Dr. John's Health Matters
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Posts tagged "medication"
Tuesday, Sep 1st, 2009 ↓Caution on mix of cholesterol-lowering meds →
Sept 1, 2009 (Cbc.ca)—Combining a prescription cholesterol-lowering medication with omega-3 supplements may not be the best approach, a new review suggests.
Statins are medications that prevent the liver from producing cholesterol, which can help reduce the risk of heart attacks. Every year, Canadian doctors write more than 12 million prescriptions for statins, making them the most-prescribed drugs in the country. Omega-3’s are heart-healthy oils that some evidence suggests help reduce the risk of coronary disease.
In the Nov. 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, Dr. Mukul Sharma, medical director of the Regional Stroke Centre at the Ottawa Hospital, and his team reviewed five different cholesterol-lowering medications that can be combined as well as omega-3 supplements sold over the counter. They concluded there is little evidence to support mixing them.
Bad cholesterol increase
In one case, the researchers found taking prescription medication with omega-3 had the opposite effect.
“Your bad cholesterol, the LDL, actually goes up,” Sharma said. “There isn’t a benefit in terms of heart disease, stroke or mortality.”
Most cholesterol patients may be better off taking higher doses of one drug instead of multiple medications, since there may be less chance of side-effects and long-term problems developing, he said. People are also less likely to take their medications the more that are prescribed.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: cholesterol increase risk danger LDL prescription cardiovascular blood heart statin medication liver heart attack prevention coronary disease
Tamoxifen ups second breast cancer risk →
Aug 30, 2009 (Presstv.com)—While tamoxifen has long been prescribed to treat breast cancer, a new study links the drug to the development of a second tumor in consumers.
Despite the development of many newer drugs, tamoxifen — which prevents tumors from being fuelled by the sex hormone estrogen — has still remained the gold standard in treating hormone sensitive tumors.
According to the study published in Cancer Research, the long-term use of the common breast cancer drug places the consumer at an increased risk of developing a more aggressive, difficult-to-treat tumor.
Tamoxifen lowers the reoccurrence risk of estrogen-positive breast cancers by 60%.
It, however, increases the risk of developing a second ER negative (estrogen receptor negative) tumor in the opposite breast by 440%.
Scientists urged women to continue taking the medication despite the findings of their study, adding that the odds of developing a second tumor is very low in these individuals.
PKH/HGH
Using Cranberry Juice To Combat Urinary Tract Infections 'Inconclusive' →
Aug 25, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Current clinical evidence for using cranberry juice to combat urinary tract infections is ‘unsatisfactory and inconclusive’, according to Raul Raz.
Not all medical problems require a state-of-the-art solution, and it would be nice to think that products from the corner shop could treat a widespread and uncomfortable ailment. Cranberry juice and related products have been touted as a simple solution for urinary tract infections, but Raul Raz, a member of F1000 Medicine, finds little to support this claim.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common complaint. Between 10% and 20% of women will suffer a UTI at least once, and a third of these will experience it recurrently. Some recent studies support the use of cranberry as a preventative, but Dr Raz, Director of Infectious Diseases at the Technion School of Medicine in Israel, and his associate Faculty Member, Hana Edelstein, advise the medical community that “cranberry should no longer be considered as an effective [preventative] for recurrent UTIs”.
Cranberry contains hundreds of compounds, and it has been difficult to determine which might be responsible for any therapeutic effect, hindering its adoption. Raz and Edelstein point to differences in clinical trial design and the lack of standardization for doses and formulation. There is a range of potential side-effects including stomach upsets and weight gain. Cranberry can also interact badly with other medicines such as Warfarin, commonly used to treat heart disease.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: cranberry urinary tract infection juice prevention therapeutic stomach upset interaction medication heart disease
Health Tip: What's Behind My Low Blood Pressure? - MedicineNet - Health and Medical Information Produced by Doctors →
Aug 20, 2009 (Therapytimes.com) — Many people worry about high blood pressure and how to bring it under control. But low blood pressure also can be a medical problem, perhaps leading dizziness, fainting or fatigue.
- A side effect of medications, such as certain antidepressants, diuretics, painkillers or heart medicines.
- Alcohol use.
- Heart failure or heart attack.
- Dehydration.
- A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
- Advanced diabetes.
- Going into shock.
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
— Diana Kohnle
Tags: blood pressure risk cause dizzy fainting fatigue hypotension medication antidepressant alcohol heart failure attack dehydration allergic reaction shock arrhythmia
Older Drivers Unaware Of Risks From Medications And Driving →
Aug 13, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Most older drivers are unaware of the potential impact on driving performance associated with taking medications, according to new research from the Center for Injury Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The findings, released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, indicate that 95 percent of those age 55 and older have one or more medical conditions, 78 percent take one or more medications, and only 28 percent have an awareness of the risks those medications might have on driving ability.
The researchers surveyed 630 drivers ages 56 to 93. Only 18 percent reported receiving a warning from a health-care professional about potential driver-impairing (PDI) medications such as ACE inhibitors, sedatives and beta-blockers. The study found that such warnings do not increase with increasing numbers of medications used or increasing numbers of medical conditions.
“These findings indicate that health-care professionals need to take a more active role in educating their patients about the risks of PDI medications,” said Paul MacLennan, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery at UAB and the study’s lead author. “Society needs to understand that PDI medications are a driving-safety issue, and there is a need for increased education geared at older drivers, their families and health professionals.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: elderly older senior education driving car vehicle medication drug prescription awareness safety ACE inhibitor sedative beta-blocker
Accidental Childhood Poisonings Mostly Due To Medicines →
Aug 5, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—More than two-thirds of all emergency department visits for childhood poisoning involve prescription and over-the-counter medications, more than twice the rate of poisonings from consumer products, reports a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
We feel these data suggest that new poisoning prevention efforts should focus on the problems of medication poisoning,” said Daniel Budnitz, M.D., the senior study author.
Budnitz, director of the Medication Safety Program in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the CDC, and colleagues analyzed two years’ worth of data on pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for unintentional medication overdoses.
The study appears online and the in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The researchers estimated that 71,224 ED visits for unintentional medication overdoses occurred annually in children 18 and younger.
“Unsupervised medication ingestions caused over 80 percent of the ED visits. These ED visits for unsupervised ingestions are 10 times more common than overdoses from medication errors by a parent or caregiver,” Budnitz said.
For full article see link above.
Tags: child children emergency medication misuse poisoning risk danger overdose unintentional unsupervised ingestion
A Silly Pat On The Head Helps Seniors Remember Daily Medication →
July 30, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Doing something unusual, like knocking on wood or patting yourself on the head, while taking a daily dose of medicine may be an effective strategy to help seniors remember whether they’ve already taken their daily medications, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.
We’ve all heard warnings that some medications may be habit-forming, but research also shows that “getting into the habit” of taking a daily medicine in a routine and precise fashion can be a befuddling challenge for some older adults, many of whom tend to err on the side of over-medication, taking a dangerous second dose when in doubt about the first.
“In extended medication-taking situations, the habitual nature of the task may make it difficult for older adults to remember whether or not they took the medication on a particular day, especially if pill boxes are not used,” explains Mark McDaniel, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University.
“To remedy this potential problem, older adults could be instructed to take their medication while placing one hand on their head or in some other unusual or silly way, like crossing their arms,” he suggests. “Our results indicate that older adults can use these sorts of more complex motor tasks to effectively reduce repetition errors in habitual prospective memory tasks, such as taking a daily medication.”
For full article see link above.
Antipsychotics Risky for Elderly With Diabetes →
July 29, 2009 (Therapytimes.com)—A class of drugs used to treat dementia symptoms and other mental ailments in the elderly may be dangerous for those with diabetes.
A new study shows that older people with diabetes are more likely to be hospitalized for hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels) after beginning treatment with antipsychotic drugs.
Researchers say antipsychotic drugs are being increasingly prescribed to treat dementia and other behavioral problems in the elderly.
These drugs are known to carry a number of risks, including an increased risk of stroke, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms. There have also been some reports of hyperglycemia after beginning therapy with antipsychotics, but researchers say few studies have examined these risks in older people as well as in elderly with pre-existing diabetes.
For full article see link above.
Tags: risk elderly dementia danger diabetes blood sugar glucose antipsychotic drug medication behaviour stroke parkinson's
Health Tip: Why Do My Muscles Twitch? →
July 28, 2009(Therapytimes.com) — Muscle twitches, especially involving the eyelids, calf or thumb — are fairly common.
Rarely, they can be a sign of a nervous system disorder, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says. Signals of a serious muscle problem include a change in muscle sensation, size, and a feeling of muscle weakness.
On the other hand, most muscle twitches aren’t anything to worry about and only last for a few days or less. The NLM offers this list of common causes:
- Having a dietary deficiency.
- Getting too much caffeine.
- Taking certain medications, such as steroids, estrogen hormones or diuretics.
- Exercising.
- Having anxiety or stress.
— Diana Kohnle
Tags: muscle twitch caffine weakness diet deficiency medication steriod estrogen exercise anxiety stress
Drug-Induced Dementia Common in Seniors →
July 23, 2009 (Naturalnews.com)—Many cases of senior dementia are actually caused by drug side effects and could be reversed with a change in prescription, reports the consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen on its Web site WorstPills.org.
“Sadly, doctors don’t always recognize cognitive impairment as a side effect, so many patients needlessly suffer from this debilitating but reversible condition,” said Sidney Wolfe, the organization’s acting president. “After beginning new drugs, doctors, patients and their families should watch for subtle changes in cognition and assume changes may be caused by drug therapy. People already suffering from some cognitive impairment are most susceptible.”
While most people are more familiar with irreversible forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Public Citizen has catalogued 136 commonly prescribed drugs that can produce symptoms of dementia or delirium. The assessments are based on reviews of published data from prestigious medical journals and unpublished data from the FDA.
For full article see link above.
Drugs Expose Premature Babies to Chemicals →
July 22, 2009 (Mercola.com)—
Many liquid medications contain additives, some of which are thought to be toxic to small infants even in minute quantities. And when small infants are given several drugs a day, there is a potential that they may be given large doses of a specific additive as a consequence of treatment.
Researchers looked at the medication records of 38 preterm infants in a single hospital. During their in-patient stays, seven infants who had chronic lung disease were exposed to more than 20 additives, including ethanol and propylene glycol, which are both associated with brain damage.
Sources:
Reuters July 20, 2009Premature babies are often exposed to additives in their medications that could put them at risk of brain and lung damage.
Tags: drug additive infant baby premature brain damage risk danger toxic medication lung
Dry Mouth Linked To Prescription And Over The Counter Drugs →
Jul 9, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Approximately ninety-one percent of dentists say patients complaining about dry mouth are taking multiple medications, according to a nationwide member survey conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Dry mouth, or xerostomia, is caused by a decrease in salivary function. It affects approximately one in four Americans, placing more than 25 percent of people at risk for tooth decay. During the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) 57th Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Baltimore, July 8-12.
Cindy Kleiman, RDH, BS, will present a course, “Understanding the Oral-Systemic Connection: From Intensive Care to Long-term Care”, in which she presents new information about dry mouth.
“The number of xerostomia cases has increased greatly over time because people are taking more and more medications,” said Kleinman. “General dentists are seeing this trend in their offices, which is why they are trying to learn all they can about this condition. The more they know, the better they will be at diagnosing and treating patients.”
There are more than 400 prescription and non-prescription drugs associated with xerostomia, according to Raymond K. Martin, DDS, MAGD. “Anti-depressants, painkillers, diuretics, antihistamines, tranquilizers and anti-hypersensitives can all contribute to dry mouth,” said Dr. Martin. “People who take several of these medications are more susceptible.”
For full article see link above.
Tags: mouth saliva tooth decay medication xerostomia teeth oral painkiller diuretic antihistamine tranquilizer dry risk susceptible thirst swallowing speaking irritation tongue
FDA Adds Stronger Warnings to Propoxyphene →
July 7, 2009 (Medscape.com)—The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is adding stronger warnings to pain medications that contain propoxyphene, such as Darvon and Darvocet, because of new data on fatal overdoses linked to propoxyphene products. The FDA is requiring the manufacturers of these drugs to strengthen the drug’s boxed warning and to create a medication guide for patients.
The agency is stopping short of a phased withdrawal from the market as demanded by a Public Citizen petition filed in 2006.
To reduce the likelihood of overdose, the FDA will now require that manufacturers of propoxyphene-containing medications strengthen their label and include a boxed warning on the potential for overdose. Manufacturers will also be required to develop a medication guide for patients stressing that they use the medication as directed. Propoxyphene has been on the market since 1957.
For full medical article see link above.
Muscle Damage May Be Present In Some Patients Taking Statins →
July 6, 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Structural muscle damage may be present in patients who have statin-associated muscle complaints, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Statins are one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world, given their importance in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many patients on statins develop muscle weakness and pain. In some cases, muscle biopsies show underlying structural injury, even in patients without elevated levels of circulating creatine phosphokinase.
The study, by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland and the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at muscle biopsies from 83 patients, 20 of whom had never taken statins. They found significant muscle injury in patients who had taken statins, including several who had discontinued medication before the biopsy.
“Although in clinical practice, the majority of patients with muscle symptoms improve rapidly after cessation of therapy, our findings support that a subgroup of patients appears to be more susceptible to statin-associated myotoxicity, suffering persistent structural injury,” write Dr. Annette Draeger from the University of Bern and coauthors.
For full article see link above.
Tags: muscle damage risk prevention statin medication cardiovascular pain weakness creatine phosphokinase
Health Tip: What's Triggering My Acne? →
June 24, 2009 (medicinenet.com)—Acne occurs when skin lesions — commonly called pimples — develop because the skin’s oil glands overproduce and clog the skin’s pores. But what brings about an actual breakout? The National Women’s Health Information Center offers this list of common triggers in women:
* Undergoing hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause or puberty.
* Taking certain medications, including some antidepressants and some anti-epileptic drugs.
* Wearing makeup.
* Applying pressure to the skin, such as when a tight hat or helmet is worn.
* Having a family history of acne.
For full article see link above.
