Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by editors of
HealthDay:
Two Coronary Stents Implanted at the Same Time Increase Clotting
Risk, Study Finds
Heart patients who have two coronary stents used during an
emergency procedure have more than four times the chance than other
patients of having a clot inside one of the stents block blood flow
to the heart.
This finding by Dutch researchers presented in Chicago March 29
at a scientific session sponsored by the American College of
Cardiology (ACC) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and
Interventions (SCAI) concluded that one-in-six stent patients could
expect a single incident of stent thrombosis, which could lead to a
heart attack. But those who had more than one stent used at the
same time had four times the risk of thrombosis.
A stent is a tiny, wire mesh tub the forces the walls of a
clogged artery open, but medical experts are still debating whether
its benefits consistently outweigh possible disadvantages.
According to a joint news release from the ACC and SCAI,
cardiologist Dr. Jochem Wouter van Werkum and his colleagues
examined the results of 437 heart patients who received stents
between 2004 and 2007. There were 74 incidents of stent thrombosis
(16.9 percent), the study found. But when more than one stent had
been used, the likelihood of stent thrombosis increased 4.2
times.
The conclusion: Additional stent placement at the time of
emergency treatment for the first stent thrombosis should be
avoided, the researchers said.
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Dole Fresh Fruit Joins Cantaloupe Recall
In response to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in 16 states,
the Dole Fresh Fruit Company has joined the recall of cantaloupes
grown in Honduras and shipped by an independent grower, according
to the
Associated Press.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised U.S. grocery
companies, produce wholesalers and food service operators March 22
to remove cantaloupes from the Honduran grower and packer
Agropecuaria Montelibano, because of the possibility they contain
the bacterium
Salmonella Litchfield, which can cause intestinal illness in
humans. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and
abdominal cramps.
On March 27, Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Simply Fresh
Fruit Inc. issued recalls, the wire service reports. Whole
cantaloupes were recalled by Chiquita, and Simply Fresh Fruit
identified cut fruit products, the
AP said.
Dole Fresh Fruit, headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif.,
said its recalled cantaloupes had been distributed in the United
States and Canada in cardboard cartons with the brand "Dole" and
"Product of Honduras" printed on the side panels, according to the
wire service.
Although the three fruit companies have helped in identifying
the suspect cantaloupes, it may still be difficult for consumers to
determine the origin of fruit they buy. The FDA is asking people
who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of
purchase to determine if the fruit came from the Honduran grower in
question. If it was, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes,
the FDA says.
Fifty cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported in 16
states with 14 hospitalizations, the FDA says. There have been no
fatalities. The affected states span the country: Arizona,
California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah,
Washington, and Wisconsin.
The FDA also has issued the following tips for making sure the
cantaloupes you buy are fresh: Purchase cantaloupes that are not
bruised or damaged; if buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, be sure it is
refrigerated or surrounded by ice; after purchase, refrigerate
cantaloupes promptly; wash your hands with hot, soapy water before
and after handling fresh cantaloupes; scrub whole cantaloupes by
using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before
eating; if there happens to be a bruised or damaged area on a
cantaloupe, cut away those parts before eating it.
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Balloon Angiography OK for Some Medical Centers Without Coronary
Surgical Backup: Study
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) -- more commonly known
as balloon angioplasty -- doesn't need to be performed only in
hospitals with coronary surgical backup, a new study has found.
A report presented Saturday at a joint cardiology meeting in
Chicago, sponsored by the American College of Cardiology (ACC),
found that medical centers with "well-organized, highly skilled"
PCI programs can safely and effectively perform the
angioplasty.
Researchers compared 9,029 patients who had angioplasty at 61
centers without cardiac backup surgery to 299,132 patients at 404
centers with a cardiac surgery program from January 2004 through
March 2006. And they found there was no statistical difference in
mortality.
According to a news release from the Society for Cardiovascular
Angiography and Interventions, the findings should not be
interpreted as an endorsement of "boutique angioplasty." Lead
investigator Dr. Michael A. Kutcher, of Wake Forest University in
Winston-Salem, N.C., said, "These medical centers are doing
angioplasty for the right reasons: to improve outcomes for heart
attack patients and to better serve patients in remote geographic
areas."
The findings represent the largest clinical study ever to
compare PCI programs that have on-site cardiac surgery to PCI
programs that transfer patients to a surgical hospital in case of
emergency, according to the SCAI news release.
PCI involves threading a slender balloon-tipped tube from an
artery in the groin to the clogged place in the coronary artery. By
inflating the balloon, the vessel-clogging plaque is compressed,
allowing better blood flow.
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FDA Seeks $2.2 Million Penalty from Hearing Aid Maker
Hearing aid maker Advanced Bionics LLC is being penalized $2.2
million by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for alleged
violations including failing to adhere to manufacturing standards
and for failing to notify the agency that it had changed suppliers,
the FDA said Friday.
The Sylmar, Calif., company makes a device called the HiRes90k
Implantable Cochlear Stimulator. The device is surgically implanted
behind the ear to treat profound hearing loss in both adults and
children.
The agency's legal complaint alleges that the company exposed
device users to unnecessary health risks by failing to follow
standard manufacturing procedures and by distributing devices that
contained a component provided by an unapproved vendor.
The complaint says Advanced Bionics shipped hearing aids in
violation of the law between January 2005 and July 2006. At least
some of the alleged violations occurred after a 2001 inspection,
which had found similar failures that the company had promised to
correct, the agency said.
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New Test Recommended to Determine Cardiovascular Disease
Risk
The way doctors treat patients at risk for cardiovascular
disease may change after Friday's release of new guidelines from
the American Diabetes Association and the American College of
Cardiology.
The guidelines say an additional test should be added to the
standard cholesterol test used to determine cardiovascular disease
risk. The guidelines endorse the use of advanced lipoprotein
testing by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a more accurate
method to determine risk and to check whether LDL ("bad")
cholesterol-lowering therapies are having an effect in
patients.
NMR lipoprotein testing measures the number of LDL particles,
which carry cholesterol through the body, rather than cholesterol
levels alone. Studies have shown that it's the number of
lipoprotein particles present in the blood, not the amount of
cholesterol carried by these particles, that form blockages inside
arteries.
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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.
