FDA approves new drug STIOLTO for airway diseases.

By Dr Deepu

Patients with COPD and asthma have yet another medicinal option as Stiolto was approved in May  2015 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). The medicine should now be available in pharmacies around the U.S. and few other countries.

The medicine is in the list of ever growing combination medicines approved for asthma and COPD. 

Stiolto contains:

• Tiotropium bromide (Spiriva), a long acting anticholinergic (LAAC)
• Olodaterol (Striverdi), a long acting beta adrenergic (LABA)

Studies showed Spiriva by itself improved lung function. another study has showed that Spiriva used in combination with Symbicort, a medicine that contains both a LABA and an inhaled corticosteroid, improves lung function by as much as 62 percent.

Before concluding I want to emphasise the fact that, approved medicine might benefit in people who are not relieved with other medicines. They are class of ultra long acting drugs so the dosage frequency is decreased which on a long run may decrease the treatment cost and also need for rescue medicines.

Time has to tell whether this medicine combination with satisfy the end user I.e the patient himself has to decide whether it works or not.

Further reading:

1. www.stiolto.com
2. RT Magazine: COPD Treatment Stiolto Respimat Available in U.S
3. Study: Spiriva improves lung function

Taking Clopidogrel with Aspirin is a Deadly Combination.

By Dr Deepu

Taking Clopidogrel along with an aspirin a day to reduce your risk of a stroke or heart attack?

 

That Clopidogrel-aspirin combination almost doubled the mortality risks of patients who had diabetes and high blood pressure but had not suffered a heart attack, according to a study of some 15,000 patients.

Adding Clopidogrel is generally no more effective than taking an aspirin, a result that surprised researchers. No doubt, it shocked drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis too!

Researchers should have expected these kinds of health-harming results, considering Clopidogrel elevated a patient’s risk of developing ulcers by a factor of 12 versus aspirin and Nexium. Just remember, aspirin isn’t a safe, cure-all drug either and, according to one Harvard pharmacist, probably wouldn’t have been approved by the FDA for over-the-counter use had it debuted today.

Best alternatives to taking a drug to protect the heart are
Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
Get moving on an exercise program.

New England Journal of Medicine, March 12, 2006
USA Today, March 13, 2006.

FDA Strengthens Warning Of Heart Attack, Stroke Risk for NSAIDs.

By Dr Deepu

FDA Strengthens Warning Of Heart Attack, Stroke Risk for NSAIDs.

ABC World News (7/9, story 11, 1:15, Muir) reported that the Food and Drug Administration strengthened its warning about risks associated with popular pain medicines Advil (ibuprofen), Motrin (ibuprofen), and Aleve (naproxen).

        NBC Nightly News (7/9, story 3, 2:00, Holt) reported that FDA officials now believe that the evidence is “conclusive” that non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) “can increase the chance of heart attack and stroke.”

        The CBS Evening News (7/9, story 10, 0:25, Pelley) reported that the risks are present even with short-term use of 10 days or less.

        According to New York Times (7/10, A20, Tavernise, Subscription Publication), current labels for these over-the-counter drugs indicate they “may cause” an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. However, the FDA believes that “new data from a recent analysis provided stronger evidence of the increased risk of heart failure from such drugs.”

        The Wall Street Journal (7/10, A4, Burton, Subscription Publication) reports that the agency will request the manufacturers change the safety labels on the drugs to indicate the drugs cause increased risk of heart failure within the coming months.

        The Los Angeles Times (7/10, Healy) reports in “Science Now” that the warnings will also point out that “the higher risk of stroke or heart attack is evident in the first weeks a patient starts taking such drugs, that the risk appears to escalate at higher doses and with longer use, and that even people with no other cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to suffer heart attack or stroke when taking the medications.”

        The AP (7/10, Perrone) reports that “the labeling change is the latest step in the FDA’s ongoing safety review of the drugs, which stretches back to 2004,” when “Merck & Co Inc. pulled its blockbuster pain reliever Vioxx [rofecoxib] off the market because of links to heart attack and stroke.”

        Also covering the story are the NBC News(7/10, Fox) website, HealthDay (7/10, Thompson),MedPage Today (7/10, Brown), and Medscape(7/10, Brown).

Survey: Majority Of Americans, Including Smokers, Say Age Limit For Tobacco Sales Should Be 21

By Dr Deepu

Survey: Majority Of Americans, Including Smokers, Say Age Limit For Tobacco Sales Should Be 21

The Washington Post (7/8, Dennis) “To Your Health” blog reports the findings of an online survey of over 4,000 US adults published Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found 75 percent of adults, including nearly 70 percent of smokers, favor putting the age limit for tobacco sales on par with those of alcohol. The poll was conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists in the study said setting the legal minimum age at 21 instead of 19 would have a “substantially greater impact” because teenagers can pick up smoking from friends or relatives around the same age. Brian King, a co-author of the report and an acting deputy director for CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement about the findings: “Raising the minimum age of sale to 21 could benefit the health of Americans in several ways.”

        The Los Angeles Times (7/8, Kaplan) adds that that poll shows that 50 percent of US adults “strongly favor” increasing the age to 21, while 25 percent said they “somewhat favor” the increase. Only 11 percent said they “strongly oppose” the move, while 14 percent said they would “somewhat oppose” it. The poll also shows 77 percent of people who had never been smokers support raising the minimum age to 21.

        TIME (7/8) reports that Hawaii recently became the first state to increase its legal smoking age to 21. Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey and Utah have set the minimum age as 19.

        The Hill (7/8, Wheeler) reports American Heart Association (AHA) CEO Nancy Brown said in a statement, “If we can keep young Americans from buying tobacco until they turn 21, we could prevent 223,000 premature deaths among those born between 2000 and 2019,” citing numbers from the Institute of Medicine.

        The Winston-Salem (NC) Journal (7/8, Craver), HealthDay (7/8), and Washington Examiner (7/8, Cunningham) also report on this story.

Mouse Study: Just One Added Gene Needed To Turn Yersinia Pestis Bacterium Into A Killer

By Dr Deepu

Mouse Study: Just One Added Gene Needed To Turn Yersinia Pestis Bacterium Into A Killer

The New York Times (7/7, D3, McNeil, Subscription Publication) reports that a genetic study involving mice and published last week in Nature Communications suggests that the Yersinia pestis bacterium, which was “responsible for the Black Death, probably caused small outbreaks of lung disease for many years before it evolved its better-known bubonic form.” The study also found that just “one added gene was needed to turn the Yersinia pestis bacterium into a killer, and only one tiny mutation in that gene was needed to give it two ways of spreading – by cough or by flea bite.

Gene Therapy May Benefit Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

By Dr Deepu

Gene Therapy May Benefit Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

The AP (7/3, Cheng) reported that physicians “who gave children with cystic fibrosis a replacement copy of a defective gene say it appeared to slow the expected decline of some patients’ lungs.” However, they “called the results ‘modest’ and say there must be major improvements before offering the treatment more widely.” The findings (pdf) were published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

        Bloomberg News (7/3, Kitamura) reports that although “the therapy yielded a modest benefit in some patients, there was wide variability among the 136 people at least 12 years old who received monthly doses or a placebo for a year.” Investigators found that after one “year of treatment, in the 62 patients who received the gene therapy, lung function was an average of 3.7 percent greater than in” those given a placebo.

        Also covering the story were Reuters (7/3, Kelland), BBC News (7/4, Ghosh), HealthDay (7/3, Dallas), MedPage Today (7/3, Walker), theHuffington Post (UK) (7/3), the Telegraph (UK)(7/4, Knapton), and The Guardian (UK) (7/3)

Fireworks Temporarily Increase Levels Of Airborne Microscopic Particles

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

Fireworks Temporarily Increase Levels Of Airborne Microscopic Particles

The AP (7/1, Ritter) reports that “a study of 315 locations around the” US found that fireworks “temporarily boosted the levels of airborne microscopic particles that can pose a health risk.” The findings were published in Atmospheric Environment.

        The New York Daily News (7/1, Sblendorio) reports that investigators found that “air quality after America’s annual patriotic display is roughly 40% worse than on normal days.”

        USA Today (6/30, Rice) reports that Dian Seidel, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist and study lead author, said, “These results will help improve air quality predictions, which currently don’t account for fireworks as a source of air pollution.” TheWashington Post (7/1, Samenow) “Capital Weather Gang” blog also covers the story.

FDA Approves New Oral Device To Treat Sleep Apnea

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

FDA Approves New Oral Device To Treat Sleep Apnea
Fierce Medical Devices (6/30, Lawrence) reports that “a new oral device to treat mild and moderate sleep apnea” which “incorporates a wireless microrecorder to track and transmit patient usage” has been approved by the FDA. The device, called SomnoDent, “is expected to help level the playing field for usage tracking between CPAP machines and oral devices.”

Consumption Of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Tied To 180,000 Deaths Each Year

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

Consumption Of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Tied To 180,000 Deaths Each Year
In “Science Now,” the Los Angeles Times (6/30, Healy) reports that “the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks appears to claim the lives of about 25,000 American adults yearly and is linked worldwide to the deaths of 180,000 each year,” according to a study published June 29 in the journal Circulation. In particular, “low- and middle-income countries are bearing the brunt of the death toll attributed to overconsumption of sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks.”
        The Washington Post (6/30, Gebelhoff) “To Your Health” blog points out that “overall...one in every 100 deaths from obesity-related diseases is [caused] by sugary beverages.” Tufts University researchers “found that the beverages would be responsible for 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 from cardiovascular disease and 6,450 from cancer.” Researchers arrived at these conclusions after gathering “data on deaths and disabilities from 2010,” then calculating “the direct effect that sugar-sweetened beverages had on public health based on dietary surveys reaching more than 600,000 people.”
        The NBC News (6/30, Carroll) website reports that Mexico “had the highest rate of deaths related to sugary beverages, with an estimated 405 deaths per million adults (24,000 total deaths) and the United States had the second highest.” The study authors theorized that “the high consumption of sugar sweetened beverages in Mexico and in Latin American countries could be due to problems finding safe drinking water.”
        Also covering the story are the Boston Business Journal (6/30, Bartlett, Subscription Publication) “Health Care Inc.” blog and Medical Daily (6/30, Olson).

For Cancer Survivors, Fear Of Recurrence May Affect Quality Of Sleep

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

For Cancer Survivors, Fear Of Recurrence May Affect Quality Of Sleep
Medscape (6/27, Nelson) reported that a survey published in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology indicates that “cancer survivors often fear disease recurrence, and this can affect the quality of their sleep.” In the “survey of 67 cancer survivors, 52% reported poor sleep quality during the previous month.” Individuals “with some college education and those more afraid of a recurrence appeared to be at greater risk for poor sleep.”

Statins May Help Reduce Major Complications After Lung Surgery

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

Statins May Help Reduce Major Complications After Lung Surgery
HealthDay (6/27, Dallas) reported that research published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery suggests that statins may “help reduce major complications after lung surgery.” Investigators “randomly assigned more than 160 study participants to receive...Lipitor (atorvastatin) or an inactive placebo before and after lung resection.” Fewer patients who were given statins experienced complications. Additionally, “statins were...linked to a nearly 50 percent reduction in post-surgery rates of atrial fibrillation.”

New DNA-Based Blood Test Screens For Any Of 206 Species Of Viruses Known To Infect Humans

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

The New York Times (6/5, A14, Grady, Subscription Publication) reports that with “less than a drop of blood, a new test can reveal nearly every virus a person has ever been exposed to,” according to research published June 5 in the journal Science. The test, still considered “experimental, can be performed for as little as $25 and could become an important research tool for tracking patterns of disease in various populations.” In addition, it could “be used to try to find out whether viruses, or the body’s immune response to them, contribute to chronic diseases and cancer, the researchers said.”

        The Washington Post (6/5, Dennis) “Speaking of Science” blog reports that the “DNA-based blood test,” called VirScan, “works by screening the blood for antibodies against any of the 206 species of viruses known to infect humans.” The human “immune system, which churns out specific antibodies when it encounters a virus, can continue to produce those antibodies decades after an infection subsides.” the new blood test “detects those antibodies and uses them as a window in time to create a blueprint of nearly every virus an individual has encountered.”

        The NBC News (6/5, Fox) website points out the significance of the new test. Currently, “most blood tests are designed to look for one particular virus at a time.” Investigators “tested blood samples from 569 people from the United States, Peru, South Africa and Thailand.” While the test was “not perfect,” it proved to be “95 to 100 percent accurate” in people with HIV and hepatitis C.

        Also covering the story are the NPR (6/5, Greenfieldboyce) “Shots” blog, Health Day (6/5, Norton), Medical Daily (6/5, Bushak), and BBC News (6/5, Ball

Surgery May Benefit stage 3b Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Pulmonary Medicine Blog By Dr Deepu

Health Day (6/5, Salamon) reports on a study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery finding that for patients with stage 3b non-small cell lung cancer, patients who were treated with “a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment lived an average of almost 10 months longer than those receiving chemo and radiation alone.” The study made use of data from over 9,000 patients. Study author Dr. Varun Puri, assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, explained that the findings indicate that “An experienced thoracic surgeon should evaluate these patients” for surgery.