Government officials have warned about increased suicide risk with two popular anti-smoking drugs, Zyban and Chantix. Patients taking those drugs are warned to keep an eye out for depressive thoughts, but were not told to stop taking the drugs.
But officials emphasized that fear should not stop patients from taking the smoking-cessation medicines, Chantix, made by Pfizer, and Zyban, made by GlaxoSmithKline, which also sells it under the brand name Wellbutrin, for depression.
"Stopping smoking is a goal we should all be working towards," said Dr. Curtis J. Rosebraugh, director of a drug evaluation office at the Food and Drug Administration. "We dont want to scare people off from trying a medication that could help them achieve this goal. You should just be careful."
Pfizer will add a so-called black box warning the F.D.A.'s most serious caution to the packaging information for Chantix.
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Both companies will also be required to conduct clinical trials to assess the mental health risks associated with the drugs' uses. Pfizer is already enrolling schizophrenia patients in a trial.
Because smokers and people trying to quit are statistically more likely to be depressed and suicidal, officials for both companies said it was difficult to identify the specific impact of the drugs on those risks. "Nicotine withdrawal itself can be very difficult for people to endure," Dr. Steve Romano, a Pfizer vice president, said Wednesday.
The FDA received many reports of hostility, anger and suicide attempts in connection with the drugs. Sales are not expected to fall as these reports have been available to physicians for awhile.
The Globe and Mail has an article that says the H1N1 swine flu is hitting young people especially hard in Canada. The article says two-thirds of Canadians hospitalized and half of those who have died had no underlying health conditions whatsoever. Experts do not yet know why some healthy young people are ending up on ventilators.
Experts do not yet understand why the new strain affects some healthy people so severely, ravaging their lungs with an aggressive pneumonia and forcing them to spend weeks in hospital, attached to breathing machines.
"They are ending up on ventilators and it can last from weeks to months," said Michael Gardam, director of infectious diseases at the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. "I would like people to be concerned about H1N1, without panicking. More concerned than they are about seasonal flu."
A new study tracking the epidemic in Mexico also found the flu strain hits those between the ages of 20 and 50 the hardest, with a higher death rate than other age groups.
In recent weeks, as swine flu has faded from the world's radar, infectious disease specialists worry that people have become complacent about the pandemic, which is expected to infect one third of the population, or about 10 million Canadians. (In contrast, seasonal flu affects about one in 10 people.)
The same thing is happening in the U.S. - mostly young people are being hospitalized and dying - although the media does not seem to be covering it as much as they did a couple months ago. A frightening report from Argentina says some people with swine flu are catching a pneumonia that causes their lungs to "burn." The latest U.S. figures from the CDC are over 33,000 cases with 170 deaths. The WHO's worldwide count is over 77,000 cases and 332 deaths. You can find a list of H1N1 resources here.
An Australian-Vietnamese study examing the connection between bone density and diet in 2,700 found that strict vegetarians had bones an average of 5% less dense than meat-eaters. The study found little difference between meat-eaters and ovolactovegetarians, people who eat eggs and dairy but not meat or fish.
The issue was most pronounced in vegans, who excluded all animal products from their diet and whose bones were six percent weaker, Nguyen said.
There was "practically no difference" between the bones of meat-eaters and ovolactovegetarians, who excluded meat and seafood but ate eggs and dairy products, he said.
"The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower bone mineral density," Nguyen wrote in the study, which was published Thursday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
There's another report on the study here on Science Alert. There was also a recent study that found vegetarians get less of certain types of cancer.
Six more people have died from h1n1 swine flu in New York City. A table on this website's data section says the swine flu toll in the city has climbed to 38, which is six higher than previously reported figure. The number of people hospitalized has climbed by 73 to 877.
The maximum daily dose listed on Tylenol, Excedrin and other over-the-counter painkillers will be reduced if the FDA takes the advice of experts on an FDA advisory panel, which voted Tuesday to reduce the maximum dose. There are concerns that using too much of a painkiller containing acetaminophen can cause liver damage.
The FDA advisory panel voted 21-16 Tuesday to lower the maximum daily dose of nonprescription acetaminophen, which is currently 4 grams - equal to eight pills of a drug such as Extra Strength Tylenol. The panel was not asked to recommend another maximum daily dose.
The panel also voted 24-13 to limit the maximum single dose of acetaminophen to 650 milligrams. The current single dose of Extra Strength Tylenol, for instance, is 1,000 milligrams.
The panel also voted 26-11 to make the 1,000-milligram dose of acetaminophen available only by prescription.
US News says the FDA is not obligated to follow the advice of its advisory panels but it usually does.
Yahoo reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed it found E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in a sample of Nestle Toll House's refrigerated cookie dough.
Nestle SA earlier on Monday announced a recall of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough, saying the FDA had found evidence of E. Coli in a production sample of a refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough bar.
Nestle's USA's baking division said the recall did not include other Nestle toll house products or any Nestle professional cookie dough products destined for foodservice use.
On June 19, the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers not to eat pre-packaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough, citing the risk of E. Coli contamination.
FDA issued a warning of Nestle Toll House's refrigerated cookie dough on June 19th. There have also been reports that Nestle has refused FDA inspectors in the past. The WSJ's Health Blog reports that company's can legally turn away FDA inspectors in some situations.
Companies aren't required to by law to open up their books, but many food companies do, an FDA official told the WSJ. The agency can only demand access to records if it shows "a reasonable belief" that the foods are a serious health threat.
Companies may be able to turn away the inspectors but it's not something consumers like to hear.
Reuters reports that Colorado meat company called JBS-Swift Beef Co is expanding its beef recall because of a possible E.coli O157:H7 bacteria contamination. The U.S. Agriculture Department says an investigation found 18 illnesses possibly linked to the meat.
Greeley, Colorado-based JBS-Swift Beef Co is voluntarily expanding its June 24 recall to include about 380,000 lbs of assorted beef products, for a total recall of about 421,000 lbs, USDA and the company said.
The affected beef was produced on April 21 and was distributed nationally and internationally.
"The contamination may have come from further processing by other companies," Chandler Keys, JBS spokesman, said on Sunday.
USDA said the recalled products are typically used for steaks and roasts rather than ground beef. However, it said some of the beef may have been processed into ground products by other companies.
The Reuters article says the recall is unlikely to be extended again. The recalls are listed on JBS Swift's website.
The Wall Street Journalreports that H1N1 swine flu cases spiked this week. There were 6,3000 new U.S. cases in the past week. This is the highest total since we first learned of the novel flu virus. It is an indication that the spread of the virus is not slowing down. Instead its spread appears to be accelerating.
CDC officials said Friday they received reports of nearly 6,300 new U.S. cases in the past week, more than in any other week since the outbreak began in late April, signaling the virus isn't letting up despite summer's arrival. Almost all flu cases now tested are the new H1N1 flu rather than regular seasonal flu, the agency said.
U.S. government officials and manufacturers are preparing to produce 600 million doses of vaccine for the H1N1 virus, an effort that would dwarf seasonal-flu campaigns and would include enough for those vaccinated to receive two doses. As many as 60 million doses could be ready by September, they said at a meeting Friday of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The large number of H1N1 cases is also indication that the warm summer weather is no match for the lack of immunity people have to this strain of influenza. The virus has killed over 127 people so far. The CDC has said it could kill as many as 450,000 people in the U.S. You can find the CDC's website here and you can find more swine flu resources here.
Dogs can already detect human cancer cells in urine. Some dogs are also being trained to use their strong sense of smell to smell when a diabetic person is about to have a hypoglycemic attack. Reuters says a research charity in England is now one of two centers in the world training dogs to sniff out blood sugar levels. A dog owner discovered it when his dog Tinker started warning him just when he about to have a hypoglycemia attack.
A Desert Newsarticle about 2 more H1N1 swine flu deaths in Utah reveals that the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") has categorized swine flu as a Category 2 outbreak, with the possibility of 90,000 to 450,000 deaths in the U.S.
A Category 2 has the following characteristics:
Case fatality ratio of 0.1 percent to less than 0.5 percent.
Between 90,000 and 450,000 deaths in the U.S. (compared with estimated 36,000 deaths during a typical influenza season).
Excess death rate of between 30 to less than 150 per 100,000 people.
Illness rate of between 20 percent and 40 percent.
Similar to the 1957 flu pandemic.
The death toll is not surprising when you consider the possibility that a large percentage of the U.S. population could get sick from swine flu. The U.S. population is around 300 million. If 50% get sick and the swine flu kills 1 in 1000 people (.001%) then there would be 150,000 deaths. If 50% get sick and the swine flu kills 1 in 250 people (.004) then there would be 600,000 deaths.
The CDC's H1N1 website can be found here and more H1N1 resources can be found here.
Nick Jonas testified in front of the Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee about increasing funding for diabetes research. Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 13 years old and he shares the story of his diagnosis and continuing treatment. Nick monitors his diet and does the needle stick twelve times a day to check his glucose levels. He uses a pump to self-administer insulin every day (he found the shots too difficult to self-administer). Nick especially thanked Senator Collins for her support for juvenile diabetes research. He is poised and confident: he did a great job. Take a look:
The FDA is warning consumers not to eat California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards brands of pistachios because of a possible Salmonella link. Reuters reports the FDA found pistachios from another recall had been repacked by Orca Distribution West and distributed to retail locations in airports and hotels nationwide.
The federal agency identified the suspect brands late on Monday as California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards, which were repacked by Orca Distribution West Inc of Anaheim, California.
The potentially tainted pistachios came from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, California, which issued a nationwide recall of its products in late March after salmonella was found in some nuts.
The bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
The FDA said it discovered the potential problem at Orca after conducting a follow-up audit of Setton and that it issued the warning because the company had failed to alert the public that it was recalling the products
The FDA has set up a pistachio recall information page here that lists all the recalled products stemming from the original Setton Pistachio recall.
She weighed 575 pounds and was so full of despair that the tried to commit suicide. When the attempt failed, she found a way to get her life back and make a new start. Tammey Burns lost 410 pounds and now weighs 165 pounds. She lost the weight without surgery and is now getting her certifications to be a wellness coach and trainer. Take a look:
It's an amazing story. You can read the full article about Tammey's weight loss here.
Hundreds of people turned up to do yoga in Times Square in New York City today as part of the 2009 Summer Solstice events. We noticed that several people just couldn't bring themselves to put their clean yoga mats on the streets of New York, so they put a towel under their mats. That seems like a wise decision. Take a look:
Can smell be the trigger to weight loss? The latest trend
in weight loss is using products that either enhance the smell of food so that you feel full faster or temporarily inhibit your sense of smell so you don't enjoy food. There are no reputable studies that document that either approach works yet.
Like almost every dieter in America, Wendy Bassett has used all sorts of weight-loss products. Nothing worked, she said, until she tried Sensa: granules she scatters on almost everything she eats, and which are supposed to make dieters less hungry by enhancing the smell and taste of food.
"Every time I touch a piece of food, I pour it on," said Ms. Bassett, 34, an accountant in Tyler, Tex. She has been using Sensa since February. So far, she said, she has lost 30 pounds.
The maker of Sensa claims that its effectiveness is largely related to smell: the heightened scent and flavor of food that has been sprinkled with Sensa stimulate the olfactory bulb the organ that transmits smell from the nose to the brain to signal the "satiety center" of the hypothalamus. Hormones that suppress appetite are then released.
But can the manipulation of smell really lead to weight loss? A handful of niche products would have you believe just that.
In addition to Sensa, which has been available since last summer, there is SlimScents, aromatherapy diet pens filled with fruity or minty odors; a peppermint spray called Happy Scent; and the vanilla-doused Aroma Patch, which you wear on your hand, wrist or chest.
Last month, Compellis Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Mass., began human trials on a nasal spray designed to do the opposite of what Sensa does: to curb the appetite by blocking rather than enhancing smell.
"Eighty percent of what you perceive as taste is actually smell," said Christopher Adams, a molecular biologist and the company's founder. "The hypothesis is that if we can alter your sense of smell we can make food less palatable, because the hedonic effect that is, the pleasurable effect you get from eating chocolate won't be there."
Using smell to manipulate appetite may be an appealing premise, but only a few studies have been conducted, and some experts have doubts.
"There's been a theory around for a number of years that if you saturate your sensory system that you'll not be as hungry," said Dr. Richard L. Doty, the director of the Smell and Taste Center at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia. "There needs to be more research done."
We have no idea whether any of this works or not, but it doesn't sound dangerous. Although we're not sure about sprinkling more artificial chemicals on our food. That's kind of unappealing. Using aromatherapy to distract you from the smell of cookies sounds safer.
Six more people have died from h1n1 swine flu in New York City. A table on this website's 
The maximum daily dose listed on Tylenol, Excedrin and other over-the-counter painkillers will be reduced if the FDA takes the advice of experts on an FDA advisory panel, 
Yahoo 
Reuters 
The FDA is 
