Category: news-perspectives

An expert panel has recommended that U.S. drug officials not approve Qnexa, a new weight loss drug. The vote was 10-6 against the drug. Panel members expressed concern about side effects. They also noted the lack of long-term data on use. Patients in studies were followed for only a year. Qnexa is made by Vivus Inc. It combines two drugs already on the market. Phentermine is a stimulant. It helps to suppress appetite. Topiramate is an anti-seizure drug. In Qnexa, it helps people feel full faster. Members of the panel agreed that Qnexa helps people lose weight. In studies, people lost about 10% of their body weight on average. But some people had serious side effects. They included memory problems, suicidal thoughts, heart palpitations and birth defects. The panel provides advice to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. diabetes rate could double or even triple in the next 40 years, health officials say. If trends continue, as many as 1 out of 3 adults could have the disease by 2050. So says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report’s lower-end estimate was 1 out of 5, still double the current rate. These are much higher than previous numbers. That’s partly because they include people who have diabetes but don’t know it, one author told the Associated Press. Researchers also used new population growth estimates for some groups. Finally, the numbers reflect some good news — the fact that people with diabetes are living longer. Diabetes growth has been closely tied to population aging and obesity. Risk of type 2 diabetes is higher among people who are older or overweight. The journal Population Health Metrics published the report online October 22.

A study released this week has left further questions about how to deal with menopause symptoms, The Providence Journal reported October 21. The new study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It included long-term statistics on women who took hormone replacement therapy. They were part of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative. That study reported in 2002 that taking hormone replacement therapy for more than five years increased the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. The new study kept track of the women for an average of 11 years. It confirmed the women’s higher risk of breast cancer. And it found the cancers were also more likely to be advanced and deadly. Experts interviewed by the Journal disagreed on whether women should take hormones for menopause symptoms. One said hormones in a different form may be safe.

A program of structured teamwork has helped to reduce surgery deaths at VA medical centers, researchers report. The program began in 2003. It changed the way surgical teams work together. Under the traditional system, surgeons were in charge and other team members not always encouraged to speak up. The new system included briefings before, during and after surgery. Before the procedure, team members went through a checklist to make sure everyone agreed on the procedure and other details. Patients said their names and what surgery they were getting. They listened to the briefing and could speak up if anything sounded wrong. In the first 74 VA hospitals to use the system, surgery deaths dropped 18% in 3 years, researchers reported. Death rates were lowest where people had the most teamwork training. The system now is in use at all VA centers.

Vitamin B₁₂ may help to protect people against Alzheimer’s disease, a small study suggests. But other studies in this area have had mixed results. Some have found a link between B₁₂ and Alzheimer’s risk. Others have not. The new study included 271 Finns. They were 65 to 79 years old at the start of the study. At that time, they did not have Alzheimer’s or other dementia. Researchers gave people blood tests. They measured levels of homocysteine, one of the building blocks of proteins. People with high homocysteine levels have a greater risk of stroke. They also measured the active form of B₁₂, which lowers homocysteine levels. During the next 7 years, 17 people developed Alzheimer’s disease. People with higher levels of homocysteine also were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

An osteoporosis drug also may help to rebuild lost bone in the jaw, two new studies have found. One study describes a woman who had taken the osteoporosis drug alendronate (Fosamax) for 10 years. She developed a rare side effect called osteonecrosis in her jaw. This condition kills bone cells. Doctors tried treating her jaw with a different osteoporosis drug. This drug was teriparatide (Forteo). It is a form of parathyroid hormone made in a laboratory. This drug stimulates the body to rebuild lost bone. After 8 weeks of teriparatide injections, the woman’s jaw healed. Another study involved 40 people. They had bone loss in the jaw caused by periodontal (gum) disease. They all had jaw surgery. Then they were randomly assigned to receive either teriparatide or fake (placebo) injections. They were treated for 6 weeks. People who got the teriparatide healed better.

Authors of a new study say children adopted from outside the United States should be tested for hepatitis A. The study found that nearly one-third of these children may be immune to the virus. Therefore, they would not need vaccinations. About 1% of the children had active infections that they could spread to others. But most did not have symptoms. Therefore, U.S. health officials recommend hepatitis A shots for all people who adopt from countries where infection with the virus is widespread. This should occur at least two weeks before they meet the child. The new study looked at blood tests for 288 children. All had been adopted from abroad. Overall, 29% had antibodies that showed they were immune to hepatitis A. Immunity varied by region. The highest rate was 72% among African children. About 39% of Latin American and Caribbean children were immune.

Older adults who regularly walk at least 6 miles a week may be less likely to develop dementia, a study suggests. The study included nearly 300 adults. Their average age was 78. Researchers asked them how many blocks they walked each week. Nine years later, they were given magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure brain volume. People who walked at least 72 blocks a week (6 to 9 miles) had more gray matter in the brain. Then, 4 years after the MRI, people were given tests related to cognitive ability (thinking and memory). The tests showed about 40% had either dementia or a mild cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia. But people with more gray matter were only half as likely as others to have these problems. There was no benefit for people who walked fewer than 6 miles a week, researchers said. The journal Neurology published the study online.

People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) have high medical costs, a new study finds. And better treatments are needed, the research suggests. PAD is a narrowing of arteries in the legs. It causes pain during walking. The study kept track of 1,600 people with PAD for 2 years. Nearly 1 out of 3 people had a hospital stay related to PAD. Hospital costs were about $7,000 for a person who had no previous procedures to open up a leg artery. But having these treatments did not keep people out of the hospital. In fact, hospital costs went up. They averaged $11,700 for people who had a previous procedure. The study appeared October 13 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Doctors use two ways to open up blockages in neck (carotid) arteries. They do surgery or insert a tube called a stent. A new review of research finds that the risk of stroke, heart attack or other problems is different after each of the two procedures. Researchers put together the results from 13 studies that compared the two approaches. They included nearly 7,500 people. Those who got stents had a 65% higher risk of death or stroke within 30 days than those who got surgery. But in that period, people who had surgery were more likely to have other problems. Their chance of having a heart attack was 55% higher than for those who got a stent. Their chance of nerve paralysis was 85% higher. Authors of the study said more research is needed to determine who is most likely to benefit from each procedure. The study appeared in the journal Archives of Neurology.