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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