Dear Health-Conscious Friend,
Did you know that more than 100 million Americans have high blood cholesterol levels, excess homocysteine or other risk factors for heart disease?
Cholesterol-lowering drugs are a cash cow for doctors and drug makersas evidenced by Forbes Magazine sales estimates topping $26 billion each year!
In todays Monday Edition of Health News Weekly, Ill tell you why one best-selling cholesterol drug is about as effective as eating jelly beans!
Youll also discover ways to help you lift your mood during the cold, dark days of winter.And youll also find out which drink may provide healthy prostate protection.
Drug Maker Admits Zetia® is Worthless for Unclogging Arteries and Lowering Cholesterol!
It looks like it could be time to bring the curtain down on one act of the cholesterol-lowering drug show. The long-awaited results of a two-year trial conclude that the drug brings absolutely no benefit to users!
Whats worse is some patients taking Zetia during the study developed artery-clogging at nearly DOUBLE the rate.
So not only does Zetia fail to slow fatty plaque buildup in arteriesit actually seems to help it stick!
Its a dirty little secret that drug manufacturers tried their best to hide. The ENHANCE study conducted by manufacturers Merck and Schering-Plough ended in April 2006.
But study results were only released on January 14, 2008after continual prodding by Congress and the medical establishment!
According to The New York Times, the companies had initially planned to release the findings by March 2007. But they missed their self-imposed deadlines because of the complexities of necessary data analysis.
And now that the results are in
it seems youd be wise to reconsider using this drug to battle high cholesterol!
Zetia, known generically as ezetimibe, received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2002. It reportedly lowers levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol.
Zetia is often combined with a statin drug to achieve better results. Merck and Schering-Plough engaged in a joint venture to develop the combination drug Vytorin®. Introduced in mid-2004, Vytorin is the combination of Schering-Ploughs Zetia, with Mercks statin drug Zocor®.
However, this drug duo may be more dangerous than dynamic
Before Zetia received FDA approval, one of the FDAs own researchers recommended that Zetia not be approved. The official cited emerging data that found liver damage in animals when Zetia was combined with statins.
Even in the standard 12-week clinical trial prior to Zetia being approved, there were incidents of trial participants experiencing elevated liver enzymes. This can be an indicator of potential liver damage.
The FDA approved Zetia anywaydespite the fact that trial patients taking Zetia in combination with a statin were 11 times more likely to develop serious health problems than those taking a statin alone! And nearly ALL of those health problems involved liver damage.
These findings could sound a death knell for the productnot to mention for its profit margins.
Sales of Zetia and Vytorin totaled $3.7 billion in the nine months ending September 30. Analysts estimate that about 70 percent of Schering-Ploughs earnings depend on the drugs, the New York Times noted.
So far, the FDA has been mute on the negative study results.
Traditional Remedies for Sinus Infections
Dont Work, Researchers Conclude
Antibiotics and nasal steroids are practically useless in combating sinus infections, a new British study shows.
Study author Dr. Ian Williamson, a senior lecturer in primary medical care at the University of Southampton, said antibiotics are not as effective as have been previously believed, particularly for the majority of cases of acute sinusitis.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers studied 240 adults with sinus infections.
Researchers placed participants in four treatment groups. The group members received either:
- 500 milligrams of the antibiotic amoxicillin three times a day for seven days plus 200 micrograms of the nasal steroid budesonide once a day for 10 days
- A placebo in place of the antibiotic plus budesonide
- Amoxicillin plus a placebo in place of budesonide, or
- Two placebos
In the amoxicillin group, 29 percent of patients had symptoms lasting at least 10 days, and 33.6 percent of those not receiving amoxicillin had the same symptom length of time.
Researchers found that nasal steroids seemed to be more effective in individuals who had less severe symptoms.
In an editorial accompanying the study findings, researchers say most patients with acute sinusitis will get better on their own. Unfortunately, theres no good way to determine who has viral sinusitis and who has bacterial sinusitis.
While researchers investigate new treatments, Williamson said people with sinus infections might use painkillers or steam inhalation for immediate relief.
Fast Fact
If you feel sick after eatingyou might consider keeping a food diary to figure out the problem.
Some food sensitivities can cause stomach pain, nausea, skin eruptions and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Taking note of what you eat prior to feeling sick can help you tie specific foods to your symptoms.
Sometimes it takes about 24 hours for a food reaction to occur, but the reaction usually comes in 12 hours or less.
By using a food diary, you may be able to identify and eliminate foods that cause you to feel ill. Then youll enjoy eatingwithout fear of flare-ups!
Heres How SAD Can Stop You From Feeling Glad!
If end of fall and the onset of winter gives you the bluesyoure not alone. Research shows as many as half a million folks experience mood changes when the seasons change!
Known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the winter depression form of this syndrome usually begins in late fall or early winter and goes away by summer. SAD is more common in women than in menbut for adults, the risk of SAD decreases as they get older.
Some experts think shorter days and less sunlight during winter causes SAD. In the United States, it is much more common in northern states.
Folks affected by SAD may experience:
- A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
- Weight gain
- Fatigue or a drop in energy levels
- A tendency to oversleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Depression
So what can you do to help lift your mood? Some folks use light therapy as a treatment. Patients expose themselves to a special type of light for 30 minutes every day to help relieve feelings of winter depression.
If light therapy helps you, continue using it until the sunlight continues to increase. Stopping light therapy too soon can cause your symptoms to return.
Some doctors recommend medicines, diet changes and even vacations in sunnier climates as treatments.
A relaxing trip to the Caribbeannow THAT could be a real mood lifter at ANY time of year!
Health E-Hints
Green Tea Promotes Prostate Health!
Asian cultures have long appreciated the health benefits of green tea. In fact, one ancient Chinese proverb states:
Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.
Heres a new reason to appreciate this popular drink. According to study findings from researchers at Japans National Cancer Center, green tea may reduce the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer!
The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, compiled data from 50,000 men aged 40-69 over a period of up to 14 years from 1990.
According to the report, men who drank five or more cups a day could cut their risk of developing advanced prostate cancer in HALF!
This does not mean that people who drink green tea are guaranteed to have reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer, said Norie Kurahashi, a scientist who took part in the study.
We are just presenting our results. But the study does point to the hope that green tea reduces the risk of advanced prostate cancer.