was 7 percent among patients who took their medications diligently, but 12 percent among patients who did not. Hospitalization rates showed similar gaps. . .Doing more to educate patients

Tylenol Liver Toxicity – What You Need to Know

2009-08-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Unintentional overdose with acetaminophen, found in Tylenol and over 200 over-the-counter and prescription medicines, is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. and United Kingdom. Acetaminophen liver toxicity is an active area of public health concern by the FDA and a number of initiatives are planned or under consideration to reduce this risk. These initiatives include stronger

Mom Always Said to Eat your Broccoli!

2008-02-29T16:48:00.000-08:00

An article in the online Cancer Research journal reminds us to eat our broccoli -- Mom is always right. . .A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumors in an animal model by more than half. . . This finding reinforces human epidemiologic studies that have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for

Sweetener Worse than Sugar for Dieters?

2008-02-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

Some recent animal data reported in the journal Behavioral Sciences suggests that consumption of artificial sweeteners may promote increased caloric intake by interfering with the body's normal response to sweet taste. . .. . . rats [were given] set amounts of yogurt sweetened with either sucrose or saccharin, plus an unrestricted supply of ordinary rat food and water. Five weeks later, the

Ginkgo Biloba -- Help or Harm

2008-02-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

From the current online journal of Neurology comes a study of the impact of ginko biloba on memory in 118 men and women aged 85 and older. . .. . .Ginkgo biloba, the popular herbal supplement widely promoted as a memory enhancer, offered no clear-cut protection against memory loss. . . and a small but disturbing pattern showed up in those who took the herb extract during the three-year study. . .

Herbal Treatment of Little Use in Hot Flashes

2006-12-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a great example of what Orac, Notes from Dr.RW, and others on the blogosphere classify as "woo" (unproven complementary alternative medicine) put to the test of evidence-based medicine published in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. . .. . . Black cohosh — an herb that is a member of the buttercup family and is commonly given to ease menopause symptoms — is available in

Ketek -- FDA Advisory Committee Gets it Right

2006-12-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

It's all about weighing risk vs benefit. . .A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended late Friday that a "black-box" warning be added to the controversial antibiotic Ketek for its use in fighting pneumonia. It's also possible that the drug will lose its approval for two lesser indications, sinusitis and bronchitis. . . . At the end of the second day, the committees voted

Ketek Liver Failure -- Stay Tuned

2006-12-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

This reported on CBS News yesterday. . .Iraq war veteran Chuck Gregg was back home with his family last winter when he got bronchitis. His doctor prescribed Ketek [telithromycin], a relatively new antibiotic, CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports. Five days later, Gregg was in the hospital with liver failure. >Full Story: CBS News. . . and we learn today. . . Two Food

Plain English on Prescription Labels Doesn't Cut It

2006-12-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

What is it about twice daily that you don't understand?Many Americans, including those with college degrees, have trouble interpreting the instructions on prescription drug labels. . . according to the study report in Annals of Internal Medicine. . . 9 percent of all those interviewed had trouble with the instruction, "take one tablet by mouth once each day." The problem is most common with the "

Print Me a New Femur Please

2006-12-14T00:34:00.000-08:00

"Bioprinting" with stem cells could be the wave of the future:An inkjet device that prints tiny “bio-ink” patterns has been used to simultaneously grow two different tissues from the stem cells of adult mice. Surgeons could one day use the technology to repair various damaged tissues at the same time, the researchers say.. . .Julie Phillippi at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, US, and

FDA Orders Unapproved Quinine Drugs from the Market

2006-12-13T23:09:00.000-08:00

Unapproved quinine products don't include cautions and warnings about serious adverse events:The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today [December 11, 2006] ordered firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing quinine, a drug used to treat malaria, citing serious safety concerns, including deaths, associated with quinine products. There are multiple unapproved products containing

Extended Intern Work Shift Duration Associated with More Medical Errors

2006-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is not surprising and there was probably a great deal of under reporting as well:A study from the U.S. of doctors in their first postgraduate year (interns) has showed that working extended shifts is associated with increased reporting by the doctors of medical errors, adverse patient events and attentional failures.. . .The authors conclude that "These results have important public policy

The Fentanyl Patch -- A Misunderstood Dosage Form

2006-12-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

Over on Kevin, M.D. comes this:It seems that most of the overdoses [with the fentanyl patch] are from people who took the medication without a prescription, or by not following instructions: "One patch is supposed to last for three days, and she used all five patches from Thursday to Sunday," the man said. "She was in such pain, she probably didn't really know what she was supposed to do."

Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drug Errors – Protect Yourself

2006-12-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

Medication errors are an important health risk. Human error is of course a factor, however, frequently there is a root cause or system process problem that allows that error to occur. Take for example the antihistamine drug Zyrtec (generic name cetirizine) and the antipsychotic agent Zyprexa (generic name olanzapine). Both are available as white 5 mg and 10 mg tablets and they are often stored

Holiday Poison Prevention -- Mistletoe and Beyond

2006-12-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

I was perusing today's The Bakersfield Californian (Why you ask? – I grew up there many years ago and check in occasionally) and an article on "Holiday Home Safety" caught my eye for some reason. In their checklist they covered the typical kinds of things like chimney and tree safety tips, unattended burning candles, checking smoke alarms, drinking and driving, shopping safety, and they even

Prescription Drug Information (Package Insert) Format Changes – Are we There Yet?

2006-12-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rolled out a major revision to the format of prescription drug prescribing information (the package insert). One of the major reasons for the change was to help reduce the risks of medication use and medical errors by having a package insert in an easier to read format that draws physician and patient attention to the

Counterfeit “One Touch” Glucose Test Strips

2006-12-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

FDA is alerting healthcare professionals and patients about counterfeit blood glucose test strips which are being sold for use with various models of LifeScan’s One Touch blood glucose monitors. LifeScan says that its testing of the counterfeit strips shows erratic test results. These strips could give incorrect blood glucose values, either too high or too low, which might result in a patient

Ok to Call But Please Drive Carefully

2006-12-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Cell Phone Use Not Linked to Cancer Risk Long or short-term cell phone use is not associated with increased cancer risk, according to a study in the December 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.The widespread use of cell phones has raised concerns about health risks among users. Cell phone antennas emit electromagnetic fields that can penetrate into the

Hair-Loss Drug Lowers PSA Levels

2006-12-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

A study appearing today in the journal Lancet Oncology finds that Propecia (1 mg/day finasteride) lowers prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels by as much as 40%-50% over 48 weeks.TUESDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The popular hair-loss drug Propecia can change the results of a common screen for prostate cancer, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, leading to skewed readings that might

Revisions to Coumadin Labeling

2006-12-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

New Coumadin Patient Medication Guide AvailableIf you are taking the drug Coumadin (warfarin) you are likely being followed very closely by your physician and pharmacist. The FDA (see Drug Safety Alerts and scroll down to Coumadin) and Bristol-Myers Squibb recently notified pharmacists and physicians of revisions to the labeling for Coumadin, to include a new patient Medication Guide as well as a

Don't Throw the Baby (Aspirin) Out with the Ibuprofen

2006-12-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

If your doctor told you to take aspirin to help prevent a heart attack, you need to know that taking ibuprofen at the same time, for pain relief, may interfere with the benefits of aspirin for the heart. It is all right to use them together, but the FDA recommends that you contact your doctor for more information on the timing of

Pfizer Cholesterol Drug Dies

2006-12-04T00:16:00.000-08:00

Pfizer announced December 2, 2006 that in the interest of patient safety it is stopping all clinical trials with its investigational cholesterol drug torcetrapib and that it has informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is in the process of notifying all of its investigators for these clinical trials as well as other regulatory authorities. Torcetrapib clinical trials were

Peer-Reviewed Journal of Lifestyle Medicine to Launch

2006-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

SAGE Publications a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets will launch the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM) in January 2007. This bi-monthly journal will provide commentaries and research reviews on nutrition and diet, cardiovascular disease, obesity, anxiety and depression, sleep problems,

Diet, Exercise Top Drugs in Preventing Diabetes

2005-02-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Two studies find lifestyle changes are the better, cheaper option FRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Preventing diabetes with diet and exercise may be not only possible, especially among nonsmokers, but also more cost-effective than medication. So say two studies appearing in the March 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. One study found diet and exercise modifications reduced the risk

Blood Sugar Levels Linked to Cancer Rates

2005-02-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

In large Korean study, higher levels meant higher incidence of diseaseIf Americans don't do something about their growing waistlines, cancer may soon join diabetes and heart disease as illnesses on the rise because of this country's obesity epidemic. A study in the Jan. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that higher fasting blood glucose levels were associated with

Many Diet Studies Lack Key Data

2005-02-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

Most don't describe participants accurately, affecting results, study findsFRIDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDayNews) -- Scientific studies that claim to support the effectiveness of weight-loss plans often leave out key facts that can influence the results, claims a new analysis of hundreds of diet studies. Many of the reports omit key mitigating details about the dieters themselves -- things such as

Drug Errors Frequent in Long Term Care Facilities

2005-02-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, Feb 24, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Preventable drug injuries happen more frequently in long-term care settings than previously thought, New York researchers report. A survey of two large, long-term care facilities revealed 10 adverse drug events for every 100 patients monthly. The vast majority of the drug errors were not serious but 37 percent were serious or life

FDA Public Health Advisory - Seizures in Patients Without Epilepsy Being Treated With Gabitril (tiagabine)

2005-02-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Feb 18, 2005 -- Today the Food and Drug Administration announced that a Bolded Warning will be added to the labeling for Gabitril (tiagabine) to warn prescribers of the risk of seizures in patients without epilepsy being treated with this drug. Gabitril has been approved since 1997 for patients 12 years of age and older as adjunctive therapy (used in addition to other medications) for partial

Pro-inflammatory Enzyme Linked To Diabetes; Immune System's Macrophages May Be Key To Treatment

2005-02-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

An enzyme that initiates inflammation has been directly linked to insulin resistance and resulting type II diabetes by researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine. In addition, the team suggests that inhibition of the enzyme in the immune system’s macrophages may be a new diabetes therapy.>Full Story: ScienceDaily

FDA Safety Official Testifies COX-2 Inhibitors Have Cardiovascular Risks Similar to Smoking at Advisory Committee Meeting

2005-02-23T00:28:00.000-08:00

COX-2 inhibitors increase risk for cardiovascular events at about the same rate as cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes, FDA Office of Drug Safety Officer David Graham told an agency advisory committee on Thursday, the Washington Post reports (Kaufman, Washington Post, 2/18). Source: MedicalNewsToday

Herbal, nutritional supplements linked to ocular side effects

2004-10-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

An estimated 42 percent of Americans use herbal medicines or nutritional supplements. Many people taking these products and their physicians are unaware of the adverse reactions they can cause. An Oregon Health & Science University researcher reviewed reported cases of ocular side effects associated with these products. His findings are published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology

Many Make Mistakes with Asthma Medication

2004-10-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, Oct. 11 (HealthDayNews) -- Many children with asthma and their parents may be incorrectly assessing asthma inhaler medication levels, says a study in the October issue of Chest. Source:Yahoo!News

Acing Alzheimer's with ACE Inhibitors

2004-10-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

A small but very provocative and exciting clinical trial has been done in Alzheimer's disease. The trial was based on the novel idea that there is an alteration in ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) in Alzheimer's disease. And the results look remarkable. Source: MedicineNet

Vioxx Alternatives:

2004-10-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Should You Go With Your Heart or Your Gut?Many people say they feel disconnected from the news. But last week's news that the pain reliever Vioxx had been voluntarily pulled off the market because of studies showing it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke hit home with millions of Americans who had a bottle of this popular medication in their medicine cabinet or on their bedside table.

High folate intake equals lower risk of high blood pressure for women

2004-10-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

12 Oct 2004 - If you are a woman and consume 800 micrograms or more of folate per day you are much less likely to be at risk of having high blood pressure, says a new study. Having a high folate intake already benefits women when they want to have a baby as it reduces the chances of the baby being born with spina bifida. The benefits for blood pressure were presented at the American Heart

Flu Vaccines Limited To High-Risk Residents

2004-10-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Regulators Freeze Shipments By Supplier October 13, 2004 BOSTON -- State health officials are limiting flu vaccines to those who are considered to be high risk. Wednesday's announcement by state health Commissioner Christine Ferguson comes after British regulators last week froze shipments by a major supplier of the vaccine. Source: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/3807828/detail.html

U.S./Canadian Price Comparisons

2004-10-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

October 2004 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently detained more than 400 packages containing prescription drug products at the Miami mail facility. FDA reviewed a list of the drugs contained in these packages and observed that about half of the drugs were foreign generic drugs or drugs for which there were generic versions available in the United States. The detained packages were

FTC Targets Products Claiming to Affect the Stress Hormone Cortisol

2004-10-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

Agency Alleges That Marketers of CortiSlim and CortiStress Made False or Unsubstantiated Claims October 5, 2004 - The Federal Trade Commission has charged marketers of two dietary supplements with claiming, falsely and without substantiation, that their products can cause weight loss and reduce the risk of, or prevent, serious health conditions. According to the FTC’s complaint, Los Angeles-area

Interim Influenza Vaccination Recommendations: 2004-05

2004-10-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

On October 5, 2004, CDC was notified by Chiron Corporation that none of its influenza vaccine (Fluvirin®) would be available for distribution in the United States for the 2004-05 influenza season. The company indicated that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom, where Chiron's Fluvirin vaccine is produced, has suspended the company's license to

Some Anti-Psychotic Medications May Trigger Diabetes

2004-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

New Haven, Conn. -- The rate of diabetes among persons taking certain newer anti-psychotic medications is higher than that found in the general population, Yale researchers report in a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The study followed patients with schizophrenia and no history of diabetes who used four of six new atypical medications or conventional anti-psychotic medications. The

Study Identifies Genetics Of Fat Metabolism, Red Wine Link

2004-10-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A new study has found that a gene called SIRT1 can reduce the development of new fat cells and increase the metabolism or use of fat within existing fat cells. SIRT1 is the topic of considerable recent research, and other studies have also shown that its activity level can be significantly increased by the presence of a compound found in red wine. The new research, done by