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Low-Sodium
DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure
The
effect of reducing dietary salt on controlling hypertension, or high
blood pressure, has been surprisingly controversial. But in a recent
study, a collaboration of scientists, including researchers from Harvard
Medical School and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of
the National Institutes of Health, suggest that reducing salt intake
may dramatically lower blood pressure in people with or without hypertension,
regardless of age, race, or gender.
The trial, known as the Low-Sodium DASH Diet study, tested the effects
on blood pressure of lower levels of sodium intake combined with
the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which is
low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat
dairy products. More than 400 subjects were assigned either a typical
American diet or the DASH diet for 12 weeks. The salt content of
every participant's diet was randomly changed every four weeks to
one of three sodium levels: high (3,300 mg), intermediate (2,400
mg), or low (1,500 mg).
The researchers found that with either diet, the lower the salt intake,
the lower the blood pressure. But at each sodium level, blood pressure
was consistently lower for those on the DASH diet. Moreover, the
largest reductions in blood pressure were found among those who followed
the DASH diet while consuming 1,500 mg of salt per day, well below
the government's recommended daily intake of 2,400 mg, or 1 1/4 teaspoons.
This combination worked best for all participants, but particularly
for patients with hypertension, whose systolic blood pressure was
11.5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) lower than hypertensive participants
on the control diet with a high sodium level. The beneficial effect
of a lower sodium diet was also more pronounced in women than men
and in blacks than people of other races.
Controlling blood pressure reduces the risk of developing complications
associated with hypertension, which include heart disease and stroke.
New dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend
that everyone adopt an eating plan similar to the DASH diet and limit
their sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg per day. Other things you
can do to keep blood pressure in check include maintaining a healthy
body weight, cutting down on dietary fat, and staying active.
January
2001 Update
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to Top
Products
Containing Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Pulled From Shelves
Responding to concerns that phenylpropanolamine (PPA), an ingredient
found in many over-the-counter medications, may increase risk of hemorrhagic
stroke (see the Family Health Guide online update on phenylpropanolamine),
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers to remove
drugs containing PPA from the market. The following list may not be complete
and does not include drug store and supermarket brands, so please check
the label or ask your pharmacist. You should also discard any items in
your medicine cabinet that contain PPA.
Drugs Pulled From the Market:
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine (cherry or orange flavor)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Time Cold Medicine Effervescent
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold Powder
Comtrex Deep Chest Cold & Congestion Relief
Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief Day & Night
Contac 12 Hour Cold Capsules
Contac 12 Hour Cold Caplets
Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Duration
Dexatrim Gelcaps, Dexatrim Vitamin C / Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp DM Cold & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp Elixir
Dimetapp 4-Hour Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp 4-Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12-Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16
Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
Triaminic DM Cough Relief
Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head Congestion
Triaminic Syrup Cold & Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough
January
2001 Update
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FDA
Approves Femara as First-Line Breast Cancer Treatment
On January 10, 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
Femara (letrozole) as a first-line treatment for postmenopausal
women with advanced breast cancer. Femara was originally approved in
1997 to treat advanced breast cancer in women who did not respond to
standard antiestrogen drugs such as tamoxifen.
The hormone estrogen stimulates the growth of about half of all breast
cancers, known as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Femara,
which works by blocking the production of estrogen, can now be used as
a principal therapy for these and hormone-receptor-unknown advanced breast
cancers. For 20 years, tamoxifen, which blocks estrogen from binding
to an estrogen receptor on cancer cells, has been used as a first-line
treatment in early and advanced breast cancer patients with hormone-receptor-positive
or hormone-receptor-unknown cancer. It has also been used to slow the
progress of tumor growth of breast cancers that have metastasized, or
spread to other parts of the body.
The recent FDA approval of Femara was based on the results of a randomized,
double-blinded, multinational clinical trial comparing Femara and tamoxifen.
It involved more than 900 postmenopausal women with locally advanced
breast cancer, breast cancer that had spread to other parts of the body,
or recurring breast cancer that could not be treated with surgery or
radiation. The trial showed that Femara increased time to progression
of the disease to 9.4 months, compared to 6 months for tamoxifen. The
gain is considerable for late-stage cancer, and it allows women to delay
more toxic chemotherapy. The side effects for both drugs were comparable
and included back, joint, and bone pain, nausea, and hot flashes.
What is not known at this point is whether Femara will have any role
in the prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen is often given to
hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients after surgery, to prevent
tumors from recurring and to women with a strong family history of breast
cancer to prevent the disease from developing in the first place. Femara
has not yet been approved for either of these purposes.
January 2001 Update
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Cell
Phone Use Not Likely Linked to Brain Cancer
Extensive media attention has focused on the health implications
of the use of cellular telephones. The concern has been based primarily
on anecdotal evidence that the microwave-frequency signals these
phones transmit could cause brain cancer. One recent investigation — a
National Cancer Institute (NCI) study reported this month in the New
England Journal of Medicine — found that it is highly
unlikely that the use of cell phones increases the risk of brain
tumors.
Between 1994 and 1998, the researchers examined 782 patients with
confirmed brain tumors in Phoenix, Boston and Pittsburgh hospitals.
The patients were divided into groups by tumor type and compared
with 799 controls admitted to these hospitals for other conditions.
Researchers collected data about cell phone use through personal
interviews with each of the study participants. The interviewer
asked when the participants first began using a hand-held cell
phone, when they last used one, how often and how frequently they
used these phones, the duration of a typical cell phone call, and
with which hand they usually held the handset.
Cell phone use was not significantly associated with any of the
tumor types. The percentage of controls (29%) who reported using
a cell phone more than five times was almost identical to the percentage
of brain cancer patients who reported using them (22-31% grouped
by tumor type). Risk was not higher among regular users who began
using cell phones earlier, nor did it rise significantly with the
increased duration of use, frequency of use, or total overall use.
In addition, tumors did not occur disproportionately on the side
of the head on which the cell phone was more frequently used.
The NCI authors point out, however, that since cell phones were
introduced only 20 years ago, and were not widely used until the
mid-1990s, the possibility of harm associated with long-term, heavy
use cannot be predicted. They also note that technological advances
may alter the design of future cell phones, affecting cancer risk.
Thus, the connection between cancer and cell phone use is likely
to be revisited in years to come.
January 2001 Update
Back
to Top
Low-Sodium
DASH Diet Lowers Blood Pressure
The
effect of reducing dietary salt on controlling hypertension, or high
blood pressure, has been surprisingly controversial. But in a recent
study, a collaboration of scientists, including researchers from
Harvard Medical School and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
of the National Institutes of Health, suggest that reducing salt
intake may dramatically lower blood pressure in people with or without
hypertension, regardless of age, race, or gender.
The trial, known as the Low-Sodium DASH Diet study, tested the
effects on blood pressure of lower levels of sodium intake combined
with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which
is low in fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
low-fat dairy products. More than 400 subjects were assigned either
a typical American diet or the DASH diet for 12 weeks. The salt
content of every participant's diet was randomly changed every
four weeks to one of three sodium levels: high (3,300 mg), intermediate
(2,400 mg), or low (1,500 mg).
The researchers found that with either diet, the lower the salt
intake, the lower the blood pressure. But at each sodium level,
blood pressure was consistently lower for those on the DASH diet.
Moreover, the largest reductions in blood pressure were found among
those who followed the DASH diet while consuming 1,500 mg of salt
per day, well below the government's recommended daily intake of
2,400 mg, or 1 1/4 teaspoons. This combination
worked best for all participants, but particularly for patients
with hypertension, whose systolic blood pressure was 11.5 millimeters
of mercury (mm Hg) lower than hypertensive participants on the
control diet with a high sodium level. The beneficial effect of
a lower sodium diet was also more pronounced in women than men
and in blacks than people of other races.
Controlling blood pressure reduces the risk of developing complications
associated with hypertension, which include heart disease and stroke.
New dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend
that everyone adopt an eating plan similar to the DASH diet and
limit their sodium intake to less than 2,400 mg per day. Other
things you can do to keep blood pressure in check include maintaining
a healthy body weight, cutting down on dietary fat, and staying
active.
January
2001 Update
Back
to Top
Products
Containing Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Pulled From
Shelves
Responding to concerns that phenylpropanolamine (PPA), an ingredient
found in many over-the-counter medications, may increase risk of hemorrhagic
stroke (see the Family Health Guide online update on phenylpropanolamine),
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked manufacturers to remove
drugs containing PPA from the market. The following list may not be
complete and does not include drug store and supermarket brands, so
please check the label or ask your pharmacist. You should also discard
any items in your medicine cabinet that contain PPA.
Drugs Pulled From the Market:
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine (cherry or orange flavor)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Night Time Cold Medicine Effervescent
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold Powder
Comtrex Deep Chest Cold & Congestion Relief
Comtrex Flu Therapy & Fever Relief Day & Night
Contac 12 Hour Cold Capsules
Contac 12 Hour Cold Caplets
Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Duration
Dexatrim Gelcaps, Dexatrim Vitamin C / Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp DM Cold & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp Elixir
Dimetapp 4-Hour Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp 4-Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12-Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16
Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
Triaminic DM Cough Relief
Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head Congestion
Triaminic Syrup Cold & Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough
January
2001 Update
Back
to Top
Zinc
Lozenges Have No Beneficial Effect on the Common
Cold
Over
the past few years, more and more people have begun to reach for
zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold. But a study published
in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that
there is little scientific evidence of zinc's effectiveness to support
the treatment's popularity.
In a study funded by Warner Lambert Consumer Healthcare, a company
that manufactures zinc lozenges, researchers conducted two clinical
trials to test zinc's efficacy. One trial involved 273 people who
were exposed to a specific cold virus, called rhinovirus, to induce
a cold. The other trial involved 281 subjects with natural colds.
Both groups were broken up into four subgroups that received one
of the following treatments: 13.3 milligrams (mg) of zinc gluconate,
11.5 mg of zinc acetate, 5 mg of zinc acetate, or a placebo. Zinc
gluconate and zinc acetate are different formulations of zinc;
zinc gluconate is more commonly found in lozenges. Treatment was
started within a day of the onset of cold symptoms and continued
every 2-3 hours (up to 6 lozenges per day) until the cold symptoms
disappeared, or up to 14 days.
The researchers measured the effects of the treatments on both
the duration and severity of the colds. Patients self-scored the
severity of seven cold symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction,
sore throat, cough, headache, and hoarseness.
At the end of the study, researchers found that zinc gluconate
had a small but significant effect on the duration of induced cold
symptoms. People who had taken zinc gluconate had cold symptoms
for about 2.5 days as opposed to 3.25 for high-dose zinc acetate
and 3.5 days for low-dose zinc acetate and placebo. None of the
treatments, including zinc gluconate, reduced the severity of cold
symptoms for the first three days of the cold. And none of the
zinc preparations or placebo had a significant effect on the duration
or severity of symptoms in people with natural colds.
Overall, the study suggests that zinc lozenges have little, if
any, beneficial effect on the treatment of the common cold.
January 2001 update
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