Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of
HealthDay:
FDA Panel Turns Thumbs Down on Weight-Loss Drug
Citing concerns about potential side effects, including memory
problems, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee
voted Thursday not to recommend an experimental weight loss drug
called Qnexa.
In a 9-7 vote, the FDA advisers said the drug's negative effects
on concentration and memory outweighed its potential ability to
help people lose weight, the
Associated Press reported.
The full FDA will consider the panel's recommendation and make a
final decision later this year. The agency is not bound to follow
the recommendations of its advisory committees but typically does
so.
The application for Qnexa was submitted by Mountainview, Calif.,
drugmaker Vivus Inc.
The agency has not approved a new prescription weight loss pill
in over a decade, and currently available drugs have limited
effectiveness and worrisome side effects, the
AP said.
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Former Vice President Cheney Receives Heart Pump
Former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney had a pump implanted in
his heart last week in order to treat worsening congestive heart
failure.
The left ventricular assist device helps pump blood through the
body, the
Washington Post reported.
Cheney, 69, has had five heart attacks, the first once occurring
when he was 37 years old. His announcement about his surgery was
made Wednesday.
Potential risks associated with the left ventricular device
include mechanical failure and blood clotting inside the pump,
which could lead to a stroke, the
Post reported.
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Fresh Express Romaine Lettuce Salad Products Recalled
Possible E. coli contamination has prompted a voluntary recall
of Fresh Express romaine lettuce salad products.
The California-based company said the recall covers products
that have use-by dates of July 8, July 9, July 10, July 11 and July
12, and have an "S" in the product code,
MSNBC.com reported.
The products were distributed in California, Arizona, Arkansas,
Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah,
Wyoming, Washington and Nevada.
Customers with the products should discard them. For more
information, call Fresh Express at (800) 242-5472.
No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall,
which was announced after a random test by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration detected E. coli in one package of Fresh Express
Hearts of Romaine,
MSNBC.com reported.
In May, Fresh Express recalled romaine ready-to-eat salads due
to possible salmonella contamination.
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Packaging Chemicals Caused Cereal Recall: Kellogg
Higher-than-normal levels of chemicals in food package liners
caused the unusual smells and flavors that led to a recall of 28
million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey
Snacks cereals in late June, Kellogg Co. said Wednesday.
The Michigan-based company received complaints from 20 people,
including five who said they experienced nausea and vomiting, the
Associated Press reported.
Kellogg said the problem was caused by elevated levels of
hydrocarbon chemicals, including methyl naphthalene. Lower
concentrations of these chemicals are found in the wax and film
used for food packaging, the company said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing Kellogg's
information and doing its own risk assessment, the
AP reported.
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Pottery Barn Kids Recalls 82,000 Cribs
About 82,000 drop-side cribs sold by Pottery Barn Kids have been
recalled because they pose an entrapment or suffocation hazard to
young children, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
The recall covers all Pottery Barn Kids drop-side cribs,
regardless of model number. Free kits to immobilize the drop-side
rail of the cribs are being offered by the retailer, the
Associated Press reported.
This is the latest in a long series of recalls of drop-side
cribs, which have been sold for decades.
On Wednesday, the CPSC proposed a ban on the manufacture, sale
and resale of drop-side cribs. The agency wants to make cribs with
four fixed sides mandatory and has proposed tougher manufacturing
standards for cribs. It would be the first change in crib rules in
28 years.
"We've seen a number of tragedies because we had such as weak crib standard," said CPSC chief Inez Tenenbaum, the AP reported.
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Nestle Settles With FTC Over Children's Drink Health Claims
There will be no more ads claiming that Boost Kid Essentials
probiotics drinks for children can prevent illness, boost immunity
and reduce the number of missed school days, the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission says.
The agency said Wednesday that it had reached a settlement with
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.,
Associated Press reported.
"Nestle's claims that its probiotic product would prevent kids from getting sick or missing school just didn't stand up to scrutiny," said David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
This is the first time the FTC has challenged advertising for
probiotics, which are live bacteria promoted as being able to help
digestion and fight bad bacteria, the
AP reported.
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Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment Saves Money: Study
Early diagnosis of cognitive impairment in people with
Alzheimer's disease can lead to long-term medical cost savings, a
new study says.
U.S. researchers gave a standard memory test to more than 8,000
VA patients aged 70 and older. More than one-quarter failed the
two-minute test and were referred for further evaluation, the
Wall Street Journal reported.
Of the 700 who underwent more extensive evaluation, nearly all
were found to have significant cognitive impairment.
In clinics where staff were trained to recognize dementia, the
average cost of all medical care for patients identified with
dementia was $1,700 less in the year after diagnosis than in the
previous year, said the researchers. But those savings didn't
include the $800 average cost of the memory test.
The study was presented at the International Conference on
Alzheimer's Disease in Honolulu, which ends Thursday.
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"These cost data highlight that water-related diseases pose not only a physical burden to the thousands of people sickened by them each year, but also a substantial burden in health care costs, including direct government payments through Medicare and Medicaid," study author Michael Beach, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a CDC news release.