US Pharm.
2006;11:108
Flu Vaccine Should Be in
Abundant Supply
Manufacturers and
distributors of flu vaccine have been gearing up their supply and delivery
systems to make sure that there are enough doses to go around this year.
According to the Health Industry Distributors Association, a group of flu
vaccine distributors has formed the Flu Vaccine Business Practices Initiative
to ensure that the flow of vaccine is smooth by actively reporting and
investigating any disruption in its distribution to physicians, hospitals,
senior centers, clinics, and other bulk purchasers. Meanwhile Sanofi Pasteur,
the largest U.S. manufacturer of influenza vaccine, said that it is on track
to supply a projected 50 million doses by the end of this month. This
represents about 40% of the nation's flu vaccine stock. While the flu vaccine
may be administered to healthy individuals who wish to decrease their risk of
contracting the flu, those most at risk for serious influenza-related
complications include the el derly, children, and adults with chronic
diseases such as asthma and diabetes.
Can Brushing Your Teeth Be
Hazardous to Your Health?
A study recently
published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that
arthritic-like joint pain and immobility in some individuals may be caused by
simple acts like brushing teeth with fluoridated toothpaste. Documented
research points to crippling skeletal fluorosis when patients are exposed to
large doses of fluoride over a period of time. According to Paul Beeber,
President of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, "Even water
fluoridation will cause arthritic-like symptoms in susceptible individuals."
The study spoke of a
52-year-old American male whose joint pain disappeared after he stopped
brushing his teeth. The patient drank no fluoridated water, tea, or wine; had
no occupational fluoride exposure; and did not chew tobacco, inhale snuff,
cook with Teflon pots, use fluoridated mouthwash, or get fluoride treatments
from his dentist. He did, however, brush his teeth with fluoridated toothpaste
before and after every meal (a minimum of six times daily). The researchers
reported elevated fluoride levels in his serum, urine, and bone. Within eight
months of eliminating all the obvious fluoride sources, the patient's urinary
and blood fluoride levels dropped, and bone function markers showed clear-cut
improvement.
"By approximately two years
after the initial diagnosis and apparent elimination of excess fluoride
exposure, the patient had complete resolution of his neck immobility and no
longer required analgesics," said the researchers.
New Relief for Hay Fever
Sufferers Still Several Years Away
While there is a
plethora of products on the market available to treat the symptoms of hay
fever, injections have long been a choice for patients suffering from more
severe strains of hay fever. While hay fever is a more or less generic
term for allergic reactions to certain airborne particles, it is estimated
that of the nearly 40 million hay fever sufferers in the U.S., as many as 30
million are specifically allergic to ragweed, a common yellow flowering weed
most common in the eastern part of the nation. Researchers at the Johns
Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore are reporting that a new
allergy treatment is in development. It will require only six weekly
injections and may offer long-term relief from hay fever symptoms. While the
treatment requires more testing, the researchers say that even if the results
are positive, the injections probably won't be available to the public for
another three to four years.
Impact of LDL Cholesterol
Levels on Cardiovascular Disease Questioned
According to a
study published in a recent issue of Annals of Internal Medicine,
researchers found "no clinical trial subgroup analyses or valid cohort or
case-control analyses suggesting that the degree to which LDL [low-density
lipoprotein] cholesterol responds to a statin independently predicts the
degree of cardiovascular risk reduction."
The authors said that as a
result of their research, there was "no high-quality evidence" suggesting that
titrating lipid therapy to recommended LDL cholesterol targets is superior to
empirically prescribing doses of statins used in clinical trials for all
patients at high cardiovascular risk. However, the researchers also concluded
that "there is clear and compelling evidence that most patients at high risk
for cardiovascular disease should be taking at least a moderate dose of a
statin if tolerated, even if their natural LDL cholesterol level is low."
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