The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers and health care professionals about potential rare occurrences of severe liver injury in patients taking the weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed as Xenical and Alli.
The FDA has approved a revised label for the prescription drug Xenical. The agency is working with the manufacturer of Alli on label revisions to reflect this rare occurrence.
Both Xenical and Alli are medications contain the same active ingredient, orlistat. Xenical, available only by prescription, contains 120 milligrams of orlistat. Alli, sold over-the-counter without a prescription, contains 60 mg of orlistat. An estimated 40 million people worldwide have taken either Xenical or Alli. Read press release
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Indoor Tanning May Be Addicting
Indoor tanning may be an addictive behavior for certain young adults, according to a study published in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology.
This study extends prior work by relating indoor tanning addiction to substance use and affective disturbance.
Between September and December 2006, a total of 421 college students from the northeastern United States anonymously completed questionnaires regarding indoor tanning habits, substance use, anxiety and depression symptoms, and demographics.
The students reported a mean of 23 indoor tanning sessions in the past year. Those who met criteria for addiction to tanning reported tanning more often than those with addictive tendencies, and both groups reported more tanning than those who did not meet criteria for addiction to indoor tanning.
Link to Substance Use, Anxiety
Forty-two percent of students who met criteria for indoor tanning addiction (21 of 50) reported using 2 or more substances (excluding alcohol) in the past month. In contrast, only 16.0% of students (29 of 181) who had never tanned indoors and 16.8% of students (20 of 119) who were not addicted to tanning affirmed this degree of substance use. Students who met study criteria for addiction to indoor tanning also reported greater alcohol and marijuana use.
Overall, findings suggest that individuals who use drugs may be more likely to develop dependence on indoor tanning because of a similar addictive process.
More Women Than Men
There was no association between skin type and addiction to indoor tanning, although the researchers say this may be due to underrepresentation of students with darker skin tones.
In addition, sex was not associated with addiction to indoor tanning, although women were overrepresented in the study.
This study extends prior work by relating indoor tanning addiction to substance use and affective disturbance.
Between September and December 2006, a total of 421 college students from the northeastern United States anonymously completed questionnaires regarding indoor tanning habits, substance use, anxiety and depression symptoms, and demographics.
The students reported a mean of 23 indoor tanning sessions in the past year. Those who met criteria for addiction to tanning reported tanning more often than those with addictive tendencies, and both groups reported more tanning than those who did not meet criteria for addiction to indoor tanning.
Link to Substance Use, Anxiety
Forty-two percent of students who met criteria for indoor tanning addiction (21 of 50) reported using 2 or more substances (excluding alcohol) in the past month. In contrast, only 16.0% of students (29 of 181) who had never tanned indoors and 16.8% of students (20 of 119) who were not addicted to tanning affirmed this degree of substance use. Students who met study criteria for addiction to indoor tanning also reported greater alcohol and marijuana use.
Overall, findings suggest that individuals who use drugs may be more likely to develop dependence on indoor tanning because of a similar addictive process.
More Women Than Men
There was no association between skin type and addiction to indoor tanning, although the researchers say this may be due to underrepresentation of students with darker skin tones.
In addition, sex was not associated with addiction to indoor tanning, although women were overrepresented in the study.
Depressed People Like To Eat Chocolate
A new cross-sectional study suggests individuals with depressive symptoms eat more chocolate than usual, but it does not explain why.
The study, published in the April 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, included 931 adults not using antidepressants. The mean age of study subjects was 57.6 years and mean body mass index was 27.8 kg/m2 or less; 70.1% were male, 80.4% were white, and 58.8% were college educated. Subjects provided information on chocolate consumption (frequency and amount).
According to the researchers, several nutrient factors that could be linked to mood, such as increased caffeine, fat, carbohydrate, or energy intake, bore no significant correlation with mood symptoms, suggesting relative specificity of the chocolate finding.
Although a lot of people perceive that they get a mood lift when they eat chocolate, there was no evidence in the study that chocolate had a sustained benefit on mood.
The study, published in the April 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, included 931 adults not using antidepressants. The mean age of study subjects was 57.6 years and mean body mass index was 27.8 kg/m2 or less; 70.1% were male, 80.4% were white, and 58.8% were college educated. Subjects provided information on chocolate consumption (frequency and amount).
According to the researchers, several nutrient factors that could be linked to mood, such as increased caffeine, fat, carbohydrate, or energy intake, bore no significant correlation with mood symptoms, suggesting relative specificity of the chocolate finding.
Although a lot of people perceive that they get a mood lift when they eat chocolate, there was no evidence in the study that chocolate had a sustained benefit on mood.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Why Cholesterol Damages Arteries
In addition to crystallized cholesterol, atherosclerotic plaques always contain large quantities of immune cells but, surprisingly, no bacteria or viruses. It was previously unclear just how the body's own defence forces are called into action. Even animals that are kept in an absolutely sterile environment can suffer from "clogging" or "furring" of the arteries when their food contains high levels of cholesterol. The same relationship is found in humans. Read more
Vitamin E Provides New Hope for Patients With 'Silent' Liver Disease
A daily dose of a specific form of vitamin E significantly improved the liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to a study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health. Results were published April 28 online in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, Actos (pioglitazone), a drug used to treat diabetes, also improved many features of NASH but was associated with weight gain. Read more
Dark Chocolate May Guard Against Brain Injury from Stroke
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a compound in dark chocolate may protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage. Read more
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Supplemental Vitamin D May Help Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
Vitamin D from supplements may reduce the risk for breast cancer in women with relatively low vitamin D intakes, suggest study findings published online April 14 ahead of print in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study also found a significant inverse trend for higher calcium intakes but no interaction between vitamin D and calcium. However, no associations were found between overall combined vitamin D or calcium intakes from food and supplements and breast cancer risk.
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Women
Vitamin D deficiency appears to increase the risk for cognitive impairment, a large, population-based study of older women shows.
Presented here at the American Academy of Neurology 62nd Annual Meeting, the cross-sectional study shows older women with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels of less than 10 ng/mL had a 2-fold increased risk of global cognitive impairment compared with their counterparts who were not vitamin D deficient.
Typically associated with skeletal disorders, vitamin D deficiency is also associated with neuromuscular disorders in humans and severe coordination disorders in animal research
Presented here at the American Academy of Neurology 62nd Annual Meeting, the cross-sectional study shows older women with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels of less than 10 ng/mL had a 2-fold increased risk of global cognitive impairment compared with their counterparts who were not vitamin D deficient.
Typically associated with skeletal disorders, vitamin D deficiency is also associated with neuromuscular disorders in humans and severe coordination disorders in animal research
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