There has long been a concern over the possible cardiac risks of taking certain non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. So much so that Vioxx was actually removed from the market in 2004. A report outlining the results of a study from Denmark was included in the latest issue of the AARP Bulletin.

The study which was originally reported in the June 8th online edition of the American Heart Association’s Circulation showed that even the short term use of NSAIDs in healthy men and women is associated with an increase in heart attacks and stroke. Previous studies had shown the same association but in patients with already existing heart disease.

The researchers found that ibuprofen had a 29% increase in the risk of fatal or non fatal stroke. Diclofenac (Voltaren) had almost double the risk of death from heart disease. Celebrex results were inconclusive while the results for Naprosyn (Alleve) revealed that it might be a safer alternative to the other drugs. 

Patients requiring chronic use of these meds for arthritis or other aches and pains might want to discuss these findings with their doctor. bjmdjd

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The FDA advisory panel which met to determine the safety of the diabetes drug Avandia has voted 20 – 12 to keep the drug on the market despite concerns over posiible cardiac risks. 10 members also recommended limiting who can prescribe the drug and who should be allowed to take it.

The FDA has promised to review the findings of the panel and make their decision as soon as possible. While they do not have to follow the recommendations of the advisory panels they usually do. bjmdjd

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The possible heart dangers of the diabetes drug Avandia are in the news again. An FDA advisory panel is in the midst of a two day hearing on the drug and it’s possible cardiac dangers.

More evidence has surfaced that suggests that the drug manufacturer (GlaxoSmithKline) knew about the possible heart risks as early as 2001 but withheld the information. The company claims that the information concerning them withholding cardiac risks was “cherry picked” from nearly 14 million pages of documents and is untrue.

If you take Avandia you need to pay close attention to these hearings. A decision will eventually be made that could range from stronger warnings on the drug label to possible removal from the market. bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: July 16, 2010

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Once again McNeil, Inc. has expanded their voluntary recall of various Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl products. You can go to www.mcneilproductrecall.com/page.jhtml?id=/include/prd_all.inc to find the various lot numbers that are affected.

This is an expansion of a recall of 60 million products made by McNeil during late 2009 and into early this year. The chances of becoming ill by using any of these products is felt to be remote but if you have them you should contact the company for instructions on what to do. To do so, visit the web site, www.mcneilproductrecall.com, or call 888-222-6036 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time and weekends, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. bjmdjd

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A new study from the Internal Medicine Dept. at the University of Michigan published in the journal Gastroenterology suggests that there is currently over use of surveillance colonoscopies in low risk patients and an under use in high risk patients. The study took into consideration cost effectiveness, mortality, and the unpleasant nature of the procedure.

The results of this study don’t really address screening colonoscopies but surveillance procedures in those people with known precancerous polyps. If you fall into this category you might want to discuss with your gastroenterologist how often you have follow up procedures done. bjmdjd

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Folks taking the antidepressant Effexor will be happy to hear that a generic form of Effexor XR was approved by the Food and Drug Administration this week. Teva Pharmaceuticals announced that they will begin shipping the drug on July 1, 2010.

Teva is the world’s largest generic drugmaker and hopefully the generic form of Effexor XR will be a big relief for its users pocket books. bjmdjd

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Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say in a June 25th report that 90% of Americans consume more salt in their diet than is currently recommended. As most everyone knows increased salt (sodium) consumption is related to heart disease and stroke.

One of the most interesting findings is that most of the salt comes from processed foods that don’t even taste salty rather than from adding or cooking with salt at home. In school I was always taught that the easier the food was to prepare (i.e. the more processed it was) the more salt it contained.

The recommended salt consumption is 2,300 mg/day for healthy folks and 1,500 mg/day for those with high blood pressure. Many food companies have pledged to lower the salt content of their processed foods but admit that it will only be in some selected foods and it will be a very slow process.

The best way to lower food intake is to cook at home but in our rushed lifestyles that is unlikely to happen. Slowing down might have health benefits in areas we haven’t even thought about. bjmdjd

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A Canadian study published last week online in the Lancet listed the ten risk factors associated with 90% of the risk of stroke. They are:

1. hypertension (high blood pressure)
2. current smoking
3. waist to hip ratio (an indicator of health that compares the size of the waist to the size of the hips)
4. diet
5. alcohol intake
6. regular exercise
7. diabetes
8. stress and depression
9. heart problems
10. lipids (elevated cholesterol or other fat problems in the blood)

All ten risk factors applied to ischemic stroke (the most common kind of stroke which is caused by  the interruption of blood flow like from a clot) while the first five applied to intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke (the kind where there is bleeding in the brain).

The study suggested that specifically treating these ten risk factors could greatly decrease the number of strokes that occur. Something to think about when planning on what you need to do to overall improve your health.  bjmdjd

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I apologize for taking so much time between posts but I’m working on a couple of related projects that I think you might find interesting in the next few months. I’m back with a guest entry from a massage expert named Elise Degrass. I always love posts from folks that know a lot more about a subject than I do. You may enjoy taking a look at her web site which is listed at the bottom of her post.  bjmdjd

According to patrons and practitioners as well as scientific studies, massage therapy has many beneficial effects on patients suffering from all manner of disease or affliction. This lends authority and legitimacy to the widespread and growing addition of massage therapists to the staff of many hospitals and clinics. Massage has been practiced for centuries as a stress reducer but massage therapy is specifically meant to provide medical or health benefits to patients suffering from illnesses.

Massage therapy uses touch to manipulate the soft tissue of muscles in order to achieve a beneficial physical effect. For example, massage therapy is often used to help heal sprained muscles and torn ligaments. There are multiple beneficial applications of massage therapy for patients, and this article will examine five of them.

1) Massage therapy can significantly reduce anxiety, which is a great relief for people suffering from worry or anxiety that is physiologically-based. Massage therapy stimulates and relaxes the muscles of a certain area of the body, but due to the nature of the muscular system, the entire body benefits from the massage of only one place. In fact, massage therapy also improves the immune system; after being massaged before an exam, students from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey showed a noticeable increase in white blood cell count as well as increased presence and activity of natural killer cells.

2) Due to the relaxing effects of the massage, endorphins are released by the brain in response to the stimulation provided to the muscular system. Endorphins are natural pain killers as well as biochemically-based analgesics that promote a general sense of well-being as well as reduce sensations of pain. All muscles in the body benefit from massage therapy; for example, massage therapy is noted to reduce muscle spasms, which may reveal this form of therapy as an alternative to drugs such as methocarbamol.

3) After severe accidents or debilitating injuries, massage therapy can help rebuild atrophied muscles and stimulate healing of the affected areas and systems. As noted above, the muscular system is restored under the influence of a massage therapist. Injured areas are healed faster by utilizing the techniques to relieve the body of the stress from pain or an overtaxed immune or nervous system.

4) Massage therapy also benefits the body as a form of exercise, however mild. It can help free up stiff joints and also rebuilds weakened muscles. Using massage therapy for this kind of purpose is different from using it for medicinal purposes, although this certainly counts as a very effective kind of physical therapy.

5) Massage therapy provides many miscellaneous benefits to patients of all sorts. Even autistic children showed markedly decreased erratic behavior after being treated with massage therapy. Obviously this form of treatment offers many benefits to all people and not just patients, but it also demonstrates significant medical benefits, as well.

Massage therapy can help patients achieve a new level of health in their lives beyond simply giving them some freedom from stress.

Elise Degrass is a freelance writer who writes about Massage Therapy for Massage Therapy

The autor of this website is not affiliated with any other websites that are linked to within this post and do not endorse nor guarantee any of their information.

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I’ve heard all of my life that it was harmful to hold in your anger and that it was just better to let it out. There may be some proof for certain people that this is true.

Research published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Cardiology says that for people with coronary artery disease holding in anger is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and cardiac death.

It was noted by the authors of the study that there may be a great deal of anger in patients who outwardly appear to be well adjusted and without anger. With the increased likelihood of cardiac events these patients require recognizing and possibly treating from a mental health standpoint. bjmdjd

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