8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take
Doctors know which prescription and over-the-counter drugs are the most dangerous. The writers of this article asked them the question, "Which medications would you skip?" Here were their answers:
Advair
It's asthma medicine that can make your asthma deadly. Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis found that regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year.
Avandia
Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with rosiglitazone, better known as Avandia, it could cause a heart attack. A study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
Celebrex
This painkiller has been linked to increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. And according to a 2005 study, people taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more than tripled their risk.
Ketek
This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for respiratory-tract infections, carries a high risk of severe liver side effects. In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of pneumonia.
Prilosec and Nexium
The FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and these acid-reflux remedies, although they did not find a "likely" connection. But whether this is true or not, they can raise your risk of pneumonia, and result in an elevated risk of bone loss. The risk of a bone fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use these drugs long-term.
Visine Original
These eye drops “get the red out” by shrinking blood vessels. Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.
Pseudoephedrine
This decongestant, found in many drugs, can raise blood pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as worsening the symptoms of prostate disease and glaucoma.
Sources:
* MSN Health
24 June 2008
How to Be On Time Every Time
Being on time results from your whole attitude towards time. It requires a bit of an attitude adjustment. A lot of the time, people show up late because the event isn’t all that important to them. So don’t schedule events that aren’t important; use that time for things that are important to you.
Here are some other ways to make yourself more punctual:
Don’t check your email or voicemail right before you leave. That “last quick check” will almost always take more time than you think.
Plan for trouble. Always add 25 percent to your time estimate to get anywhere or do any task.
Set up the night before. Lay out your clothes, put your wallet in your pants pockets or purse, load up your bag with whatever material you’ll need, put your lunch together, and so on.
Set your clocks ahead a few minutes each -- by different amounts. You might have a look at the Procrastinator’s Clock which is some random amount of time ahead, up to 15 minutes.
Learn to better estimate how much time things take. Use a time tracker app like RescueTime to learn how long typical tasks take you to complete.
Schedule events 10 minutes early. Put your 1:00 appointment into your schedule at 12:50.
Set reminders. Use your calendar program’s built-in reminder function, or use a service like Sandy to send you text reminders at set intervals before each appointment
Schedule events for “off-peak” times. Learn the times that traffic or other factors might make you late, and avoid scheduling during those times.
Fill your gas tank when it reaches 1/4 tank. Don’t let an empty gas tank make you late for anything.
Use a countdown timer. Grab a cheap digital timer, and use it to create a sense of urgency.
Sources:
* Lifehack.org May 16, 2008
Here are some other ways to make yourself more punctual:
Don’t check your email or voicemail right before you leave. That “last quick check” will almost always take more time than you think.
Plan for trouble. Always add 25 percent to your time estimate to get anywhere or do any task.
Set up the night before. Lay out your clothes, put your wallet in your pants pockets or purse, load up your bag with whatever material you’ll need, put your lunch together, and so on.
Set your clocks ahead a few minutes each -- by different amounts. You might have a look at the Procrastinator’s Clock which is some random amount of time ahead, up to 15 minutes.
Learn to better estimate how much time things take. Use a time tracker app like RescueTime to learn how long typical tasks take you to complete.
Schedule events 10 minutes early. Put your 1:00 appointment into your schedule at 12:50.
Set reminders. Use your calendar program’s built-in reminder function, or use a service like Sandy to send you text reminders at set intervals before each appointment
Schedule events for “off-peak” times. Learn the times that traffic or other factors might make you late, and avoid scheduling during those times.
Fill your gas tank when it reaches 1/4 tank. Don’t let an empty gas tank make you late for anything.
Use a countdown timer. Grab a cheap digital timer, and use it to create a sense of urgency.
Sources:
* Lifehack.org May 16, 2008
Would You Like Some Hormones With Your Perfumed Air?
Three environmental and health groups are suing the federal government in an attempt to put labels onto air fresheners that use a potentially harmful substance.
Phthalates can damage the reproductive system and interrupt normal development by mimicking your body's hormones, but they were found in more than a dozen common household air fresheners tested by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Phthalates were only one of the potentially harmful chemicals identified in the air fresheners; others have been linked to cancer and asthma.
About three out of four households use air fresheners. It is a $1.72 billion industry which has grown 50 percent since 2003.
Sources:
* The Daily Green June 17, 2008
Phthalates can damage the reproductive system and interrupt normal development by mimicking your body's hormones, but they were found in more than a dozen common household air fresheners tested by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Phthalates were only one of the potentially harmful chemicals identified in the air fresheners; others have been linked to cancer and asthma.
About three out of four households use air fresheners. It is a $1.72 billion industry which has grown 50 percent since 2003.
Sources:
* The Daily Green June 17, 2008
18 June 2008
Message from Dr Lau: Book Update
Clarity, clarity, clarity….
“Writing is something one can learn,” declared Ayn Rand in The Art of Nonfiction. “There is no mystery about it.”
She should know. She, like me was never formally trained in the art.
In 1969, over 16 evenings, the novelist-philosopher demystified writing in a series of informal lectures given to small group of colleagues. Her lectures were taped, and, 19 years after her death in 1982, edited and published as The Art of Nonfiction.
It came as a surprise to me then, when I learnt that for all her cult status, Rand was not a born writer. At least not in English. She spoke the language only haltingly and did not write a line until the age of 20, soon after she fled Communist Russia to settle in the United States in 1926. It took her years to master her craft, which she eventually did with great aplomb.
My experiences with my book, Health in Your Hands, are somewhat similar. An early lesson that I picked from experts is that effective writing must have three essential components. Clarity, clarity, and clarity.
I also realized that clarity is impossible to achieve with any measure of authenticity without in-depth research, which is why before setting out to pen my thoughts on the nutritional requirement of scoliosis patients, I virtually pored over every written word on the subject. I must have literally read and consulted dozens of books (both print and online), scientific journals, research papers etc., to find out the latest, credible thoughts on nutrition for scoliosis patients with an open, objective, unbiased mind.
I was clear that I didn’t want to go with any position. I was willing to be convinced by any solid, documentary proof. It’s another matter altogether, that my research later revealed more evidence in favor of non-surgical treatment of scoliosis.
Regards,
Dr Kevin Lau
“Writing is something one can learn,” declared Ayn Rand in The Art of Nonfiction. “There is no mystery about it.”
She should know. She, like me was never formally trained in the art.
In 1969, over 16 evenings, the novelist-philosopher demystified writing in a series of informal lectures given to small group of colleagues. Her lectures were taped, and, 19 years after her death in 1982, edited and published as The Art of Nonfiction.
It came as a surprise to me then, when I learnt that for all her cult status, Rand was not a born writer. At least not in English. She spoke the language only haltingly and did not write a line until the age of 20, soon after she fled Communist Russia to settle in the United States in 1926. It took her years to master her craft, which she eventually did with great aplomb.
My experiences with my book, Health in Your Hands, are somewhat similar. An early lesson that I picked from experts is that effective writing must have three essential components. Clarity, clarity, and clarity.
I also realized that clarity is impossible to achieve with any measure of authenticity without in-depth research, which is why before setting out to pen my thoughts on the nutritional requirement of scoliosis patients, I virtually pored over every written word on the subject. I must have literally read and consulted dozens of books (both print and online), scientific journals, research papers etc., to find out the latest, credible thoughts on nutrition for scoliosis patients with an open, objective, unbiased mind.
I was clear that I didn’t want to go with any position. I was willing to be convinced by any solid, documentary proof. It’s another matter altogether, that my research later revealed more evidence in favor of non-surgical treatment of scoliosis.
Regards,
Dr Kevin Lau
17 June 2008
Researchers Take Drug Company Pay, Then Lie About it
Dr. Joseph Biederman, of Harvard Medical School, is a world-renowned child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children. He earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007. However, he did not report much of this income to university officials.
Biederman and other researchers may have violated federal and university research rules designed to police potential conflicts of interest.
Dr. Biederman reported no income from Johnson & Johnson for 2001 in a disclosure report filed with the university. When asked to check again, he said he received $3,500. But Johnson & Johnson said that it paid him $58,169 in 2001.
Biederman’s consulting arrangements with drug makers were already controversial because of his advocacy of unapproved uses of psychiatric medicines in children.
Sources:
* New York Times June 8, 2008
Biederman and other researchers may have violated federal and university research rules designed to police potential conflicts of interest.
Dr. Biederman reported no income from Johnson & Johnson for 2001 in a disclosure report filed with the university. When asked to check again, he said he received $3,500. But Johnson & Johnson said that it paid him $58,169 in 2001.
Biederman’s consulting arrangements with drug makers were already controversial because of his advocacy of unapproved uses of psychiatric medicines in children.
Sources:
* New York Times June 8, 2008
Sunshine is Nature's Disease Fighter
Medical researchers are growing increasingly excited about a wonder drug that may significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many other diseases -- sunshine.
A recent study found that men who are deficient in vitamin D, which your body produces in response to sunlight, have more than double the normal risk of suffering a heart attack.
Another study found that low levels of vitamin D increased the risk of diabetes, and yet another linked vitamin D deficiencies to an increased risk of dying from breast cancer.
These findings all join a growing body of evidence indicating that an adequate level of the vitamin, which many people can get from 20 minutes in the sun, is crucial to maintaining good health.
Sources:
* Los Angeles Times June 10, 2008
A recent study found that men who are deficient in vitamin D, which your body produces in response to sunlight, have more than double the normal risk of suffering a heart attack.
Another study found that low levels of vitamin D increased the risk of diabetes, and yet another linked vitamin D deficiencies to an increased risk of dying from breast cancer.
These findings all join a growing body of evidence indicating that an adequate level of the vitamin, which many people can get from 20 minutes in the sun, is crucial to maintaining good health.
Sources:
* Los Angeles Times June 10, 2008
Whole Body Vibration Does Your Bones and Muscles Good
Standing on a vibrating platform be beneficial for muscles and bones, particularly in older or sedentary adults.
Whole body vibration, or WBV, involves standing on a platform that sends mild vibratory impulses through the feet and into the rest of the body. It is claimed that the vibrations activate muscle fibers more efficiently than the conscious contraction of muscles during regular exercise.
Some studies have found that WBV increases bone density in the hip, and inhibit bone loss in the spine and hip areas.
Sources:
* Reuters June 12, 2008
Whole body vibration, or WBV, involves standing on a platform that sends mild vibratory impulses through the feet and into the rest of the body. It is claimed that the vibrations activate muscle fibers more efficiently than the conscious contraction of muscles during regular exercise.
Some studies have found that WBV increases bone density in the hip, and inhibit bone loss in the spine and hip areas.
Sources:
* Reuters June 12, 2008
Athletes Turn to Strange Drugs in Search of an Advantage
Many athletes have begun to use a strange and alarming array of legal drugs to keep themselves competitive.
Viagra works by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow through the body, so some athletes take it to help their game, believing that it will improve lung function by increasing oxygenation of the blood to the lungs.
Other athletes take Human Growth Hormone, which can increase metabolism and protein synthesis during exercise, or even ingest baking soda, a practice called “soda doping”, to improve performance.
Sources:
* ABC News June 12, 2008
Viagra works by relaxing muscles and increasing blood flow through the body, so some athletes take it to help their game, believing that it will improve lung function by increasing oxygenation of the blood to the lungs.
Other athletes take Human Growth Hormone, which can increase metabolism and protein synthesis during exercise, or even ingest baking soda, a practice called “soda doping”, to improve performance.
Sources:
* ABC News June 12, 2008
Why is the U.S. Spending More Than $1 Trillion for Drugs?
The global market for pharmaceuticals was worth more than $693 billion in 2007. It is expected to increase to over $737 billion in 2008 and will top $1.0 trillion in 2013.
The market is divided into branded prescription drugs, generic prescription drugs and over-the-counter products. Branded prescription drugs have the largest share of the market, with more than $525 billion in sales during 2007.
The second largest segment, generic prescription drugs, will experience the highest growth rate over the next few years. It was worth $78.5 billion in 2007 and will nearly double, to almost $152 billion, by the end of 2013.
Sources:
* PharmaLive.com June 11, 2008
The market is divided into branded prescription drugs, generic prescription drugs and over-the-counter products. Branded prescription drugs have the largest share of the market, with more than $525 billion in sales during 2007.
The second largest segment, generic prescription drugs, will experience the highest growth rate over the next few years. It was worth $78.5 billion in 2007 and will nearly double, to almost $152 billion, by the end of 2013.
Sources:
* PharmaLive.com June 11, 2008
6 June 2008
The Coming Energy Wars
This spring, average gas prices in the U.S. started edging towards $4 per gallon, and America's notoriously profligate ways started to change fast. Americans are driving less, using mass transit more, buying fewer big cars, and shopping with less abandon.
There are more changes to come. Oil prices climbed from $10 per barrel in 1999 to $95 in 2007, and have continued to climb. Many are realizing that long-term demand, led by China and India, is only going to grow, and that the supply threats such as falling investment, industry bottlenecks and downward estimates of big field reserves aren't going away any time soon. The $200 per barrel barrier could be passed within the next two years.
Skyrocketing oil prices are already causing real pain for ordinary people and threatening global economic growth. The price pressure is now particularly acute in big emerging markets like China and India. Americans now making up for their losses at the gas pump by flocking to Wal-Mart for cheap Chinese goods may soon be out of luck. $200 oil in 2009 would be a painful shock, not just a tax on gas guzzlers. No industry will be unaffected.
Some analysts are predicting a shift toward regional trade, and even a major reversal of globalization itself, due to rising transport costs. A major increase in oil prices would also boost the fortunes of troublesome oil autocrats throughout the world.
There is increasing concern that as higher oil prices force many Asian economies to reduce or even cut their generous fuel subsidies, growth will slow sharply, and there could be social unrest as the world's poorest become more desperate. As areas like the Mideast and Africa, Russia and Venezuela continue to rise, there will likely be increasing energy greed, aggressive behaviors and neocolonial actions. Blood will almost certainly be spilled.
Sources:
* Newsweek June 9, 2008
There are more changes to come. Oil prices climbed from $10 per barrel in 1999 to $95 in 2007, and have continued to climb. Many are realizing that long-term demand, led by China and India, is only going to grow, and that the supply threats such as falling investment, industry bottlenecks and downward estimates of big field reserves aren't going away any time soon. The $200 per barrel barrier could be passed within the next two years.
Skyrocketing oil prices are already causing real pain for ordinary people and threatening global economic growth. The price pressure is now particularly acute in big emerging markets like China and India. Americans now making up for their losses at the gas pump by flocking to Wal-Mart for cheap Chinese goods may soon be out of luck. $200 oil in 2009 would be a painful shock, not just a tax on gas guzzlers. No industry will be unaffected.
Some analysts are predicting a shift toward regional trade, and even a major reversal of globalization itself, due to rising transport costs. A major increase in oil prices would also boost the fortunes of troublesome oil autocrats throughout the world.
There is increasing concern that as higher oil prices force many Asian economies to reduce or even cut their generous fuel subsidies, growth will slow sharply, and there could be social unrest as the world's poorest become more desperate. As areas like the Mideast and Africa, Russia and Venezuela continue to rise, there will likely be increasing energy greed, aggressive behaviors and neocolonial actions. Blood will almost certainly be spilled.
Sources:
* Newsweek June 9, 2008
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