New law regulates surgery in the doctor's office.(From the
Director...)
The public may be surprised to learn that the circumstances under
which doctors can perform surgery and provide anesthesia in their
private offices is generally unregulated, allowing serious harm . . .
Acupuncture for pain of knee osteoarthritis shows strong placebo
effect.
How good is acupuncture at alleviating the pain of knee
osteoarthritis? Studies have attempted to answer this question, but
results are mixed. One solution is an analysis of all the highest
quality . . .
A comparison of drugs for osteoarthritis.
People with osteoarthritis are often in chronic pain and that
usually means long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or
NSAIDs (*). To help them weigh the risks and benefits of these . . .
The best pain relievers for diabetic neuropathy.(Brief
article)(Clinical report)
Several older drug classes were found to be superior to newer drugs
for short-term pain relief for people with diabetic neuropathy, a
painful nerve disorder that affects the legs. These findings . . .
Zyprexa and other antipsychotic drugs for elderly people with
dementia.
The frequently prescribed antipsychotic drugs are causing a slight
increase in deaths in demented elderly people, according to a study
published recently in Annals of Internal Medicine. You might . . .
Antibiotics prior to dental procedures: big change in
policy.
For over a half century, millions of Americans with common heart
valve problems, such as mitral-value prolapse, were told to start taking
preventive antibiotics prior to undergoing routine dental . . .
Supermarket product prevents antibiotic-caused
diarrhea.(yogurt)
A yogurt drink sold in many supermarkets has been shown to reduce
the risk of severe diarrhea that can occur after taking antibiotics. The
study, published last month in the British Medical Journal . . .
Cancer patients on chemotherapy are surveyed about use of all
other drugs.(Brief article)
People with cancer are particularly susceptible to drug
interactions because they take multiple drugs to treat: 1) their
disease, 2) the side effects of the cancer drugs 3) and their other
health . . .
The FDA is taking a hard look at anemia drugs for people with
cancer.
On May 10, the FDA held an emergency meeting of its Oncologic Drugs
Advisory Committee to discuss the anemia drugs that supposedly help
people cope with chemotherapy. But several recent studies . . .
From the director.... Avandia debacle: strong Medicine needed to
cure FDA's Ills.
Scarcely two weeks after the Senate overwhelmingly passed
legislation touted as a major fix of FDA's failing effort to assure
drug safety, The New England Journal of Medicine published an . . .
Low-dose aspirin for heart protection: how low should a safe dose
be?
Daily aspirin protects the heart, but the dose at which this can be
safely accomplished has never been established. It has long been known
that the risks of aspirin--gastrointestinal or brain . . .
Screening for vascular disease: not much to recommend it.
Perhaps you got a mailing from Life Line, or noticed its mobile
clinic at your synagogue, church or workplace. Life Line is in the
business of selling vascular screening, primarily tests for . . .
Anti-anemia drugs for people with cancer or kidney failure under
FDA scrutiny.
Serious doubts surround the expensive anti-anemia drugs widely
prescribed for the fatigue associated with cancer chemotherapy and
kidney dialysis. They are also given to decrease the need for . . .
The Atkins diet may not be so unhealthy after all--a comparison
trial with three other diets.
In a head-to-head comparison trial of four weight-loss diets, the
Atkins diet came out on top. The findings, though modest and
preliminary, appear to challenge the prevailing medical wisdom about . . .
Compare nursing homes at HHS Web site.(Department of Health and
Human Services)(www.medicare.gov/nhcompare)(Brief article)
At www.medicare.gov/nhcompare, the Web site sponsored by the U.S.
Health and Human Services, you can compare the quality of care at all
nursing homes certified by Medicare and Medicaid. These . . .
Legislation in the works.(Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007
)(Brief article)
The Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 is due to be introduced by
Senators Edward Kennedy and Richard Burr. The law would require of
compounded drugs the same oversight that is required by the FDA . . .
Are natural hormones a safe alternative to postmenopausal hormone
drugs?
When a landmark clinical trial reported in 2002 that the dangers of
postmenopausal hormone drugs far outweighed the benefits, many more
women turned to bioidentical or natural hormones. These . . .
Honesty in drug advertising--rare examples.
"In patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease,
LIPITOR REDUCES RISK OF HEART ATTACK BY 36%* If you have risk factors
such as family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL
('good' . . .
Should you have C-reactive protein test for heart
disease?
A high blood level of C-reactive protein (CRP) is increasingly
viewed as one more sign of a future heart attack. It indicates the
presence of inflammation now thought to have a role in the . . .
From the director ... FDA makes new plans about conflict of
interest.(Food and Drug Administration)
After years of denying that any serious conflict of interest
problems existed, the FDA recently announced plans for a major revamp of
how it selects medical experts and scientists to serve on its . . .
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