Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
FDA Warns of Deadly Complications in Highly Touted Stent
U.S. health officials are warning that a revolutionary heart stent coated with a drug designed to prevent blood clots has been associated with at least 60 deaths.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it had received more than 290 reports of clotting during the month after the Cypher stent was implanted in patients, HealthDay reports. More than 60 people died. In the remaining cases, "the device was associated with injury requiring medical or surgical intervention," the FDA said.
An additional 50 reports, also including some deaths, were attributed to "possible hypersensitivity reactions" with symptoms such as rash, pain, fever, hives and itching, the agency said in a statement.
Physicians on the front lines do not see the FDA warning as a cause for undue alarm. "There is absolutely no question that the stents are a big advance in terms of efficacy for the patient," said Dr. John Hodgson, president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
Some 450,000 of the drug-releasing stents have been shipped since the device received FDA approval in April. Made by Cordis Corp., the new stents are coated with a thin polymer containing an antibiotic called siroliumus, which is slowly released into the patient to decrease inflammation and scarring and, thus, re-blockage of the artery.
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Delayed Conception May Lead to Problems
Women who take a long time to conceive but who eventually become pregnant may face a higher risk of birthing problems, Danish researchers caution.
Researchers at the University of Aarhus, in conjunction with colleagues at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, found in a study of Danish births that women who had tried to conceive for more than one year -- a generally accepted definition of infertility -- were at greater risk for premature birth, low birth weight or Caesarean section, HealthDay reports.
The researchers analyzed nearly 56,000 births from the Danish National Birth Cohort study, where women were asked to report the length of time they took to conceive. The scientists found that among these women, about 11 percent had tried to conceive for more than a year; 15 percent were first-time mothers and 8 percent had already given birth.
Researchers say the study, one of the largest ever done on infertility and birth outcomes, shows doctors should be especially alert to potential problems that confront this group of women. Results of the study appear in the November issue of Human Reproduction.
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Experts Describe Wildfire Health Effects
As the wildfires rage on in Southern California, experts warn that while healthy people generally won't suffer long-term health effects, people with chronic breathing or heart problems could be at risk for complications.
People with those conditions, as well as very young children and the elderly, are advised to stay indoors and run their air conditioners, The New York Times reports.
Health officials in San Diego say emergency room visits for breathing problems have risen by 50 percent, the newspaper says. Experts say fine airborne particles from the burning vegetation can make their way into a person's lungs, leading to problems including shortness of breath, asthma attacks, and bronchitis.
Inhaled particles can inflame the bronchial tubes and clog tiny airways deep in the lungs where incoming oxygen is delivered to the blood, the Times reports. For those at risk who must be outside, experts say facial masks may help, especially ones that fit tightly over the mouth and nose and filter out tiny particles.
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Halloween Candleholders Recalled for Fire Hazard
| Michaels Stores, Inc. is recalling 165,000 Halloween ceramic candleholders that could flare up due to a lack of built-in ventilation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The company has received eight reports of flare-ups or scorching, causing minor finger burns to three users.
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The tealight candleholders -- between 2.5 and 3.25 inches high -- are shaped like pumpkins, gourds, witch hats and ghosts. An orange sticker on the bottom of each holder reads, "Made in China" and "MSI Irving, TX."
Michaels Stores nationwide sold the candleholders from
July 2003 through October 2003 for about $1. Consumers should stop using them immediately and return them to any Michaels Store for a refund.
For more information, contact Michaels Stores at 1-877-562-3816 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday.
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Watchdog Group Seeks Ban on Antidepressant
The advocacy group Public Citizen says the United States should follow the lead of Canada and Europe and take the antidepressant Serzone off the market.
The group said that, between April 1, 2002 and May 12, 2003, it had found 33 reports of liver failure associated with the drug, nine of which were fatal. That is in addition to 22 cases of liver failure and 11 deaths since the drug was first approved in the U.S. in 1994, according to a news release.
"Typically, it is estimated that only about 10 percent of cases are reported, meaning that potentially hundreds of people have died from this drug and hundreds more have been injured," Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said in a statement. "This drug is no more effective than other antidepressants, but is uniquely and unpredictably toxic."
Earlier this month, the Canadian government announced that it was removing Serzone from the market. In 2001, the Food and Drug Administration ordered the drug's maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb, to put strict warnings about liver toxicity on the drug's label.
