Our weekly roundup of the latest developments in the world of health. The risks of a widely prescribed type 2 diabetes drug, the effects of alcohol on dementia, and a newly approved birth control pill that suppresses women's periods are in the news this week. So are new studies on using stem cells to treat incontinence and on treatments for children's seizures.
Stay well.
This Issue:
Heart Risks of Diabetes Drug Alcohol and Dementia Risk Pill Suppresses Periods Stem Cells for Incontinence Seizure Study In The News:
Heart Risks of Diabetes Drug A popular drug for type 2 diabetes may carry a risk of heart attacks and death. An analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people taking rosiglitazone, sold as Avandia, had a 43% higher risk of having a heart attack compared to people taking other drugs or no drugs. Avandia users also appeared to have a higher risk of dying from heart problems -- on top of the already elevated risk of heart-related death seen in people with diabetes. The analysis pooled results of studies involving a total of nearly 28,000 people. The studies were not looking for heart problems, and many were short term, so the researchers say the the long-term heart risks could be higher. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a safety alert on the drug and may convene an advisory panel to look at its benefits and risks; however, the agency is not requiring new warnings on Avandia's label, The Associated Press reports.
Alcohol and Dementia Risk
A drink a day could slow the progress of dementia in older people with memory problems. That's the finding of an Italian study published in the journal Neurology. The study involved over 1,445 healthy adults age 65 and older and 121 adults the same age who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. The participants were followed for about four years, during which time they were given memory tests to detect mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The seniors were asked about their drinking habits. Those who already had mild cognitive impairment and who drank a small to moderate amount of alcohol daily -- as little as half a glass of wine -- appeared to get some protection from further memory loss. The study did not determine what type of alcohol offered the most protection. Previous studies have suggested that moderate drinking may prevent dementia and heart disease, USA Today reports. However, the newspaper quotes experts who say that people should not start drinking alcohol just for the possible health benefits.
Pill Suppresses Periods
U.S. women now have the option of a birth control pill that suppresses monthly periods. The Food and Drug Administration this week approved the oral contraceptive Lybrel for continuous use. When taken this way, the pill can halt periods indefinitely. However, the pill carries a risk of irregular breakthrough bleeding. This side effect caused about half the women enrolled in trials of Lybrel to drop out, the FDA said. Lybrel contains low doses of the hormones ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel. The drug's manufacturer, Wyeth, plans to start selling it in July, The Associated Press reports.
Stem Cells for Incontinence
Add incontinence to the list of conditions that might one day be treated with stem cells. An Austrian study, presented at the American Urological Association meeting in Anaheim, looked at 184 people with stress incontinence. The researchers took blood and muscle cells from the patients' arms, and from these isolated fibroblasts and myoblasts -- stem cells that make connective tissue and muscle. The stem cells were grown in the lab for six or seven weeks, and then injected back into the participants' urethras and urethral sphincters. A year after treatment, 80% of the people were cured of incontinence, and the results did not appear to fade over time, USA Today reports. The newspaper quoted other experts who said the findings needed to be duplicated in other studies before stem cell injections could be considered as a treatment option for urinary incontinence.
Seizure Study
A new study could finally determine what medication is the best treatment for children having dangerous seizures. Eleven U.S. hospitals are participating in the federal study that aims to compare Valium and Ativan as treatments for status epilepticus, a series of severe, continuous seizures that can cause brain damage or death. A computer will randomly assign children to receive one of the drugs within five minutes of arriving in the emergency room. Since the study is taking place in the context of emergency care, parents are not asked to give medical consent for their children to be included in the study, The Associated Press reports. Once the child's seizures seizures stop, the hospitals will ask parents if they want to continue to participate, which could mean their child would get additional medical monitoring, the AP says. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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.
