Prescribe Drug Information

Quick Yoga Tips

2007-09-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

The time most suitable for Yoga is in the morning before breakfast when the mind is calm and fresh and the movements can be done with ease and vitality.
The most important things you'll need to get started - as they say - are a big heart and a small ego.
A person must seek a place of quietude, which is well ventilated, free from dust, insects, unpleasant smell, draught, and moisture. There should be no distraction whatsoever.
You must empty your bowels and bladder, clean your nostrils and throat of all mucus, consume a glass of lukewarm water and then begin the exercises after 15 minutes.
Always remember that you should begin with the easy postures and then proceed to the difficult ones. One must follow the graded steps of Yoga.
In the beginning, all movements should be practiced lightly and you must cease to go further if fatigue shows.
Yoga must pep up and not impart weariness and despondency.
Periods of relaxation are advisable if a particular exercise proves to be tiring.
Yoga trainers recommend a balanced diet (sattwik). There should be an interval of 4 hours between meals.
Regarding the quantity of food, it should be moderate (mitahara), only that which satisfies one's appetite.
One should avoid overeating, fasting or eating once a day. Stale or non-nutritious food, you know, is harmful.
The clothing should be loose and as scanty as possible, because maximum amount of the skin should be exposed to air.
Form-fitting cotton/Lycra pants and shirts are the best.
The breathing should be long and deep. The mouth should be closed and inhale and exhale only through the nose.
Always take a mat of kusa or any other grass or hay for sitting postures.
For lying postures use a woolen carpet, and spread a clean sheet over it.
You can check out some other commercial Yoga accessories, like Yoga belt, foam blocks, Yoga pillows and rubber mats.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

FDA approves human thrombin for topical use in surgery

2007-09-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Evithrom (human thrombin), a blood-clotting protein used to help control bleeding during surgery.

Evithrom is the first human thrombin approved since 1954 and is the only product currently licensed. It is derived from human plasma obtained from carefully screened and tested U.S. donors and has undergone steps to further reduce the risk for transfusion-transmitted diseases.

Evithrom is indicated as an aid to stop oozing and minor bleeding from capillaries and small veins and when control of bleeding by standard surgical techniques is ineffective or impractical. The product is applied to the surface of bleeding tissue and may be used in conjunction with an absorbable gelatin sponge. Evithrom must not be injected into blood vessels, which would result in serious clinical complications and may even be fatal.

"The approval of Evithrom offers an important additional option for surgeons and their patients to help control surgical bleeding," said Jesse L. Goodman, M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Surgeons will now be able to choose between human thrombin and thrombin derived from cattle plasma."

In a clinical trial involving several hundred subjects, Evithrom was found comparable to cattle-derived thrombin in both safety and effectiveness.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Xolair Gets Black Box Warning

2007-08-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

The asthma drug Xolair has a new "black box" warning about severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

In February, the FDA requested Xolair's maker, Genentech, to put the boxed warning on Xolair. Now, those warnings have been added to Xolair's packaging.

Black box warnings are the FDA's sternest warning for prescription drug labels.

The new warning notes reports of anaphylaxis in patients taking Xolair. Those reports include new users of Xolair and patients who have been taking the asthma drug for longer than one year, according to the FDA.

The FDA notes that due to the risk of anaphylaxis, Xolair should only be administered to patients under direct medical supervision by health care workers who are aware of Xolair's anaphylaxis risk, monitor patients taking Xolair, and are prepared to treat anaphylaxis.
Xolair is given by injection to patients who are at least 12 years old and have moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma that doesn't respond to inhaled corticosteroids.

Patients taking Xolair should be informed about their chances of developing anaphylaxis, note the FDA and Genentech.

The warning notes that signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis can include the following:

Wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, trouble breathing
Low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, rapid or weak heartbeat, anxiety, or feeling of impending doom
Swelling of the throat or tongue, throat tightness, hoarse voice, trouble swallowing
Flushing, itching, hives, or feeling warm Patients experiencing such symptoms should seek emergency medical care.

The FDA notes three cases of anaphylaxis among 3,507 patients taking Xolair in the drug's premarketing clinical trials.

The FDA also states that in a review of 124 case reports among some 57,300 patients who took Xolair from June 2003 to December 2006, the frequency of anaphylaxis attributed to Xolair was estimated to be at least 0.2% of treated patients.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Mild Drug Offers Hope in Treating Severe Alzheimer's

2007-08-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

A new study has discovered that a drug initially used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease improved the memory and global function of people with severe Alzheimer's disease, and was safe and effective.

The six-month study involved 343 people with severe Alzheimer's disease at clinics in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Half of the group received a daily dose of donepezil; the other half received placebo. Cognitive tests were performed throughout the study.

The study found cognitive function stabilized or improved in 63 percent of people taking donepezil compared to 39 percent of people taking placebo. Compared to the placebo group, those taking donepezil showed improvement in memory, language, attention, and recognizing one's name. The donepezil group also showed less of a decline in social interaction, skills needed to complete a jigsaw puzzle, and arranging sentences compared to the placebo group.

"The effectiveness of donepezil in preserving cognitive and global function in people wit
h severe Alzheimer's disease, as evidenced by this study and others, is encouraging," said study author Sandra Black, MD, Brill Professor of Neurology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto in Canada, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

"People who progress to the severe stage of Alzheimer's disease have markedly diminished cognitive and global function, so preserving cognitive function is a worthwhile treatment goal because it may help to keep patients at home longer, something that patients and caregivers often desire and which delays the costs of nursing home care," said Black.

According to Black, the most common side effects reported in this study,diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, infection, and bladder problems, were mild to moderate and consistent with the known side effects of such drugs.

"Our findings provide further evidence that donepezil is safe, effective and benefits cognition and global function in people with severe Alzheimer's disease," she said. According to Black, the most common side effects reported in this study, diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, infection, and bladder problems, were mild to moderate and consistent with the known side effects of such drugs.

"Our findings provide further evidence that donepezil is safe, effective and benefits cognition and global function in people with severe Alzheimer's disease," she said.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Rash means cancer drug Tarceva is working

2007-07-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

The development of a skin rash in patients with pancreatic cancer or lung cancer treated with Tarceva is a strong indication that the drug is working, report researchers from OSI Pharmaceuticals, the drug's developer.

Dr. Bret Wacker and colleagues analyzed data from two clinical trials testing Tarceva in advanced lung cancer and advanced pancreatic cancer. These studies led to the approval of this drug for treating both types of cancer.

In both studies, overall survival was better in Tarceva-treated patients who developed a rash, the investigators report in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. In fact, the more severe the rash, the longer patients survived.

Some patients are stopping treatment because of the rash, yet those are the ones most likely to benefit. This is a critical problem; Wacker said in a statement from the American Association for Cancer Research.

Physicians and patients should view rash development as a positive event indicative of greater likelihood of clinical benefit," he and his colleagues conclude. "Developing strategies to manage rash while continuing (Tarceva) therapy is important,they add.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Ways to help prevent acne

2007-07-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

Acne is caused by factors including hormonal changes, certain medications, and the use of certain products.

Acne is a term that’s used to describe whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. (You may well recognize slang terms like spots, or zits). Most teenagers get the type of acne called acne vulgaris, which can show up on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest. Skin pores contain oil glands which naturally lubricate your skin and hair. But sometimes if a pore gets clogged beneath the skin with excess oil and bacteria, the dreaded acne is caused...

Whiteheads happen when a pore gets clogged, closes, and then bulges out. If a pore gets clogged but stays open, the top may darken and you've got a blackhead. A pimple happens when dead skin and bacteria work their way under live skin. This leads to a small infection that makes your skin look red. Get glowing!

Although everyone is different, acne is usually caused by the build up of oil and dead skin in a pore.
This build up of oil and dead skin is caused because of:

Natural hormones. These are particularly active in your teens.
Plugged skin. Lots of skin cells can close the oil glands or pores, creating blackheads or whiteheads, (as mentioned earlier).
Bacteria. Bacteria can easily infect oil glands and pores and grow very quickly.
Family background. If you have acne, your kids are more likely to have it too.

Here are skin-care suggestions to help reduce acne, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

Wash your face once or twice a day with a gentle, mild soap or cleanser that won't dry the skin. Always wash your face after sweating or exercising, but don't wash excessively or more than a few times a day.
Wash your hair with shampoo each day, particularly if you have oily hair
Keep oily hair pulled back and away from your face
Don't touch your face with your hands or fingers.
Don't pick at, scratch or pop any blemishes, as this can cause infection and scarring.
Avoid any makeup or face creams that are greasy or oily.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Give your child a smoke-free pregnancy

2007-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

While most women in the United States understand the importance of prenatal check-ups, limited stress and good nutrition during pregnancy, the American Cancer Society reports that only 39 percent of women smokers quit smoking while pregnant. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, smoking is the most important modifiable cause of poor pregnancy outcomes among women in the United States. The effects of tobacco can do irreparable and lasting damage to the lungs, brain and blood of an unborn child and can cause dangerous conditions for the mother.

Smoking during pregnancy essentially starves a growing child of the food, oxygen and nutrients needed for healthy development – both physical and mental. Cigarette smoke carries toxins such as carbon monoxide, nicotine and cyanide into the baby’s blood stream, hindering the supply of blood to the fetus’ body and brain and the supply of oxygen and nutrients through the placenta. This lack of nourishment slows the baby’s growth and more than doubles the risk of serious complications for both mother and child.

Risks for the mother include:

miscarriage
required caesarean delivery
bleeding
premature delivery
ectopic pregnancy (in which the fetus grows inside a fallopian tube instead of the uterus)

Risks at birth for the child include:

polycythemia (abnormal elevated red blood cell count).
low birth weight - On average, babies of smokers are almost half a pound lighter than babies of non-smokers.
cleft lip or palate.
But the health risks for the child only multiply after birth. Because the nicotine is directly ingested by the child while in the womb, its effects are far more severe than those of environmental second-hand smoke. Smoking during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of illness, disability and death for infants.

As infants, children and later as adults, this group of children is more vulnerable to a variety of conditions:

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Asthma - Exposure to tobacco compromises the development of the fetus’ lungs, leading to an increased risk of asthma.
Significant behavior problems including hyperactivity, anxiety, depression and antisocial behavior.
Lung cancer - Research has also found that NNK, a chemical found in nicotine that is linked to lung cancer, is able to cross the placenta and reach the fetus.

According to the American Cancer Society, even quitting the habit in mid-pregnancy can reduce the chances of tobacco-related illness in children by 17 to 26 percent. If you are pregnant and have unsuccessfully tried to quit or have considered quitting, consider the health of your child – and consider your reasons for quitting doubled.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Protein interaction is a drug target for blood clot prevention

2007-07-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

After a blood vessel in injured, platelets cluster together to plug the site of injury in the form of a blood clot (thrombus). In arterial disease, altered platelet aggregation can block blood vessels and cause heart attack or stroke.

Platelet aggregation involves the binding of many molecules to platelet integrin alpha-IIb beta 3, and blockade of this binding is effective in the prevention of blood clots.

However, chronic use of oral drugs that block alpha-IIb beta 3 activation have not proved beneficial in preventing recurrent blood clots.

In a study appearing online on July 12 in advance of publication in the August print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mark Ginsberg and colleagues from the University of California San Diego show that the binding of the protein talin to alpha-IIb beta 3 is critical for integrin activation in mice, and that selective disruption of the talin–alpha-IIb beta 3 interaction protects mice from pulmonary thromboembolism – the formation of blood clots in the vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs.

Furthermore, this blockade results in very little pathological bleeding, which can often occur when the clotting process is disrupted.

The results suggest that modulation of the interaction between talin and alpha-IIb beta 3 could be an attractive strategy for the development of future anti-thrombotic drugs, with a reduced risk of pathological bleeding.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Anti-obesity drug might also lower cholesterol

2007-07-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

A study in rats suggests that the anti-obesity drug rimonabant may also reduce liver damage and improve cholesterol levels.

Rimonabant is available in Europe under the brand name Acomplia but is not approved for use in the United States.

French researchers at Sanofi-Aventis, the drug company that makes the drug, gave rimonabant to obese male rats every day for eight weeks.

At the end of the treatment, the researchers observed a reduction in the rodents' liver enlargement, level of fat in the liver and markers in the blood indicating liver damage. There was also a reduction of an inflammation-related protein thought to cause insulin resistance in the liver as well as cirrhosis.

Writing in the July issue of Hepatology, the researchers also noted healthier cholesterol and triglyceride levels after treatment. They attributed the improvement to the improved health of the liver.

According data from the American College of Gastroenterology, two out of three obese adults also have what's known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, an accumulation of fat in the liver. At its most severe, this condition can lead to liver inflammation, tissue scarring and cirrhosis.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

The Fastest Way to Build Muscle

2007-07-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

The body building industry has millions of practitioners all over the world and each of them has a claim to know the fastest way to build muscle. We are of course talking about building muscle without the use of steroids. That is to say we are talking about natural body building.

Whilst there are many ways to build muscle the most important thing one needs to understand is how muscle is built in the first place.

The process of building muscle is in fact quite simple and is a well trodden road. Muscles grow in response to being placed under extreme stress by picking up heavy weights. By picking up heavy weights small tears appear in the muscle fibers The body then sets about rebuilding these tears. The body builds stronger muscle fibers just in case you are crazy enough to try picking up those heavy weights again. This is all part of the bodies defense mechanism. It thinks it is under attack so it builds stronger muscles to try and survive.

Now we know the basic process of how the body builds muscle we needs to apply a few general guidelines in order to achieve the fastest way to build muscle.

Firstly we want to apply the greatest stress to the muscles in the shortest possible time. The most optimum way to do this is to pick up the heaviest weight possible for the fewest repetitions. Thus the goal is to get to the point where you cannot pick up the weights more than 5 to 7 times. If you do loads of repetitions then you will get to stage of self defeating as the body will then start to break down muscle for energy to support your efforts.

The next important thing is to never exercise more than one hour otherwise again you will cause your body to change to a state where it will break down muscle for energy, thus giving you no muscle gains for your efforts.

You must eat properly. The ideal is to eat loads of proteins such as chicken, fish and meat with good complex carbohydrates. You need to eat at least five to six times per day. You need your sleep so your body can recover from all the stress you just put it under.

Source: http://www.medical-health-care-information.com

Air travel during pregnancy

2007-07-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Commercial air travel poses no special risks to a healthy pregnant woman or her fetus. However, certain conditions in pregnancy — such as severe anemia, sickle cell disease, clotting disorders and placental insufficiency — can put you at increased risk of problems. So check with your doctor.

Some women worry about the effect of decreased air pressure on the fetus during air travel. During the flight, air pressure is adjusted to approximately that of between 5,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level. Although you and your baby will both have slightly less oxygen in your blood than you would at sea level, your bodies will adjust to this.

Another concern about air travel during pregnancy is exposure to electromagnetic radiation from the sun at high altitudes. The effects of radiation exposure in pregnancy are very well understood. Although the exposure increases at higher altitudes, the level of exposure for the occasional traveler is not a concern. However, pregnant women who fly very frequently — such as pilots, flight attendants, air marshals and couriers — may receive radiation exposure that exceeds current recommendations. If you must fly frequently during your pregnancy, discuss this with your doctor.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the safest time for a pregnant woman to travel is during the second trimester (18 through 24 weeks). This is when a pregnant woman has the lowest risk of miscarriage or premature labor. Many doctors recommend that women avoid flying after 36 weeks of pregnancy or if they're at risk of preterm delivery. Some tips for pregnant women who plan to fly:

Ask for an aisle seat or a seat at the bulkhead — which offers the most space and comfort — or over the wings — which offers the smoothest ride.
Fasten the safety belt under your abdomen across the tops of your thighs.
Get up and walk every half-hour or, if the seat belt sign is on, flex and extend your ankles vigorously and frequently to prevent blood clots.
Drink plenty of fluids. Low humidity in the cabin has a dehydrating effect.

All airlines have policies regarding pregnancy and flying. So check with the airline before booking a flight.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Ways to help prevent acne

2007-06-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Acne is caused by factors including hormonal changes, certain medications, and the use of certain products.

Acne is a term that’s used to describe whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. (You may well recognize slang terms like spots, or zits). Most teenagers get the type of acne called acne vulgaris, which can show up on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest. Skin pores contain oil glands which naturally lubricate your skin and hair. But sometimes if a pore gets clogged beneath the skin with excess oil and bacteria, the dreaded acne is caused...

Whiteheads happen when a pore gets clogged, closes, and then bulges out. If a pore gets clogged but stays open, the top may darken and you've got a blackhead. A pimple happens when dead skin and bacteria work their way under live skin. This leads to a small infection that makes your skin look red. Get glowing!

Although everyone is different, acne is usually caused by the build up of oil and dead skin in a pore. This build up of oil and dead skin is caused because of:

Natural hormones. These are particularly active in your teens.
Plugged skin. Lots of skin cells can close the oil glands or pores, creating blackheads or whiteheads, (as mentioned earlier).
Bacteria. Bacteria can easily infect oil glands and pores and grow very quickly.
Family background. If you have acne, your kids are more likely to have it too.

Here are skin-care suggestions to help reduce acne, courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

Wash your face once or twice a day with a gentle, mild soap or cleanser that won't dry the skin. Always wash your face after sweating or exercising, but don't wash excessively or more than a few times a day.
Wash your hair with shampoo each day, particularly if you have oily hair.
Keep oily hair pulled back and away from your face.
Don't touch your face with your hands or fingers.
Don't pick at, scratch or pop any blemishes, as this can cause infection and scarring.
Avoid any makeup or face creams that are greasy or oily.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Wine may curb cavities

2007-06-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Even with the alcohol removed, red wine and white wine may fight bacteria that cause cavities, a study shows.

Before you toast the findings, remember that the study was done in test tubes. So it's too soon to count on a glass of wine to chase your cavities away.

The researchers, who work at Italy's University of Pavia, included Gabriella Gazzani, PhD.

First, they went to a local grocery store, where they bought some valpolicella (an Italian red wine) and pinot nero (an Italian white wine).

Back at their lab, the researchers stripped the alcohol out of the wine. They did that to prevent ethanol from interfering with their lab tests.

Next, the researchers marinated cavity-causing streptococcal bacteria in the wines. Both types of wine countered those bacteria and other streptococcal bacteria that cause some cases of throat infection.

Red wine might have had more antibacterial properties than white wine, but that wasn't certain, Gazzani's team notes.

The researchers also isolated acids found in red wine and white wine and tested those acids against the same bacteria, which are called S. mutans and S. pyogenes.

The isolated acids were more effective against the bacteria than the wines. So the researchers reason that while wine fights S.mutans and S. pyogenes, wine also contains compounds that dilute those benefits, to some extent.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Stroke drug may also help with frostbite

2007-06-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

An anti-clotting drug used to treat strokes and heart attacks can also restore blood flow to frostbitten fingers and limbs, greatly reducing the need for amputation, according to a new study.

Doctors at the University of Utah who conducted the research on a small sample of patients hope it marks the start of a move beyond the traditional — and limited — treatment for frostbite.

"What it does is help to rescue that tissue that is damaged but not yet dead," said Dr. Stephen Morris, one of the authors of the study, which was released Monday in the Archives of Surgery medical journal.

Patients who received the thrombolytic therapy at the university's burn center were more likely to keep their frostbitten fingers and toes than patients who went without the drug.

All patients had similar degrees of frostbite.

Thrombolytic therapy is not new, but has been difficult to study because not every frostbite victim is a candidate. For instance, people already on blood thinners or someone who has suffered a head injury would be at risk for serious complications from the anti-clotting drug.

Dr. John Twomey, burn director at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, first tried the therapy on a patient about 20 years ago and has treated 18 other patients with it since.
Twomey, whose early findings are mentioned in the Utah study, said the treatment for frostbite has been limited to warming the affected tissue and waiting to see how much would survive.

"We saw all these frostbitten patients come in, and there was absolutely nothing we could do to alter their disease," Twomey said. "That was pretty discouraging and disheartening to see that happening, and it happened repeatedly."

In the Utah study, six patients who were treated with a drug called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, within 24 hours of injury were compared with 25 other patients who did not receive the drug, and one patient who got the anti-clotting drug later than the 24-hour window.
Among the patients who received tPA within 24 hours, only six of 59 frostbitten fingers or toes were removed, or about 10 percent. In the other group, 97 of 234 affected digits were amputated, or about 41 percent.

The sample used for the study was small and taken only from one geographic area. The study was also based only on the one anti-clotting drug. Those are just a few of the variables that leave questions to be answered by future research.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

River blindness may resist drug

2007-06-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

The parasite that causes river blindness, a crippling disease endemic in Africa, may be developing resistance to the one drug used to treat it, according to research published Friday in The Lancet.

The discovery could force public health officials to rethink strategies for controlling river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis.

In The Lancet study, researchers tested 2,501 people in disease-endemic regions of Ghana from 2004 to 2005, and found 19.5 percent had the worms that cause river blindness.

Doctors treated 342 people, from 10 communities within the regions, with ivermectin, and then tested them to see if immature worms were still in their system. Ivermectin only acts to kill young worms, so any adult worms in patients would still be present, even after treatment.
In four of the 10 communities, people were shown carrying a higher number of immature worms - the opposite result expected from the drug - suggesting the parasite was developing immunity.

"This finding represents a wake-up call that any parasite-control program that relies on a single antimicrobial agent is always at risk of derailment," wrote Dr. Peter J. Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, in an accompanying commentary in The Lancet. Hotez was not linked to the study.

River blindness is caused by a thin worm that's transmitted to humans by black flies. The worms can cause intense itching, elephantiasis of the genitals and blindness if they reach the eyes.

Officials said there were currently there are 18 million cases in 36 countries worldwide, including in tropical regions of the Americas.

Every year, public health officials give out more than 20 million doses of ivermectin, used to treat river blindness since 1987. Experts estimate the drug has prevented nearly 40,000 cases of blindness a year. To date, nearly $600 million has been spent trying to eliminate river blindness from the world.

"It's not surprising that we're seeing some drug resistance," Hotez said. "You can't rely on a single tool without any backup." The emerging problem of resistance to this drug underlines the need to find new drugs and possibly even vaccines, he said.

Experts have acknowledged that relying exclusively on ivermectin was not the best strategy.
"It's been taken for granted for years that the river blindness problem has been solved because we have ivermectin," Prichard said. "But the problem has not been solved. We need another drug."

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Antipsychotic drugs raise death rates in elderly

2007-06-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

A new study adds to growing evidence that antipsychotic drugs raise death rates among elderly people, who are sometimes given them when their behavioral problems become too much for doctors or families to handle.

"For individual patients, the risk is small," said study author Dr. Sudeep Gill, an assistant professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Still, "patients and their families need to talk to their doctors about the potential risks and benefits, and this study would suggest only using these drugs when other less risky approaches have been exhausted."

Antipsychotic drugs have been around since the 1950s and are typically used to treat people with mental illness, such as schizophrenia. Over time, Gill said, doctors began using them to treat behavioral problems associated with senility, also known as dementia.

The drugs had some side effects -- including Parkinson's disease-like symptoms -- but then a new generation of the medications known as atypical antipsychotics appeared. In the 1990s, they were thought to be better for elderly people and their use increased, according to Gill.
In fact, a Canadian study found that the percentage of elderly adults using antipsychotics grew from 2.2 percent in 1993 to 3 percent in 2002.

But then reports appeared suggesting the drugs were dangerous. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors about atypical antipsychotics, specifically olanzapine (Zyprexa), aripiprazole (Abilify), risperidone (Risperdal), and quetiapine (Seroquel).
Fifteen of 17 studies of elderly patients with dementia -- which included more than 5,100 patients -- found a 1.6- to 1.7-fold increase in death rates in those who took the drugs. Heart problems and infections like pneumonia were the most common causes of death.

For the new study, researchers looked at the risks of both the newer atypical antipsychotics and the older "conventional" drugs -- haloperidol (Haldol), loxapine (Loxitane), thioridazine (Mellaril), chlorpromazine (Thorazine) and perphenazine (Trilafon). The study authors followed 27,259 pairs of older adults in the province of Ontario who were treated for dementia between 1997 and 2003.

The patients were "paired" so the researchers could compare the death rates of patients who took atypical antipsychotics to those who didn't, and those who took conventional antipsychotics to those who took atypical antipsychotics. The researchers looked at the risk of death 30, 60, 120 and 180 days after the drugs were first given to the patients.

The researchers found that both types of antipsychotics appeared to boost death rates by 1.31 to 1.55 times. Conventional antipsychotics seemed to be the more dangerous of the two types of drugs, the researchers said.

However, the researchers said the study had limitations because it didn't look at the causes of death, and many patients didn't keep using the drugs after 30 days.

The study findings were published June 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Women warned on iron 'overdose'

2007-06-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Healthy pregnant women should think twice before taking iron supplements, say researchers who have linked high doses to blood pressure problems.

Iron is often given to combat anaemia in pregnancy, but many women take extra iron, on its own or in a multivitamin.

The Iranian university study, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, gave some women a 30mg daily dose as part of its research.

UK experts say that this amount should only be taken on GP advice.

The UK Food Standards Agency says that lower doses in UK multivitamins are unlikely to harm women.

Anaemia is a common condition in pregnant women, which, if left unchecked, can contribute to premature births and low birthweight babies.

It is caused by a lack of red blood cells, and taking iron on prescription helps the body produce more.

The researchers from Tarbiat Modarres University wanted to check the effect of iron supplements on women whose red blood cell level was normal.

They gave 370 women a 150mg dose of ferrous sulphate, which equates to approximately 30mg of actual iron, every day throughout their pregnancy.

A similar number of women were given a "placebo" dummy pill containing no iron.

Routine pills
The number of women with diagnosed high blood pressure - a disorder which can also cause problems for mother and baby - was higher in the women given the iron pills than in the other group.

Many countries still offer iron pills as a routine measure for all pregnant women, and lead researcher Professor Saedeh Ziaei said: "Our trial suggests that administering it even may have some disadvantages in non-anaemic women."

Professor Philip Steer, the editor of the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said: "Anaemia is often associated with low birth weight and preterm births, but this does not mean that women should be popping iron pills, or any vitamin pills indiscriminately, to prevent poor pregnancy outcomes."

A spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said that women should avoid taking extra iron unless recommended by their doctor or midwife.

Routine iron supplementation is not practised in the UK, but blood is tested for signs of anaemia more than once during pregnancy as a matter of course.

However, many healthy pregnant women take once-a-day multivitamin pills that contain smaller doses of iron - normally around 100% of the recommended dose of 15mg.

Official bodies such as the Food Standards Agency recommend that pregnant women take extra vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin D, but don't encourage any other vitamin supplementation, saying that a balanced healthy diet provides all the vitamins needed.

However, they said that taking 17mg or less a day - the amount UK multivitamin brands contain - was 'unlikely to be harmful'.

A spokesman for the baby charity Tommy's also stressed the importance of a healthy diet, but added that women were free to take supplements if they chose.

"We consider that the supplements available in this country are safe, and it is up to the individual woman to choose."

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Drug-resistant staph infections spread

2007-05-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Drug-resistant staph infections have spread to the urban poor, rising almost seven-fold in recent years in some Chicago neighborhoods, a new study finds.

Researchers said the crowded living conditions of public housing and jails may speed up the person-to-person spread of infection.

The superbugs, first seen mainly in hospitals and nursing homes, have turned up recently among athletes, prisoners and people who get illegal tattoos.

Called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, these staph germs can cause skin infections that in rare cases have led to pneumonia, bloodstream infections and a painful, flesh-destroying condition. MRSA is hard to treat because the bacteria have developed resistance to the penicillin drug family.

From 2000 to 2005, the infection rate seen in patients seeking care at Chicago's main public hospital and its affiliated clinics climbed from 24 cases per 100,000 to 164 cases per 100,000, the study found.

Dr. Bala Hota of Chicago's Stroger Hospital, a lead author of the study, said the increase is similar to that seen in other cities.

Public housing could be a bridge between high-risk people, the researchers wrote in their study, which appears in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Susan Gerber of Chicago's Department of Public Health said it would be a mistake to assume the infection isn't also in affluent neighborhoods. The study looked only at people using the public hospital system. The infection rate in the general population is unknown.
"This is an equal opportunity bacteria," Gerber said.

To prevent staph's spread, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Infection recommends washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer, keeping cuts cleans and covered with a clean bandage until healed, avoiding contact with other people's wounds and bandages and avoiding shared personal items such as towels and razors.

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Fingerprint instead of blood sample to detect drugs and diseases

2007-05-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

To this day, fingerprints are just the thing when a perpetrator needs to be arrested or a person needs to be identified. British scientists working with David A. Russell also want to make it possible to use fingerprints to reveal drug and doping transgressions and to diagnose diseases. As the team from the University of East Anglia in Norwich and King's College in London report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they have now been able to use specific antibodies to differentiate between the fingerprints of smokers and nonsmokers.

A fingerprint is of no use to an investigator unless it can be matched to one in a database or can be directly compared with that of a suspect. Russell and his team expect that we will soon be able to gain information about the lifestyle of the person who made the fingerprints, which could shrink the pool of suspects. In this way, it should be possible to use fingerprints to detect drugs, medications, or food that have been consumed, and also to diagnose some diseases.

Researchers want to coax all of these secrets out of the tiny traces of perspiration that a fingerprint leaves on a surface. The research team demonstrated the ease with which this should be possible by differentiating between fingerprints made by smokers and nonsmokers. To avoid false results from chance contact with tobacco products, they designed their system to detect cotinine, a metabolite formed by the body after consumption of nicotine. The researchers wet the fingerprints with a solution containing gold nanoparticles to which cotinine-specific antibodies were attached.

These bind to the cotinine. Subsequently, a second antibody, which was tagged with a fluorescent dye and binds specifically to cotinine antibodies, was applied to the fingerprint. Because there are many cotinine antibodies attached to each nanosphere, there is a significant amplification effect.

Indeed, the ridge patterns of smokers' fingerprints fluoresce, while those of nonsmokers do not. The fingerprints are very highly resolved and can be lifted for comparison with known prints, just as in conventional procedures. When magnified, even the tiny sweat pores along the ridges of the fingertip become visible, which can also be used to make an unambiguous assignment.

In addition to forensic applications, this method would be ideal for detecting doping. Sample manipulations by the test subjects would hardly be possible since each sample is uniquely assignable to a specific athlete by virtue of the ridge pattern. Medical diagnostics could also benefit in the form of simple and quick mass screening with no danger of sample mix-ups. Another application could be drug screening without taking blood samples - from suspicious drivers, for example.

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Fiber may fight diabetes

2007-05-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Eating fiber-rich, whole-grain cereal may not only keep you regular, but it may also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A new study shows that people who had the most fiber from whole-grain cereals in their diet had a 27% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. Fiber from other sources, such as fruits and vegetables, didn’t show a similar protective effect against diabetes.

Fiber Fights Diabetes
In the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers followed a group of more than 15,000 men and women aged 35 to 65 for an average of seven years. The participants filled out a questionnaire with information on what they ate at the start of the study and were monitored for signs of diabetes.

During the study, 844 people developed type 2 diabetes. The results show that those who consumed more fiber from cereal, bread, and other grain products were less likely to develop diabetes than those who ate less cereal fiber.

For example, those who ate the most cereal fiber (an average of 16.6 grams per day) had a 27% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least (about 6.6 grams per day). No relationship was found between total fiber intake or consumption of other types of fiber, such as from fruits and vegetables, and diabetes risk. There also was no relationship found between magnesium intake and development of diabetes among the study participants.

The researchers note that consuming fiber may help with the body's ability to handle blood sugar. They also note that low magnesium has been linked to patients with type 2 diabetes.

To put their results into perspective, researchers at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke also looked at 17 other studies on fiber and magnesium intake and diabetes risk. The pooled results of those studies showed that people who ate the most cereal fiber had a 33% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least.

In addition, those who ate the most magnesium had a 23% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least.

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Antidepressants: Are they safe during pregnancy?

2007-05-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Antidepressants are the first line of treatment for most types of depression. Antidepressants can help relieve your symptoms — and keep you feeling your best. But there's more to the story when you're pregnant or thinking about conceiving. Here's what you need to know about antidepressants and pregnancy.

How does pregnancy affect depression?
Pregnancy hormones were once thought to protect women from depression, but researchers now say this isn't true. In fact, up to 10 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy. Although pregnancy doesn't make depression worse, pregnancy often triggers a range of emotions that can make it more difficult to cope with depression.

Are antidepressants an option during pregnancy?
Few medications have been proved unequivocally safe during pregnancy. Although certain antidepressants have not been linked with an increased risk of birth defects or impaired development — including fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, others), sertraline (Zoloft) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) — the latest studies aren't necessarily reassuring. As researchers continue to learn more about antidepressants, the risks and benefits of taking the drugs during pregnancy must be weighed carefully on a case-by-case basis.

Are some types of antidepressants safer than others?
So far, bupropion (Wellbutrin) has not been associated with risks to a developing baby. But researchers have identified various risks with other types of antidepressants. For example:
Paxil. Paroxetine (Paxil) — a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) — has been linked to fetal heart defects when it's taken during the first three months of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends avoiding Paxil during pregnancy, if possible.

Other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Taking other SSRIs — including citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) — in the last half of pregnancy increases the risk of a rare but serious lung problem known as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. This condition occurs when a newborn's circulation system doesn't adapt to breathing outside the womb. For some women, however, the benefits of continuing these drugs may outweigh the risks.

Tricyclic antidepressants
These older antidepressants — including amitriptyline and nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) — are generally discouraged during pregnancy in favor of newer, more effective medications. Potential risks of tricyclic antidepressants to a baby may include damage to the central nervous system, physical deformities or developmental delays.

Are there any other risks for the baby?
If you take an SSRI antidepressant throughout pregnancy or during the last trimester, your baby may experience temporary withdrawal symptoms at birth — including tremors, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances and high-pitched cries.

What happens if a woman stops taking antidepressants during pregnancy?
If you stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy, you risk a depression relapse. In fact, pregnant women who stop taking antidepressants are five times more likely to experience a depression relapse than are pregnant women who continue taking the drugs. Stopping an SSRI abruptly may cause various signs and symptoms, including:
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Chills
Dizziness
Fatigue
Insomnia
Irritability
Vivid dreams

What's the bottom line?
If you have depression and are trying to conceive or are pregnant, consult your doctor. Sometimes mild depression can be managed with support groups, counseling or other therapies. If your depression is severe or you have a recent history of depression, the risk of relapse may be greater than the risks associated with antidepressants.

It's not an easy decision. Work with your doctor to make an informed choice that gives you — and your baby — the best chance for long-term health.

Dementia risk may be reduced by some hypertension drugs

2007-05-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Some high blood pressure medicines may help protect older adults from declines in memory and other cognitive function, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, reported at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Seattle.

The drugs that researchers believe are protective are part of a class known as ACE inhibitors - specifically those types that reach the brain and may help reduce the inflammation that might contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

"For older adults who are going to take an ACE inhibitor drug for blood pressure control, it makes sense for their doctors to prescribe one that goes into the brain," said Kaycee Sink, M.D., M.A.S., lead researcher and an assistant professor of internal medicine - gerontology.

Some ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors are known as centrally acting because they can cross the blood brain barrier, a specialized system of tiny blood vessels that protects the brain from harmful substances in the blood stream. Centrally acting drugs include captropril (Capoten®), fosinopril (Monopril®), lisinopril (Prinivil® or Zestri®), perindopril (Aceon®), ramipril (Altace®) and trandolapril (Mavik®).

The study found a link between taking centrally active ACE inhibitors and lower rates of mental decline as measured by the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam, a test that evaluates memory, language, abstract reasoning and other cognitive functions. For each year that participants were exposed to ACE inhibitors that cross the blood brain barrier, the decline in test results was 50 percent lower than the decline in people taking other kinds of high blood pressure pills.

The researchers also found that non-centrally active ACE inhibitors were associated with a trend towards an increased risk of dementia. However, the results were not statistically significant, which means that they could have occurred by chance. Dementia was diagnosed by a panel of physicians after reviewing results of magnetic resonance imaging and other tests.

"These results suggest that there is more to treating blood pressure than achieving a goal of 140/80," said Sink.

"Which drug you choose for blood pressure control can have broader implications. We know that ACE inhibitors protect against heart failure and kidney failure, and now there is evidence that some of them may also protect against dementia." Sink said the effects may be related to reducing inflammation in the brain.

"The hypothesis for how they may slow cognitive decline is that they are decreasing inflammation in the brain, and we know that inflammation is important in the development of Alzheimer's disease," she said.

The researchers analyzed data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a long-term study of cardiovascular risk factors that involved 5,888 people over 65 years old from Forsyth County in North Carolina, Sacramento County, Calif., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Washington County, Md. The mean age of participants was 75 years old and most participants (64 percent) were women.

They specifically looked at 1,074 study participants who were free of dementia when they entered the study and who were being treated for high blood pressure. They evaluated whether exposure to ACE inhibitors in general - and to the centrally active versus non-centrally active drugs - was related to dementia and cognitive decline.

Compared to other anti-hypertensive drugs, there was no association between exposure to ACE inhibitors as a class and the risk of dementia. The benefits clearly came from taking the centrally active drugs.

"We need to confirm the results in a study in which people are randomly selected to receive either ACE inhibitors that are centrally active or those that aren't," said Sink. "Hypertension is a risk factor for dementia, so it's important to know if the type of drug pressure medication a person takes can cut that risk."

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Diabetes drug boosts chemo's effectiveness

2007-05-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

The diabetes drug rosiglitazone (brand name Avandia) dramatically increases the potency of platinum-based cancer drugs, U.S. researchers report.

In research with mice, scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston found that combining a platinum chemotherapy agent with rosiglitazone was as much as three times more effective at halting or shrinking tumors than using either of the drugs alone.

The findings are published in the May issue of the journal Cancer Cell.

If the same results can be achieved in humans, this combination therapy may help improve control of ovarian, lung and other cancers routinely treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, said the researchers, who noted that tumors eventually become resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy.

The results suggest that this combination treatment may extend the use of platinum-based chemotherapy to other cancers which have previously not responded to this kind of chemotherapy, the scientists added.

"There's still a huge gulf between these experiments and human cancers. But it's worked in every animal model of cancer we've looked at, and I think there's a fair chance it will help people," senior author Bruce Spiegelman said in a prepared statement.

The Dana-Farber team is developing plans for initial human clinical trials, which may begin this year.

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Exposure to epilepsy drug depakote during pregnancy

2007-05-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Women with epilepsy who took the seizure drug valporate, which is marketed by Abbott Laboratories under the brand name Depakote, while pregnant increased their risk of having an infant with mental defects, according to a study presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Boston, the New York Times reports.

Kimford Meador, professor of neurology at the University of Florida, and colleagues examined 185 infants at age two using standard IQ measures. The mothers of the children had taken either Depakote, GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal, Novartis' Tegretorl or Parke-Davis' Dilanten (Carey, New York Times, 5/4). The average IQ of the children whose mothers had taken Depakote was 81, compared with an average of 96 for children in the Tegretol group, 94 for the Lamictal group and 95 for the Dilantin group (Gellene, Los Angeles Times, 5/4). After adjusting for the mothers' IQ scores, the researchers found that the two-year-old children who had been exposed to Depakote scored seven to eight points lower on IQ tests than children of mothers who had taken other seizure medications (New York Times, 5/4).

A score of 100 on the IQ test is average and below 70 is considered mentally retarded, according to researchers. Twenty-four percent of children whose mothers took Depakote had IQs below 70, compared with 13% for Tegretol, 11% for Lamictal and 12% for Dilantin. According to researchers, about 2% of all children have IQs below 70. According to the Los Angeles Times, Depakote also is used to treat migraines and some psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder.

Reaction Meador said that the NIH-funded study did not support a conclusion that all four drugs might cause mental retardation (Los Angeles Times, 5/4). However, he said, "In all, it is compelling evidence that [Depakote] should not be used as a first-line choice for treatment in pregnant women" (New York Times, 5/4). Meador said that women who must take Depakote because they do not respond to other drugs should take the lowest possible dose if they become pregnant. He also urged pregnant women to remain on their epilepsy medication because a seizure could be harmful to them and their fetuses (Los Angeles Times, 5/4).

Other researchers said the findings should be considered preliminary because IQ measures are less reliable in two-year-olds than in older children, the Times reports. Laureen Cassidy, a spokesperson for Abbott, said that for many women, "Depakote may be the only effective seizure control medication, and that decision should be made thoughtfully between physician and patient to fully evaluate the risk verses benefit of treatment." Depakote's label now states that the drug "has been associated with birth defects in children of women who have taken it while pregnant," the Times reports. Researchers plan to continue tracking children through age six .

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Rituximab reduced disease activity in MS patients

2007-05-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

The drug rituximab reduces disease activity in people with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to two new studies.

Rituximab selectively targets and depletes a subset of immune cells called B-cells by targeting a specific protein on the cell surface. It's the first drug designed to target B-cells and may offer a new treatment for relapsing-remitting MS.

In one study, University of California, San Francisco, researchers gave two infusions of rituximab, delivered two weeks apart, to 69 patients, while 35 other patients received a placebo.
During the following six months, the patients who received rituximab had 90 percent fewer brain lesions and 58 percent fewer drug relapses than the patients who received the placebo (14.5 percent vs. 34.3 percent).

In the second study, researchers at McGill University in Montreal gave 26 patients two infusions of rituximab two weeks apart (one course of treatment) and then gave them another course of treatment six months later. The patients were followed for at least a year.

The patients showed a 90 percent reduction in brain lesions, and the relapse rate went from an average of at least one per patient per year to only a few for the entire group of patients during the year of treatment.

Both studies were supported by Genentech Inc., and Biogen Idec., the companies marketing the drug in the United States, where it is currently approved for treating certain types of lymphoma and for a moderate to severe form of rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab is not approved for treatment of MS.

"While these are early stage clinical trials, these results are exciting, because the current drugs available for MS are only partially effective in reducing disease activity and preventing exacerbations," Dr. Stephen Hauser, author of the California study, said in a prepared statement.

"New and more effective treatments for MS are sorely needed, especially for people who do not adequately respond to current available medications. These data are also important, because they demonstrate that B-cells, which are the precursors of antibody-producing cells, play an essential role in mediating relapses of MS," Hauser said.

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Clot-preventing drug improves heart blood flow after angioplasty

2007-05-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Infusing the clot-preventing drug streptokinase improved blood flow in the tiniest heart blood vessels of people who had artery-opening procedures such as angioplasty, a small Turkish study found.

It's an intriguing study, cardiologists in other countries said, but there's a real question about whether that improvement does any good over the long run.

"We've done this kind of work in the past," said Dr. Kirk Garratt, clinical director of interventional cardiovascular research at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Giving this drug and drugs like this to improve outcome, it never worked."

But, Garratt added, there are some important differences in what the cardiologists at Istanbul University reported in the May 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. One is that general treatment of people undergoing artery-opening procedures has improved in recent years. The patients in the Turkish trial who were given streptokinase were also given other clot-preventing drugs such as Plavix, for example.

Most significant, the Turkish doctors did extensive measurements of microvascular function -- blood flow through the smallest heart vessels. They found that it was much better than in trial participants who did not get streptokinase.

That was a different result from previous research, Garratt said. "Then, we were looking at how the heart pumped blood," he said. "We didn't find a difference."

That was ultimately true in the Turkish study. After six months, "there was no evidence of a difference between the two study groups in left ventricular size or function," the researchers wrote, referring to the blood-pumping chamber of the heart.

"If you're interested in microvascular flow as an endpoint, this is an approach worth pursuing," Garratt said. "There is some evidence that improving microvascular flow improves outcome."
But even then, streptokinase may not be the best clot-preventing drug to use, Garratt said. "It has probably the worst bleeding rate out there," he said. "When we did this before, we saw lots of bleeding, and that is a significant limitation. Even if you show that improved microvascular
flow is beneficial in the long term, bleeding is a problem."

The Turkish study also was a very small study, noted Dr. Jan J. Piek, professor of cardiology at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal. "We have to be a little bit careful, because they studied only 41 patients," he said. "I would consider it a hypothesis-generating study that has to be tested in a larger randomized trial."

Participants in such a trial would have to be chosen carefully, Piek said. "I would focus more on the uniform selection of patients," he said.

"Those who would benefit most would be patients with large myocardial infarctions [heart attacks]. They would be the most appropriate on whom to test this technique," Piek suggested. "The trial would have to be done in a sensitive setting, including only patients with larger infarcts, rather than the non-uniform selection of patients for this trial," he added.

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Miracle Drug For MS Sufferers

2007-05-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

200 new cases of multiple sclerosis are diagnosed each week in the U.S. it’s a debilitating disease but now there’s new hope for patients.

In this Healthy Living report, a brand new drug that some are calling a miracle.

It was a diagnosis that hit the Rydalch family out of the blue. The day before Thanksgiving 2006, Clint Rydalch was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Just a few months ago, he was so ill, he couldn’t move.

“I was in bed, couldn’t move, talk to anything. I couldn’t even eat,” says Clint.

“He had to get a feeding tube, he had no memory and couldn’t remember me, the kids, the family,” says Clint’s wife Cindy.

But thanks to a brand new drug for MS called Tysabri Clint is making his way back.

In patients with MS, the protective shield surrounding nerves is attacked by cells and damaged, causing a short circuit in the nervous system. That leads to problems with vision, movement and energy among other things.

Tysabri works by blocking these damaging cells. Doctor John Foley specializes in MS and says results of this drug are very promising.

“In a fairly large number we’re seeing a reversal or improvement of symptoms, in some cases to a fairly dramatic degree,” says Dr Foley.

The drug is given once a month by IV, clint says he noticed immediate results.

Clint says, “my first day after Tysabri I could talk again, move and even sit up in bed with a little help.”

And after four treatments, he’s even back to work part time. This drug is only for certain patients with MS and it can’t be taken with other treatments because a severe brain virus can occur. But for the Rydalch family, it’s been nothing short of a miracle.

Cindy says, “From day one we started noticing miracles, really.”Tysabri is usually given after patients don’t respond to other drug treatments.

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Researchers test treatments for painful mouth ulcers

2007-04-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

The drug pentoxifylline offers only limited benefit for treating one form of mouth ulcers, while a cream commonly used to treat eczema appears effective in treating another kind, according to two studies published in the April issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology.

In the first study, British researchers at the University of Sheffield found that pentoxifylline provided limited benefit to patients with mouth ulcers due to recurrent aphthous stomatitis, which is characterized by recurring mouth ulcers in otherwise healthy people. The condition affects about 20 percent of the population.

The 60-day study included 26 people, average age 33, who took either one 400-milligram tablet of pentoxifylline three times a day or three placebo pills per day.

"Patients taking pentoxifylline had less pain and reported smaller and fewer ulcers compared with baseline," the study authors wrote. "Patients taking placebo reported no improvement in these variables. Patients taking pentoxifylline also reported more ulcer-free days than those taking placebo. However, the differences were small and, with the exception of median ulcer size, did not reach statistical significance."

Sixty days after they stopped taking the drug, all patients reported ulcers similar to those they had before the start of the trial. Dizziness, headaches, stomach upset, and increased heart rate were among the side effects reported by those who took the drug.

"Pentoxifylline did not prevent the ulcer episodes from occurring or result in a long-term cure. Thus, given the potential for significant adverse effects and the small benefits of the drug demonstrated in this clinical trial, we cannot recommend pentoxifylline as the drug of first choice for treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis, although it may have a second-line role in the management of patients unresponsive to other treatments or as an adjunct to other treatments," the researchers concluded.

The second study found that one percent pimecrolimus cream was effective against oral erosive lichen planus, a severe inflammatory condition that causes painful mouth ulcers. People with the condition, which affects about one percent of the population, may even lose weight because of the mouth pain they experience when eating.

The study, by French researchers at the University of Nice, included six patients who applied pimecrolimus cream on mouth sores twice a day for four weeks and six patients who applied a placebo cream without any active ingredient.

The patients were assessed at the start of the study and again at 14 and 28 days. After 28 days, the average clinical score in the pimecrolimus group decreased from 6.83 to 3.33 and from 4.67 to 3.33 in the placebo group. There were few side effects in either group.

"In the pimecrolimus group, all the patients but one reported a moderate to important improvement of their symptoms and were satisfied by the treatment. This improvement was observed from the first week of treatment, usually within the first two days, and most notably, patients reported less pain when eating," the study authors wrote.

However, all the patients who improved during the study had a relapse within a month after treatment.

Larger studies are needed to better evaluate the safety and efficacy of pimecrolimus cream compared to other treatments, the authors wrote.

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Drug shows promise in spinal cord injury treatment

2007-04-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

A drug called Cethrin shows promise in treating people with spinal cord injury (SCI), according to a study by American and Canadian researchers.

Cethrin inhibits Rho, a signaling master switch that, when activated, triggers cell death and increases damage after SCI. Tests in animals with SCI have found that Cethrin inhibits cell death and promotes neural regeneration.

This one-year study looked at the use of Cethrin (a recombinant protein) formulated with a fibrin sealant in 37 patients who had just suffered an SCI that left them with no sensory or motor function below the area of the injury.

All the patients had an "A" grade injury as ranked by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA). Grades of injury go from A through E. An "A" is the most serious while "E" is normal.
After the patients had surgical decompression/reconstruction, the researchers started treatment with Cethrin, an average of 53 hours after the injury occurred. The patients received increasing doses of the drug (0.3, 1.0, 3.0 and 6 milligrams) administered extradurally to the injured spinal cord. The patients were assessed at various points over a year.

The study found that at six weeks, 30.6 percent of the patients improved by one or ASIA grades of injury. At six months, 28 percent of patients improved by one or more ASIA grades. Five patients improved to "C" and two improved to "D." One patient died from acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The study, which was funded by BioAxone Therapeutique of Montreal and Boston Life Sciences Inc., was presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, in Washington, D.C. The findings from this Phase I/II study warrant moving on to a prospective randomized trial of Cethrin, the researchers said.

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Rheumatoid arthritis drug may help treat type 2 diabetes

2007-04-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

A drug designed to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may also be helpful for managing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

The study found that daily injections of anakinra led to a drop in long-term levels of glucose in the blood, while they increased in people given a placebo.

"We (showed) that a 13-week treatment with anakinra improves glucose regulation and insulin production in people with type 2 diabetes," said one of the study's authors, Dr. Marc Donath, an attending physician and a professor of endocrinology and diabetes at University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland.

The study is published in the April 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Almost 21 million Americans -- or about 7 percent of the U.S. population -- have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, and those most at risk for developing type 2 diabetes include people who are overweight, the elderly, and people from certain races, such as blacks or Native Americans, according to the diabetes group.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or it doesn't use insulin effectively. Insulin, a hormone, is needed to transport sugar from the blood to cells, where it is used for energy.

Sometimes, beta cells -- insulin-producing cells -- in the pancreas are destroyed in type 2 diabetes as they are in type 1 diabetes. Through previous research, Donath and his colleagues learned that a substance called interleukin-1 beta was a factor in the demise of these cells in people with type 2 diabetes.

The drug anakinra is an interleukin-1-receptor antagonist, which means it can block the action of interleukin-1 beta.

To assess whether or not this could have an effect on people with type 2 diabetes, the researchers randomly assigned 36 people to receive a once-daily placebo injection and 34 people to receive once-daily injections of 100 milligrams of anakinra for 13 weeks.

After 13 weeks, the glycated hemoglobin levels were 0.46 percent lower in the group that received anakinra. Glycated hemoglobin, also referred to as glycosylated hemoglobin or A1C, is a test that measures the average amount of glucose in the blood for about three months. People without diabetes generally have levels around 5 percent. The higher the level, the greater the risk of diabetes complications, which can include heart disease, nerve damage, kidney failure and loss of vision.

"Our study is proof of concept for a mechanism underlying the disease and (may possibly) block its progression," said Donath, who added, "Interleukin-1 beta may be involved in other complications of the disease, such as arteriosclerosis. Therefore, this therapy may also prevent cardiovascular events. However, this remains to be shown."

Anakinra was well tolerated by the study participants, and Donath and his colleagues plan on conducting larger, follow-up studies of the medication.

"This study points to inflammation as definitely having a role in the (diabetes) story," said Dr. Stuart Weiss, an endocrinologist at New York University Medical Center, and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.

But, Weiss said that while this avenue of research is "worth pursuing, I wouldn't get my hopes up for a clinical application, especially since the drug appears to lose its effectiveness over time."
Additionally, Weiss pointed out that it appeared the drug was more effective in thinner people.

"The authors don't really discuss this, but it's an interesting finding -- it's not what we'd expect."

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Ibuprofen risky for heart patients?

2007-04-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

The common painkiller ibuprofen may boost heart attack risk by blocking the lifesaving effects of aspirin, a new study shows.

“The public health impact of this is monstrous," Michael Farkouh, director of clinical trials at Mount Sinai Heart, a premier New York cardiovascular centre has said. “Ibuprofen is relatively safe except when we give it with aspirin to people at high risk of heart attack," Farkouh says.

"But when given with aspirin, we do we see an excess of heart attacks." This is a controversial conclusion. The study itself had not been designed to look at ibuprofen safety, nor has it proved that ibuprofen is harmful to people at high risk of heart disease. But it does provide a clear warning sign that ibuprofen is risky for people who need the blood-clot-reducing effect of daily low-dose aspirin.

Those taking aspirin in the ibuprofen arm of the study had a ninefold excess of heart attacks. But another expert Steve Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at The Cleveland Clinic and past president of the American College of Cardiology, urges caution. He notes that the findings are based on only eight heart attacks among thousands of high-risk patients taking ibuprofen and aspirin. Still Dr.Farkouh says the numbers may be small but the potential risks are great. And it would not be the first time that relatively small numbers of heart attacks caused a major change in how doctors look at pain drugs.

“The whole Vioxx thing was based on 64 heart events among 21,000 patients studied," Farkouh recalls. "Here we are talking about potentially a higher magnitude of impact. The interaction of ibuprofen with aspirin is a bigger public health concern than Vioxx was."

Rofecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was marketed under the brand name Vioxx by Merck for treatment of osteoarthritis, and related acute pain conditions. Worldwide, over 80 million people were prescribed rofecoxib at some time.

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Antibiotic combinations could fight resistant germs

2007-04-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Using two competing antibiotics against a bacterium -- even when the bug is resistant to one of them -- appears to help conquer the germ and suppress the resistance, new research shows.
The finding is a bit counterintuitive, since for years, doctors have been warning of the overuse of antibiotics, because it encourages germ resistance.

But the new study suggests that sometimes, "antibiotics can be used in suppressive combinations" to limit resistant bacteria, said senior researcher Roy Kishony, an assistant professor in the department of systems biology at Harvard Medical School.

The finding, published in the April 5 issue of the journal Nature, is preliminary and does not have immediate implications for the way doctors use antibiotics. However, the researchers said the study does offer tantalizing new avenues for research.

The advent of antibiotics remains one of the great achievements of modern medicine, credited with saving millions of lives. But the emergence of strains of bacteria that are resistant to nearly all antibiotics has health officials worried.

For example, in 2006, experts warned that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had moved from hospital wards to the general community, threatening to become a global epidemic.

And "the issue is broader than MRSA," Dr. Edward Chapnick, director of infectious diseases at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City, told HealthDay at the time. "The issue is antibiotic resistance as a whole. That's not the only resistant organism. It's a big problem, but it's not the only one."

Alarmed by the threat, medical groups and doctors have warned against overusing antibiotics in both humans and animals.

But the Harvard study suggests that combining these drugs in a surprising new way could curb the problem.

In their laboratory experiments, Kishony and Harvard graduate student Remy Chait focused on two strains of the E. coli bacterium -- one that was resistant to doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, and one that was not.

They exposed the two bacteria to both doxycycline and ciprofloxacin (Cipro), a drug from a different class of antibiotics. Experts call this combination of antibiotics "hyper-antagonistic," because under normal circumstances, doxycycline works to suppress Cipro's germ-killing effects.

Typically, when using antibiotics in combination, any resistant strain should flourish at the expense of strains that had not developed resistance, Kishony explained.

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Parkinson's drug pergolide withdrawn over heart concerns

2007-04-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

The Parkinson's disease drug pergolide has been removed from the market because it has been linked to heart valve damage in patients.

The drug, which goes by the brand name Permax, has had a troubled history. It was voluntarily withdrawn Thursday by its maker, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Two generic versions are manufactured by Par Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

"The reason for the withdrawal is because of the high rate of damage to the heart valves in users of pergolide," Dr. Robert Temple, director of the Office of Medical Policy at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during a teleconference Thursday afternoon. "The damage causes the valve to become leaky. The drug is called a dopamine agonist and is used as starting therapy for Parkinson's patients."

The drug has been available since 1988, and the first reports of heart valve damage surfaced in 2002, Temple said. In 2003, the drug's label was changed to reflect these problems. In 2006, further studies prompted the FDA to mandate a "black box warning" on the drug's label.
The last straw was the publication of two studies in January in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed a fivefold increased risk of valve damage from taking the drug. One of the studies also revealed that about 23 percent of people on the drug developed heart valve problems, Temple said. "That what led to our new action," he said.

In addition, reports showed that other dopamine agonists did not cause heart valve problems, Temple noted. "Pergolide has no advantage over any of the other therapies for Parkinson's," he said. "Almost all patients can be converted to another drug. We concluded that this drug really didn't have a place in therapy anymore."

Currently, about 12,000 to 25,000 patients are taking pergolide in the United States, and its use has been declining, Temple said.

Temple said there are some patients who only do well on pergolide. "We hope to make some arrangement for those people so they can get the drug, providing they understand the risk," he said.

"We are telling these patients not to stop the drug abruptly," he added. "If the patients, with their physicians, conclude they need a dopamine agonist, there are ways to switch."
The voluntary withdrawal will not take place immediately. This will allow time for health-care providers and patients to make appropriate treatment decisions, Temple said.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Parkinson's is a disease of the nervous system. The four main symptoms are tremors, stiffness of the limbs and trunk, slowness of movement, and impaired balance. These symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen with time. As they become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking or completing other simple tasks.

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Low-carb diet speeds initial weight loss

2007-03-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

In a Research of overweight and obese people, those who went on a low carbohydrate diet lost more weight -- and more fat -- than their peers who went on a low-fat, portion-controlled diet.
After 12 weeks on the low-carb plan, study participants had lost an average of 4.9 kilograms (10.8 pounds), compared to 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) for their peers on the low-fat diet.

However, after the weight-maintenance phase of the study, which lasted another 24 weeks, differences between the two groups in weight loss and fat mass remained, but were no longer statistically significant.

The findings confirm that the low-carb diet tested in the study is a "reasonable alternative" to cutting fat and controlling portions in order to maintain a healthy weight, Dr. Kevin C. Maki of Radiant Research in Chicago and colleagues conclude.

The approach Maki's team tested -- a reduced-glycemic-load (RGL) diet -- required people to restrict their carbohydrate intake and eat more low glycemic index (GI) foods, meaning foods that produce a relatively small, gradual increase in blood sugar levels. Low GI foods generally are rich in fiber, consist of more complex carbohydrates, and include vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Research participants on the RGL diet did not eat certain high-carb foods, such as fruits and starches, for the first two weeks, and also abstained from alcohol, after which they introduced low-GI foods and were allowed to drink moderate amounts of alcohol. But they were allowed to eat as much of the permitted foods as they wanted. Those on the low-fat diet were instructed to reduce their energy intake 500 to 800 calories per day by eliminating high-fat foods and controlling portion sizes.

After 12 weeks, study participants in either group could continue on the weight loss diet or switch to a weight maintenance plan.

At 12 weeks, the low-carb group had lost significantly more weight, and also more fat -- 1.9 kg (4.2 pounds) of fat vs. 0.9 kg (2 pounds) for the low-fat diet group.

By 36 weeks, the low-carb group had kept off 4.5 kg (10 pounds), compared to 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds) for the low-fat group, not a huge difference.

Low-carb diet participants had maintained a 2 kg (4.4 pounds) loss of fat weight, compared to 1.3 kg (2.9 pounds) for the low fat group, which again was not a significant difference.

The researchers say more research is needed to clarify the mechanisms responsible for the greater initial losses of body weight and fat associated with the RGL diet, to evaluate the persistence of these losses over longer treatment periods, and to obtain greater insight into strategies that would improve long-term weight-loss maintenance."

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Antibiotics too often prescribed for sinus woes

2007-03-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

U.S. doctors are consistently overprescribing antibiotics for sinus infections, a new study finds, but even the physician who led the research doesn't see how the problem can be eliminated.
That's because when it comes to treatments for sinus trouble, antibiotics are the best of a bad lot, said Dr. Donald A. Leopold, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

"We as physicians don't have very good medications for chronic rhinosinusitis," he said. "The only other drugs in contention are topical steroids, and they are not great. As a group I suggest we are frustrated at not having good drugs. It would be great if we had better medications for this chronic inflammation."

Another factor is what patients demand, Leopold said. "Many patients call up and ask for specific antibiotics," he said. "The patients know these names. They have been marketed to them, so they know the drugs are available. And antibiotics do give some relief."
His team published their findings in the March issue of Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

According to the report, two national studies show that Americans made more than 17 million visits to health-care facilities for sinus infection between 1999 and 2002. At least one antibiotic was prescribed in nearly 83 percent of cases of acute rhinosinusitis and in nearly 70 percent of cases of the chronic, longer-running version of the condition, in which symptoms persist for at least 12 weeks.

The problem is that antibiotics are effective only against bacteria, but many sinus infections are due to other causes, such as viral infections, allergies or hormonal changes. The often-repeated standard wisdom is that use of antibiotics in such cases should be avoided to reduce the emergence of dangerous resistant bacterial strains.

But it's hard to preach that wisdom to someone with a drippy, hurting sinus who wants immediate relief, Leopold acknowledged. Because more effective drugs are lacking, "patients are desperate, physicians are desperate, and it is not a happy situation," he said.
Consider the case of the working physician called on to treat such a patient, said Dr. Neil L. Kao, vice chairman of the rhinitis/sinusitis committee of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. He happens to be just such a working physician, in private practice in Greenville, S.C.

There are ways to determine whether a sinus infection is bacterial, Kao said. One is to do endoscopy, running a tube into the nose to obtain a sample of mucus from the sinus. Another is nasal cytology, examining a swab from the lining of the nose. A third is to take an X-ray.
"The problem with all of these is that they are expensive and time-consuming," Kao said. "The differences between symptoms caused by an allergy, bacterial infection, viral infection and a common cold are few. For us, even specialist doctors, when you see someone with acute nasal symptoms, it is hard to tell the cause. And the truth is that most of the people diagnosed with sinusitis go to primary care doctors."

Public awareness about antibiotic resistance is increasing, but most people suffering from cough, drip, lack of sleep and other sinus symptoms are likely to come in demanding an antibiotic, Kao said.

And so the physician often makes the practical choice of giving what the patient wants, with a chance of relief, over the more abstract issue of antibiotic resistance, he said.

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Blood pressure drugs may fight lung cancer

2007-03-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

Drugs commonly used to control high blood pressure may also shrink lung tumors.

As prescribed, the medicines -- known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors -- keep blood pressure in check by boosting levels of the "angiotensin (1-7)" hormone, thereby prompting dilation of blood vessel walls.

Blood pressure patients taking ACE inhibitors also have lower rates of lung cancer, noted a team from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Investigating further, they found that angiotensin (1-7) cuts back on levels of cycloxygenase-2 (cox-2), an enzyme that promotes cell growth and is often elevated in lung cancer patients.
In the team's latest experiment, boosting angiotensin (1-7) levels in mice shrank lung cancer tumors by 30 percent.

"We are cautiously optimistic, but you know how these things go," said study co-author Patricia E. Gallagher, a researcher at Wake Forest's hypertension and vascular research center. "So many of these drugs go to trial, and while they work great in animals, when you get to the patient population, they're just not as effective. But to this point, we can say that, in mice, we got a reduction in cox-2 and a big reduction in tumor size without any toxic side effects."
The findings are reported in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research.

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among men and women, killing more Americans than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined. Because they are typically diagnosed at a later stage of disease, 6 in 10 lung cancer patients will die within the first year following diagnosis. Five-year survival is just 14 percent, and an estimated 170,000 Americans die each year from the disease.

In their study, the Gallagher team worked with a group of two- to four-week-old mice that had received transplanted lung cancer cells derived from a 58-year-old patient. The tumors were allowed to grow for 32 days.

Rather than testing ACE inhibitors themselves, the researchers injected half the mice with the angiotensin (1-7) hormone for a 28-day treatment period. The remaining mice received saline.
The experiment stimulated blood levels of angiotensin (1-7) in the mice to concentrations equivalent to those found in humans being treated with ACE inhibitors.

Subsequent dissections revealed that cox-2 levels diminished significantly in the treated mice, while lung tumors shrank by 30 percent. In contrast, tumors in mice receiving the saline solution grew to 2.5 times their pre-treatment size.

Gallagher and her colleagues uncovered no evidence of toxic side effects among the angiotensin (1-7) mice. The rodents displayed no apparent changes in body weight, heart rate or blood pressure, the researchers said.

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FDA oks new drug for advanced breast cancer

2007-03-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

U.S. regulators approved on Tuesday a new drug that in clinical trials delayed breast cancer progression in women no longer responding to Herceptin, a drug effective against tumors with too much of a protein called HER-2.

When given in combination with chemotherapy, the new drug, Tykerb (lapatinib), did a better job of curtailing cancer growth than did the chemo drug alone.

"Today's approval is a step forward in making new treatments available for patients who have progression of their breast cancer after treatment with some of the most effective breast cancer therapies available," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement. "New targeted therapies such as Tykerb are helping expand options for patients."

Tykerb, which comes in pill form, is made by GlaxoSmithKline, which funded the clinical trial. The results of the trial were initially announced last June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, in Atlanta.

About 8,000 to 10,000 American women die from metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer each year, the FDA said.

Tykerb, among a class of drugs called kinase inhibitors, deprives tumor cells of signals they need to grow. But it differs from other cancer drugs in that it actually enters cells and blocks the function of the HER2 protein, the agency said.

The drug was tested in a trial involving 400 women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer that was HER2 positive. Common side effects included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and rash. A small percentage of participants also had a decrease in heart function that may have been characterized by shortness of breath. This condition generally was reversible, the agency said.
Some 20 percent to 25 percent of breast cancers have abnormally high levels of the HER2/neu receptor and, as a result, are generally more aggressive. Herceptin (trastuzumab) blocks activity of the receptor by binding to the part of the receptor outside the cell. Tykerb, by contrast, binds to a part of the receptor inside the cell.

The clinical trial included a plan for an independent data monitoring committee to analyze data at the halfway point to see if the benefits were larger than anticipated, in which case the committee would recommend the study be closed.

On March 20, 2006, the monitoring committee made a unanimous recommendation to terminate the trial because the results were so encouraging.

Women in the combined therapy group had almost double the time to disease progression as did women receiving Xeloda alone: 36.9 weeks vs. 19.7 weeks.

Responding to the FDA's approval of Tykerb, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a prepared statement: "The approval of Tykerb is a significant step forward because it once again demonstrates the promise of targeted therapies, where we take our understanding of how cancer cells work and apply that knowledge to new drug development. We now have a new drug that offers promise and hope to women who have a more aggressive form of breast cancer, where until very recently we had little to offer. And we now have two drugs that are effective in treating this particular form of the disease.

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Lung cancer screens may not save lives

2007-03-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

A new research suggests that screening smokers and former smokers for lung cancer doesn't save lives or prevent advanced disease and may lead to unneeded and harmful treatment. But it's not the final word on CT scans.

Some experts have hoped that the scans, which are a special kind of X-ray that can detect tiny lung abnormalities, will prevent lung cancer deaths by getting people into treatment earlier. But there hasn't been convincing evidence of that.

A large and authoritative scientific study won't be completed for a few years. Without that evidence, the American Cancer Society doesn't recommend the test, which costs $300 to $400, and most insurance companies won't pay for it.

The latest research, appearing in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, analyzed lung cancer deaths and cases of advanced lung cancer among 3,246 smokers and former smokers who had annual CT scans for about four years.

Researchers compared deaths and advanced cancer cases with rates predicted by a mathematical model. The model — based on a person's age, gender, asbestos exposure and smoking history — has proven valid in previous studies.

The model predicted there would be 33.4 cases of advanced cancer; there were 42. The model predicted 38.8 lung cancer deaths; there were 38.

"We don't see a trace of evidence that a single life was saved, that a single case of advanced cancer was avoided," said study co-author Dr. Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

CT screening did increase diagnosis and treatment. The people screened were three times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer and 10 times more likely to have lung surgery than predicted.

Bach said it's likely the cancers found by scans were so slow-growing they might never have caused death. Meanwhile, scanning missed the fast-growing, fatal cancers, which popped up between the annual scans.

"It's like taking a photo of the night sky when you're looking for a shooting star," Bach said.
Because CT scanning led to more biopsies and surgeries, patients were at risk of complications such as lung punctures, bleeding and infection, Bach said.

"Getting screened for lung cancer with CT scanning is not only unproven, it's potentially a risky endeavor," he said.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and worldwide. About 213,380 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007, and the disease is expected to kill 160,390. Smoking is the main culprit.

Last year, another study was more encouraging about the potential for CT screening. It found that people whose early tumors were detected and promptly removed had an estimated 10-year survival rate of 92 percent.

An author of that study, Dr. Claudia Henschke of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, said the new findings don't detract from the benefit found in her study. She said both studies should encourage discussion of how best to evaluate screening tools.
Any alternative to CT scans for lung cancer screening is many years away.

Dr. David Johnson, at Nashville's Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, who wasn't involved in either study, said the new research adds a note of caution about CT scans as smokers, former smokers and their doctors wait for results from the National Cancer Institute's study of 50,000 people coming in a few years.

In the meantime, Johnson doesn't recommend routine CT scans. "There's nothing more powerful to protect yourself from lung cancer than stopping smoking," he said. "CT scanning is not the answer. Stopping smoking is the answer."

Source: www.medical-health-care-information.com

Treating depression improves diabetes control

2007-03-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

A new found of type 2 diabetics with depression confirms that depression has a negative impact on glycemic (blood sugar) control, researchers report, and "affirms the importance of depression management in diabetic patients in its potential to improve glycemic control."
Researchers from Missouri treated 93 patients with type 2 diabetes and depression with the antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin).

"We selected bupropion because it is capable of reducing depression and weight simultaneously and hypothesized that these effects would be accompanied by improved glycemic control in diabetic patients with major depressive disorder," the team explains in the journal Diabetes Care.

In support of their hypothesis, "antidepressant treatment produced benefits beyond just mood improvement," first author Dr. Patrick J. Lustman from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, told Reuters Health. "Patients also lost weight, improved self-management of their diabetes, and improved their glucose control (A1C levels)."

Of these short-term improvements, only depression improvement predicted maintenance of improved blood sugar control in the subsequent 6 months, the researchers found.
"This confirms our hypothesis that depression improvement can produce better glycemic control, independent of favorable changes in weight and diabetes self care," Lustman noted. "Improvement in depression was the key to achieving longer term improvements in glucose control."

Lustman concludes that the data "point to the importance of weight-independent physiological factors (insulin sensitivity, inflammation) that improve during depression relief and contribute to better long-term control of diabetes."

Erectile dysfunction drugs may trump nitroglycerin for heart protection

2007-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Erectile dysfunction drugs may be better than nitroglycerin in protecting the heart from damage before and after a severe heart attack, Virginia Commonwealth University researchers report.

During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of oxygen, which can result in significant damage to heart muscle and tissue. After the attack, most patients require treatment to reduce and repair the damage and improve their chances of survival. With the exception of early reperfusion, there are no available therapies that are truly effective in protecting or repairing such damage clinically.

Rakesh C. Kukreja, Ph.D., professor of medicine and Eric Lipman Chair of Cardiology at VCU, and colleagues compared nitroglycerin with two erectile dysfunction drugs -- Viagra®, generically known as sildenafil, and Levitra®, generically known as vardenafil -- to determine the effectiveness of each for heart protection following a heart attack. Nitroglycerin is a drug used to treat angina, or chest pain. It is a vasodilator and opens blood vessels in order to improve the flow of blood to a patient's heart.

The research team reported that in an animal model, sildenafil and vardenafil reduce damage in the heart muscle when given after a severe heart attack. In contrast, nitroglycerin failed to reduce the damage in the heart when administered under similar conditions. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, the official publication of the International Society for Heart Research.

"Erectile dysfunction drugs can prevent damage in the heart not only when given before a heart attack, as we discovered previously, but also lessen the injury after the heart attack," said Kukreja, who is the lead author of the study.

According to Kukreja, the protective effects on the heart produced by these erectile dysfunction drugs may be potentially useful as adjunct therapy in patients undergoing elective procedures, including coronary artery bypass graft, coronary angioplasty or heart transplantation. In addition, he said another potential application could be to prevent the multiple organ damage that occurs following cardiac arrest, resuscitation or shock.

"Preserving heart function is critical to optimal cardiac outcomes," said George W. Vetrovec, M.D., chair of cardiology at the VCU Pauley Heart Center. "These agents have significant potential to enhance patient outcomes, particularly in high risk circumstances, such as acute heart attacks."

For several years, Kukreja and his colleagues have studied a class of erectile dysfunction drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors as part of ongoing research into heart protection. The team first investigated sildenafil, and then vardenafil, and found that both compounds were protective when given before a heart attack under experimental conditions.

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HIV drug resistance spurred by widely used Hepatitis B drug

2007-03-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

A Johns Hopkins study has proven false established medical practice that an antiretroviral drug widely used to treat hepatitis B liver infections was safe to use on its own in patients co-infected with HIV. Their findings demonstrate that treatment with entecavir leads to cross-resistance to other antiviral drugs used to treat the AIDS virus.

"Our results show that entecavir is no different from any other that has been shown to be active against HIV - it breeds resistance rapidly, despite its ability to reduce the amount of HIV in the body," says senior study author and infectious disease specialist Chloe Thio, M.D.

Researchers say the findings, presented at the 2007 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Los Angeles, have serious implications for the more than 4 million people worldwide believed to be infected with both viral illnesses but who need to treat their hepatitis B and are not yet on anti-HIV drugs.

Authors of the study have informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of their results so that prescribing physicians can be notified and so that drug labeling can be changed. They have also notified Bristol-Myers Squibb, which makes and sells entecavir under the brand name Baraclude.

"The alert should go out to co-infected people to consult with their physicians immediately about entecavir to see if it is the right drug to treat their hepatitis B in the first place and to evaluate alternative therapies," says Thio, an associate professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

This says she has stopped prescribing entecavir as her first option in treating hepatitis B in co-infected patients who are not already using drugs to suppress HIV.

"The good news is that co-infected patients already on HIV therapy can still use entecavir to treat their hepatitis B, but the bad news is that there are now fewer options for treating hepatitis B first," she adds. Hepatitis B infection attacks the liver and can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or even death from liver failure.

Entecavir, first marketed in March 2005, has been a leading treatment for chronic forms of hepatitis B, which can be fatal to almost a quarter of those infected if it is left untreated. The drug's label information currently states that is has no clinical effects on HIV.

According to Thio, some co-infected patients decide first to treat their hepatitis B infection if HIV has not yet weakened their immune system and to avoid the debilitating side effects of anti-HIV medications.

In the Hopkins study, researchers found in both laboratory and clinical tests that within six months of entecavir therapy, a so-called M184V mutation of HIV develops. This says viruses with this mutation are known to be resistant to lamivudine, better known as 3TC, a medication that prevents HIV replication and "is a cornerstone of most drug-combination therapies used to fight the immune system disease." Because lamivudine is in the same category of HIV therapies as another widely used drug, emtricitabine, its effectiveness is also compromised by entecavir, she says.

This began to investigate entecavir's effects on HIV in fall 2006 after noticing reports of anti-HIV activity in two co-infected patients, one at the Johns Hopkins Moore Clinic, which specializes in HIV/AIDS care, and another at a San Diego medical center. The patients (and there is now a third case) were taking only entecavir yet showed a tenfold decrease in the amount of HIV in their blood.

Previous studies had shown entecavir not to have any significant effects on HIV, about they were based on older tests that could not quantify the effects of HIV on individual immune cells or detect mutations. Thio believed that the recent patient cases called for a more thorough investigation with more advanced techniques.

She and her team combined various concentrations of entecavir with 100,000 human immune cells from a healthy blood donor, then infected them with an HIV test virus and measured the number of cells infected over time.

The lab test, developed at Hopkins by study co-author Robert Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at Hopkins and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, specifically tests what drugs affect HIV and can be tailored to probe effects on any particular mutant of HIV.

Lab results showed that entecavir, in concentrations less than a tenth of what is used in humans, cut the number of newly infected cells in half. However, at increasing concentrations, the drug had no greater impact on suppressing HIV replication. HIV is a virus renowned for its ability to change form and thus evade or develop resistance to therapies designed to stop its action.

Similar testing with entecavir, immune cells and the M184V form of HIV showed that the drug did not stop the virus from infecting the cells. This provided evidence, scientists say, that the drug specifically fostered development of this mutation in HIV, later confirmed by clinical testing.

When researchers tested the blood of one of the co-infected patients for the M184V mutation, they found none in samples taken at the start of entecavir thereapy. But they did find it in 61 percent of viral samples tested after four months of therapy, and 96 percent at six months.

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A chemotherapy drug packs a one-two Punch

2007-02-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

Cancer can be wily, and those who treat the disease have amassed a wide array of weapons with which to fight it and kill tumors. Radiation therapy and various forms of chemotherapy were all thought to be separate but equal treatments. Now, however, new research is beginning to show that it's not just killing the cancer cells that matter. How they're killed may turn out to be just as important and could play a role in marshalling the body's immune response.

New research by Rockefeller University associate professor Madhav Dhodapkar, head of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, shows that one form of chemotherapy - a drug called bortezomib - kills tumor cells in such a way that it may allow the immune system to recognize them. In a first edition paper published online by the journal Blood, Dhodapkar, postdoctoral fellow Radek Spisek, and their colleagues show that unlike radiation or other chemical therapies, bortezomib can kill multiple myeloma cells in culture in such a way that it elicits a response by memory and killer T cells. The results suggest the drug has the potential to enhance patients' immunity to tumors, helping their bodies fight the disease more effectively.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of immune cells in the bone marrow. Dhodapkar's experiments show that when treated with bortezomib in tissue culture, multiple myeloma cells die in such a way that a heat shock protein, called hsp90, migrate to their surface. When another group of immune cells, called dendritic cells, encounter hsp90 on the dying tumor cells, the protein acts as a signal for their activation. The dendritic cells then ingest them for presentation to memory and killer T cells, a progression that - in humans - could potentially lead to enhanced immunity. "If you could directly target the drug to these cells," Dhodapkar says, "it may be sufficient enough to create a vaccine. The exposure of heat shock proteins on dying cells represents an immunogenic form of cell death."

When the researchers tested other standard treatments for multiple myeloma, such as radiation or the corticosteroid dexamethasone, the therapies failed to increase levels of hsp90 on the surface of dying cells, and so couldn't activate dendritic cells to the degree that bortezomib did. And their findings aren't limited to a single cancer: After treatment with bortezomib, dying lymphoma and breast cancer cells experienced the same increase in hsp90.

How well this research will translate to increased survival rates depends on how applicable these tissue culture studies are to the actual immune system response in people. So Dhodapkar plans to determine whether the enhanced T-cell effect he witnessed in tissue culture holds true in patients treated with this drug. If it does, the next move will be to directly target tumors in patients. "A simple experiment that hasn't been done yet is simply injecting bortezomib directly into tumors. By directly targeting the tumor, rather than injecting the drug intravenously, we may be able to take better advantage of bortezomib's distinct properties," he says.

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Smoking alters brain 'like drugs'

2007-02-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

Smoking cigarettes causes the same changes to the brain as using illicit drugs like cocaine, a study suggests.

US researchers compared post-mortem brain tissue samples from smokers, former smokers and non-smokers.

Their findings, published in Journal of Neuroscience, suggested smoking causes changes to the brain which are evident years after someone has quit.

A UK expert said the changes might explain why smokers found it hard to stop - and why they then relapsed.

The researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Nida) looked at samples of human brain tissue from the nucleus accumbens and the ventral midbrain - brain regions that play a part in controlling addictive behaviours.

Eight samples were taken from people who had smoked until their deaths, eight from people who had smoked for up to 25 years before their death and eight non-smokers.
All died of causes unrelated to smoking.

Relapse
The scientists looked at levels of two enzymes - protein kinase A and adenylate cyclase. Both translate chemical signals, such as dopamine, which exist outside the cells, into a form that can be understood inside.

Smokers were found to have higher levels of these enzymes in the nucleus accumbens, a part of the brain that processes information related to motivation and reward, which virtually all illicit drugs act upon.

But levels of both enzymes were also found to be high in the area of the midbrain that responds to dopamine, which acts as a "reward chemical" in smokers and former smokers.
The same changes had previously been seen in the brains of rats given repeated injections of cocaine and morphine.

Writing in the Journal of Neuroscience, the team led by Dr Bruce Hope, said: "The present study confirms that drug-induced neuroadaptations [brain changes] observed in animals can also be observed in humans."

The researchers suggest that the differences seen in both smokers' and non-smokers' brains "may contribute to long-lasting alterations in nicotine-induced reward and addiction in humans".

The researchers say this suggests that the changes persist long after smoking has ceased and could contribute to drug relapse.

Dr John Stapleton, of the National Addictions Centre at King's College London, said: "It would be surprising if taking large doses of a drug such as nicotine many times a day over many years did not result in lasting changes in the brain.

The new results may take us closer to understanding these changes.
"The key question remains as to whether such changes are partly responsible for the intractable nature of smoking and relapse after many months or years of stopping."

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Shoulder Problems and Injuries

2007-02-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Minor shoulder problems, such as sore muscles and aches and pains, are common. Shoulder problems develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury. They can also be caused by the natural process of aging.

Your shoulder joints move every time you move your arms. To better understand shoulder problems and injuries, you may want to review the anatomy and function of the shoulder. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint with three main bones: the upper arm bone (humerus), collarbone (clavicle), and shoulder blade (scapula). These bones are held together by muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. Because of this mobility, the shoulder is more likely to be injured or cause problems. The acromioclavicular (AC) joint, which lays over the top of the shoulder, is also easily injured.
Shoulder problems can be minor or serious. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, weakness, or changes in temperature or color. Shoulder injuries most commonly occur during sports activities, work-related tasks, projects around the home, or falls. Home treatment often can help relieve minor aches and pains.

Breast Cancer May Be Prevented

2007-02-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

A few hours of daily exercise may help prevent breast cancer and also help those who are suffering to cope, said studies.

In one study, researchers surveyed 15,000 women and found that those who indulged in over six hours of strenuous exercise a week and have no family history of breast cancer may be 23 percent less likely to develop the disease than women who don't exercise at all. Another study showed that a 12-week group exercise programme might lift moods and boost physical functioning in women with early-stage breast cancer.

The researchers, however, don't promise that exercise will prevent breast cancer completely. They don't blame breast cancer on a lack of exercise either. Many factors affect cancer risk. But, they do report that exercise appears to have benefits in protecting against cancer for women of all ages. "We have found that exercise likely offers protection against breast cancer regardless of a woman's stage in life," researcher Brian Sprague, of the University of Wisconsin Paul P.

Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) news release. "The take-home message for women should be that it is never too late to begin exercising," said Sprague.

U.S. offers drugmakers advice on obesity drugs

2007-02-15T21:12:00.000-08:00

As more Americans struggle with growing waistlines, U.S. health officials on Wednesday set out their own tips for drugmakers seeking to develop products for people trying to shed pounds.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's draft guidelines -- more than 10 years in the making -- aim to help companies develop and test new drugs and devices for treating obesity.

About a third of U.S. adults, or more than 60 million people, are obese and another third are overweight, government statistics show. Nearly a fifth of U.S. children also weigh too much.

The FDA proposed that companies should prove their products can help people lose weight and keep it off for at least a year. It also urged them to study people with a body mass index of at least 30 or those with a BMI of at least 27 with diabetes, heart disease or other weight-related conditions.

BMI is determined by dividing weight by height. People with a score of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight and those at 30 or higher are considered obese.

"In general, patients should have or be at significant risk for weight-related morbidity and mortality," the FDA said.
The proposed guidelines come as more companies look to enter the U.S. weight-loss sector, which some analysts have said remains untapped.

Overweight individuals are at risk for other, potentially life-threatening problems. In addition to diabetes, high-blood pressure and certain cancers are also possible.

Drugs usually aim to help people lose weight by curbing their appetite or preventing fat absorption. Some devices, such as Allergan Inc.'s Lab-Band, are used in surgical procedures to limit stomach size.

Last week, GlaxoSmithKline Plc won U.S. approval to sell an over-the-counter version of Roche AG's prescription obesity drug, Xenical, called Alli.

Sanofi-Aventis is also awaiting the FDA's ruling on its Acomplia drug, which the agency earlier this week postponed until July.

Although the guidelines are non-binding, drugmakers often rely on them when developing products. Companies may take other approaches as long as they meet legal standards, the FDA said.

They could also help prompt more manufacturers to develop weight-loss solutions.
"There clearly are not enough effective drugs" for overweight patients, Dr. Richard Kahn, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, told Reuters.

DIABETES

2007-02-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

"Diabetes is a family disease. Not only does it tend to run in families, but the eating habits and needs of one family member directly affect those of other family members," says Jacqueline M. Kerr, M.D., a family practitioner who works closely with the Seton Ease Community Health Center. More women than men have the disease. The American Diabetes Association estimates approximately 6.5 million women are diabetics, and half of them do not know it.

"For adult-onset diabetes the best cure is prevention, reducing risk through developing good eating habits while you are young," she says. Not only can you help prevent diabetes development in middle age, but it can create a lot of complications with childbirth.

"For adult-onset diabetes the best cure is prevention, reducing risk through developing good eating habits while you are young," she says. Not only can you help prevent diabetes development in middle age, but it can create a lot of complications with childbirth.

A recent study indicates women are twice as likely to die from diabetes than from breast cancer, and that people with diabetes run a much higher risk of dying from other illnesses such as flu and pneumonia.

Giving daily insulin is a life-saving treatment for many diabetics, but most still must adhere to strict dietary practices to successfully control the disease. Insulin use mush be balanced to match food intake, and if either insulin or food intake fall out of balance, the patient suffers.

"The key to successful treatment is to make sure patients are supplying their body's energy needs on a regular basis," says Dr. Kerr, who employs a nutritionist's expertise to help teach individuals how to manage food. "Many of us are guilty of eating too much for our body's daily needs and packing most of our daily caloric intake into one meal, generally dinner. That doesn't work well at all for diabetics, who must space out meals to keep energy levels adequate throughout the day." At Seton East, Dr. Kerr treats many working poor Hispanic patients with diabetes.

"It is unclear whether there is an ethnic genetic connection between being Hispanic and developing diabetes, whether there is a cultural/lifestyle connection or whether being a low-income family is a contributor," she says. "What is clear is that people who are 20 percent or more overweight are more likely to develop it."

Dr. Kerr believes there are many barriers to good diabetes management in low-income neighborhoods.

"Regular exercise is a problem if the neighborhood is unsafe and you don't have transportation to a safe area. People who don't read well don't get information from labels. Low-income families eat a lot of canned foods, which may have too much salt and a lot of hidden fat. Unless you stick to seasonal produce, fresh vegetables can be expensive. To be successful in managing diabetes, the patient has to be willing to manage all of these problems, not just food," she adds.

Dr. Kerr follows diabetic patients regularly and changes their medication as their conditions improve.

"Despite barriers, we've had a lot of success stories. An added benefit is that family members usually trim down and shape up, too. The best thing that can happen to you is to have someone who loves you stick to your regime."

Dramatic rise in accidental drug-overdose deaths

2007-02-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

Unintentional fatal drug overdoses in the United States nearly doubled from 1999 to 2004, overtaking falls to become the nation's second-leading cause of accidental death, behind automobile crashes, the government reported.

The number of accidental drug overdose deaths rose from 11,155 in 1999 to 19,838 in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report was based on death certificates, which do not clearly detail which drugs played the greatest role. But CDC researchers said they believe sedatives and prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin were the chief cause of the increase.

OxyContin has been blamed for hundreds of deaths across the country in recent years, becoming such a scourge in Appalachia that it is known as "hillbilly heroin."
Deaths from falls climbed between 1999 and 2004 at a more modest rate, from 13,162 to 18,807, the CDC said. Motor vehicle crashes accounted for 40,965 fatalities in 1999 and 43,432 in 2004.

The South had one of the lowest fatal drug overdose rates in the nation in 1999, but it doubled by 2004. The South now ties the West for having the highest rate -- about 8 per 100,000 population.

"This is the first study really to describe the large relative increases in poisoning mortality rates in rural states. Historically, the drug issue has been seen as an urban problem," said Dr. Len Paulozzi, a CDC epidemiologist.
The federal report, issued this week, noted that accidental drug overdoses remain most common in men and in people 35 to 54. But the most dramatic increases in death rates were for white females, young adults and Southerners

Other findings:
• The death rates for men remained roughly twice the rate for women, but the female rate doubled from 1999 to 2004 while the male rate increased by 47 percent.

• The rate for white women rose more dramatically than for any other gender group, to 5 deaths per 100,000 population.

• The rate of overdose deaths among teens and young adults, ages 15 to 24, is less than half that of the 35-to-54 group. But it rose much more dramatically, climbing 113 percent in the study years, to 5.3 deaths per 100,000 population.

About 50 percent of the deaths in 2004 were attributed to narcotics and hallucinogens, a category that includes heroin, cocaine and prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin.
Earlier research suggests that deaths from illegal drugs appear to be holding steady.
"There is a misperception that because a drug is a prescription medicine, it's safe to use for non-medical reasons. And clearly that is not true," said Dr. Anne Marie McKenzie-Brown, a pain medicine expert at Atlanta's Emory Crawford Long Hospital.

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Heart drug backfires may make death in next 5 years

2007-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

A drug widely used to prevent excessive bleeding during heart surgery appears to raise the risk of dying in the five years afterward by nearly 50 percent, an international study found.
The researchers said replacing the drug -- aprotinin, sold by Bayer AG under the brand name Trasylol -- with other, cheaper medications for a year would prevent 10,000 deaths over the next five years.

The findings were more bad news for Trasylol: The same scientists found the drug raised the risk of kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes in a study published last year. Most of the deaths in the new study were related to those problems.

Bayer rips researchersBayer said in a statement that the findings are unreliable because Trasylol tends to be used in more complex operations and the researchers' statistical analysis did not fully account for the complexity of the surgery cases.

Nevertheless, the drug company said it will ''work with regulatory agencies and external experts in the field to further evaluate the findings.''

Dr. Dennis Mangano of the nonprofit Ischemia Research and Education Foundation, lead author of both studies, said: ''I believe that for the vast majority of coronary bypass patients the drug should not be used.'' But he said the drug should remain on the market because some very high-risk patients may benefit from it.

Source: www.epsdrugstore.com

Problem of Digestive System

2007-02-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

Your body has a few main ways to respond to an ever-changing, wide variety of invaders and irritants. Sneezing ejects the intruders from the nose, coughing from the lungs and throat, diarrhea from the intestines, and vomiting from the stomach.

Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.

Vomiting is a complex, coordinated reflex orchestrated by the vomiting center of the brain. It responds to signals coming from:

*The mouth, stomach, and intestines
*The bloodstream, which may contain medicines or infections
*The balancing systems in the ear (motion sickness)
*The brain itself, including unsettling sights, smells, or thoughts

An amazing variety of stimuli can trigger vomiting, from migraines to kidney stones. Sometimes, just seeing someone else vomit will start you vomiting, in your body's effort to protect you from possible exposure to the same danger.

A number of medicines are effective at preventing vomiting. Your doctor is unlikely to prescribe these because, in most situations, the vomiting is an important part of getting well. In some situations, however, preventing the vomiting makes life much better.
also it is important to stay hydrated. Try steady, small amounts of clear liquids, such as electrolyte solutions. Other clear liquids, such as water, ginger ale, or fruit juices also work unless the vomiting is severe or a baby is vomiting.

Smoking and Asthma

2007-02-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Smoking is unhealthy for everyone, but especially for someone with asthma. If a person smokes, their lungs may not work as well as they should. The person might cough, wheeze, and have shortness of breath. Smoking causes the airways to become swollen, narrow, and filled with sticky mucus - the same problems that cause breathing trouble in people with asthma. For this reason, if a person with asthma smokes, they're more likely to have more frequent and severe flare-ups.

Being a smoker is an obvious risk, but just being around people who smoke - and breathing in secondhand smoke - can cause problems, too. Parents can help kids and teens with asthma by protecting them from the effects of tobacco smoke.

The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is a well-known asthma trigger. If you smoke, consider quitting, especially if your child has asthma. Secondhand smoke can damage the lungs by leading to long-term breathing problems or worsening existing breathing problems.

Kids with asthma who live in households with smokers:

may have flare-ups more often
are more likely to have to go the emergency department with severe asthma flare-ups
are more likely to miss school because of their asthma
must take more asthma medicine
have asthma that's harder to control, even with medication

Even children who don't have asthma are at risk of problems if their parents smoke. These kids are more likely to get upper respiratory infections and develop lung conditions, including asthma. Just being exposed to smoke from 10 cigarettes per day may put children at risk of developing asthma, even if they've never had any breathing problems before.

And here's the best reason of all to quit smoking: Children whose parents smoke are more likely to smoke themselves when they get older.

You don't have to quit on your own. Talk to your doctor about possible strategies - from support groups to medication. If you do continue smoking, don't smoke in the house or car.

Exposure to Smoke Outside the Home
Even if no one in your household smokes, your child will still encounter secondhand smoke. Try to help him or her avoid it as much as possible. If your child has asthma, let friends, relatives, and caregivers know that tobacco smoke may cause an asthma flare-up. Some other ways you can prevent your child from having to breathe in smoke include:

Don't allow guests to smoke in your house or car.
Avoid smoky restaurants and parties. Choosing the nonsmoking section is not adequate protection.
Ask friends and relatives not to smoke around your child.
Choose caregivers who don't smoke or, if they do, ask them not to smoke around your child.
Encourage family members who smoke to quit.

Sending an Antismoking Message
No one wants their child to start smoking, but it's especially important to discourage this behavior in children who have asthma. If your child has asthma, smoking may actually undo the effect of any controller medication he or she is taking. Your child may also need to use rescue medications more often, visit the doctor or the emergency department more often, and miss school more often because of flare-ups.

A child with asthma who smokes may sleep less at night and be less able to participate in sports or other physical activities. And of course, there are the long-term health consequences, such as heart disease, emphysema, and cancer.

Make sure your child understands that secondhand tobacco smoke is a trigger for asthma and that hanging around people who smoke might make him or her more likely to have a flare-up. You might even want to give your child tips on how to say no if offered a cigarette. You can lay the groundwork for that moment by taking these steps:

Teach your child the facts about smoking and the short- and long-term damage it can do.
Talk about how expensive cigarettes and other tobacco products are.
Discuss how smoking gives people bad breath, smelly clothes, and yellow teeth.
Tell your child he or she isn't allowed to smoke.

If your child already smokes, you're not alone. More than 2 million 11- to 17-year-olds start smoking each year. Nearly half of them will become regular smokers. In fact, 90% of smokers start before they're 21.

Still, despite the obvious risks, your child may not respond to an antismoking message. Though the long-term consequences are clear, preteens and teens often feel invincible. Instead, let your child know about the immediate consequences: Smoking will cause more asthma flare-ups and make his or her asthma more difficult to control. When asthma isn't controlled, it gets in the way of what kids want to do, such as playing sports or going out with friends.

Black Cancer Death Rate Higher

2007-02-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

Black Americans are more likely to die of cancer than whites, the American Cancer Society reports.

Black men are 35% more likely to die of cancer than white men; black women are 18% more likely to die of cancer than white women.

Why? The American Cancer Society (ACS) says it boils down to one main reason: Less access to health care and health information for blacks than for whites.

"Access to insurance and health care, as well as health education, play an important role in one's health -- but a lot of African Americans do not have access to these tools," Durado Brooks, MD, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the ACS, said in a news release.

The findings come in the newly released ACS publication Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans 2007-2008.
There is some good news for blacks.

As it has since the early 1990s, the overall cancer death rate for black Americans continued its decline of about 1.7% a year. That's faster than the 1% decline for white Americans.

The ACS notes, "Still, some key statistics in the report show a continuing racial divide":

Prostate cancerProstate cancer is 2.4 times more deadly for black men than for white men.
Breast cancerBreast cancer is 1.4 times more deadly for black women than for white women.
Colon cancer and breast cancer rates are declining more slowly for blacks than for whites.
By the time black Americans find out they have cancer, their cancer is at a later stage than for newly diagnosed white Americans. There are fewer treatment options for later-stage cancer.
For all major cancers, black Americans are less likely than whites to survive five years after diagnosis -- even when their cancers are diagnosed at the same stage.

Black Americans, the report states, have "less access to appropriate and timely treatment" than do white Americans.
This appears mostly due to social and economic factors:

The income of nearly one-in-four black Americans is below the poverty level. One-in-10 white Americans lives below the poverty line.
20% of black Americans and 11% of white Americans lack health insurance.
19.4% of black Americans and 10% of white Americans don't have a high school education.

"This report makes clear there is a need for more focus on improving socioeconomic factors and providing educational opportunities that can help further lessen cancer's unequal burden on African Americans," Brooks said.

General Precautions with Actonel

2007-01-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

Actonel is used to treat Paget’s disease of the bone. it is also used to prevent and treat:
*postmenopausal osteoporosis
*glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women

you should tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), because taken togetherwith Actonel, aspirin and NSAIDS can increase the probability of stomach irritation.

You should not take Actonel if you:
*have low calcium levels in the blood
*have bone or mineral problems that have not been treated by your health care provider
*have severe kidney problems
*are unable to stand or sit up for at least 30 minutes.

Eat This Way for Your Heart

2007-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

If you've had a heart attack, adopting a Mediterranean-style diet can significantly lengthen your life, an important study has found.

Researchers with the GISSI-Prevenzione Study, a large-scale Italian clinical trial, followed more than 11,000 Italians who'd recently had heart attacks. After nearly 4 years, they found that those who ate more fresh fruits and vegetables and used olive oil were approximately one-third less likely to die than those with the most butter and vegetable oils in their diet. Experts speculate that this healthy eating style could help prevent a first heart attack, too.

This study, from 2000, adds to the mounting evidence of the health benefits of Mediterranean-style dining. But many Americans still don't know how to eat the way the Romans and Athenians do. "It's a vague notion for many people here, but it needn't be," notes Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD, author of The Omega Diet (HarperCollins, 1999) and president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, DC. Here's how to do it:

Eat at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily (Prevention recommends nine).
Have fatty fish such as salmon (rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids) at least twice a week, or take 1 g of omega-3-rich fish oil in capsule form daily.
Substitute heart-healthy olive and canola oils for other oils and saturated or hydrogenated fats.
Eat less saturated fat and cholesterol.

Common Pain Drugs to Get New Warnings

2007-01-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

Over-the-counter pain relievers used by hundreds of millions of Americans will carry stricter safety warnings under regulations proposed by the FDA.

Labels would warn of the potential for severe liver damage with the use of acetaminophen, the pain reliever contained in Tylenol. Warnings would also go on painkillers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen, cautioning of a risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with overuse. Brand names include Advil, Motrin, and Aleve.

Many nonprescription drugs already carry similar warnings. But FDA officials said they are seeking to make the alerts more visible and specific after reports suggesting that injury related to common pain relievers -- while uncommon -- is more prevalent than previously thought.
"We think that warning has to be more prominently displayed," said Charles Ganley, MD, director of the FDA's office of nonprescription products. "The consumers have to be more cognizant of what they're taking for pain relief."

There are more than 20 different forms of NSAIDs, though not all are available without a prescription. Still, together with acetaminophen, they comprise hundreds of products.
New Labels Proposed

The agency said it intends to require acetaminophen manufacturers to display the words "liver warning" in prominent type on packaging. Labels must alert consumers that severe liver damage can result if they take more than the recommended maximum daily dose, combine the pills with other drugs and those that also contain acetaminophen, or drink moderate amounts of alcohol while taking the drug.

NSAIDs would have to carry similarly prominent warnings saying the drugs can lead to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients over 60, those with previous ulcers or bleeding, those who take a blood thinner, those taking more than one product containing an NSAID, and in patients already taking certain medications such as a corticosteroid like prednisone.

The drugs would also continue to carry existing alerts about exceeding the maximum daily dose, taking it for longer than directed, and mixing them with alcohol, the agency said.
Ganley said the agency believes acetaminophen to be "quite safe" but that risk of liver failure exists for the hundreds of millions of Americans who take the drugs.
"Those rare circumstances are adding up to large numbers," he told reporters.

Source:http://www.epsdrugstore.com/

The Pill Comes Under the Spotlight

2007-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

eptives.

Source:http://www.epsdrugstore.com/

FDA advisors are planning to review existing birth control pills this week. This decision follows results from clinical studies that show the incidence of pregnancies to have increased by twice over the last 10 years, while the subjects were on the pill.

Improper use, inferior products and other reasons are considered, as causes for this observation and the panel will discuss whether more stringent guidelines will be needed for safety and efficiancy.

The Pill is the most popular method of the birth control in the U.S., accounting for more than 30 percent of all birth control use, according to the Mayo Clinic, while tubal sterilization, or the surgical blocking of a woman's fallopian tubes, is the second-most popular at 27 percent. Male condoms are next, at 18 percent.

Some 19 percent of all American women aged 15 to 44 use The Pill, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But many men and women don't use birth control at all, or they use it without success.

The outcome of these meetings could affect the 13 million-plus women and girls who take birth control pills in America, and the estimated $4 billion market for birth control drugs, dominated by Barr, Watson, Johnson and Johnson and Wyeth pharmaceuticals.

Pills approved in the 1960's allowed less than one pregnancy per 100 women taking the pill for a year. Newer pills allow over two pregnancies in a similar group of women.

Experts say this may be partly because new pills have fewer hormones that could lead to dangerous blood clots and heart disease.

The topics to be discussed by the FDA panel include: Clinical trial design issues, contraceptive efficacy and risk or benefit assessment cycle control (scheduled and unscheduled bleeding and spotting) and other measures of product acceptability to the user, translation of clinical trial findings of efficacy and safety into "real world" effectiveness and safety, extended dosing regimens, phase 4 commitments by applicants for further investigation, generally of uncommon but serious safety issues and role and impact of labeling for communication of clinical trial findings including product efficacy, risk, and other benefits.

FDA officials hope to use this information to create a guidance document for the clinical investigation of hormonal contraceptives.

DIABETES DRUGS

2007-01-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

What are the types ?
Insulins may be short-acting (soluble), or modified to lengthen their action. There are 40 or more types available. Because insulin cannot be absorbed by the bowel, it must be given by injection. Much insulin is now made by genetic engineering methods; some is still extracted directly from pork or beef pancreas. There are several types of tablets. The sulphonylureas are tolbutamide, glibenclamide (Daonil, Euglucon), gliclazide (Diamicron), chlorpropamide, tolazamide (Tolanase), gliquidone (Glurenorm), glimepiride (Amaryl) and glipizide (Glibenese, Minodiab). The only biguanide is metformin (Glucophage). Acarbose (Glucobay) is also used. Guar gum (Guarem), repaglinide (Novonorm) and rosiglitazone (Avandia) are also used.

What are they for ?
They are only used to treat diabetes mellitus. Insulin is essential for so-called type 1 diabetes where the body cannot make insulin. In type 2 diabetes some insulin is still made, but not enough to satisfy the body's needs. If diet treatment alone is not fully effective, tablets are added. Sometimes insulin is also needed in type 2 diabetes.They are only used to treat diabetes mellitus. Insulin is essential for so-called type 1 diabetes where the body cannot make insulin. In type 2 diabetes some insulin is still made, but not enough to satisfy the body's needs. If diet treatment alone is not fully effective, tablets are added. Sometimes insulin is also needed in type 2 diabetes.

How do they work ?
Insulin helps glucose to get into your body's cells. Inside the cells, insulin helps glucose to be changed into energy, and into other substances like proteins and fat. Sulphonylureas help the pancreas to make more insulin. They also help insulin to act on body cells. Metformin works on the cells directly, especially in muscles and liver. Insulin already there is helped to work better. Acarbose stops starches being converted to sugar in the bowel. Less sugar therefore gets into the body. Guar gum reduces absorption of carbohydrates after a meal. Repaglinide increases the body's own insulin supply and is sometimes given with another tablet such as metformin. Rosiglitazone helps the body's own insulin to work better by making the cells more sensitive to its actions. It is used together with metformin or a sulphonylurea. It can also be used with insulin injections, to improve their action.

How should they be used ?
Insulin injections are usually given at least twice a day, 15 to 30 minutes before meals. The best control of blood sugar is often achieved with short-acting insulin three times a day before main meals, with a long-acting insulin at breakfast or bed-time. Insulin can be given by syringe or by pens. In pens, insulin is loaded as cartridges just like with a fountain pen. Insulin can also be given by a pump either outside the body or implanted in it. Tablets are taken once to three times a day in type 2 diabetes when dieting alone is not enough. Follow the instructions that you have been given as to when to take your tablets in relation to meals : some should be taken before and others after meals. You should always take them regularly: not just when glucose in the blood or urine rises. Sometimes, your doctor will prescribe a combination of these drugs. This helps to improve control of the blood sugar level. Under no circumstances should you stop any drugs for diabetes unless your doctor advises it.

During Treatment …You may need to increase doses of insulin or tablets if the blood or urine glucose levels rise. Such dose increases may be needed if you gain weight, eat more or are under stress. Bigger doses are often needed if you have an infection. You may need less insulin or tablets if you are exercising more. If you are not sure how to handle these problems, your doctor will advise how to change your own doses. You will need to adjust your doses of insulin or tablets to keep the blood glucose level as close as possible to the normal range. Insulin or sulphonylureas can lower your glucose level too far (below 2.2 mmol/l: 40 mg/dl). This causes hypoglycaemia (or "hypos"). Sweating, trembling, hunger, faintness and even coma may result. Regular meals and sometimes snacks are essential to reduce this risk. Let your doctor know if you get anything other than occasional or mild hypos. Always keep a supply of glucose such as Dextrosol or lump sugar in your pocket or bag. Any anti-diabetic tablets can cause stomach and bowel upset, usually diarrhoea. With both metformin and acarbose, these often lessen with continued use. If they persist, see your doctor. Acarbose and guar gum are particularly likely to give you a lot of wind. Occasionally the sulphonylureas can cause skin rashes or (yellow) jaundice: again, see your doctor if this happens. Metformin is not usually prescribed if you have kidney, liver or heart problems. It can then cause the serious condition of lactic acidosis. Chlorpropamide is also unsafe with kidney failure.

Drug Interference …Alcohol can also worsen or even cause "hypos", if you eat too little. Both ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers, drugs used for blood pressure treatment, can lower blood glucose, which can be helpful or harmful. Beta-blockers can also worsen "hypos" if they occur. Water tablets (diuretics) and particularly steroids (cortisone-like tablets) can raise blood glucose, sometimes to very high levels. Doses of your anti-diabetic drug are likely to need increasing. Your doctor will guide you. Some antibiotics, anti-inflammation and antifungal drugs increase the effect of anti-diabetic tablets.

Hiatus Hernia

2007-01-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

Hiatus hernia is the Lon Chaney of internal distresses: it's the condition of 1000 faces - all of them scarier than the real one. On any given day, a stiff, frightening chest pain could send you to the hospital labelled as a possible heart attack victim. (And that's what you might be, so don't take any chances.) But if what you really have is a suddenly apparent, kicking and screaming hiatus hernia, your doctors, at first glance, might think you are having either a coronary, biliary colic, pancreatitis, a gastric or duodenal ulcer, a disorder of the oesophagus (gullet), a digestive malfunction, angina or anyone of many other good but wrong guesses..

It's really a sheep in wolfs clothing, though, and hardly a rare, exotic disease. Estimates as to the number of people who have hiatus hernias go as high as 18 per cent, and most don't even know they have them. It's a sneaky - and, usually, asymptomatic - little digestive-tract devil. And, more often than not, it is nothing much to worry about, despite the pain.

What is hiatus hernia?
A normal oesophagus, in its long, narrow descent from the mouth to the stomach, must pass through a taut sheet of muscle: the diaphragm, which may be thought of as both the floor of the chest and the ceiling of the abdominal cavity. To get to the 'stomach, the oesophagus pokes through a teardrop-shaped opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus. It's at this point that the oesophagus and stomach join, and where a valve system (the lower oesophageal sphincter) keeps deposited food (and the acid working to digest it) from backing up into the oesophagus.

In a hiatus hernia, the upper part. of the stomach has slid up past the diaphragmatic hiatus (weakened, perhaps, by age) and into the chest. From 75 to 95 per cent of hiatus hernias are of this 'sliding' type. These come and go, sliding back and forth, depending on body position and other factors. In another kind, the 'rolling', or para-oesophageal, hernia, the oesophagus - stomach junction stays in its normal location (as opposed to the action of- the 'sliding' type), but a portion of the large lower curved section of the stomach rides up through the hiatus and rolls forward in the chest cavity. These 'rolling' hernias can be big problems and may require surgery, but they're relatively rare.

A hiatus hernia, in and of itself, is not a painful condition. Whereas, for example a broken artn. results in pain, a hiatus hernia results for the most part in nothing except an anatomical deviation. The major difficulty associated with 'sliding' hiatal hernias is gastro-oesophageal reflux, which is a backwash of stomach juices and which, in the case of hiatus hernias, is probably caused by the stomach's unnaturally altered position. Reflux happens when the oesophageal sphincter is weak and allows acidic gastric fluids to travel in the wrong direction.

It's important to know that reflux can happen in somebody who doesn't have a hiatus hernia. Just because you have heartburn doesn't mean you have the condition and, conversely, just because you have a hiatus hernia doesn't mean you're bound to have heartburn, chest pains, acid backup into the throat or other reflux-associated discomforts. But, then again, you might. A visit to your doctor ought to let you know what your inner story is.

How do hiatus hernias get that way? Nobody's sure, and it probably varies from case to case. It could be the result of a congenital problem, or a sideeffect of being pregnant or having given birth, or an offshoot of over-eating or obesity. Any undue increase in abdominal pressure can do the deed. Some researchers believe that straining during defecation can cause the stomach to be pushed up through a weakened hiatus.

Keeping the problem at bay

The usual treatments and advice have little to do, actually, with fixing the hernia itself but rather address the issue of keeping the reflux in check. Some of these bits of wisdom are :-

Lose weight.
Avoid bending or stooping.
Don't wear tight belts or girdles.
Avoid alcoholic beverages (and cola drinks, too).
Don't smoke (it helps produce stomach acid, which is just what you don't need more of).
As with peptic ulcers, eat several little meals every day, rather than a couple of large ones.
Wait at least 21/2 to 3 hours after a meal before lying down.
Sleep with your head elevated 8 to 10 inches.
Avoid drinking coffee and eating chocolate (they weaken the oesophageal sphincter), and avoid acidic foods, such as oranges, grapefruit and tomatoes.
Be wary of garlic, onion and peppermint, too.
Avoid taking oestrogen drugs - they aggravate heartburn (among other things).
Studies have shown a link between hiatus hernia and gallstones - where you find one, chances are pretty good that you'll find the other - and suggest that lack of fibre in the diet is to blame for both. Lowering animal-fat consumption and increasing fibre, especially in the form of bran, prevents gallstones. At the same time, a high-fibre diet increases the size of stools and eliminates the straining that can cause hiatus hernia. Wrote British researcher Denis P. Burkitt, 'The hypothesis that fibre-depleted die.ts are a major factor in the causation of hiatus hernia is consistent with all that is known of the disease' (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 1981).

The most serious physical effects related to hiatus hernia have to do with damage to the oesophagus. The acidic stomach juices wash back into it and normally cause only inflammation and irritation (and, one researcher suggests. asthma attacks). Continued reflux, however, can cause ulceration, scarring and, ultimately, blockage of the oesophagus, requiring surgery. And matters get worse if you use aspirin. The aspirin 'may become trapped for extended periods in the oesophagi of patients with oesophageal hiatus hernia,' wrote Dr Vernon M. Smith; this trapping action allows the aspirin to 'injure alkaline mucosa by direct contact.

By cutting out acidic foods - especially citrus fruits and fruit juices - in order to avoid complications, some reflux hiatus hernia sufferers have come down with vitamin C deficiencies bordering on scurvy. For these people, vitamin C supplements are probably just what the nutritionist ordered.

Many doctors will cavalierly prescribe frequent antacid use to patients with hiatus hernia related heartburn problems. The antacids will cover up the hurt - but long term consumption of antacids containing aluminum compounds could leach your body of calcium, resulting in the thinning of your bones and bone pain.

Only the most severe cases warrant surgery. If there is a potential of the herniated stomach pinching off the oesphagus, bleeding, or danger of lung or heart damage, then an operation is necessary. But only about 5 per cent or less of hiatus hernia patients require anything other than good medical advice and a change in habits. Besides its general uselessness, unwarranted hiatus hernia surgery also can be risky, and may itself produce new symptoms far worse than any associated with the original discomfort. It's best to get a second opinion

Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes Rising

2007-01-19T02:10:00.000-08:00

Nicotine levels in cigarettes rose 11% from 1998 to 2005, according to a Harvard School of Public Health analysis.

Nicotine is the main addictive ingredient in cigarettes.

The Harvard analysis confirms an earlier report by Massachusetts health officials.

Tobacco industry officials deny there has been a deliberate attempt to manipulate nicotine levels in cigarettes, saying the nicotine in tobacco products fluctuates randomly from year to year.

But the lead author of the Harvard study says the upward trend cannot be explained by random market fluctuations.

"We do agree that there are fluctuations from year to year," Gregory Connolly, DMD, MPH, tells. "But when we plotted those fluctuations out, there was a significant increase in nicotine levels on the order of 1.6% per year, or 11% over a seven-year period."

Expanded Analysis

The report was based on data provided by cigarette manufacturers to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Based on an analysis of the data from 1998 to 2004, Massachusetts health officials reported an upward trend in nicotine levels in cigarettes last August.

That report was strongly criticized by tobacco industry leader Philip Morris USA.

In a news release, company officials argued that the failure to include data from 1997 and 2005 in the original report influenced the findings.

The new analysis, with includes those years, was conducted, in part, to address the criticism, Connolly says.

The Harvard findings confirm a statistically significant upward trend in nicotine levels, as measured in cigarette smoke, between 1997 and 2005.

The increase was seen in all major cigarette types -- including full flavor, light, medium, and ultralight -- and in both mentholated and non-mentholated brands.

source: http://www.epsdrugstore.com/

ANGER AND STRESS

2007-01-17T02:29:00.000-08:00

CALM DOWN! -- Medical researchers have found that extreme anger can trigger a heart attack. They interviewed over 1600 patients after they suffered heart attacks and found that angry outbursts potentially doubled their risk of the attacks.

ANYONE FOR QUILTING? -- Sewing may help relieve your stress. One study found women lowered their blood pressure and heart rates when they sewed. Knitting and needlework may provide the same benefits.

RELIEVING STRESS -- Breathe slowly and deeply. Three or four deep breaths provide the most immediate feeling of calmness anywhere, anytime.

Supplement Aid: Tranquilon is an excellent product with Kava Kava and other herbs specifully formulated to relieve stress.

DEPRESSION - Change your physiology. One of the best ways to help with depression is to change your physical state. Do the following:

Sit or stand up straight.
Throw your shoulders back.
Hold your head up high and look up with your eyes.
Put a big smile on your face and breath deeply.
Think about something good in your life, if you can't think of something good, then think about what could be good.
Give yourself more energy. This article contains excellent information on how to give yourself more energy.

Oral Health Tips

2007-01-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

Proper brushing is essential for cleaning teeth and gums effectively. Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not scratch and irritate teeth or damage gums.

Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline.

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Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back & forth rolling motion. Move brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat.

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Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gumline. Gently brush using back, forth, and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces.

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Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush.

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Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to front to remove odor-producing bacteria.

Tai Chi,Aerobic Exercise and its Advantages

2007-01-04T05:10:00.000-08:00

There are so many fitness programs available today, the general public is often confused as to which are the best. Consequently, they are the willing guinea pigs of every fitness fad that comes along.

Tai Chi involves three primary subjects:

* Health - An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person will find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use Tai Chi as a martial art. Tai Chi's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind.
* Meditation - The focus meditation and subsequent calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi is seen as necessary to maintain optimum health (in the sense of effectively maintaining stress relief or homeostasis) and in order to use it as a soft style martial art.
* Martial art - The ability to competently use Tai Chi as a martial art is said to be proof that the health and meditation aspects are working according to the dictates of the theory of Tai Chi Chuan.

Advantages of Tai Chi

The majority of the studies included in the systematic review found that tai chi had a wide range of positive benefits on overall health and well-being, from increased muscle strength and flexibility, to lowered blood pressure, to enhanced immune function. A brief synopsis of each category is as follows:

Balance control and falls: Eleven studies, including two randomized, controlled trials, measured postural stability, strength, flexibility, and other aspects crucial to a person's ability to maintain balance.

Cardiovascular and respiratory systems: More than a dozen studies were analyzed, involving patients of various age and several styles of tai chi. Two studies found that elderly patients who practiced tai chi four times a week for one year exhibited enhanced cardiorespiratory function, strength and flexibility compared with a control group.

Endocrine and immune systems: Two studies evaluated the effects of tai chi on immunity and the endocrine system. One study of 98 elderly men found that tai chi could significantly affect endocrine function, particularly activity of the pituitary gland. The second study found that patients who practiced tai chi regularly for four years or more had "significantly higher" numbers of a class of immune cells called T-cells in the blood compared to untrained patients.

Hypertension: Four studies involving more than 400 patients were included in the analysis. The duration of tai chi training lasted from 8 weeks to 3 years; blood pressure, oxygen uptake and heart rate were among the variables measured in each study. One randomized, controlled trial found similar reductions in systolic blood pressure between patients practicing tai chi and those engaging in regular aerobic exercise.

Musculoskeletal conditions: A non-randomized study suggested that tai chi could improve muscle strength and endurance in the knees of elderly individuals, and a fourth study of patients with multiple sclerosis found that subjects who practiced tai chi experienced improvements in vitality, social functioning, mental health, and the ability to carry out certain physical activities.

Other: The three studies in this group examined tai chi's effects on a wide range of disorders. One study showed that older adults practicing classical Yang-style tai chi twice a week for six months were better able to achieve their desired results when performing certain functions. A case-control study of elderly men revealed that those who practiced tai chi for more than 11 years had higher skin blood flow levels and improved blood vessel conductance compared to sedentary men. The final study of 22 young people found that by practicing tai chi, one could significantly reduce the number of nightmares experienced during sleep.

Stress Management Tips and Techniques!!!!

2006-12-26T03:28:00.000-08:00

Stress is all around us. It’s an inevitable and normal part of our daily lives. But over time, its effects can be quite taxing. Stress becomes a problem when you feel overwhelmed by its challenges. And though it may be difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it’s all in your head.
It is well known that the early months and years of life are critical for brain development. But the question remains: just how do early influences act on the brain to promote or challenge the developmental process?
The term "stress" often is used to describe the subjective feeling of pressure or tension. However, when scientists refer to stress, they mean the many objective physiological processes that are initiated in response to a stressor.
Researchers have long recognized the strong correlation between stress and drug use, particularly relapse to drug use.
Stress is everywhere. From taking a test to dealing with a cranky customer service representative, dealing with the loss of a loved one, stress is impossible to avoid. It can be acute, such as the stress that occurs in the face of immediate danger, or it can be chronic when a person is dealing with a long -term stressful situation.
During the same few decades which saw great advances in the understanding of placebos, psychosomatic medicine also underwent significant changes, both in the research and clinical field and in the wider area of popular interest. The most important changes centered on the virtual abandonment of ideas about the role of unconscious emotions, early childhood experiences, and personality peculiarities--all derived from psychoanalysis.
For thousands of years, people believed that stress made you sick. Up until the nineteenth century, the idea that the passions and emotions were intimately linked to disease held sway, and people were told by their doctors to go to spas or seaside resorts when they were ill. Gradually these ideas lost favor as more concrete causes and cures were found for illness after illness.

Stress Management:::
How do you deal with stress? Some people go for a long walk, while others take solace in talking over a stressful situation with friends. Stress is all around us and no matter how hard we try, there will always be stressful events that find their way into our lives. It’s how we manage stress that determines whether it will be a minor nuisance or a major disorder.
The brain uses feel-good transmitters called endorphins when managing daily stress. When the brain requires larger amounts of endorphins to handle increased stress, the ratio of many of the other transmitters, one to another, becomes upset creating a chemical imbalance. We begin to feel stress more acutely -- a sense of urgency and anxiety creates even more stress. As a result, harmful chemicals are released in our bodies that may do damage, causing more stress. This vicious cycle is called the "stress cycle.
Prescribe Drug Information for Stress:::
All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Motion sickness: Prevantion, Cure and Medicine!!

2006-12-14T04:27:00.000-08:00

What is Motion Sickness:::::
Motion sickness is a condition in which the endolymph (the fluid found in the semicircular canals of the inner ears) becomes 'stirred up', causing confusion between the difference between apparent perceived movement (none or very little), and actual movement. Depending on the cause, it is also referred to as sea-sickness, car-sickness, air-sickness, or space sickness.
If you've ever been sick to your stomach on a rocking boat or a bumpy airplane ride, you know the discomfort of motion sickness. Although there are no long-term problems, motion sickness can make life miserable, especially for people who travel a lot.

People can become motion sick in cars, airplanes, trains, amusement park rides, or on boats or ships. Motion sickness is sometimes called airsickness or seasickness. Video games, flight simulators, and looking through a microscope also can cause motion sickness; in these cases, the eyes see motion, but the body does not sense it.

Causes of Motion Sickness:::::
Motion sickness occurs when the inner ear, the eyes, and other areas of the body that detect motion send conflicting messages to the brain. 1 One part of your balance-sensing system (your inner ear, vision, and sensory nerves that help you keep your balance) may indicate that your body is moving, while the other parts do not sense motion. For example, if you are in the cabin of a moving ship, your inner ear may sense the motion of big waves, but your eyes don't see any movement. This leads to a conflict between the senses and results in motion sickness

Prevantion of Motion Sickness:::
Many 'cures' and preventatives for motion sickness have been proposed at various times. One which is both practical and effective is to simply look out of the window of the moving vehicle and to gaze into the distance towards the horizon in the direction in which you are moving. This helps to re-orient your inner sense of balance by reaffirming to your inner ear that you actually are moving. Fresh air blowing on your face can also be a relief.
Another available treatment is Relief Band, a watch-shaped product worn on the wrist. It sends a painless electronic pulse through an acupuncture point. While it has been independently proven to relieve nausea caused by chemotherapy and other poison-induced forms of nausea, an independent study also found it provides no relief for nausea caused by motion sickness.

Treatment of Motion Sickness:::
There are lot of medicine in the markets but i need to suggest you only few that are cheap, online and effective in your problem.
Transderm Scop Prescribe Drug for the Motion Sickness:::
Transderm Scop is used to relieve nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Transderm Scop is an anticholinergic medicine. Anticholinergics have many effects in the body. For example, they decrease the secretion of fluids, slow the stomach and intestine, and dilate the pupils.is used to relieve nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Transderm Scop is an anticholinergic medicine. Anticholinergics have many effects in the body. For example, they decrease the secretion of fluids, slow the stomach and intestine, and dilate the pupils.

Antivert Prescribe Drug for Motion Sickness:::::
Antivert is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body. Antivert is used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Antivert may also be helpful in treating vertigo. This medicine may also be used for other purposes.
Hi Myself Ambrish Shrivastava and All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Remeron A good anti depression!!

2006-12-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

Remeron Tablets Introduction:::::
Remeron Tablets are indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Remeron is used to relieve symptoms of depression such as feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or guilt; loss of interest in daily activities; changes in appetite; tiredness; sleeping too much; insomnia; and thoughts of death or suicide.

How Taken???? Remeron Tablets::::
Remeron is available in a regular tablet formulation (Remeron) that should be swallowed with water. The recommended starting dose for Remeron Tablets is 15 mg/day, administered in a single dose, preferably in the evening prior to sleep.

If You Miss Your Dose::::::::::::
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take only your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless otherwise directed by your doctor.

Overdose of Remeron::::::::::::::
Signs and symptoms reported in association with overdose included disorientation, drowsiness, impaired memory, and tachycardia. There were no reports of ECG abnormalities, coma or convulsions following overdose with Remeron alone. Seek emergency medical attention.

All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Weight Loss Management: Exercise Vs Medicine!!

2006-12-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

Your daily foods furnish the energy that is measured in units called calories. If we eat more calories from our food and drink like water, juices, whiskey and other liquids, than we need to burn up it through exercise, because the extra calories are stored away in the form of body fat. The body acts as a big bank for fat. If a person continues to take in excessive calories, then lot of fat store in body. Your body always counts the calories that you eat, ! even when you forget that you've taken in those calories. Your body never lies! Yes! Everything that makes your body fatty is enters in your body through your mouth. If you pay attention to what you eat, you gain control of the body fat storage that accumulates.
There are certain times in your life when you are more likely to retain fat in your body. The first is aging. As you grow older, your body requires fewer calories to fuel basic processes. Unless food intake is gradually reduced or physical activity is increased, the extra pounds are sure to pile up.
When you first begin a weight loss program, it seems to you that it can lose weight faster at the beginning. A lot of that first weight that you lose is water weight. You may be exercising more strenuously and losing water weight by sweating it off. That doesn't mean, however, that you can go into a steam room and lose a significant amount of weight by sweating it off.
Sometimes, no matter how hard you work out with abdominal exercise and how well you eat, it seems like that pot belly just isn’t going away. The trick is to be patient and does your best abs exercise. Most of us have a "problem area" that we need to work on, with butt exercise, leg exercise, or abs exercise. For a lot of people, the pot belly is the last thing to go, but it takes intense upper and lower abs exercise. Don’t give up! Recommit to that lower abdominal exercise program.
There are many lose-weight-fast programs that "guarantee" that you can lose excess pounds without effort. Some of these may use drugs or herbs that can be suitable to your body due to shortage of time. Some of them say you can eat a certain food or beverage because they are "ignored" by your body. But, calories always count toward your body fat storage no matter what foods they come from.
I want to share some drugs information with you that is good for the weight loss, have very low side effect, while those I
Xenical a Weight Loss Drug:::::Xenical comes in a capsule to take by mouth. It is usually taken tree times a day with food. Take Xenical exactly as directed by the doctor. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Xenical should be given with meals. A diet consisting of daily intake of fat (30% of total calories), carbohydrates, and protein should be distributed evenly over 3 main meals.
All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Are You Ready for Skin Crae in Winter?

2006-12-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

No two people have identical skin. This is why all of us need individual skin care routines, particularly in winter, when the dry, cold weather robs the skin of its moisture and glow. Broadly, skin can be divided into three types, dry, combination,
oily. Each type needs a different skin care regime.

Dry Skin::::::

Cleansing: Make sure you avoid soap totally. Use a soap-free cleanser to wash your face like any Cleansing Lotion, Don't wash your face too frequently (up to one to two times). Use cleansing milk to clean your face at bedtime.

Moisturising: Use a heavy moisturiser. Continue to use sunscreen when going outdoors.Use lip balms liberally for chapped lips; sunflower oil or petroleum jelly are good alternatives.

Night care: For night-time care, apply a mixture of 1 part glycerin mixed with 2 parts rose water.

Bathing: Massage your body with olive oil before bathing. Use Oilatum soap. You can also add a few teaspoons of oil to your bath water. Do not use very hot water, as it dries the skin.

Scrubs: Use face scrubs sparingly, not more than once a fortnight.

Face pack: You can apply a mixture of two teaspoons milk cream, a little rose water, four to five almonds or one teaspoon sesame seeds, ground to a paste.

Combination skin::::::

Those of you who have a combination skin will find that either the T-zone (nose and forehead) or V-zone (cheeks and chin) is oilier than the rest of the face. This zone, hence, stays greasy while the rest of the face feels taut and dry.

Cleansing: Cleanse with a soap free cleanser only (Cetaphil) and follow it with a toner, applied only on the T or V zone, as the case may be. Don't wash your face more than two or three times per day.

Moisturising: Use a medium strength moisturiser.

Night Care: Use a night cream only on the dry areas of your face.

Bathing: Use a moisturising soap.

Scrubs: Use a face scrub once a week and rub slightly more over the oilier zone of your face.

Face pack: Mix two teaspoons unboiled milk with one teaspoon honey and one teaspoon oats.

Oily skin ::::::

Rejoice. This is your season to glow! If you have oily skin, you don't need to worry too much about it in winter.

Cleansing: Use a face wash for normal skin (not an excessively drying one) like Neutrogena or even Pears soap. Wash your face up to three or four times.

Moisturising: Use a light moisturiser after applying a light toner, if needed.

Bathing: Avoid harsh or drying soaps that are meant for summer. Use soaps containing aloe vera, as it removes excess oil without being overly drying. The trick is to remove the natural oil produced by your skin only partially, so that a balance
is maintained.

Scrubs: Use a face scrub twice a week. For a face pack, you can mix 2 teaspoons each, of curd and gram flour (besan). The besan removes extra oil and dead cells whereas curd softens and moisturises mildly. If any of you develop problems like frostbite, cracked lips, flaky scalp or cracked heels, it's preferable to consult a
dermatologist rather than try to self-treat. Chill out this winter with great looking skin!
Here i need to give some medicne about the skin care::::::

Renova Skin Care: Renova used to treat wrinkles, brown spots, and surface roughness on the face. Renova is also effective against stretch marks, such as those seen on the abdominal wall in women after pregnancy. This can also be used to treat acne. Renova works by binding to specific cell receptors of skin after a topical application. After the cell receptors have been activated, there is a modification in gene expression, subsequent protein synthesis, and cell growth and differentiation. Thus, the epidermal cell is modified to produce a greater amount of new skin. In clinical studies there is an enhanced production of collagen in areas of treated skin.

Elidel Skin Care:::::
Elidel is a prescription medicine you put on your skin (topical) to treat atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema. Elidel is for use on the skin only. Elidel is for adults and children age 2 years and older. You can use Elidel for short or intermittent long periods of treatment. Intermittent means starting and stopping repeatedly, as directed by your doctor. You can use it on all affected areas of your skin, including your face and neck.

All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Who is Your Best Weight Loss Friend? Water!!

2006-12-02T01:33:00.000-08:00

Water is one of the key components to a healthy diet and a long-term weight loss undertaking. It not only nourishes your body by keeping your cells hydrated, but it fills your stomach so that you are less hungry. Here are some quick tips for consuming a weight-loss-friendly amount of water without feeling like you are a human water drain.

Why Over wait is harmful?Weighing too much is not good for your health. Being overweight increases your risk of health problems, like heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some kinds of cancer. A calorie is a unit of energy that your body gets from food. Calories are stored as fat if you eat more calories than you need.

How many ways you know? Wait Loss!!

The best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and become more active. You burn more calories with regular exercise.

Which Diet helps us in Wait loss??

Many people get their water from fruits, such as apples, watermelons and berries. One piece of fruit, depending on the size, can count for as much as half of a glass of water. The added benefit of fruit is that in addition to helping to hydrate you, fruit can add healthy amounts of vitamins and minerals to your core diet.

Fruit also fills the stomach and energizes you. Because fruit contains very few calories, it is a good food to fill up on. However, fruit does contain fructose, which is a type of sugar. Fructose will spike the level of sugar in your blood stream, which will give you energy.

There are beverages and activities that dehydrate your body quickly so that your essential amount of water intake needs to be increased. Beverages that deplete water from your body include sodas, coffee, tea and alcohol.

In order to ensure that you stay properly hydrated, drink one glass of water for every glass of soda or other dehydrating beverage. Also, for every half-hour of sweat-inducing exercise, you should drink at least one cup of water. If you are exercising in a particularly humid environment, you may have to drink more water in order to avoid headaches, illness and overall dehydration.

Don't stop your routine diet!! Make your diet plan.
Do not try a crash or fad diet that suggests you eat less than 1000 to 1200 calories each day. Keep your kitchen full of healthy foods on your diet plan. Eat healthy foods from all 5 food groups each day: breads, dairy, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. Eat only small amount of fats, like 1 to 3 teaspoons each day of oils, nuts, dressings, and margarine. Bake, roast, or broil your food instead of frying.

Make sure your diet plan allows plenty of protein while you are losing weight. This will help you feel stronger while you are eating a lot fewer calories. Choose meat, fish, and poultry that are very lean before cooking. Remove all fat from meats and skin from poultry before cooking. Nuts and seeds are high in fat so limit the amount you eat. Do not eat more than 3 to 4 eggs a week. Use low fat and fat-free dairy products, salad dressings, and cheeses.

Fresh vegetables with fat-free dip are a healthy snack food. Fat-free rice cakes and rye crackers contain fiber and starch which helps you feel full. Avoid foods high in sugar, such as candy, cookies, and pastries. Also, avoid high fat snacks, such as nuts, regular chips, and chocolate foods. Instead try baked or fat-free chips, air-popped popcorn, or fresh fruit between meals.

Have a positive Attitude about the Weight loss!!!
Meet with a weight loss support group or friends who are also trying to lose weight. Sharing with others will help you stay excited about your weight goals. Other people can give you good feedback on your progress. Talk to your caregiver monthly to be sure your diet is working. Tell him or her if your diet is too hard to follow or makes you too tired.

Some Prescribe Drug for Weight Loss:
Xenical a weight loss drug: Xenical is used to help obese people who fit certain weight and height requirements lose weight and maintain weight loss. Xenical works in your intestines, where it blocks some of the fat you eat from being absorbed. This undigested fat is then eliminated in your bowel movements. Use Xenical together with a reduced-calorie diet. The weight management effects of Xenical continue only as long as you are taking it. All the information i collect from the Medical Health Care Informaiton and epsdrugstore. I hope you will utilize my work and efforts that I do in my very busy schedule.

Depression Overview and Medication!!

2006-11-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

What is Depression:-
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time

General Symptoms of depression:-
• Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
• A dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt
• Extreme difficulty concentrating
• Agitation, restlessness, and irritability
• Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities
• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
• Low self esteem is common with depression. So are sudden bursts of anger and lack of pleasure from activities that normally make you happy, including sex.
Depression in the Children’s :-
Depressed children may not have the classic symptoms of adult depression. Watch especially for changes in school performance, sleep, and behavior. If you wonder whether your child might be depressed, it's worth bringing to a doctor's attention.

Domestic Methods to Overcome from Depression:-
• Get enough sleep.
• Follow a healthy, nutritious diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs.
• Get involved in activities that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it.
• Spend time with family and friends.
• Try talking to clergy or spiritual advisors who may help give meaning to painful experiences.
• Consider prayer, meditation, tai chi, or biofeedback as ways to relax or draw on your inner strengths.
• Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which you can get from cold-water fish like tuna, salmon, or mackerel.
• Take folate (vitamin B9) in the form of a multivitamin (400 to 800 micrograms). If your depression occurs in the fall or winter months, try light therapy using a special lamp that mimics the sun.
But if you are depressed for 2 weeks or longer, you should contact your doctor, who can offer treatment options. Or you can buy some prescribed medicine to overcome from the depression, there are lot of anti-depression drugs in the market here is give some brief introduction of some drugs.
Paxil:- Paxil is an agent in a newer class of antidepressant medication known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Depression and anxiety disorders might be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. One of these chemicals is serotonin, which helps send electrical signals from one nerve cell to another. In the process, serotonin is released from one nerve cell (the sender) and travels to the next (the receiver), where it is either absorbed or returns back to the original sender cell.
Celexa:- Celexa comes as a tablet taken by mouth. It is usually taken once daily and may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Celexa exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often that prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take Celexa even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Celexa without talking to your doctor. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt.
Zoloft:- Zoloft is a prescription medicine used to treat depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (also called OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (also called PTSD) in adults. Zoloft is also used to treat OCD in children (ages 6-12) and adolescents (ages 12-17).
Here are some treatments regarding depression. Hope this will help to all of the readers that come. I Have collect these all the information from Medicalm Health Care Information and infromation about the drugs from Epsdrugstore

Reduce Blood Pressure::Tips and Medication!

2006-11-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is very common; it is thought that at least 50 million Americans suffer from the condition.
When you have high blood pressure, or hypertension, the force of blood against your artery walls is too strong. High blood pressure can damage your arteries, heart, and kidneys, and lead to atherosclerosis and stroke. Hypertension is called a "silent killer'' because it does not cause symptoms unless it is severely high and, without your knowing it, causes major organ damage if not treated.
Your blood pressure measurement consists of two numbers: systolic and diastolic.
The systolic measurement is the pressure of blood against your artery walls when the heart has just finished pumping (contracting). It is the first or top number of a blood pressure reading.
The diastolic measurement is the pressure of blood against your artery walls between heartbeats, when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood. It is the second or bottom number in a blood pressure reading.

Diet: If you have high blood pressure::
* Plan a menu and stick to it. Do not eat snacks between meals. When shopping, create a list ahead of time and keep to the list. Try not to shop when you are hungry.
* Avoid foods that are high in fat, including fried food and junk food. If possible, eat low-fat and nonfat food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole-grain bread.
* Broil, roast or steam foods. Try not to eat fried foods.
* Try to maintain a regular meal schedule. If you must eat out, order carefully. Consider packing a lunch instead of eating fast food.
you need exercise if you feel you have high blood pressure:-
Regular exercise aids in lowering blood pressure. The heart gains strength, and thus can work better because it does not need to beat as fast. Additionally, in order to accommodate the higher blood flow, the body adds more arterioles and capillaries after regular exercise. With more blood vessels, the total peripheral resistance is reduced.

Results can be achieved by exercising just half an hour or 45 minutes a day. The exercise does not have to be continuous; short sessions of 10 or 20 minutes at a time are acceptable. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a brisk walk at lunch, doing yard work or household chores may all be ways to exercise.

General Causes of High Blood Pressure!
In most cases, a doctor may not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your high blood pressure. But several factors are known to increase blood pressure, including obesity, heavy alcohol use, family history of high blood pressure, high salt intake, and aging. A sedentary lifestyle, stress, low potassium intake, low calcium intake, and resistance to insulin may also cause your blood pressure to rise.

Medication for High Blood Pressure:-
Norvasc is in a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. Norvasc relaxes (widens) the blood vessels (veins and arteries), making it easier for the heart to pump and reducing its workload. Norvasc is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and to treat angina (chest pain). Norvasc may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Aldactone is in a class of drugs called potassium-sparing diuretics (water pill). It is used to reduce the amount of fluid in your body without causing the loss of potassium. Aldactone is used to treat edema (swelling) and hypertension (high blood pressure). Aldactone is also used to treat potassium deficiency and hyperaldosteronism (a hormonal disorder). Source of blood pressure information is Medical Health Care Information http://www.medical-health-care-information.com/ and source of blood pressure medicine is Prescribe Druge Guide http://www.epsdrugstore.com.

Allergy ::: Symptoms - Cure - Prescription

2006-11-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

An allergy can refer to numerous kinds of immune reactions including Type I hypersensitivity in which a person's body is hypersensitive and develops IgE type antibodies to usual proteins. When a person is hypersensitive, these symptoms are known as allergens. The word allergy derives from the Greek words allos meaning "other" and ergon meaning "work".

An allergy is the result of the body's immune system reacting to a material that is not common to the body. The general allergic conditions include food fever, asthma, and skin allergies. The basic cause of allergy is unknown; however, some believe the reactions stem from a misguided immune system. The misguided immune system over reacts to these foreign substances that is not harmful.

There are various type of allergy like food allergy, drug allergy, skin allergy, dust allergy, airways allergy, animal allergy, and others, Food allergies often occur in children, and other are common for all. If they has hypersensitivity about particular item then he feel allergy form that while like that item so allergy is not a big disease it can be curable

Allergies run in families, but there are other factors as well. For example, breast-fed babies are less likely to have allergies than are bottle-fed babies. It is not known why a person can become sensitive to some things and not to others.

Many substances are capable of causing an allergic reaction. The most common are pollen, mold, house dust, animal hair and dander, feathers, food, drugs, and insect stings. These allergens cause different kinds of allergic reactions. Pollen of trees, grasses, weeds, or molds cause hay fever. Hay fever symptoms include sneezing, itching and weeping eyes, stuffy or runny nose, and cough

Steps to Prevent Allergy

The people are suffered by the Allergic have very sensitivity about the lot of things, and can be irritated by lots of different substances including smoke, pollution, cooking smells, perfume and strong odors. Children who are often exposed to passive smoking are more at risk of developing allergic reactions. So they have to careful about the such things, because the medicine give you a senselessness about the such things by which you are feeling allergy.

prescribe Drugs for allergies

Flonase

This Medician is a cortiscosterioid used for seasonal and perennial allergies (hay fever) and asthma.

Fir or pine needle oil should not be used with this medicine if you have asthma. Talk to your doctor BEFORE using any herbals with this medicine.
This medicine is generally used once daily. Shake gently before each dose. For best results, this medicine should be taken continuously, even if you start feeling better. Do not skip doses. Always follow your doctors instructions on dosing.

Allegra

Allegra is indicated for the relief of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and children 6 years of age and older. Symptoms treated effectively were sneezing, rhinorrhea, itchy nose/palate/throat, itchy/watery/red eyes.
Allegra is formulated as a capsule or tablet for oral administration. Allegra is usually taken twice a day, in the morning and the evening. Follow your doctor's instructions. Take each dose with a full glass of water.

Clarinex

Clarinex for the relief of allergy symptoms called seasonal allergic rhinitis. This medicine may also be used for a rash or hives. Claritin is approved for patients 6 years and older.
Clarinex blocks the action of histamine. Histamine causes allergic symptoms such as sneezing, itchy water eyes and runny nose.
Claritin is taken once daily on an empty stomach. Take the medication about the same time every day. Follow the directions that your doctor has given you.

Nasonex

Nasonex is used to treat and prevent nasal symptoms due to allergies.
This medicine works by reducing inflammation (swelling) in the nasal passages.
Shake well before each use. Prime the spray pump before first use. Spray into nostril as directed. instructed by your pharmacist. Use as directed, generally two sprays in each nostril daily. Do not use this drug more often or longer than prescribed. Use this drug regularly during the prescribed treatment period for full benefit. If the drug is used for seasonal allergy, therapy is best started 2-4 weeks before the season. Improvement in symptoms occurs generally within 2 days and full benefit occurs after 1-2 weeks of use.

Patanol

Patanol is used to treat the symptoms of allergic pink eye. Olopatadine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.

Olopatadine comes as an eyedrop to apply to the eye. It is usually applied to the affected eye(s) twice a day, around 6 to 8 hours apart. To help you remember to use olopatadine, use it around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use olopatadine exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Zyrtec

Zyrtec is an antihistamine. Antihistamines prevent sneezing, runny nose, itching and watering of the eyes, and other allergic symptoms. Zyrtec is used to treat allergies, hives (urticaria), and other allergic inflammatory conditions.

Zyrtec comes as a tablet to take it orally. It usually is taken once a day. It may be taken regularly or when allergy symptoms flare up. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Zyrtec exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Nasacort

Nasacort is FDA approved for the treatment of the nasal symptoms of seasonal and year round allergies such as nasal congestion, itchy runny nose, and sneezing. Nasacort Nasal Spray is an unscented, thixotropic, water-based metered-dose pump spray formulation unit containing a microcrystalline suspension of triamcinolone acetonide in an aqueous medium.

Nasacort Nasal Spray comes as a solution to inhale through the nose. It usually is inhaled one to four times a day at evenly spaced intervals. Before using triamcinolone, gently blow your nose to clear your nasal passages. Avoid blowing your nose for 15 minutes after inhaling the prescribed dose.

Claritin-D
Claritin-D is used to relieve hay fever and allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, and red, itchy, tearing eyes. Claritin-D is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms. Claritin-D may cause less drowsiness than other antihistamines.

Claritin-D comes as a tablet to take by mouth. 12 Hour Tablet: One tablet twice a day (every 12 hours); 24 Hour Tablet: One tablet daily taken with a full glass of water. You should not to break or chew the tablet and you should take the 24 hour tablet with a full glass of water.

Finding An Effective Lower Back Pain Treatment!!

2006-11-22T03:18:00.000-08:00

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. Here you'll find in-depth articles about the causes of back pain and back pain relief - from exercises to medical treatments.
The lower part of the back holds the weight of much of the body. The spine is the central support system of the body. We only realize how much work our backs do when something goes wrong. A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, being overweight, bad working practices and a high level of stress all contribute to back problems. Small problems can cause immense pain when a person is standing or otherwise putting pressure on the lower back. These persons most at risk for lower back pain are those that have jobs that entail heavy physical labor and/or sitting for long periods of time. People whose jobs include long drives are at risk of experiencing back pain. People who experience heavy stress loads are also at risk of experiencing some degree of lower back pain.
The symptoms of lower back pain can include a throbbing ache, a stabbing feeling or a shooting pain as well as limited flexibility including the inability to straiten up or stand upright completely. Lower back pain is classified as chronic if it constantly persists for more than three months.
It is pain which makes us realize that our back is not functioning properly. Often pain develops gradually of intermittently and the cause is not obvious. The back is a complicated structure and pain can occur anywhere along its length. Most commonly it occurs in the neck and the lower back. People are often concerned that back pain indicates other serious disorders.. Prescription medicines are not usually applied unless the condition has been termed acute or chronic.
There are as number of exercise that can be used to treat lower back pain. These include warm baths and soaks, hot and cold compresses, bed rest in moderation and physical activity. Only in the most severe instances is surgery suggested. Most sufferers of lower back pain recover without any lasting effects.
Lower back pain can be prevented. Using caution when you are lifting heavy objects is a good way to prevent lower back pain. Making a conscious effort to maintain a good posture has a lasting effect on back mobility and the probability of lower back pain.
On rare occasions, lower back pain can be a symptom of larger problem. In some instances lower back pain is a symptom of kidney problems or other acute illnesses.

Prescribed drug for the back pain:-

Fioricet is a barbiturate sedative mixed with a non-aspirin pain medication and caffeine. This non-narcotic pain medication and relaxant is often prescribed for tension headaches caused by contractions of the muscles in the neck and shoulder area, and migraine.
I collect these all the information from the Medical Health Care Information
Suggested Source of prescribe medicine is epsdrugstore

Treating Anxiety Disorders!!

2006-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

Anxiety is the response of the body during fear. Anxiety is a disorder results from the fear response becoming out of proportion to the actual risk. Anxiety disorders involve excessive levels of negative emotions, such as fear, worry, nervousness, and tension, and the anxious feelings occur involuntarily despite your best attempts to avoid them or stave them off.
The body responds to anxiety stimulus both physically and mentally. Anxiety can lead to over-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. It manifests by the physical symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, sweating and trembling, and psychological symptoms such as restlessness, insomnia and difficulty in concentrating.
Anxiety is often seen as a triggering of the fight-or-flight reaction, causing excess adrenaline to be produced by the adrenal glands, which in turn produce other hormones (catecholamines) that affect various parts of the body, such as heartbeat and respiration.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder :-
Here we provide you a list of anxiety physical symptoms that is a guide only, may be the sufferer Stop Anxietyexperiences slightly different symptoms so it is meant as a guide only. But If you identify with 4 or more of the symptoms on this list, then there are chances that you are suffering from anxiety disorder.

* Panic attacks
* Dizziness
* Breathlessness
* Head aches
* Chest pains
* Stomach problems
* Tingling sensations
* Weak legs
* Disturbing thoughts
* Visual disturbances
* Tinnitus
* Lump in throat
* Butterflies in stomach
* Palpitations
* Heart racing
* Nausea
* Sore eyes
* Shaking or trembling

Types of Anxiety Disorders:-

There are many forms of anxiety, below is a list of a few different types. You may want to note which ones you are experiencing before you see a doctor to aid in diagnosing which type of anxiety you may have.
* Panic Disorder
* Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
* Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
* Social Anxiety Disorder
* Specific Phobias
* Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Prescribe Drugs for the Anxiety:-

Atarax is prescribed drug for anxiety:-
Atarax is used for symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested.
For adults, 50-100 mg daily; for children under 6 years, 50 mg daily in divided doses and over 6 years, 50-100 mg daily in divided doses.

Busper Prescribed drugs for the Anxiety:-
Buspar is used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Your doctor may use this medicine to treat other conditions as well. Buspar affects the chemicals in your brain that may have become unbalanced and are causing anxiety.
Take Buspar with food or milk if stomach upset occurs. It is important to take this medication exactly as prescribed. Do not increase your dose or take more often than prescribed. Symptoms will begin to improve within 7 to 10 days of starting this medication. However, it may take 3 to 4 weeks for the full benefit of the medication to be apparent. a useful resource for the prescribed drugs epsdrugstore

Importance of Skin Care and Skin Care Products

2006-11-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

What is skin care!!!

Your skin is your armor, your shield from the elements. Yet when was the last time you really thought about what you need to do to take care of it? Throughout your life, genetic and environmental factors will cause a lot of wear and tear to your skin. But you are never too young or too old to start taking care of your skin. In fact, skin care and protection should be an essential part of your health, fitness, and beauty regime. If you take care of your skin, your skin will take care of you! If your stuck in a skin care rut, or if you are just looking to learn a bit more about the basics of skin care, read on to learn more about this important step in your daily activities.

The Essentials of Skin Care.
The first step to taking care of your skin is preventing damage. Sun, wind, pollutants, and simply aging can degrade the condition of your skin. Common complaints include dry and itchy skin, wrinkles, sagging, color changes, and age spots. There are steps that you can take to keep you skin looking and feeling its best.
Exercise, rest, and good nutrition lay the foundation for beautiful, healthy skin, inside and out. A proper diet is not only good for your overall health, it also helps to ensure that your skin will receive all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that it needs to maintain and repair cells. Drinking purified water is another good way to keep your skin healthy. Water helps to hydrate the skin and move waste and nutrients through the system. It is very effective mixing a teaspoon or capful of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar in with your water. Do not drink Tap Water.
The most important way to care for your skin is to protect it from the damaging rays of the sun. Ultraviolet radiation damages the skin and can lead to wrinkles, premature aging, age spots, and cancer. Take extra precautions to make sure your skin is not exposed to the sun’s rays. Use a natural sunscreen, or a moisturizer that contains sunscreen (at least SPF 15) everyday. Your skin does need some sunlight – 10-15 minutes of direct exposure daily.
Dry skin is very common, especially with age. Older skin has fewer sweat and oil glands than younger skin. Dry skin may be caused by frequent baths, certain cosmetics or medications. But whatever the cause, there are ways to alleviate the itchiness associated with it. Avoid using harsh soaps when bathing, and if possible, cut back on the number of baths or showers each week. A sponge bath with warm water may help to clean and revive skin without stripping the skin of its valuable moisturizers. When you do use soap, try using a natural very mild soap that does not contain any dyes, parabens or perfumes. Follow up the bath with a moisturizing lotion like Parfait Visage, concentrating on problem dry areas. A good all natural moisturizer is one of the foundations for a healthy skin care regimen. Continue moisturizing throughout the day to keep skin healthy. Your hands and face are particularly susceptible to daily damage, and may need to be moisturized several times.
A Skin Care Routine
A skin care routine does not have to be elaborate in order to be effective. But you should develop some kind of skin care routine based on your skin type, daily activities, and nutritional needs so that you can be sure you are taking the very best care of your skin. Following a daily skin care regime will also allow you to more closely evaluate your skin for abnormalities. Here's a simple routine that you can adapt to fit your needs:
1. Cleanse: Wash your skin thoroughly on a daily basis to remove the dirt, debris, pollutants, and perspiration that accumulates on a daily basis. If you have dry or sensitive skin, use only warm water to wash your skin and use a mild natural cleanser every few days like the product Aquaspirit. If you have normal or oily skin, be sure to wash with a gentle cleanser on a daily basis. Be sure to brush your teeth before washing your face, as toothpaste residue can irritate sensitive facial skin.
2. Moisturize: Unless your skin is very oily, you will want to use a moisturizer everyday to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Your skin needs moisturizer all year long as both the indoor winter heat, and summer sun can be equally damaging to your skin. The most advanced product is “Parfait Visage” which is used for the face.
3. Protect: Use a natural sunscreen when possible, regardless of whether or not you plan on spending much time in the sun. The sun's rays are very damaging and if you get in the habit of applying sunscreen everyday, you will never be left without protection. The suns most beneficial rays occur at sunrise and sunset.
Skin Care Products

There are several types of skin care products that may make a useful additional to your daily skin care. These include cleansers, sunscreens, moisturizers, exfoliants, facial cleansers, toners, retonoids, herbal and nutrient supplements, and cosmetics. for more information about the skin care tips and products visit at epsdrugstore

How sleep is necessary for us?

2006-11-17T04:04:00.000-08:00

Sleep disorder during school days:-
The new school year is upon us. From bedtime battles to the misery of morning call, summertime sleep habits die hard. Late summer nights combined with early school start times, and the stresses of just being a kid, deprive our children of essential sleep. And sleep deprivation often wreaks havoc with health, academic performance, and behavior. It is an unrecognized epidemic.
From elementary school through higher school and beyond, a great many of our children are chronically sleep-deprived. With more than more than 75% of all children having some kind of sleep problem, and most adolescents not getting enough sleep, many will struggle to meet the barrage of new challenges, demands, and emotions of a new school year. It is not widely recognized and appreciated just how pervasive and critical quality sleep is for brain development and how it directly influences daytime functioning, performance, mood, and behavior. May I know! When was the last time your family doctor or school teacher of your child asked to you about your child's sleep? Parents wouldn't think of letting their child skip meals or run into a busy street, but staying up late is very often of little concern. It shouldn't be. some help full information about the sleep disorder

How Your Child thinks is affected by the sleep.
More and more research studies demonstrate that daytime sleepiness from chronic sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep has significant impacts on daytime behavior and academic performance, as well as concentration, attention, and mood. Even 20 fewer minutes of needed sleep may significantly affect behavior in many areas. One study showed that those students with C's, D's and F's got about 25 fewer minutes of sleep and went to bed an average of 40 minutes later than A and B students. The pediatric research findings are startling and alarming:
in my support some information on sleep disorder
-Poor sleepers reported being significantly more depressed, without energy, tired, tense, moody, stressed, irritable, and less rested and alert than good sleepers. Interestingly and importantly, they were also more likely to have a negative self-image, which, in light of the above, is not surprising.
-Insufficient sleep has been associated with daytime fatigue, inability to concentrate in school, ADHD, a tendency to doze off in class, problematic behaviors, and lower levels of social skills. One study showed that teachers believed that some children with sleep disturbances were hyperactive and less attentive.
-Persistent sleep problems are associated with learning difficulties throughout the school years. In fact, several studies suggest specific academic deficits, including poor school performance.
-Poorly performing first graders with sleep disordered breathing showed significant improvement in their grades after treatment.
-Poorly performing seventh graders were 2-3 times more likely to have frequent and loud snoring.
-Poorly performing middle scholars were more likely to have snored in early childhood.
-Poor sleepers were more likely to display type A behavior patterns.
-Teenage insomnia has been related to anger, depression, difficulty with school adjustments, and stress. And studies suggest that insomnia often begins early in life and persists into adulthood.
-Sleep-disturbed elementary school-age children may have poorer coping behaviors and display more behavioral problems at home and in school.
-Several studies report that more total sleep, earlier bedtimes, and later weekday rise time are associated with better grades in school.
-Those with poor grades are more likely to sleep less, go to bed later, and have more irregular sleep/wake habits.
-Failure rates on exams for medical students were markedly higher (42%) for frequent snorers than for non-snorers (13%)

From Elementary to Higher School, Sleep Problems Are Pervasive and Widespread
You may be surprised to learn how prevalent sleep problems are. In studies of elementary school-age children, nearly 40% showed some kind of sleep problem, and 10% had daytime sleepiness.
some information that support me about sleep disorder and blood pressuer

Adolescence: Sleeplessness impacts personal health and public safety
With increasing freedom from parental control, social activities and academic challenges, sleep is not exactly a high priority for adolescents, and the sleep time most teenagers get is insufficient: the average is under 7 1/2 hours, with only 15% sleeping 8 1/2 hours or more on school nights and more than 25% typically sleeping 6 1/2 hours or less. Up to half of adolescents reported at least occasional difficulty falling or staying asleep, with up to 13% experiencing chronic and severe insomnia.
Sleepless adolescents are not just tired teenagers. They are at increased risk for negative moods, impaired memory, motivation and ability to think and make good judgments. Drowsy driving together with "micro sleeps" (i.e., unintended sleep episodes) add up to increased automobile accidents, of which teens are heavily represented.
Late to Bed, Early to Rise, Makes Us Cranky, Moody and Cry
The first day of school often initiates a cycle of poor sleep and problematic behaviors that may be difficult to break. It goes something like this:
-1-Late Bedtimes, Early Start Times: Late summertime bedtimes collide with early school start times; so kids start the new school year being sleep-deprived.
-2-Sleep Debt Builds: Each day they lose more sleep, building up a "sleep debt" that, like all debts, must be paid-off.
-3-Weekend Catch-up - There's a Catch: Now comes the weekend, and we feel good that our child sleeps late, catching-up on all that sleep. But wait just a minute - there's a catch to that catching-up: it is actually a big red flag that your child is not getting enough sleep, and late weekend sleeping actually perpetuates the whole dysfunctional sleep pattern.
there is some more research information about child and sleep
Interestingly, a study in which school start times were moved from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., resulted in children getting an hour more sleep each night and improved attendance.
Late-night-type, rebellious adolescents are predisposed to this pattern and often complain that it is very hard to fall asleep, easier to fall asleep if bedtimes are later, hard to wake in the morning, late to school and sleep late on weekends.

What to Look for in Your Child: Signs, Symptoms and Typical Tactics:--
Results from the National Sleep Foundation's 2004 Sleep in America poll may (or may not!) surprise you:
--Infants most often seem sleepy or overtired during the day (29%) and/or wake too early in the morning (21%) at least a few days a week.
--Toddlers most often stall about going to bed (32%), resist going to bed at bedtime (24%) and/or seem sleepy or overtired during the day (24%) at least a few days or nights a week.
--Preschoolers most often stall about going to bed at bedtime (52%), resist going to bed at bedtime (30%), seem sleepy or overtired during the day (26%), snore (19%) and/or have difficulty waking in the morning (19%) at least a few days or nights a week.
--School-aged children are most likely to stall about going to bed (42%), have difficulty waking in the morning (29%) and/or snore (18%) at least a few days or nights a week.

Does My Child Have a Sleep Problem? Awareness Is Key
Given the prevalence and enormous impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning, we should all regularly look at our own children to see if they are getting the sound sleep they deserve. For some it may be obvious, but for most of us it requires some education, investigation, and a keen, watchful eye. This is because few of us really know what normal, healthy sleep should be, plus there is a great deal of individual variation among children and at different ages. Sleep deprivation is also difficult to detect because sleep problems are masters of disguise, often masquerading in myriad manifestations. Consider that:
--Children rarely complain about sleep problems. A study of adolescents showed that very few sought help for their sleep, even though some considered their problems to be very severe. Another found that almost 90% of adolescents say that they need more sleep, but how many parents have heard their child say, "You know, I think I am going to go to bed early tonight."
--Adolescent sleepiness is so prevalent that it almost seems normal. Though bedtimes get later and later, the biological need for sleep in adolescents does not decease with age.
--Parents may overestimate the amount of sleep their child gets, because we may be unaware of when our child actually falls asleep, as well as night awakenings. Research has shown that medical conditions may cause or contribute to sleep problems even when overt medical symptoms seem well controlled. For example, asymptomatic children with asthma and gastro esophageal reflux may have poor sleep and daytime fatigue. Allergies may cause respiratory distress when sleeping. In one study, almost 1/3 of the children in elementary school reported significant body pains during the night, of which parents were largely unaware.
--Enlarged tonsils can cause intermittent breathing problems by physically blocking the airway. One study showed an increase in grades in children with sleep disturbed breathing after tonsillectomies.
--Sleep deprivation may present itself in many ways other than daytime sleepiness -- inattention, poor concentration, moodiness, behavioral problems, and poor academic performance and social skills, to name a few.
Interestingly, poor sleepers were found not to be consistently more tired than good sleepers, and they were actually least tired in the evenings, when most good sleepers were tired.
here is more information that support that sleep is very necessary for the good memory of the child .

What Can I Do? Think Sleep!
With so many hidden faces of sleep deprivation, you must be aware and "think sleep." As a parent, if you do not recognize the problem, it may well go unrecognized. You will also likely implement any remedies required. Early intervention is important, given the consequences and that children do not "grow out of" sleep problems; rather, the sleep problems of childhood tend to persist into adulthood.
Talk with you child. Just taking the time to ask some of the right questions can go a long way. If there is a problem, discuss it and make a plan agreeable to all. Include detailed targeted behavior changes and rewards.
With your child in school during the day and with after-school activities and part-time jobs for many, it is critical to talk with teachers, coaches, bosses, etc. to see if your child is exhibiting any signs of sleep deprivation. This may involve you taking some time to educate the educators.

Teach your child good sleep habits, also known as "sleep hygiene".
--Establish sleep-healthy bedtimes, bedtime routines, habits, and diets. If late bedtimes are an issue, try ticking back bedtimes in 15 minute increments every night or other night until you get to a bedtime where your child wakes up easily and refreshed.
--Identify and reduce as much daytime stress as possible.
--Limit TV and other "screen time" (computers, video games), especially at bedtime, and do not put a TV in your child's bedroom: children with a TV in their room tend to go to bed later and get less sleep than those without, and those kids who get less sleep are more likely to spend 2 or more hours watching TV.
dear friends you getting less sleep then you need for a good health i found some research
As in everything in life, do your best to be consistent and ask for help. Do not hesitate to call your doctor or sleep specialist. It's too important not to. all the best for your happy and healthy life. My best wishes will always with you. more information about drugs epsdrugstore

Muscle relaxants disease and diagnose!!

2006-11-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

What is Muscle Relaxants and how we use this:---
Skeletal muscle relaxants are drugs that relax striated muscles (those that control the skeleton). They are a separate class of drugs from the muscle relaxant drugs used during intubations and surgery to reduce the need for anesthesia and facilitate intubation.
Skeletal muscle relaxants may be used for relief of spasticity in neuromuscular diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, as well as for spinal cord injury and stroke. They may also be used for pain relief in minor strain injuries and control of the muscle symptoms of tetanus. Dantrolene (Dantrium) has been used to prevent or treat malignant hyperthermia in surgery.

Composition of the Muscle relaxants:-
Carisoprodol (Soma), chlorphenesin (Maolate), chlorzoxazone (Paraflex), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), diazepam (Valium), metaxalone (Skelaxin), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and orphenadrine (Norflex) are used primarily as an adjunct for rest in management of acute muscle spasms associated with sprains. Muscle relaxation may also be an adjunct to physical therapy in rehabilitation following stroke, spinal cord injury, or other musculoskeletal conditions.

Take some precaution:-
Dantrolene has a potential for hepatotoxicity. The incidence of symptomatic hepatitis is dose related, but may occur even with a short period of doses at or above. Even short periods of doses at or above 800 mg per day greatly increases the risk of serious liver injury. Overt hepatitis has been most frequently observed between the third and twelfth months of therapy. Risk of hepatic injury appears to be greater in women, in patients over 35 years of age and in patients taking other medications in addition to dantrolene.Tizanidine may cause low blood pressure, but this may be controlled by starting with a low dose and increasing it gradually. The drug may rarely cause liver damage.
Methocarbamol and chlorzoxazone may cause harmless color changes in urine-orange or reddish-purple with chlorzoxazone and purple, brown, or green with methocarbamol. The urine will return to its normal color when the patient stops taking the medicine.

Most drugs in this class are well tolerated.

Not all drugs in this group have been evaluated for safety in pregnancy and breast feeding.
Baclofen is pregnancy category C. It has caused fetal abnormalities in rats at doses 13 times above the human dose. Baclofen passes into breast milk, and breast feeding while taking baclofen is not recommended.
Diazepam is category D. All benzodiazepines cross the placenta. Although the drugs appear to be safe for use during the first trimester of pregnancy, use later in pregnancy may be associated with cleft lip and palate. Diazepam should not be taken while breast feeding. Infants who were breast fed while their mothers took diazepam were excessively sleepy and lethargic.
Dantrolene is category C. In animal studies it has reduced the rate of survival of the newborn when given in doses seven times the normal human dose. Mothers should not breast feed while receiving dantrolene. Source of this matter is epsdrugstore

Quit Smoking By Meditation or Medicine?

2006-11-15T04:01:00.000-08:00

Some one tells me that “I have a stop smoking rhythmic tape that I listen to and meditate to every morning........ 30 min of deep breathing and listening to the message that says 'I will quit easily' and ' i will love being XX smoke free?" I do that too.... forgot to tell you guess I better do it more than once in the morning now. But if I ask how a person can forget everything if he has lot of work in a day?. And how he cans walkup early in the morning if he has duty to very late night I prefer some medicine to him that he can take any where and any time.

Becaue one day I read one post at the forum that one person is told that “I've been trying for years to quit, and sometimes quit for a few months, or even for a year once, but I always return. Then it occurred to me. Maybe there's ways to at least reduce the dangers while I continue to smoke. I once heard certain vitamins are important for smokers, and somewhere else I heard that 2 or 3 minutes of forced coughing every morning clears the lungs of built up toxins.”
So I prefer the medicine because only medicine can destroy those vitamins that compel to you for smoking.
Below, some tips to help you quit smoking are listed. First and foremost, set a quit date and quit COMPLETELY on that day. To prepare for that day:
* Identify the times you are most likely to smoke. For example, do you tend to smoke when feeling stressed? When you are out at night with friends? While you are drinking coffee?. When you are bored? While you are driving?. Etc.
* Keep a diary to help you determine such risky times. Record each time you have a cigarette, including time of day and what you are doing.
* Make a plan about what you will do instead of smoking at those times that you are most likely to smoke. For example, drink tea instead of coffee; tea may not trigger the desire for a cigarette. Or, take a walk when feeling stressed. Remove ashtrays and cigarettes from the car. Place pretzels or hard candies there instead. Pretend smoke with a straw.
* Let all of your friends, family, and co-workers know of your plan to stop smoking and your quit date. Just being aware that they know can be a helpful reminder and motivator.
* Prior to your quit date, start reducing your cigarette use, including decreasing the number and strength of the cigarettes. DON'T do this simply to make your diary "look good," however.
* Get rid of all of your cigarettes just prior to the quit date and clean out anything that smells like smoke, such as clothes and furniture.
Smoke Controlling Drugs:-
Zyban is a best smoke controlling drug and it comes as a tablet to take it orally. It is usually taken twice a day and may be taken with or without food. It is important to swallow Zyban Tablets whole. Do not chew, divide, or crush tablets
Some information that help you to stop smoking:-
Avoid alcohol or drink it only in moderation while taking Zyban. Alcohol may increase the risk of having a seizure while taking Zyban. However, if you usually drink a lot of alcohol, talk with your doctor before stopping. Suddenly stopping may increase the risk of having a seizure. Talk to your doctor about alcohol use before starting treatment with Zyban. Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Zyban may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities.

Depression What and Beat!

2006-11-14T03:34:00.000-08:00

What is Depression Exactly?
Depression is a stress related illness. It is the most common mental illness. One in six women suffer and one in nine men. It is thought men are more reluctant to seek help or even admit they have depression.
Depression varies from ''the blues'' to something more serious culminating in a feeling of hopelessness and dispair.
Depression often centers around the lack of purpose in your life and the thought that it might even be better to end it. This is the point which is critical and could result in suicide
please if you suffer depression don't let it get that far before you seek professional help.

The symptoms
Can't make decisions
Waking in the early morning
Wanting to cry
Lack of energy
Loss of appetite
Drinking too much
Eating too much
Loss of interest in sex
Not caring about your appearance
Becoming withdrawn
Feeling you can't be bothered
Suffering from poor self esteem
Can't concentrate
Lack of self confidence
Feeling isolated or lonely
Lacking purpose in your life
If you have several symptoms you may be depressed

Antidepressants Medicine Complete Detail
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems, affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or through depression in a family member. Each year over 17 million American adults experience a period of clinical depression. The cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Depression can interfere with normal functioning, and frequently causes problems with work, social and family adjustment. It causes pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the depressed person.

Anti Depression Drug Celexa
Celexa comes as a tablet taken by mouth. It is usually taken once daily and may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Celexa exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often that prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take Celexa even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Celexa without talking to your doctor. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt. soruse of this epsdrugstore

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives!!!!

2006-11-13T02:30:00.000-08:00

What is Back Pain

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. Here you'll find in-depth articles about the causes of back pain and back pain relief - from exercises to medical treatments.
Back Pain: A very common condition

The spine is the central support system of the body. We only realise how much work our backs do when something goes wrong. A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, being overweight, bad working practises and a high level of stress all contribute to back problems.

Some facts

* 60% : 80% of people in the Western world are affected by back ache.
* The incidence of back problems is highest between the ages of 30 : 50 years.
* Back pain is the third most common cause of loss of work days (after headache and the common cold).

Some Basic Anatomy

Parts of the Spine

Vertebrae : 24 bones are stacked One On top of the other to form the spinal column.

Intervertebral discs : cushions of cartilage separating the vertebrae. They act as shock absorbers and enable the spine to move in many directions. Each disc has a soft jelly-like inner core surrounded by rings of tough fibres.

Facet joints : small joints which maintain spinal stability.

Spinal cord : a cable of nerves running from the brain through a canal in the centre of the spinal column. Nerves to the arms and legs pass through openings between the vertebrae.

Ligaments : strong fibres provide support to the joints of the spine.

Muscles : large and small muscles produce movement and give the back dynamic support. Other muscle groups from the shoulder girdle, chest, pelvis, hips and abdomen rely on their attachment to the spine so they can move other parts of the body.

Prevention and controlling back problems

* Always be aware of how you are using your back.
* Improve your posture and the way you move when you sit, stand, work and play.
* Include regular exercise as part of your normal lifestyle.
* Reduce the amount of stress in your life.
* Persistent, complex or severe back pain may be best helped with treatment by a suitably qualified doctor or physiotherapist.

What causes back pain?

It is pain which makes us realise that our back is not functioning properly. Often pain develops gradually of intermittently and the cause is not obvious. The back is a complicated structure and pain can occur anywhere along its length. Most commonly it occurs in the neck and the lower back. People are often concerned that back pain indicates other serious disorders.

* Back Strains Abnormal stress, either sudden or over time, can injure the muscles, ligaments or joints of the spine. An acute back injury may result from an unexpected jolt or incorrect lift. Alternatively, poor posture and weak muscles can lead to a chronic backache. Muscle and ligament strains are the most common cause of back pain.
* Disc degeneration Degeneration of the outer layers of a disc result in flattening and bulging.
* Arthritis Like other joints of the body, the spinal facet joints can develop arthritis. There may be degeneration and inflammation within the joint and the growth of bony spurs (osteophytes) on the edges of the vertebrae. Commonly arthritis of the facet joints is associated with disc degeneration. Some forms of inflammatory arthritis such as ankylosing spondylitis directly involve the spine.
* Sciatica The sciatic nerves run from the lower back, across the buttocks and down the backs of the legs. They can be irritated by a bulging disc or inflamed facet joint and pain can occur anywhere along their paths. Referred pain from spinal disease can occur anywhere in any limb.
* Osteoporosis Loss of calcium from the bones of the spine may result in partial collapse of the vertebrae. This is most common in post-menopausal women.
* Emotional stress Increased muscle tension will often stir up an existing back problem. Prolonged muscle tension will result in muscle imbalances and abnormal stress on the spine. Increased backpain may be associated with periods of stress. Prescribed Drugs for pain?

There are a number of other significant, though less common, causes of back pain. These need to be investigated if severe pain persists.

Exercise your back

* Improvement in general fitness helps to reduce and prevent back pain.
* Regular back exercises will help to:
o strengthen muscles supporting the back
o stretch tight joints, muscles and ligaments
o increase mobility
o improve posture
* Start with three to five of each exercise daily and gradually build up to 10.
* Discontinue any exercise that causes pain, severe discomfort, leg numbness or tingling.

Good posture

* maintains the spine in its optimal position,
* puts least strain on intervertebral discs,
* allows spine, head, arms and legs to move more efficiently,
* improves breathing capacity,
* allows internal organs to work more effectively,
* improves circulation,
* looks and feels better.

Plan your lift

* check that surroundings are clear,
* stand close to the object,
* keep your back straight and bend at the hip and knees,
* take a firm hold of the object holding it close to your body,
* tuck in your chin, tighten your stomach muscles, keep your back straight and lift by straightening your knees,
* if lifting with another person, work together on the '1,2,3,:lift! " principle.
* push or pull an object rather than lifting it.

Working and Other Daily Activities

* always keep your back straight,
* arrange your work space so that the most frequently used items are within easy reach to avoid a' lot of bending and stretching,
* squat or kneel down to work at a low level,
* carry objects in both arms close to the body; avoid one-sided carrying if possible.
* when sweeping or vacuuming use short strokes, bend your knees and move your feet to avoid over-reaching.
* before you do something, try to find a way that puts less strain on your back. Remember basic standing, sitting and lifting principles. Review daily activities with these thoughts in mind.
Source for the complete details about the drugs and disease epsdrugstore

Heart Burn A Disease and Drugs for Overcome it!

2006-11-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

What Is heart Burn??

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, or acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus. The liquid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus although this occurs in a minority of patients. The regurgitated liquid usually contains acid and pepsin that are produced by the stomach. (Pepsin is an enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins in the stomach.) The refluxed liquid also may contain bile that has backed-up into the stomach from the duodenum. (The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine that attaches to the stomach.) Acid is believed to be the most injurious component of the refluxed liquid. Pepsin and bile also may injure the esophagus, but their role in the production of esophageal inflammation and damage (esophagitis) is not as clear as the role of acid.

GERD is a chronic condition. Once it begins, it usually is life-long. If there is injury to the lining of the esophagus (esophagitis), this also is a chronic condition. Moreover, after the esophagus has healed with treatment and treatment is stopped, the injury will return in most patients within a few months. Once treatment for GERD is begun, therefore, it usually will need to be continued indefinitely.

Actually, the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus occurs in most normal individuals. In fact, one study found that reflux occurs as frequently in normal individuals as in patients with GERD. In patients with GERD, however, the refluxed liquid contains acid more often, and the acid remains in the esophagus longer.

As is often the case, the body has ways (mechanisms) to protect itself from the harmful effects of reflux and acid. For example, most reflux occurs during the day when individuals are upright. In the upright position, the refluxed liquid is more likely to flow back down into the stomach due to the effect of gravity. In addition, while individuals are awake, they repeatedly swallow, whether or not there is reflux. Each swallow carries any refluxed liquid back into the stomach. Finally, the salivary glands in the mouth produce saliva, which contains bicarbonate. With each swallow, bicarbonate-containing saliva travels down the esophagus. The bicarbonate neutralizes the small amount of acid that remains in the esophagus after gravity and swallowing have removed most of the liquid.

Gravity, swallowing, and saliva are important protective mechanisms for the esophagus, but they are effective only when individuals are in the upright position. At night while sleeping, gravity is not in effect, swallowing stops, and the secretion of saliva is reduced. Therefore, reflux that occurs at night is more likely to result in acid remaining in the esophagus longer and causing greater damage to the esophagus. Source Of information

Heart Burn Medicine Nexium:-

Nexium is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and injury of the esophagus (food pipe between the mouth and stomach). Nexium is used to treat the symptoms of GERD, allow the esophagus to heal, and prevent further damage to the esophagus. It is also used with other medications to prevent stomach ulcers. Nexium is in a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made in the stomach. Source of Information

How Take Heart Burn Medicine Nexium:-
Nexium comes as a delayed-release (long-acting) capsule to take it orally. It is usually taken once a day at least one hour before a meal. To help you remember to take Nexium, take it around the same time every day. Swallow the capsules whole; do not split, chew, or crush them. If you cannot swallow the capsule, put one tablespoon of cool, soft applesauce in an empty bowl. Open one Nexium capsule and carefully sprinkle the pellets onto the applesauce. Mix the pellets with the applesauce, and swallow the entire tablespoonful of the applesauce and pellet mixture immediately. Do not chew the pellets in the applesauce. Do not save the pellets and applesauce for later use. Source of Information

Heart Burn Drug Prevacid:-
Prevacid decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Prevacid is used to treat and prevent stomach and intestinal ulcers, erosive esophagitis (damage to the esophagus from stomach acid), and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Prevacid may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Source of Information

How we Take Heart Burn Drug Prevacid:-
Prevacid comes as an extended-release (long-acting) capsule to take it orally. Prevacid usually is taken once a day, before a meal. Take Prevacid exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. The capsule should be swallowed whole. If you have difficulty swallowing capsules, Prevacid can be opened, and the granules can be sprinkled on applesauce and swallowed immediately. The granules should not be chewed or crushed. Continue to take Prevacid even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Prevacid without talking to your doctor. Source of Infromation

Zoloft prescribed medicine for Depression!

2006-11-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

How take Zoloft:-
Zoloft comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once daily and may be taken with or without food. Take Zoloft exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take Zoloft even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Zoloft without talking to your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt.

Before taking Zoloft, tell your doctor if you have liver disease; have kidney disease; suffer from seizures; or suffer from mania or have suicidal thoughts. You may not be able to take Zoloft, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Zoloft is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is unknown whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take Zoloft without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Zoloft passes into breast milk. Do not take Zoloft without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
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Buspar is the best drug for the anxiety.

2006-11-09T02:27:00.000-08:00

Buspar is used to treat generalized anxiety disorder, Buspar affects the chemicals in your brain that may have become unbalanced and are causing anxiety.

How to take the Buspar:-

Take Buspar with food or milk if stomach upset occurs. It is important to take this medication exactly as prescribed. Do not increase your dose or take more often than prescribed. Symptoms will begin to improve within 7 to 10 days of starting this medication.Precautions about Buspar drug:- Before taking Buspar, tell your doctor your medical history especially: kidney or liver disease, any drug allergies. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using this drug. It is not known if this drug is excreted into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Possible side effects:-

Buspar may cause drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, weakness, vivid dreams, sleeplessness, dry skin, blurred vision, altered sense of taste and smell, weight gain, muscle aches, ringing in the ears, nausea, and headaches. If these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor. Notify your doctor if you experience: abnormal movements or "twitches" of the face or neck muscles, other involuntary movements or tremors, depression, confusion, incoordination, chest pain, breathing difficulties. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. I collect this all the information from epsdrugstore

Celexa is used to treat depression!

2006-11-08T00:47:00.000-08:00

Celexa affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression,Celexa comes as a tablet taken by mouth. It is usually taken once daily and may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Celexa exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often that prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take Celexa even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Celexa without talking to your doctor. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt.

Before taking Celexa, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, have kidney disease, suffer from seizures, or suffer from mania or have suicidal thoughts. You may not be able to take Celexa, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Do not take Celexa without first talking to your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to either medication in the past. Celexa is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether Celexa will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take Celexa without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. Celexa passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing infant. Do not take Celexa without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. for more details about the anti depression drugs you need to visit Epsdrugstore