Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Celebrex Cancer Prevention Study Resumes
A University of Texas study to determine whether the painkiller Celebrex can help prevent lung cancer is resuming after being cancelled late last year due to concerns over whether the drug may increase heart attack risk.
Smokers recruited for this study will be monitored for cardiovascular problems and given aggressive treatment if necessary, the Associated Press reported.
The cancer-prevention potential of Celebrex makes the study worth doing, despite the possibility of increased heart attack risk among volunteers, said Dr. Bernard Levin, vice president of cancer prevention at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
The study was two-thirds complete when it was suspended last year. The resumed study will last six months instead of a year. Study volunteers will have their blood pressure monitored and patients with any cardiovascular changes will receive prompt treatment. No patients who've had a heart attack or stroke will be allowed to take part in the study, the AP reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended in February that researchers continue to study the potential of Celebrex to prevent cancer. The U.S. National Cancer Institute advised researchers to weigh the risks and benefits of Celebrex in their clinical trials.
Celebrex is part of a family of painkillers called cox-2 inhibitors, which have been linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Two other cox-2 drugs, Vioxx and Bextra, have been removed from the market.
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2nd Lawsuit Against Vioxx Maker Begins
A second trial has begun alleging that Merck & Co. knew of the cardiac risks posed by the now-defunct arthritis drug Vioxx but failed to warn consumers.
During opening statements in an Atlantic City, NJ. courtroom on Wednesday, the lawyer for Frederick Humeston said the Vietnam War veteran had led an active lifestyle before he suffered a heart attack within two months of starting the painkiller, according to the Associated Press. Humeston, 60, of Boise, Idaho, survived the Sept. 18, 2001 attack.
Merck contends Humeston's heart attack was related to war injuries and a sedentary lifestyle, the wire service reported.
His trial is the first to be heard since last month, when a Texas jury hearing the nation's first Vioxx case found in favor of a widow who blamed the drug for the death of her husband from an abnormal heartbeat. The jury awarded the woman $253 million, although the award will be reduced to about $26 million. Texas law caps punitive damages at about that number in malpractice cases.
Vioxx, which once had annual sales of $2.5 billion, was withdrawn by Merck in September 2004, when research showed the drug increased long-term users' risks of heart attack and stroke.
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Sony PlayStation AC Adaptors May Overheat
Sony is recalling some 843,000 AC adapters sold with the slim version of PlayStation 2 systems, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The adapters could overheat and melt, posing fire, burn and shock hazards to users, according to the commission's news release.
The company said it has received 38 reports of the adapters overheating, including four reports of minor property damage, two reports of minor burns, and one instance of a minor shock.
The recall involves adapters with the following date codes: 2004.08, 2004.09, 2004.10, 2004.11 and 2004.12 and serial numbers beginning with F3. |
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The date code is located in a white box on the lower right hand portion of the adapter label. Just below the date code box is a serial number beginning with F3 followed by a series of digits.
The adapters were sold nationwide from October 2004 through August 2005 with slim version PlayStation 2 consoles with model number SCPH-70011 or SCPH-70012.
Consumers should stop using the adapters immediately and contact Sony to obtain a free replacement. Users should carefully unplug the adapter from the wall outlet and allow it to cool before handling. For more information, call Sony at (888) 780-7690 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday, and between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. PT Sunday.
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Excess Weight, Blood Pressure Boosts Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
People who are overweight and have high blood pressure have a much greater risk of dying of heart-related problems than normal-weight people, according to a French study of nearly 250,000 people.
The study also found that overweight people with high blood pressure were twice as likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than overweight people with normal blood pressure. Overweight people with high blood pressure and other health problems such as diabetes were at even greater risk, the Associated Press reported.
The findings, published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, suggest that overweight people need to take steps to control their blood pressure, as well as try to lose weight.
While overweight people with normal blood pressure have less risk of heart attack or stroke, that doesn't mean their extra weight isn't a threat. Overweight people are more likely than normal-weight people to develop blood pressure problems, the AP reported.
"This study shows that hypertension is most important and is extremely common among people who are overweight and obese," said Dr. Frank Hu, associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal.
He noted that half the overweight people in the study had high blood pressure and many more would likely develop it. Extra weight can lead to high blood pressure in a number of ways, including causing kidney problems and increasing salt sensitivity, Hu said.
