Our weekly roundup of the latest news in the world of health. This week we look at the heart risks of inhaler drugs prescribed for emphysema and bronchitis, at new findings about the time frame for administering clot-busting drugs to stroke victims and at this year's flu vaccine supply -- and who should get it.
Stay well.
This Issue:
Inhaler Raises Heart Risk Extending Stroke Treatment Time More Urged to Get Flu Vaccine In the News
Inhaler Raises Heart Risk Certain types of inhalers used to treat emphysema and bronchitis may increase the risk of heart attacks and death. That's the finding of a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study looked at results of 17 randomized studies, most of them on older patients who were using the inhaled drugs tiotropium, sold under the brand name Spiriva Handihaler, and ipratropium, sold under the brand name Atrovent. Researchers found that using either drug for more than one month appeared to increase the risk of fatal and nonfatal heart problems by more than 50%. However, the absolute risk of heart problems among the patients using the inhalers was small. The Associated Press quotes other experts who say that before starting these drugs, patients should try to reduce their heart risks by quitting smoking, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and using oxygen.
Extending Stroke Treatment Time
Stroke patients may have a bigger window of time in which they can benefit from clot-busting drugs. A European study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients given a clot-dissolving medication up to 4 1/2 hours after the start of symptoms fared better than those who did not get the treatment. Previously, it had been believed that if patients were not given the drug within three hours of the start of a stroke, it might be less effective and potentially more dangerous, the Associated Press reports. The study involved 821 stroke patients who did not get treatment within three hours. They were randomly assigned to receive either an intravenous dose of the clot-buster TPA or a dummy drug. Those who got TPA had better survival rate without major disability than those who got the placebo -- 52% versus 45%. The death rate was similar in both groups, and while those treated with TPA did have more cases of bleeding in the brain, it was serious only in about 2% of those cases. A study released last week by the same researchers found similar results in 664 other stroke patients, the AP says. The AP quotes other experts who say time is still of the essence for stroke treatment. Stroke victims should get to the hospital as quickly as possible.
More Urged to Get Flu Vaccine
The government wants more Americans to get inoculated this flu season. There were some 261 million people in the United States qualified to receive the vaccine last year, yet only 113 million doses were used, according to data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 72% percent of people age 65 and older were vaccinated, and only about one in five children under 2 were. This year the supply of flu vaccine will be the largest ever produced, The Associated Press reports. For the first time, the CDC now recommends that every child age 6 months to 18 years get the vaccine, except those with a serious egg allergy. Since supply should not be an issue, anyone who wants the vaccine should consider it. Those who especially need the vaccine include anyone 50 or older, pregnant women, health care workers, and caregivers and relatives of people at high-risk of serious illness from the flu virus, 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.
