Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
CF Drug Shows Promise
An investigational oral drug called VX-770 showed promising results in treating cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who carry the G551D mutation of CF, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation said.
The drug is being co-developed by the foundation and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
A 14-day phase 2a trial of 20 patients found that they showed significant improvements in several key indicators of CF, including lung function, nasal potential difference measurements, and sweat chloride (salt) levels. The findings suggest that the drug improves function of what is known as the CFTR protein.
This is the first time any potential therapy has been shown to improve abnormal sweat chloride levels in CF patients. Excessive sweat chloride is a key clinical indicator of CF.
"These early results are an extraordinary endorsement of our hypothesis -- that small molecules can correct the basic defect and affect the clinical indicators of cystic fibrosis," Robert J. Beall, president and CEO of the foundation, said in a prepared statement.
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FDA Issues Warning About 'Total Body Formula' and 'Total Body Mega Formula' Supplements
Consumers should not buy or consume the Tropical Orange and Peach Nectar flavors of "Total Body Formula" or the Orange/Tangerine flavor of "Total Body Mega Formula" because these liquid dietary supplements may cause problems including significant hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The products have been recalled by the distributor, Total Body Essential Nutrition of Atlanta, and the FDA is analyzing samples of the products to identify the cause of the problems. It's suspected the products contain excessive amounts of selenium, which can cause the symptoms shown by some consumers. Only small amounts of selenium -- a trace mineral -- are needed for good health.
The FDA received reports from the Florida Department of Health about 23 people who suffered serious reactions seven to 10 days after using these products. The FDA is also investigating reports of similar cases in Tennessee.
Consumers with these products should stop using them and throw them away. Anyone who has had adverse reactions after taking the products should consult a health care professional, the FDA said.
For more information, call the FDA's Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
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Brain Able to Detect Calorie Content of Food: Study
Even when the brain can't sense taste, it can still detect the calorie content of food, say Duke University researchers, who genetically altered the brains of mice so that they lost their ability to taste the "sweetness" in foods.
When the mice were given a choice of two solutions -- one sweetened with sugar, the other with the non-caloric sweetener sucralose -- they showed a strong preference for the sugar solution, CBC News reported.
This suggests that calorie content, not taste, guided their choice, said the researchers, who also found that consuming the sugar solution activated reward circuits in the brains of the mice. The study appears in the journal Neuron.
"Our findings suggest that calorie-rich nutrients can directly influence brain reward circuits that control food intake independently of palatability or functional taste transduction," the researchers wrote.
The study results may help in efforts to treat obesity, CBC News reported.
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FDA Launches Safety Reviews of Three Medications
Safety reviews of Regranex Gel (becaplermin), Ziagen (abacavir) and Videx (didanosine) are being conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency announced. All three are FDA-approved medications.
The review of Regranex Gel, a skin product used to heal leg and foot ulcers, was prompted by study data suggesting there may be an increased risk of death from cancer in diabetic patients who use the gel. While the review is ongoing, health care professionals should discuss the risks and benefits of the product with patients, the FDA said.
Recent findings from a study on anti-HIV drugs indicate that patients infected with HIV-1 who take Ziagen or Videx may have an increased risk of heart attack.
Until the safety review is complete, health care professionals should evaluate the potential risks and benefits of each HIV-1 antiretroviral drug their patients are taking, the FDA said.
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Drug Store Test May Settle Paternity Question
A $29.99 paternity kit that's now available at some 4,300 Rite Aid drug stores in 30 states may help settle the question, "Who's Your Daddy" for thousands of curious families, MSNBC reports.
The do-it-yourself Indentigene test, produced by Sorenson Genomics of Salt Lake City, uses DNA to determine paternity. The kit includes swabs for collecting cheek cell samples from the possible father and the child. It's recommended that the mother provide her cells, too, to help bolster the results.
Cheek cells are mailed to a Sorenson lab for analysis. Results -- a probability figure -- are available online, by telephone or by mail in three to five business days, MSNBC reported. The total cost is about $150, including a $120 lab fee. For an additional $200, a more sophisticated test can be performed that meets legal requirements for determining paternity, the network said.
The Sorenson lab is accredited by the AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks). But this type of test doesn't have to be reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor is certification required under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment, MSNBC pointed out.
Identigene's chief operating officer, Douglas Fogg, said most users appear to be buying the kit to settle social questions, not legal ones. Experts told MSNBC that it's still to be decided whether results of this test would stand up in court, especially given that such a test taken at home is subject to fraudulent use.
Fogg said he expects to sell at least 52,000 of the kits this year.
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Physical Restraint Use in Nursing Homes Declines
In recent years, there's been a 40 percent decline in the use of physical restraints -- such as wheelchair belts or bed rails -- on nursing home patients in the United States, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
In 2006, about 5.9 percent of 1.5 million long-term patients were repeatedly physically restrained, compared with 9.7 percent in 2002, the Associated Press reported.
States where physical restraints were used most often in 2006 included: California (13.4 percent), Arkansas (13.2 percent), and Oklahoma (11.5 percent). Restraints were used on nursing home patients least often in Nebraska (1.3 percent), and Iowa, Kansas and Maine (2 percent).
The overall decline in the use of physical restraints is the result of efforts by federal and state governments and the nursing home industry to do away with what was once a common practice, the AP reported.
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Recalls for Rocker Toys and Warming Bears
Two recalls of Chinese-made products were announced Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
One involves about 122,000 Rock 'N Ride plush rocker toys distributed by Tek Nek Toys International L.P. of Southlake, Texas. The base of the rocker can become unstable and allow the rocker to tip forward or backward, posing a fall hazard. The company has received 35 reports of rockers tipping over, including 10 reports of injuries such as bumps, bruises and lacerations.
Consumers should take these rockers away from children and contact Tek Nek at 888-686-2728 for a free replacement base.
The other recall includes about 113,000 Cozy Warming Polar Bears distributed by Avon Products Inc. The buckwheat-filled warming pouch inside the bears can overheat and ignite when heated in a microwave oven, posing a fire and burn hazard. Avon has received 41 reports of product overheating, including six reports of minor burns.
Consumers should stop using the warming bears and return the warming pouch for a full refund. For more information, contact Avon at 877-217-0916.
