MedNews

You are here: Home / Archives for Health & Medical News / General Health

Adult Illness and Death Risk Increased by Respiratory Disease During Childhood

By Leave a Comment

Respiratory disease in childhood increases the risk of illness and premature death in adulthood, according to a study published in the journal, Thorax.

Between 1948 and 1968 10,000 male graduates of Glasgow University supplied researchers with details of childhood illnesses, including bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia, plus their weight, height and blood pressure.

When survivors of the original study were traced between 1998 and 2002, 4044 men out of 8410 replied. Victims of bronchitis, pneumonia asthma in early childhood were 57% more likely to die of respiratory disease than those who had not suffered from these illnesses as children. And they were more than twice as likely to die of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and bronchitis.

Men who had had bronchitis were also 38% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease. Respiratory illness during childhood was also associated with a higher risk of assorted respiratory problems in adulthood, ranging from the relatively minor to the severe.

Source: Thorax,/em> 2008; doi 10.1136/thx.2007.086744

Diseases May Be Identifiable By Laser

By Leave a Comment

Testing a person’s breath with laser light can identify molecules which may serve as markers for diseases like asthma or cancer, according to a team of scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder. Their findings are published in the latest issue of the Optical Society of America’s open-access journal Optics Express.

Cavity-enhanced frequency comb spectroscopy, as the technique is called, may one day permit doctors to screen patients for certain diseases by sampling their breath. "This technique can give a broad picture of many different molecules in the breath all at once," says Jun Ye, who led the research. He is a fellow of JILA, a fellow of NIST and a professor adjoint at CU-Boulder’s Department of Physics.

Ye’s JILA colleague John L. Hall and Theodor W. Hänsch of Germany’s Max-Planck Institute (they shared the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics with Roy J. Glauber for their invention), developed optical frequency comb spectroscopy in the 1990’s. Optical comb spectroscopy is powerful enough to sort through all the molecules in human breath, Ye says, but it is also sensitive enough to find those rarest molecules that may be markers of specific diseases.

Every time we breathe in, we inhale a complex mixture of gasses—mostly nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, but also traces of other gasses, such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Each time we exhale, we blow out a slightly different mixture with less oxygen, more carbon dioxide, and a rich collection of more than a thousand types of other molecules—most of which are present only in trace amounts.

Source: Optics Express, Vol. 16, Issue 4, February 18, 2008.

Experts Say Future Generations Will Experience Increased Infertility

By Leave a Comment

Commenting on infertility, experts from the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark and the University of California observe that infertility is a common problem in affluent societies, and it affects some 15% of couples who are trying to conceive.

Assisted reproductive methods are used in some countries to conceive up to 6% of children. But fertility is determined by social, behavioral and biological factors, say the authors, which could make studies based on retrospectively collected data unreliable. These cultural and social norms may mask more subtle biological changes in the population, and representative health surveys should include fecundity.

Fecundity is expected to decline over time, the study’s authors predict, because with the availability of assisted conception subfertile couples may have as many children as fertile couples. Genetic factors linked to infertility will become more prevalent in the future. Meanwhile, dealing with the causes of subfecundity, say the authors, is the best way to fight infertility, and neglected research should be undertaken without delay.

Generic Fosamax Approved for Osteoporosis Treatment

By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic versions of Fosamax (alendronate sodium tablets), used to treat osteoporosis, a condition that causes thinning and weakening of a person’s bones.

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, North Wales, Pa., was approved to manufacture alendronate sodium tablets in three once-daily dosing strengths (5 milligrams, 10 milligrams, and 40 milligrams) and two once-weekly dosing strengths (35 milligrams and 70 milligrams). Barr Laboratories, Inc., Montvale, N.J., was approved to manufacture a 70 milligrams once-weekly dose of the drug.

"The FDA works to assure the safety and efficacy of generic drugs through a rigorous scientific and regulatory process," said Gary J. Buehler, R.Ph, director of the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs. "These approvals will provide generic options for patients who take Fosamax for their osteoporosis."

Fosamax is among the top 100 most frequently dispensed drugs in the United States, according to the trade magazine Drug Topics.

Generic drug manufacturers must demonstrate that a generic drug has the same active ingredient, dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, among other things, as the approved brand-name drug.

The labeling of the generic alendronate sodium tablets may differ from that of Fosamax because some portions of the labeling are protected by patents and exclusivity.

Source: FDA, February 6, 2008

FDA Warns of Possible Neuropsychiatric Side Effects to Pfizer’s Anti-Smoking Drug, Chantix (varenicline)

By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory to alert health care providers, patients, and caregivers to new safety warnings concerning Prfizer’s anti-smoking drug, Chantix (varenicline). The FDA’s "Early Communication" advises that the agency is evaluating adverse event reports on Chantix related to changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior.

As the agency’s review of the adverse event reports proceeds, it appears increasingly likely that there may be an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. As a result, FDA has requested that Pfizer, the manufacturer of Chantix, elevate the prominence of this safety information to the warnings and precautions section of the Chantix prescribing information, or labeling. In addition, FDA is working with Pfizer to finalize a Medication Guide for patients. This is an example of FDA working with drug manufacturers throughout products’ lifecycles to keep health care professionals and patients informed of new and emerging safety data.

"Chantix has proven to be effective in smokers motivated to quit, but patients and health care professionals need the latest safety information to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to use this product," said Bob Rappaport, M.D., director of the FDA’s Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Rheumatology Products. "While Chantix has demonstrated clear evidence of efficacy, it is important to consider these safety concerns and alert the public about these risks. Patients should talk with their doctors about this new information and whether Chantix is the right drug for them, and health care professionals should closely monitor patients for behavior and mood changes if they are taking this drug."

Chantix was approved by FDA in May 2006 as a smoking cessation drug. Chantix acts at sites in the brain affected by nicotine and may help those who wish to stop smoking by providing some nicotine effects to ease the withdrawal symptoms and by blocking the effects of nicotine from cigarettes if users resume smoking.

In the Public Health Advisory and a Health Care Professional Sheet that was also issued today, FDA emphasized the following safety information for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals:

Patients should tell their health care provider about any history of psychiatric illness prior to starting Chantix. Chantix may cause worsening of current psychiatric illness even if it is currently under control. It may also cause an old psychiatric illness to reoccur. FDA notes that patients with these illnesses were not included in the studies conducted for the drug’s approval.

Health care professionals, patients, patients’ families, and caregivers should be alert to and monitor for changes in mood and behavior in patients treated with Chantix. Symptoms may include anxiety, nervousness, tension, depressed mood, unusual behaviors and thinking about or attempting suicide. In most cases, neuropsychiatric symptoms developed during Chantix treatment, but in others, symptoms developed following withdrawal of varenicline therapy.

Patients should immediately report changes in mood and behavior to their doctor.

Vivid, unusual, or strange dreams may occur while taking Chantix.

Patients taking Chantix may experience impairment of the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery.

FDA will continue to update health care professionals with new information from FDA’s continuing review or if new information is received on Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. FDA may consider requesting further revisions to the labeling or taking other regulatory action as the agency’s continuing reviews and conclusions warrant.

Source: FDA, February 1, 2008

Sedentary Lifestyle Likely Contributes to Aging, Says Study

By Leave a Comment

People whose leisure time is filled with physical activity appear to be biologically younger than people with a sedentary lifestyles, according to a recent report. “A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to age-related diseases but also because it may influence the aging process itself,” the authors write.

Questionnaires on physical activity level, smoking habits, and socioeconomic status were sent to 2,401 caucasian twins. The twins also gave a blood sample from which DNA was extracted. Also checked were the length of telomeres in the twins’ white blood cells. Telomeres progressively shorten over time and may serve as a measurement of biological age.

People who were less physically active in their leisure time had shorter leukocyte telomeres than those who were more active. “Such a relationship between leukocyte telomere length and physical activity level remained significant after adjustment for body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status and physical activity at work,” the authors write, “and the most active subjects had telomeres the same length as sedentary individuals up to 10 years younger, on average.”

Sedentary lifestyles can also shorten telomeres by allowing oxidative stress. Physical activity may reduce psychological stress, lessening its effect on telomeres and the aging process.

“The U.S guidelines recommend that that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days a week can have significant health benefits’ the authors write. “Our results underscore the vital importance of these guidelines. They also show that adults who partake in regular physical activity are biologically younger than sedentary individuals.”

Source: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:154-158.

Snoring May be Linked to Chronic Bronchitis

By Leave a Comment

According to a report in the January issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, chronic bronchitis is more likely to develop in habitual snorers.

From 2001 to 2003, Inkyung Baik, Ph.D., of the Korea University Ansan Hospital, Republic of Korea, and colleagues monitored 4,270 people—52% men, 48% women. The men and women gave demographic information, health conditions, family disease history and lifestyle, and how often they snored. They were re-interviewed every year through 2006, and were classified as developing chronic bronchitis if they reported having a cough and sputum on most days for at least three months per year, for at least two years.

314 people developed chronic bronchitis during four years of follow-up. Individuals who snored regularly were more likely to develop bronchitis than those who did not.

Source: Arch Intern Med. 2008;168[2]:167-173

Childrens’ Brain Development Not Affected By Amalgam Fillings

By Leave a Comment

Dental amalgam fillings do not adversely affect brain development in children, or their neurological status, according to a recent report published in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury, plus silver, copper, tin, and zinc to form a stable alloy, and has long been used to save dacaying teeth.

A seven year study of 507 Portuguese children, aged 8 through 12 years, who had received amalgam or resin-based composite fillings, conducted routine neurological tests for hard and soft neurological damage to the children, and for the presence of tremor.

There was no difference between the two groups of children after seven years with regard to the presence or absence of tremor. Neither was there any difference in the presence, absence or severity of soft signs. And since these were healthy children, any neurological sot signs diminished as they grew older.

"Even at the levels of amalgam exposure in this study (a mean of 7.7-10.7 amalgam surfaces per subject across the seven years of follow-up)," the authors write, "[we] conclude that exposure to mercury from dental amalgam does not adversely affect neurological status.

"These data indicate the absence of a generalized negative effect on children’s nervous system functions stemming from the presence of dental amalgam," they continue, "and while we cannot rule out potential adverse reactions in individual children, we found no indications of any."

Source: American Dental Association (ADA)

Hormonal Components in Some Dietary Supplements May Promote Progression of Prostate Cancer

By Leave a Comment

A recent study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center concludes that hormonal components in over-the-counter dietary supplements may actually accelerate the progression of prostate cancer, at the same time decreasing the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs.

The study, published in the January 11, 2008 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, strongly advises patients to tell their doctor if they are taking any herbal or hormonal dietary supplements. It is also recommended that the use of such supplements is routinely documented as part of the patient’s health assessment.

"Physicians need to ask their patients not only about the prescription drugs they may be taking, but—perhaps even more importantly—about the over-the-counter drugs and supplements, which may have a profound impact on certain health conditions," said Dr. Claus Roehrborn, chairman of urology at UT Southwestern and one of the study’s authors.

The research commenced when two UT Southwestern patients developed aggressive prostate cancer mere months after starting daily use of the same dietary supplement—one for muscular development, the other for sexual enhancement. When Dr. Roehrborn and Dr.Shariat, a resident in urology and the study’s lead author, and their colleagues analyzed the product (not named in the study) they found that the label listed ingredients not present, misrepresented the concentrations of the ingredients that were present, and did not list all the steroid hormones in the product.

Hormone analysis showed the presence of testosterone and estradiol, a sex hormone. Testing of the product’s effect on human prostate cancer-cell lines revealed that the product was a more potent stimulator of cancer-cell growth than testosterone. Use of the anti-cancer drug bicalutamide, in increasing concentrations, proved ineffective.

"Bicalutamide is an oral nonsteroidal anti-androgen used to treat prostate cancer," Dr. Shariat said. "The fact that this supplement caused the drug to be less effective is very troubling." The researchers filed an adverse event report with the Food and Drug Administration, which in turn issued a warning letter to the manufacturer, who withdrew the product from the market.

"Unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs, the law does not require nutritional supplements to undergo pre-market approval for safety and efficacy," Dr. Shariat said. "The current FDA regulatory system provides little oversight or assurances that dietary supplements will have predictable pharmacological effects or even that product labels provide accurate information for consumers."

It is estimated that 42% – 69% of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, at an estimated cost of $34 billion. People often use supplements in the belief that these natural products are safe and drug-free. The sale of androgenic steroids meanwhile is increasing exponentionally, with 2004 sales U.S. expenditures on testosterone supplements totalling an estimated $425 million.

"Given that testosterone supplements are in high demand, there is significant concern that supplements, in addition to the one we evaluated, may pose an urgent human health risk," Dr. Shariat said.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston also contributed to the research.

"The current FDA regulatory system provides little oversight or assurances that dietary supplements will have predictable pharmacological effects or even that product labels provide accurate information for consumers."

Can Daily Aspirin for Heart Attack Prevention be Dangerous?

By Leave a Comment

Nearly 250,000 Americans may suffer from bleeding complications each year because they take an adult-sized aspirin daily to prevent heart attack, rather than baby aspirin. That is the conclusion of University of Kentucky heart disease researchers following a study that found that the commonly-prescribed 325 mg adult tablet may be more than many people need each day.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study showed that doses higher than a baby aspirin (75 to 81 mg) are associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and are no more effective at preventing cardiovascular events long-term.

Gill Heart Institute cardiologists and University of Kentucky College of Medicine faculty Dr. Charles Campbell, Dr. Steven R. Steinhubl and Dr. Susan Smyth, along with Dr. Gilles Montalescot of the Instjtut de Cardiologie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris, France, systematically reviewed published data regarding clinical studies involving aspirin dosing. Even in patients with diabetes, who may be more difficult to treat, they found no large-scale studies that support higher doses of aspirin.

"While aspirin is an effective drug for the prevention of clots," said Campbell, lead author of the report, "the downside of aspirin therapy is an increased tendency for bleeding (particulary from the GI tract). We believe the minimum effective dose should be utilized (75-81 mg)." However, Campbell notes, "We also believe more study in this area is warranted to determine if the minimum dose is effective for everyone, or if dose should be adjusted from person to person."

Thirty-six percent of the adult population in the U.S. take 10 to 20 billion aspirin tablets annually to prevent clots, the main cause fo heart attacks and strokes.

"Patients should check with their doctor to be sure, but there is almost no one who needs to take more than 81 mg of aspirin a day for protection from heart attacks," Campbell said. Meanwhile, physicians face the challenge of identifying the best blood-thinning regimen for their patients.

Source: University of Kentucky