Category: news-perspectives

It’s no wonder many parents give their kids the wrong dose of medicines, a new study suggests. Instructions on the medicines are often unclear, the study found. Researchers looked at more than 200 over-the-counter medicines for children. About 3 out of 4 included measuring devices. But nearly all of the devices had markings that were different in some way from the dosing directions. The researchers said the markings and dose instructions should match. Drug makers should all use the same measurements, they said. Abbreviations also should be the same. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it November 30.

A new study adds to the evidence that fish oil may reduce the risk of a major cause of blindness. The disease is age-related macular degeneration. The study included 2,391 adults. Their ages ranged from 65 to 84. An eye doctor examined them. They also were asked questions about their diet. In all, 227 had early macular degeneration. Another 153 had middle-stage disease and 68 had advanced disease. On average, people in the whole study group ate about 1 serving of fish or shellfish each week. People with advanced macular degeneration were much less likely than average to eat seafood. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids. Other research also has suggested that they help prevent advanced eye disease. The study was published December 1 in the journal Ophthalmology.

Two drugs now on the market reduce the risk of prostate cancer, health regulators said November 29. But they questioned the value of taking them for this purpose. Prostate tumors often grow so slowly that they are not life-threatening. The drugs in question are dutasteride (Avodart) and finasteride (Proscar). They are approved now to treat an enlarged prostate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is weighing whether to approve them for prevention of prostate cancer as well. FDA scientists said the research submitted shows that the drugs can prevent prostate cancer. But they said it falls short in one way. The research included very few African-American men. This group has a high risk of prostate cancer. An outside panel of advisers will vote December 1 on whether the drugs are safe and effective for prostate cancer prevention. The Associated Press wrote about the issue.

Children’s doctors have a major role to play in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, a new report says. The report comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It notes that the rates of children diagnosed with eating disorders have been rising. There’s been a large increase in children under age 12. Hospital treatment of eating disorders in this group has more than doubled since 1999. About one-half of 1% of U.S. teen girls have anorexia nervosa, the report says. About 1% to 2% have bulimia. About 5% to 10% of those with eating disorders are male. The report urges children’s doctors to watch for the signs of eating disorders. To help prevent obesity, doctors should focus on healthy eating and building self-esteem, the report says. They should avoid statements that might trigger extreme dieting. The journal Pediatrics published the report.

Doing 2 types of exercise lowers blood sugar more than one type alone, new research concludes. The study included 262 people with type 2 diabetes. They were not active before the study began. They were randomly assigned among 4 groups. Three of the groups had more than 70 people each. The fourth had 41 people. The larger groups were assigned to exercise programs. One group did aerobic exercise, walking on a treadmill. One did resistance exercise, using weight machines. The third group did both types of exercise. The 3 routines were designed to add up to the same amount of time per week. The smaller group did not exercise. The study lasted 9 months. By the end, 41% of the group that did 2 types of exercise had either reduced average blood sugar or the amount of diabetes medicines they took.

Darvocet, Darvon and their generic clones will remain legal in the United States — for now. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not ban the drugs, the Associated Press reported July 8. These drugs also are available as a generic called propoxyphene. In making its decision, the FDA decision turned down a petition from the consumer group Public Citizen. The group asked for a ban because of the dangers of overdosing. Darvon alone was linked to 503 U.S. deaths in 2007. About 1 in 5 was a suicide. Doctors also say these drugs are weak pain relievers. The United Kingdom banned them a few years ago. But for now the FDA will just put a stronger warning on the package about the risk of overdose. The FDA also asked for more research by the drug maker and by U.S. veterans’ hospitals.

Taking standard HIV treatment drugs can also help prevent infection in men who have sex with men, a new study has found. Men who took daily doses of Truvada reduced their risk of infection by 44%. Rates of infection were even lower among men who took the pills regularly, as prescribed. The study included nearly 2,500 men and transgender women who had sex with men. They were more likely than average to have multiple partners, trade sex for money and have sex without condoms. At the start of the study, they were not infected with HIV. They were randomly divided into two groups of similar size. Men in one group took Truvada daily. The others took a placebo (fake) pill. Truvada includes the HIV drugs emtricitabine and tenofovir. All of the men received counseling and condoms. The study lasted up to 2.8 years.

An exercise program can help to improve post-thrombotic syndrome, new research finds. The condition is also called post-phlebitic syndrome. It develops in up to half of people who have had a blood clot in the leg, known as deep vein thrombosis. The long-term syndrome can include leg pain, swelling, varicose veins and leg ulcers. The study included 43 people with post-phlebitic syndrome. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group received a 6-month supervised exercise program. The other got information plus follow-up phone calls. After 6 months, people in the exercise program felt better than people in the other group. Their symptoms and quality of life both improved. The Canadian Medical Association Journal published the study November 22.

Giving doctors frequent phone updates about heart failure patients did not help to keep them alive or out of the hospital, a new study has found. The results conflicted with prior small studies that found “telemonitoring” did help people. The study included 1,653 people who had a recent hospital stay for heart failure. All of them had poorly controlled blood pressure. They were randomly assigned to the phone program or just their usual care. People in the phone program were told to call the system every day. They reported their weight, blood pressure and symptoms. Doctors could change their medicines or take other actions as needed. In the next 6 months, about half of each group either died or had to go back in the hospital. The study was presented at a conference. Reuters Health news service wrote about it November 16.

People infected with HIV can safely receive kidney transplants, says a study. About 3 in 10 people with HIV develop kidney disease. Until recently, they could not receive kidney transplants. Transplant patients must take drugs that suppress the immune system. HIV-infected people already have a weakened immune system, so transplants were considered risky. The study followed 150 people. Transplant failure rates were two to three times higher than in the general population. But three years after surgery, three-fourths of the transplants were still functioning. The study appears in the Nov 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.