Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of
HealthDay:
Drug Maker Recalls Some Lots of Blood Thinner Coumadin
Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb on Monday said it is recalling
eight lots of the widely used blood thinner Coumadin because the
amount of active ingredient in the product could change, the
Associated Press reported.
No side effects from recalled product have yet been reported,
the company said, and the recall is a precaution. The recall only
affects 1-milligram pills distributed in the United States in
blister packs, with expriation dates between June 2011 and November
2012.
Coumadin, commonly called warfarin, is used widely to help
prevent blood clots after surgery. According to Bristol-Myers
Squibb, too much active ingredient might up a users' odds for
bleeding, while too little could increase their chances for
clots.
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Gulf of Mexico Seafood Safe: U.S. Officials
To date, tests on about 400 samples of commonly consumed Gulf of
Mexico seafood such as shrimp, tuna and grouper indicate they're
safe to eat, according to U.S. government officials.
The samples were chemically tested by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, which found no concerning level of
contaminants associated with the massive oil spill that began after
the April 20 BP rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana, the
Associated Press reported.
The NOAA is mostly looking for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
the most common cancer-causing components of crude oil.
Among other measures to protect consumers; about one-third of
federal Gulf waters have been closed to commercial fishing, and
seafood inspectors have been trained to sniff out oily seafood, the
AP reported.
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Coughs And Sneezes Not Properly Covered: Study
Most people don't correctly cover their coughs and sneezes, a
new study finds.
New Zealand researchers secretly observed hundreds of people
cough or sneeze at a hospital, shopping mall and train station and
found that about 75 percent of them did try to cover their cough or
sneeze, the
Associated Press reported.
However, about two-thirds of them used their hands instead of
the recommended methods of coughing or sneezing into their elbow (1
in 77) or into a tissue or handkerchief (1 in 30).
"When you cough into your hands, you cover your hand in virus," said study author Nick Wilson, an associate professor of public health at the Otago University campus in Wellington, the AP reported. "Then you touch doorknobs, furniture and other
things. And other people touch those and get viruses that way."
The study was presented Monday at the International Conference
on Emerging Infectious Diseases, held in Atlanta.
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White House to Announce new HIV Strategy
The first national strategy to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic
in the United States will be released Tuesday by the Obama
administration.
The plan outlines five measures to reduce the annual number of
new HIV infections by 25 percent within five years,
The New York Times reported. Currently, about 56,000
Americans become infected with HIV each year, and more than 1.1
million are living with HIV, according to the White House
document.
The strategy, created over 15 months of work and discussions
with thousands of people around the country, does not propose a
major increase in federal spending to fight HIV/AIDS.
Instead, money will be redirected to areas with the greatest
need and population groups at the greatest risk, such as gay and
bisexual men and black Americans, the
Times reported.
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New Weight Loss Drug Reviewed By FDA
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration review of a new weight loss
drug called Qnexa is expected to be posted Monday and the data will
be reviewed Thursday at a public meeting.
In clinical trials, some patients taking the drug lost as much
as 13 percent to 15 percent of body weight. The FDA considers an
obesity drug to be effective if it helps patients lose at least 5
percent of total body weight after one year, the
Associated Press reported.
However, a number of patients dropped out of the Qnexa clinical
trial due to side effects such as memory and concentration
problems.
Qnexa is a combination of the amphetamine phentermine and the
anticonvulsant topiramate, says drug maker Vivus Inc. The company
said phentermine helps suppress appetite and topiramate makes
patients feel more satiated, the
AP reported.
Two more new weight loss drugs are being considered by the FDA.
In October, the agency will review Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.'s
Contrave, and Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s lorcaserin will be
reviewed in December.
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FTC Should Probe Youth Marketing of Flavored Alcoholic
Beverages: Senator
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission should investigate the
marketing of flavored alcohol beverages with caffeine that appears
to target underage drinkers, New York Sen. Charles Schumer says in
a letter to the FTC.
He said the drinks are in colorful cans that resemble
nonalcoholic energy drinks, which can confuse parents and police.
Schumer also noted that popular flavored alcohol beverages such as
Joose and Four Loko use very small print to reveal an alcohol
content of up to 12 percent, the
Associated Press reported.
The drinks, which come in flavors such as orange and grape, sell
for as little as $2.50 a can.
"We don't condone nontraditional marketing. We position our product toward at least the age of 21 and older. We do not target college kids. We don't condone it," said Michael Mikhail, chief executive of United Brands Co. of Le Mesa Calif., which makes Joose, the AP reported.