Health Tips

NEW VACCINE CAUSES CONCERN

Prevnar, a new vaccine introduced with great fanfare last year to protect infants and children against serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis, as well as ear infections, is now receiving criticism, often from the very doctors who recommend it, say researchers at the University of Michigan. In the study, 24 doctors in 7 states expressed concern that the vaccine is too expensive -- a whopping $260 for 4 doses -- adds yet another injection to infants' already vaccine-heavy office visits, and initially wasn't covered by many insurers, creating an unequal situation for some kids. Combination and more affordable vaccines and more rapid availability for disadvantaged children emerged as issues that primary-care physicians felt should be considered in the development of future vaccines. Nevertheless, 75% of the doctors surveyed said they recommend the vaccine for their young patients. Those who hesitated did so because of the cost.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR HEART PATIENTS

The good news: treatment with a combination of one of the popular "statin" drugs plus the B-vitamin niacin can cut the risk of a heart attack or hospitalization for chest pain by 70% among high-risk patients, according to a study conducted at the University of Washington. It is published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The bad news: in the same study, the researchers found no benefit to taking the antioxidant vitamins C, E, beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) or selenium, a mineral that also acts as an antioxidant. Cardiologist B. Greg Brown and his associates found that the combination therapy didn't just raise the "good" cholesterol and lower the "bad;" it also reversed the buildup of a substance called plaque, which blocks the arteries and greatly increases the risk of a heart attack. The antioxidants, however, weren't just ineffective -- they actually lowered the expected rise in good cholesterol. Don't take niacin without a doctor's guidance, Dr. Brown warned, as large doses may produce liver damage in rare patients.

VITAMINS MAY PREVENT REPEAT ARTERIAL BLOCKAGE

People with a severe buildup of plaque in their coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle, often must undergo a procedure known as angioplasty to compress the plaques and open their arteries. Unfortunately, up to 40% of patients experience a re-blockage and ultimately must undergo angioplasty again. Now doctors at the University of California, San Diego, in conjunction with doctors in Switzerland, have found that inexpensive supplements of folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 may prevent those repeat blockages, sparing the patients the need for a second procedure. In the study, which involved more than 200 patients, the doctors, led by Guido Schnyder, MD, of UCSD, found that the vitamin regimen cut the risk of re-blockage nearly in half. Since the scientists detected no adverse effects of the vitamins, Dr. Schnyder suggests that physicians recommend these supplements to people who have undergone one successful angioplasty.

HUNGRY HOLIDAYS FOR SOME ELDERLY

Poverty isn't the only reason why some elderly citizens may not get enough to eat this holiday season, say the authors of 3 new studies conducted at Cornell University. People who lack the strength or mobility to prepare their own meals may also suffer. Using state and national data on more than 6,600 adults aged 60 or more, the researchers found that low education and social isolation, as well as poverty, are related to inadequate purchasing power for a nutritious diet. They also reported that impairments stemming from serious disease or disability also increase the risk of not always having enough to eat. Even seniors with adequate financial resources don't always consume enough protein, iron, and vitamins, the studies show. Edward Frongillo, one of the investigators, maintains these findings show that food assistance programs must be made more effective for vulnerable elderly people, and believes more studies are needed to reveal the true scope of the problem.

(Editors: For more information on PREVNAR, call 734-764-2220; on CHOLESTEROL, call 206-685-3841; on VITAMINS, call 619-543-6163; and on ELDERLY, call 607-255-3613.)