ProfNet Wire: Health & Medicine: Safety of Pain Relievers
ROUND-UP: SAFETY OF PAIN RELIEVERS
Following are experts who can discuss the state of pain relief in the U.S. Ever since the debate over the safety of COX-2 inhibitors began, there have been numerous studies, opinions, and suggestions concerning the best OTC alternatives, and whether these drugs are indeed any safer to use than prescription drugs. (This round-up originated in February 2005 with a focus on the safety and efficacy of Cox-2 inhibitors):
**1. GRANT JOHNSON, president and COO of SWISS MEDICA INC., maker of pain relief products: "In the wake of a jury finding Merck & Co. guilty for the death of a man who took Vioxx, consumers are seeking safer alternative pain- relief treatments. The verdict comes as the industry and the FDA struggle to respond to criticism that they're not putting enough emphasis on the safety of prescription drugs. This, coupled with past FDA warnings about the safety and side effects of Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra, has fueled sales and requests for information on alternative pain products."
**2. JAMES M. RIPPE, M.D., associate professor of medicine (cardiology) at TUFTS UNIVERSITY and founder/director of the RIPPE LIFESTYLE INSTITUTE: "Health care professionals need to help their patients distinguish between the benefits and risks associated with all pain medications. Their discussion should include a review of the COX-2 inhibitor class, which is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk, and more established prescriptions and over-the-counter treatments that have well-known safety profiles." Rippe advocates patients starting with an over-the-counter pain medication as a first-line treatment option.
**3. THEODORE R. FIELDS, M.D., FACP, clinical director of the Gosden- Robinson Early Arthritis Center at the HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY: "The FDA recently approved Celebrex for use in ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritic condition involving the spine and other joints. If possible, patients should take a low dose (200mg daily), since Celebrex could increase the risk of gastrointestinal complications. Many physicians have already been using Celebrex 'off label' for select ankylosing spondylitis patients. The FDA labeling enables doctors to more easily prescribe Celebrex to patients with managed care coverage and increases the spectrum of FDA-approved medications for patients with ankylosing spondylitis."
**4. JOE WOODY, vice president of clinical therapies at SMITH & NEPHEW ORTHOPAEDICS, can discuss an alternative for treatment of knee osteoarthritis -- joint fluid therapy made from roster combs.
ROUND-UP: NEWBORN SCREENINGS (continued)
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**1. BRETTE MCWHORTER SEMBER, J.D., author of "Your Practical Pregnancy Planner: Everything You Need to Know About the Financial and Legal Aspects of Preparing for Your New Baby," is an expert on parents' rights: "Even if a state does not have mandatory screening for many diseases, parents can opt to have their child tested. Many parents are unaware of their right. There is a national organization that can help parents obtain screening tests at a reasonable cost and with little hassle."
ROUND-UP: MAD COW DISEASE (continued)
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**1. JOHN P. KLUGE, veterinary pathologist at the NATIONAL VETERINARY SERVICES LABORATORIES, USDA, APHIS, VS, is one of the renowned scientists on the front lines of this disease. An expert on the diagnosis and surveillance of BSE, Kluge has worked for the USDA and studied the disease for 20 years in more than 10 countries.
ROUND-UP: BIRD FLU (continued)
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**1. CLIVE DIX, CEO of POWDERMED, which is behind the development of a DNA- based vaccine, is available to speak to the current status of H5N1. Dix's specific expertise surrounds the methodology behind DNA-based vaccines, how they differ from those grown in chicken eggs, and, in the case of a pandemic, their potential to be produced quickly (150 millions doses in three months).
ROUND-UP: DRUG ADVERTISING (continued)
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**1. DR. DAVID HAWKINS, associate dean of the SOUTH UNIVERSITY School of Pharmacy, is available to comment on the advertising of drugs by major pharmaceutical companies and the views of pharmacists.
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LEADS
**1. EATING DISORDERS: THE SOCIETAL FACTORS BEHIND MALE EATING DISORDERS. DR. LOU RAPPAPORT, associate dean of psychology at ARGOSY UNIVERSITY/SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, can comment on male eating disorders and the societal factors behind them: "Research has shown that the media plays an impressive role in shaping, instead of merely reflecting, conceptions of the ideal body. In addition to media and marketing, organized sports in elementary and middle school, such as boys needing to be below a certain weight to play on a football team, are also a part of this. The Greeks and Romans went down this road of glorification of the body. They are gone, and we seem to have learned little from that lesson."
**2. FITNESS: CAN YOGA REALLY HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT? NAN FUTURONSKY, director of the integrative weight-loss program at KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH, the largest yoga and holistic health retreat center in North America: "A new study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found regular yoga practice may prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and promote weight loss in those who are overweight. Yoga contributes to a balanced, long-term weight-reduction process by helping people reconnect with their body and cultivating self-awareness." Futuronsky can offer comments and practical suggestions.
**3. FITNESS: RESISTANCE TRAINING CAN HELP PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS. JERRY LINENGER, M.D., M.S.S.M., M.P.H., Ph.D., former NASA astronaut and sports medicine physician, lost 14 percent of his bone and muscle mass after a five- month space mission and can discuss the importance of resistance training to prevent the onset of osteoporosis: "After spending months in space, I am keenly aware of the importance and value of resistance training to maintain and improve the condition of muscle and bone. It has taken me years of training to recover the bone and muscle mass I lost floating in space. Exercising and resistance training is critical for people to keep their muscles and bones in condition to last for a lifetime."
**4. GERIATRICS: HOW FAMILY MEMBERS CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION. DR. KATHIE BATES, associate professor of psychology at ARGOSY UNIVERSITY/TAMPA, can comment on geriatric depression and what family members can do to help their loved ones: "Positive activities and experiences for older adults should be a part of each day, and they can be as simple as enjoying bird watching outside the window, to more effortful pastimes such as finishing a craft or household project. The key is to accomplish small tasks successfully and put aside more difficult ones until they no longer seem so challenging. The best way to find out what makes an older adult happy is to be a good listener."
**5. HEALTH: ARE YOU JUST SLEEPY OR DO YOU HAVE A SLEEP DISORDER? WILLIAM HOUGHTON, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer of ORPHAN MEDICAL, is available to speak about sleep disorders: "Everyone feels tired from time to time, but when is sleepiness a symptom of a serious medical condition? Sleep disorders are under-diagnosed, and many patients suffer an average of 15 years before diagnosis, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Narcolepsy, which affects one in 2,000 Americans, is characterized by sudden, uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep." Nine non- expert narcolepsy patients (ages 11 to 65) from around the country are also available for interviews.
**6. HEALTH: CHRONIC WOUNDS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY CHALLENGING WORLDWIDE. DR. LAURA EDSBERG, director of the Natural and Health Sciences Research Center at DAEMEN COLLEGE: "Chronic wounds represent a rapidly increasing health care challenge worldwide and in the U.S. -- dramatically rising as our population ages. These wounds do not heal and often lead to complications, including loss of limb, or death, as in the case of the late actor Christopher Reeve. Approximately 15 percent of hospitalized individuals, 15 to 20 percent of nursing-home residents, and 25 to 35 percent of home-care populations have chronic wounds. Treatment is costly, ranging from $40,000 to $70,000 per wound."
**7. MENTAL HEALTH: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER CASES WILL RISE DRAMATICALLY. LARRY L. ASHLEY, professor of counseling and addiction studies at the UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS, can discuss the effect of PTSD on combat veterans: "As our soldiers and other military and civilian personnel return from Afghanistan and Iraq, we should be prepared for an increase in PTSD-related symptoms, which may include violence. The survival tools, such as 'hyper vigilance' and 'automatic reactions,' which are required for survival in a war zone, are, as a rule, not compatible with civilian life. And because the stressors of combat can be extreme, there is also the increased risk of addictive behaviors following the return from war."
**8. PUBLIC HEALTH: EMPLOYERS CAN HELP BATTLE RISING OBESITY RATES. MARY BETH CHALK, COO of RESOURCES FOR LIVING: "A new report shows that obesity rates rose last year in every state but Oregon. Medical science has established a strong relationship between obesity and 15 diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, stroke and depression. According to the NIH and the Surgeon General, approximately $117 billion of all U.S. health care-related costs spent in 2003 were on obesity or obesity- related complications. Health care costs linked to obesity are even greater than those related to smoking or alcohol abuse. While the debate continues over the government's role in curbing an epidemic that affects 9 million U.S. adults, employers can be proactive and implement programs that not only help individuals achieve weight loss, but address the underlying psycho/social factors that contribute to obesity."
**9. PUBLIC HEALTH: TAKING A BITE OUT OF OBESITY. THOMAS FARLEY, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the community health sciences department at the TULANE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER and author of "Prescription for a Healthy Nation" : "Obesity may soon overtake tobacco use as a leading underlying cause of death in America. Individuals, communities, schools and businesses all have a role in combating obesity. Building more walkable, bikeable neighborhoods and ridding schools and workplaces of high-calorie junk foods are among the policy changes that could take a bite out of the obesity epidemic."
**10. STRESS: CAREGIVERS STRUGGLE WITH POOR HEALTH, HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS. DR. RICHARD SCHULZ, director of gerontology at the UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH and internationally recognized leader in caregiver stress research: "One quarter of Americans are presently caring for an aging loved one, including a parent or spouse. Many of these caregivers struggle to balance the many obligations in their lives. This often means there is little time to care for themselves, which can result in poor health and high levels of stress. The type of chronic stress that occurs can lead to depression, poor self-care, compromised physical health, even premature death, for the family caregiver. It is important to realize that stress is perfectly normal, yet it needs to be dealt with to make sure you are in the best possible condition to care for someone else who needs you."
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