US Pharm. 2006;10:15.

Does Air Travel Really Cause Blood Clots?
Researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands studied the effect of various modes and durations of travel on the risk of venous thrombosis. The investigators performed a case-control study in which people with blood clots were compared with similar people who don't have a blood clot, and the differences in a number of contributing factors were assessed. Their results were published in the journal PLoS Medicine. They discovered that the risk of blood clots is increased for all types of long travel, with the main factor being immobility. However, they concluded that the risk is even higher for air travelers, because the relative lack of oxygen may also play a part.

Low-Dose Orlistat and Diet Shows Positive Results
According to findings presented at the 2006 International Congress on Obesity in Sydney, 60 mg of orlistat combined with a reduced-calorie diet provided meaningful weight loss and reductions in BMI scores and waist-to-hip ratios when compared to diet alone. It also showed improvement in cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Three double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies including 1,729 subjects revealed that at six and 12 months, significantly more orlistat 60-mg users lost 5% or more of their baseline body weight compared to those in the diet-alone group. The orlistat-user group also showed decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels when compared to placebo users.

This comes as good news to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, which has an application pending at the FDA for a 60-mg over-the-counter version of prescription-strength orlistat (120 mg), to be sold under the trade name Alli. If approved, it would be the only FDA-approved over-the-counter weight-loss medication. Orlistat 120 mg will continue to be sold by prescription only.

Closer to Developing a West Nile Virus Vaccine
Researchers at Purdue University College of Science and Washington University School of Medicine have identified the precise location where an antibody binds to the West Nile virus to prevent infection.

According to Michael Rossmann, the Hanley Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue, while "science doesn't fully understand exactly how neutralizing antibodies work, [they do know] precisely where the antibody binds to the virus and can develop a theory for how it interacts with the virus to disarm it." He added that the finding is an important step in developing a vaccine in the future.

Plavix Gets New Indication
The FDA has approved the use of Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) for patients who have had a type of heart attack called acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and are not going to have coronary artery repair.

Acute STEMI is a severe heart attack caused by the sudden, total blockage of an artery. In STEMI patients, Plavix prevents subsequent blockage in the already damaged heart vessel, which could lead to more heart attacks, stroke, and possibly, death. According to the American Heart Association, each year an estimated 500,000 Americans have a STEMI heart attack. Serious side effects of Plavix include bleeding and, rarely, low white blood cell counts or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (low platelet counts with spontaneous bleeding and clotting).

Exposure to Light May Reduce Medical Errors
According to a paper released by the nonprofit Center for Health Design, evidence shows that appropriate exposure to natural and artificial light in hospitals and clinics is critical to the health and well-being of patients and staff.

More specifically, key research findings show that higher light levels are linked with better performance of complex visual tasks and that light requirements increase with age. By controlling the body's circadian system, light impacts patient outcomes by reducing depression, decreasing length of hospital stay, improving sleep and circadian rhythm, lessening agitation, easing pain, and improving adjustment to night-shift work among staff. Also, exposure to light is critical for vitamin D metabolism in the human body and is commonly used as a treatment for jaundice in babies.

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