A diabetes drug linked with a higher risk of heart attack will be sharply restricted starting November 18. The drug is rosiglitazone (Avandia). Nearly a year ago, a group of experts recommended that the drug be pulled from the market or remain with tighter limits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed some new rules in September. It announced the full new policy this week. Avandia will be pulled from pharmacy shelves. It will be available only through specific mail-order pharmacies. Doctors will have to be certified in order to prescribe it. The drug will be limited to patients who are doing well on it now or can’t control their blood sugar with other drugs. They must be informed of the risks and choose to take Avandia anyway. The policies also apply to Avandamet and Avandaryl. These pills combine rosiglitazone with other diabetes drugs.
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Women are more likely than men to develop major depression, but men are less likely to seek help for depression, and more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or attempt suicide, both of which are connected to depression.
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Dr. Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, explains why parents should make the effort to understand their children’s use of the internet and social media.
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An expert identifies more than a dozen factors that influence our perception of how dangerous a circumstance or situation is.
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Patients with schizophrenia who received nicotine replacement therapy during hospitalization experienced a decrease in agitation during their stays.
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Sexual activity does not provide much in the way of exertion or calorie burning, and while it could trigger a heart attack or arrhythmia, the risk of such an occurrence is very small.
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Thousands of people receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillators each year, but not everyone who receives the device really needs it, and some people would be better off pursuing other treatment avenues.
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I am 92 and have atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure, both controlled by medication. Every so often when I am relaxing after dinner, my heart feels like it stops and then starts up again with a jerk. Is this something I should worry about?
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My doctors recommended I get a defibrillator as “insurance,” but I have had it for eight years and it has never gone off. My doctor wants to put in a new battery. At age 86 I’d rather not. Could I just leave the device in place or have it taken out?
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Compared to the problems your readers ask about, my issue may seem silly. But I hope you’ll give me some advice, since it really is very annoying. I’m troubled by excessive sweating.
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