Our weekly roundup of the latest developments in the world of health. This week we look at the effectiveness of a spray flu vaccine vs. shots for young children and at how older men's estrogen levels affect their risk of hip fractures. We also look at one drug's removal from the market and another drug's entry.
Stay well.
This Issue:
Spray Beats Shots for Babies Men, Hormone and Hip Fractures Antibiotic Off the Market New Bone Marrow Disease Drug In the News:
Spray Beats Shots for Babies A nasal spray vaccine may do a better job than shots at protecting young children from the flu. In a study whose results were presented this week, researchers found that FluMist spray vaccine was 55% more effective at preventing flu in children under 5. Currently, FluMist -- which contains a live weakened version of the flu virus, rather than the killed virus found in shots -- is only approved for children 5 and older, The Associated Press reports. The study looked at nearly 8,000 children age 6 months to 5 years in 16 countries during the 2004 flu season. All of the children were given a nasal spray and a shot -- but only one of these treatments was real, while the other was salt water. By the end of that winter, 3.9% of the children who got the spray vaccine caught the flu, compared to 8.6% of the children who got injected vaccine. The researchers also found that the nasal spray worked better against a new flu strain that emerged during the flu season. However, the spray carried a slightly higher risk of asthma-like wheezing in children age 6 months to 2 years. The study was funded by FluMist's manufacturer; the company plans to seek Food and Drug Administration approval for use of the vaccine in children under 5, the AP says.
Men, Hormones and Hip Fractures
Low levels of estrogen put older men at risk for hip fractures. That's the finding of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In the study, researchers collected data on 793 men. The men's estrogen and testosterone levels were measured between 1981 and 1983, and they were followed until 1999. Men with low estrogen levels -- lower than 18 picograms per milliliter -- had 3.1 times the risk of hip fracture compared to men with higher levels of the hormone, The New York Times News Service reports. Men with low levels of both estrogen and testosterone had a 6.5 times greater hip fracture risk than men with midrange or high levels of both hormones. Low testosterone by itself did not appear to affect fracture risk, the researchers said. The study does not provide enough information to recommend checking estrogen levels routinely in men, since estrogen supplementation for men is not an option. Men at risk for osteoporosis should be sure they get adequate daily vitamin D, calcium and exercise.
Antibiotic Off the Market
The manufacturer of the antibiotic Tequin is pulling the drug off the market amid concerns about its side effects. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration ordered that the drug label carry stronger warnings about the possibility of serious disruptions in blood sugar levels, The Associated Press reports. Tequin is not supposed to be prescribed to elderly people or those with diabetes or kidney disease, as it has been linked to episodes of high and low blood sugar, the AP says. The manufacturer urged people who are currently taking Tequin to contact their doctors immediately to discuss an alternative.
New Bone Marrow Disease Drug
People with some rare types of bone marrow disease got a new treatment option this week. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Dacogen (decitabine) for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, a group of rare and potentially fatal diseases in which the bone marrow does not produce enough mature blood cells, The Associated Press reports. The Drug was approved under the Orphan Drug Act; the law was designed to encourage drug companies to develop treatments for rare conditions, the AP says. In clinical trials, about a fifth of the patients treated with Dacogen had a partial or complete response to the drug. Side effects of Dacogen included low white blood cell count, low platelets, anemia, fatigue, fever, nausea, cough, bleeding in the skin, constipation, diarrhea and high blood sugar, the AP says.
Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.
