Archive for the ‘Health Conditions’ Category

A medication used to treat severe cases of acne and skin ailments, Accutane remains a popular drug for thousands of people. Since its introduction to the market in 1982, the medication has been linked to a number of serious health risks including an increased risk of suicide, birth defects, ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. While the brand name drug was pulled off the U.S. market in June of last year, the medication is still available in generic versions such as Amnesteem, Sortret and Claravis.

Consumer advocates and a number of experts in the medical field claim that despite these health risks, the medication has been prescribed quite liberally, often without appropriate consideration of the drug’s potential benefits and dangers.

The mother of Daniel Bauman, a teenager who began taking Accutane in June of 1999 and committed suicide in December of that same year, testified that she and her son received two informational brochures about Accutane before he began taking the drug, neither of which contained any mention of depression.

Despite the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued a safety warning about Accutane and suicide in February of 2008, Daniel’s dermatologist had distributed out-dated brochures written in 1996 and 1997. Many patients around the country have been filing an Accutane lawsuit due to insufficient warnings and information provided prior to being prescribed the medication

Accutane: The medication guide for Accutane states mental problems and suicide may be an issue for patients taking the drug, and a label on the medication cautions patients about the increased risk of suicide; Sadness, Irritability, Unusual fatigue, Difficulty concentrating, Loss of appetite.

Suicide is not the only side effect of Accutane that advocates claim has been ignored or underplayed. Recently, a great deal of attention has been drawn to the potential link between Accutane and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can take the form of the often-debilitating illnesses known as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Medications Linked to Increased Risk of Suicide

Certain medications are associated with an increased risk of suicide, including:

• Antidepressants (Paxil, Citalopram, Celexa): The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all antidepressant medications to carry a warning cautioning patients, especially young patients, about the potential for an increased risk of suicide during the first two months of treatment with these medications. While these medications are intended to alleviate depression, they may exacerbate suicidal tendencies in some cases.
• Anticonvulsants (Neurontin, Lamictal, Trileptal): In April 2010, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients taking anticonvulsants (medications often prescribed for the treatment of convulsions in epileptic patients) had twice the risk of suicidal thoughts when compared to patients taking a placebo.

By providing FDA alerts, drug information and side effects about prescription and over the counter medications, we can ensure an environment where patients have the best knowledge on their medical treatment and health. Additional information may be found on DrugWatch.com.

a. The Myth of Good and Bad Cholesterol

For some people, cholesterol is bad because they do not know there are two types of it. These two types are LDL and HDL – the bad cholesterol is called LDL, while the good one is called HDL. Plaques can form on one’s arteries if you have a lot of LDL in the bloodstream. Eventually, your arteries will get narrow as a result of being clogged up and it will block off blood flow. The truth is, your high cholesterol is not caused by dietary cholesterol but by other things. This is caused by excessive amounts of Tran’s fat and saturated fat. Exercise and eating a lot of fiber and unsaturated fats will do a lot to keep cholesterol down.

b. What Numbers Mean in Cholesterol

Every adult should have their cholesterol checked at least every 5 years. When you get a cholesterol test, you’ll usually get back four different results. Here are the 4 categories and the healthy range you want to be in.

Total Cholesterol – less than 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)

LDL Cholesterol – less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)

HDL Cholesterol – greater than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)

Triglycerides – less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)

If you are over or under the desired level on any category, it is usually indicative that a diet or exercise change is needed.

c. Vitamin E and How it Can Protect the Heart

Vitamin E is an important vitamin found in leafy vegetables, nuts, and vegetable oils. It was previously believed that a Vitamin E supplement could reduce the risk of heart disease, but several studies in the last few years have shown that this supplement does little to prevent heart attacks or strokes.

d. Five Fabulous Foods to Decrease Cholesterol Levels

1. Oatmeal and Oat Bran: These contain a high amount of soluble fiber, which can lower LDL.

2. Fish: Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which lowers LDL and raises HDL.

3. Nuts: Not only are nuts high in fiber, but they contain the healthy fats you need to keep LDL in check.

4. Plant Sterols: This is found in foods like margarine, salad dressing, orange juice, and functional cookies. 2 grams per day will lower your LDL by 10-15%.

5. Soy: This popular meat replacement can lower LDL by up to 3%.

e. Health Benefits of Plant Sterols

Plant sterols can be found in foods such as Benecol Spread, granola bars, VitaTops Muffin Tops and fat free milk. To help your heart, you should eat a lot of plant sterols-packed food and stop eating foods with saturated fat. You should know that this does not balance out a diet rich in saturated fats. To be in control of your cholesterol, you should still eat healthy and exercise often.

About the Author – Deborah H. Land writes for the cholesterol diet tips blog, her personal hobby website she uses to help people eat healthy to lower bad cholesterol levels