New research shows that Wild Blueberries may have a cardio-protective effect, improving vascular function and decreasing the vulnerability of blood vessels to oxidative stress. (Sources:Journal of Medicinal Food, 2009; Feb; 12(1): 21-8 and Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2009, Jan 19) The studies contribute to a growing body of research supporting the potential protective effect of Wild Blueberries in the diet on cellular signaling within the vascular environment. These findings suggest that the consumption of Wild Blueberries could help regulate blood pressure and combat atherosclerosis.

“Our studies confirm our hypothesis that Wild Blueberry-enriched diets significantly diminish arterial constriction in animal models by relaxing blood vessels, which may have implications on blood pressure regulation in both animal models with normal blood pressure and ones with high blood pressure. We also discovered that Wild Blueberries operate differently in the above animal models, but the end result is to aid in maintenance of a functional endothelium which may help prevent vascular complications associated with hypertension,” said Dr. Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Nutrition and lead researcher from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Maine, Orono.

According to Dr. Klimis-Zacas, controlling oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the vascular environment is key to cardiovascular health. “We continue to focus our research on the role of diet in disease prevention. Our work with animals fed a diet of whole fruit, like Wild Blueberries, takes research one-step further beyond an examination of fruit extracts and their impact on cell cultures. If we can control oxidative stress and inflammation through diet, we could see a protective cardiovascular benefit. Recently, we have also come to appreciate that the role of Wild Blueberry bioactive compounds and their metabolites is not only accomplished through their antioxidant properties but also through their ability to act as regulators of signal transduction pathways and may also affect gene expression.”

Wild Blueberries and Antioxidants

According to Susan Davis, MS, RD, Nutrition Advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, Dr. Klimis-Zacas’ research contributes to a growing body of evidence that Wild Blueberries, as part of a well-balanced diet, have the potential to reduce chronic disease risk and promote healthy aging. “Studies like these make it clear that food truly can be medicine and that healthy eating is critical to a long and healthy life. Something as simple as having one cup of fruits and vegetables at every meal will pay large dividends in health,” said Davis. She noted that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is key, but because USDA research findings using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) measure ranked Wild Blueberries highest in antioxidant capacity per serving, she recommends eating Wild Blueberries every day. The study showed that a serving of Wild Blueberries had more antioxidant capacity than a serving of cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, and even cultivated blueberries. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004; 52:4026-4037)

Antioxidants are important in terms of their ability to protect against oxidative cell damage that can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and heart disease – conditions also linked with chronic inflammation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of blue-purple foods like Wild Blueberries may have the potential to help prevent these diseases.

Wild Blueberry Association of North America

The Wild Blueberry Association of North America is a trade association of growers and processors of Wild Blueberries from Mine and Canada, dedicated to bringing the Wild Blueberry health story and unique Wild Advantages to consumers and the trade worldwide. To learn more about Wild Blueberries visit wildblueberries.com.

Health fraud is the deceptive sale or advertising of products that claim to be effective against medical conditions or otherwise beneficial to health, but which have not been proven safe and effective for those purposes.

In addition to wasting billions of consumers’ dollars each year, health scams can lead patients to delay proper treatment and cause serious—and even fatal—injuries.

Since the 1990s, peddlers of fraudulent “health” products have used the Internet as a primary tool to hawk their wares. This has kept the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies busier than ever in protecting the public from health fraud.

Since June 2008, FDA has warned consumers not to use bogus cancer-treatment products marketed online by 28 U.S. companies. These products include tablets, teas, tonics, salves, and creams sold under more than 180 different brand names.

And since December 2008, FDA has warned about more than 70 weight loss products containing unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients and chemicals not listed on the labels. Some of these ingredients present serious health risks when taken in dosages recommended on the product label.

back to top

Common Types of Health Fraud

Cancer fraud: Among the many long-running cancer scams is the Hoxsey Cancer Treatment, an herbal regimen that has no proven benefit. Another scam involves products called black salves. These are offered with the false promise of drawing cancer out from the skin, but they are potentially corrosive to tissues.

Cancer requires individualized treatment by a specialized physician. No single device, remedy, or treatment can treat all types of cancer.

Patients looking to try an experimental cancer treatment should enroll in a legitimate clinical study. For more information, visit the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Web site www.cancer.gov/CLINICALTRIALS.

HIV/AIDS fraud: There are legitimate treatments that can help people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While early treatment of HIV can delay progression to AIDS, there is currently no cure for the disease.

Relying on unproven products and treatments can be dangerous and cause delays in seeking legitimate medical treatments that have been proven in clinical trials to improve quality of life.

Safe, reliable testing to determine whether you have HIV can be done by a medical professional.

To date, there is one FDA-approved testing system that allows individuals to test themselves at home. It is an HIV collection system that tests only for HIV-1, which is the cause of the majority of the world’s HIV infections.

The test, sold either as The Home Access HIV-1 Test System or The Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System, allows blood samples to be sent to a laboratory for testing with an FDA approved HIV-1 test.

Arthritis fraud: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says consumers spend about $2 billion annually on unproven arthritis remedies that are not backed by adequate science.

For current, accurate information on arthritis treatments and alternative therapies, visit the Arthritis Foundation Web site at www.arthritis.org.

Fraudulent “diagnostic” tests: Doctors often use in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests—in tandem with a physical examination and a medical history—to get a picture of a patient’s overall health.

These tests involve blood, urine, or other specimen samples taken from the body. They help diagnose or measure many conditions, including pregnancy, hepatitis, fertility, HIV, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

It’s rare that the use of only one of these tests can provide a meaningful diagnosis. You can buy IVD tests in stores, through the mail, or online. Many of these tests are regulated by FDA and sold legally. However, many others are marketed illegally and do not meet FDA’s regulatory requirements. These tests may not work or may be harmful.

To find out whether FDA has cleared or approved an IVD test for a particular purpose, call FDA at (888) 463-6332, or your local FDA district office www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

Bogus dietary supplements: The array of dietary supplements—including vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbs, animal extracts and others—has grown tremendously.

Although the benefits of some of these have been documented, the advantages of others are unproven. For example, claims that a supplement allows you to eat all you want and lose weight effortlessly are false.

Claims to treat diseases cause products to be considered drugs. Firms wanting to make such claims legally must follow FDA’s premarket New Drug Approval process to show that the products are safe and effective.

Weight loss fraud: Since 2003, FDA has worked with national and international partners to take hundreds of compliance actions against companies pushing bogus and misleading weight loss schemes.

FDA has recently enhanced efforts to stop sales and importation of—and to warn consumers about—weight loss products that contain dangerous prescription drug ingredients that are not listed on the label.

Sexual enhancement product fraud: FDA has warned consumers about numerous illegal drugs promoted and sold online for treating erectile dysfunction and for enhancing sexual performance.

Although they are marketed as “dietary supplements,” these products are really illegal drugs that contain potentially harmful ingredients that are not listed on the label.

Diabetes fraud: FDA has taken numerous compliance actions against sales of fraudulent diabetes “treatments” promoted with bogus claims such as

• “drop your blood sugar 50 points in 30 days”
• “eliminate insulin resistance”
• “prevent the development of type 2 diabetes”
• “reduce or eliminate the need for diabetes drugs or insulin”

Influenza (flu) scams: Federal agencies have come across contaminated, counterfeit, and subpotent influenza products.

FDA, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has intercepted products claimed to be generic versions of the influenza drug Tamiflu, but which actually contained vitamin C and other substances not shown to be effective in treating or preventing influenza.

Don’t Be a Victim

It’s ultimately up to the buyer to beware of potential health fraud. Know of the potential for health fraud and learn about the common techniques and gimmicks that fraudulent marketers use to gain your attention and trust.

For instance, testimonials from people who say they have used the product may sound convincing, but these can easily be made up. These “testimonials” are not a substitute for scientific proof.

Also, never diagnose or treat yourself with questionable products. Always check with your health care professional before using new medical products.

Be wary of these red flags:

• claims that a product is a quick, effective cure-all or a diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments
• suggestions that a product can treat or cure diseases
• promotions using words such as “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” and “ancient remedy”
• text with impressive-sounding terms such as: “hunger stimulation point” and “thermogenesis” for a weight loss product
• undocumented case histories by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results
• limited availability and advance payment requirements
• promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees
• promises of an “easy” fix
• claims that the product is “natural” or “non-toxic” (which doesn’t necessarily mean safe)

Don’t be fooled by professional-looking Web sites. Avoid Web sites that fail to list the company’s name, physical address, phone number, or other contact information. For more tips for online buying, visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide/.

Report Problems

If you find a person or company that you think is illegally selling human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements, or cosmetics, report it to FDA.

To report problems with FDA-regulated products, visit www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html.

To report unlawful sales of medical products on the Internet, visit www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/buyonlineform.htm.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Health Information Web page (www.fda.gov/consumer), which features the latest updates on FDA-regulated products. Sign up for free e-mail subscriptions atwww.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.

Join the Southwest YMCA to celebrate National Senior Health & Fitness Week on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. The Southwest YMCA will provide a variety of free presentations, screenings and information for seniors regarding health and fitness topics. The event will begin at 8: 30am and is part of a national movement to promote an active, healthy lifestyle through physical fitness, good nutrition and preventive care for active older adults.

Screenings for hearing, vision, blood pressure and bone density will be available from 8:30-11:30am. Representatives will also be available to provide information on advance directives, safe sleep guidelines for grandbabies, arthritis, AARP, Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, SilverSneakers and behavioral health issues.

Free presentations will also be provided on two specific health topics. The first presentation “Brain Fitness” will be presented by Julie Bryson of Aurora Health Care and begins at 9:30am. Julie Bryson will discuss fun exercise for the brain. She will show how a healthy brain can help stay mentally sharp, tackle new challenges, as well as stave off some of the natural effects of aging.

Dr.Robert Amiot of Aspen Orthopedic & Rehabilitation Specialists will discuss “Medical Management of Arthritis and Lower Leg Pain” beginning at 11:00am. He will also provide foot screenings following the presentation.

This is free and no registration is required for the event. Refreshments will be available throughout the morning. The Southwest YMCA Senior Health and Fitness event was made possible by a grant from NcNeil Consumer Healthcare-Makers of Tylenol.

For more information contact the Southwest YMCA at 414-546-9622 or visit our website at www.ymcamke.org. The Southwest YMCA is located at 11311 W. Howard Ave. in Greenfield.

The Healthy Living Network, a division of Healthy Directions, LLC, is proud to announce the launch of searchvitaminsupplements.com, a new informational Web site devoted to all aspects of nutritional supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and more.

Potomac, MD (PRWEB) — The Healthy Living Network, a division of Healthy Directions, LLC, is proud to announce the launch of searchvitaminsupplements.com, a new informational Web site devoted to all aspects of nutritional supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and more.

Visitors to searchvitaminsupplements.com can expect to find original articles, blogs, studies, forums, encyclopedias, and more on a variety of topics and concerns, including nutrient categories such as antioxidants, vitamins, herbs, and enzymes, as well as a wide variety of health conditions and the specific nutrient solutions to those health concerns. Searchvitaminsupplements.com will also offer weekly eLetters so consumers can have continuous access to breaking news and up-to-date information.

According to Ed Hauck, President of Healthy Directions, “In an ideal world, your daily intake of food would meet all your nutritional needs, and supplements would not be necessary. However, due to nutrient-deplete soils, pesticide and herbicide use, and overly processed and fast food-filled diets of many Americans, supplementation is becoming more and more critical. Worse yet,

here is so much misinformation out there, most people don’t even know where to start.”

“That’s why we created searchvitaminsupplements.com,” explains Hauck. “All information and advice found on searchvitaminsupplements.com has been carefully screened and selected to provide the most current, ground-breaking, well-researched, and highly effective recommendations for all your supplementation and general health needs.”

While the majority of the experts and authorities on the site are doctors, the material on the Web site is intended to provide timely and accurate medical news and education, not personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

For more information about this exciting new resource for supplementation, common dosages, and natural health information, visit Searchvitaminsupplements.com.

About Healthy Directions, LLC

Healthy Directions, LLC, is the recognized leader in providing authoritative health and wellness solutions to consumers. Healthy Directions’ subsidiary, Doctors’ Preferred, LLC, is a leading vitamin and nutritional supplement business that develops and sells proprietary, branded nutritional supplements based upon the research of the Healthy Directions health experts, marketed primarily through direct mail. For more information on Healthy Directions, please visit Healthydirections.com

(HealthDay News) — Men who regularly drank up to a half a glass of wine each day boosted their life expectancy by five years, Dutch researchers report.

Light, long-term alcohol consumption of all types of beverages, whether wine, spirits or beer, increased life by 2.5 years among men compared with abstention, the researchers found. By “light,” they meant up to 20 grams, or about 0.7 ounces a day.

While numerous other studies have found similar benefits, study author Martinette Streppel, of the division of human nutrition at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, said 40 years of follow-up is noteworthy for many reasons.

“The main strength of our study was the collection of detailed information on the consumption of different alcohol beverages at each of seven measurement rounds,” Streppel said.

The long-term, regular follow-up, Streppel added, enabled the researchers to study the effect of long-term alcohol intake on mortality.

The study is published online in April in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The Dutch researchers evaluated 1,373 men, all part of the Zutphen Study, started in 1960 and named for an industrial town in the Netherlands. The researchers followed them from 1960 to 2000, tracking weight, diet, cigarette smoking, the diagnosis of serious illness and other data, along with their drinking habits.

Over the follow-up period, 1,130 of the men died, half from cardiovascular disease.

The proportion of men who drank alcohol nearly doubled from 45 percent of the men in 1960 to 86 percent in 2000. Those drinking wine rose even more dramatically — from just 2 percent to 44 percent.

The findings in more detail:

• All long-term light alcohol drinking boosted life expectancy by about 2.5 years in comparison to abstaners. Drinking more than 0.7 ounces a day extended life expectancy by nearly two years compared with nondrinkers.
• Wine drinkers who averaged just 0.7 ounces a day had a 2.5 year-longer life expectancy at age 50 compared to those who drank beer or spirits. And their life expectancy was nearly five years longer than nondrinkers.
• Drinking moderately was linked with lower death risk, and drinking wine was strongly linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke or other causes.

Streppel couldn’t say if the findings apply to women, but suspects the polyphenolic compounds found in wine, especially red wine, produce the heart-healthy effects.

The study adds to the literature of the health benefits of alcohol, but has both strengths and weaknesses, said Dr. Arthur Klatsky, a long-time investigator on the health benefits of alcohol.

“Once again, it shows that people who drink [moderately] do a lot better than people who don’t in terms of survival,” he said.

However, as with other research, Klatsky wondered if it’s the pattern of drinking or something related to the wine drinking — such as wine drinkers being more likely to exercise or eat a healthy diet — that is the real link.

In the new Dutch study, he says, alcohol from spirits contributes the most to the total alcohol intake, more than wine or beer.

“It’s a little hard to think that a little bit of wine is what is responsible for extending their life,” Klatsky said.

The finding, like similar ones, applies more to middle-aged people than younger ones, he said. “People over 50 are the ones most likely to have health benefits from light drinking anyways.”

Much more important in reducing heart disease risk, he said, is not smoking, exercising regularly, eating healthfully and maintaining a healthy weight.

The secret of staying thin could be at least partly found in a good night’s rest, an international conference on obesity heard in Amsterdam on Thursday.

“After a bad night’s sleep, people ate 550 calories (22 per cent) more than normal,” said the findings of a study by the European Centre of Taste Science in Dijon in central France, presented at the gathering.

This represented about one large hamburger.

Feelings of hunger were higher among a test group who slept four hours the previous night than among those who slept eight hours, stated an extract of the findings.

“These results indicate that sleep deprivation increases food intake and . . . could be a factor promoting obesity,” it added.

A separate study conducted by researchers at the Netherlands’ Maastricht University found that children who got less sleep during puberty than when they were younger also gained more weight compared to children whose sleep patterns did not change.

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2005, about 1.6 billion adults were overweight, of which at least 400 million were obese.

The conference was organized by the European Association for the Study of Obesity.

According to the most recent Pharmacy Today Over-the-Counter Product Survey conducted by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), pharmacists believe that 83 percent of consumers purchase over-the-counter products that were recommended by their pharmacist. With more than 100,000 nonprescription medications on the market and more than 1,000 active ingredients, it’s critical that patients consult their pharmacist to maximize the benefits from medications and minimize the potential for harmful drug interaction and/or side effects. 

The survey, completed by nearly 1,000 APhA member and non-member pharmacists, also reveals that on average pharmacists counsel 31 patients per week about over the counter medications? Patients who seek their pharmacist’s advice include patients suffering from an acute or chronic condition (92 percent), patients that are worried about using an OTC product with other prescription medications (84 percent), and patients worried about taking OTC products with a specific disease/condition (74 percent). 

“Pharmacists are the only health professionals specifically trained in nonprescription medications,” said John A. Gans, APhA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Patients can take an active role in self care by reading medication labels, knowing the active ingredients in their medications, and asking their pharmacist questions.” 

One of APhA’s goal in conducting the annual Pharmacy Today Over-the-Counter Product Survey is to educate consumers that pharmacists have the knowledge and training to help them select right OTC medications. As part of the survey, pharmacists are asked to tabulate the OTC products they recommend per week in 77 different product categories. The results of the survey are published as a supplement to the February issue of Pharmacy Today. Click here to view the entirePharmacy Today Over-the-Counter Supplement. 

As the medication experts, pharmacists are trained in both prescription and over-the-counter medications and can provide patients with important information about how medications may interact with certain foods, other medicines or dietary supplements. Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers and APhA encourages patients to actively seek their advice about the proper use of medications. 

About the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 

The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States. APhA members provide care in all practice settings, including community pharmacies, health systems, long-term care facilities, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and the uniformed services.

American Pharmacists Association 

Reclast injection beat daily pill at restoring bone for patients with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, study found

FRIDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) — Patients with rheumatoid arthritis or asthma often need to take a bone-strengthening drug to counter the debilitating effects of their steroid medications.

Now, a new study finds that a once-yearly injection of a bisphosphonate bone-building drug, Reclast, may work better than a once-daily bisphosphonate pill for these patients.

Specifically, Reclast (zoledronic acid) was found to hold off and/or reverse bone loss among patients taking a glucocorticoid medication (including prednisolone or prednisone) for one of several inflammatory and immune-related diseases, including asthma, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. And it did so more effectively than a daily dose of an oral bisphosphonate, Actonel (risedronate). Actonel is also available as a once-weekly and once-monthly pill.

The research team also found that both drugs appeared successful in lowering the risk of bone fracture that can result from glucocorticoid use.

The new study was funded by Novartis, which makes Reclast to help fight osteoporosis-linked bone loss in postmenopausal women. Novartis also makes another form of zoledronic acid, Zometa, for use by cancer patients.

“The important point is that people who take glucocorticoid steroids for asthma or arthritis are all in danger of getting osteoporosis or fractures as a consequence,” said study lead author Dr. David M. Reid, professor of rheumatology and head of the division of applied medicine at University of Aberdeen, Scotland. “But now, we have found that there is a simple way of preventing that almost absolutely by applying a single infusion once a year of this safe and effective drug.”

Reid and his colleagues reported their findings in the April 11 issue of The Lancet.

While bisphosphonate drugs can streng

Mom, actress and allergy sufferer Alison Sweeney knows first hand how symptoms like congestion can make juggling a busy career and family life even more challenging. That’s why she’s teamed up with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. to launch Behind the Counter Counts, a new campaign designed to inform nasal congestion sufferers about treatment options located behind the pharmacy or service counter, or “BTC.” 

The new campaign features an online resource, http://www.BTCcenter.com. The site offers Sweeney’s personal tips, a new tool to help people figure out if allergies or colds are causing their nasal congestion, and general information about medicines available behind the pharmacy or service counter, or “BTC.” 

For many people, April represents the beginning of spring allergy season, a time when congestion, a common allergy symptom, can be a problem. Allergies impact an estimated 36 million Americans each year. In fact, a new poll (n=4,282) found that 83 percent of people surveyed felt their nasal congestion slowed them down. Mom, actress and long time congestion sufferer, Alison Sweeney – well-known for her roles as the host of a popular reality TV show and daytime soap opera star – can relate. 

“Congestion and other allergy symptoms can really get in the way when you’re juggling work, family and everyday life. And for me finding the right medicine to relieve my symptoms including congestion can make a big difference,” Sweeney explains. “I initially didn’t realize the medicines that I’ve relied on, SUDAFED® and ZYRTEC-D® made by McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., were located behind the pharmacy counter until I spoke with my pharmacist. That’s why I hope other allergy sufferers will do the same, because knowing what’s available and where to find it is the first step to finding the medicine that’s right for you.” 

While there are a variety of over-the-counter, non-prescription allergy, sinus and cold medicines available, some non-prescription allergy, sinus and cold medicines are located behind the pharmacy or service counter, or “BTC.” These products contain pseudoephedrine, a different active ingredient than what’s in products sold on store shelves, and were placed behind the pharmacy or service counter to better ensure these medicines are not used inappropriately. 

“We’re so grateful for Alison’s help with this initiative. We hope it will encourage sufferers who have questions about nasal congestion products or how to access these products to ask their pharmacist,” said Michael Negrete, PharmD of the American Pharmacists Association. “Many people are unaware that some of the oral decongestant medicines they have relied on for years are still available but are now located behind the pharmacy or service counter. The good news is that it’s simple to purchase these products. All people need to do is visit the pharmacy or service counter, show identification, sign a logbook, and they’re on their way.” 

About Nasal Congestion and Allergies

Nasal congestion impacts millions of Americans each year, and occurs when the membranes lining the nose become swollen. It is often caused by allergies or colds. 

With more than 36 million sufferers, allergies are the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. An allergy is a condition in which your body’s immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances, called “triggers”, such as dust, mold, pollen or pet dander. Upper respiratory allergies are characterized by nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and runny nose. Other names for these allergies include “hay fever,” “allergic rhinitis,” “indoor/outdoor allergies,” and “seasonal or perennial allergies.” While there is no cure for allergies, they can often be managed by avoiding triggers and/or treatment of symptoms. 

About the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 

The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. The APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the U.S. 

About McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. 

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known and trusted over-the- counter (OTC) products, which can be found on store shelves as well as behind the pharmacy or service counter. McNeil Consumer Healthcare is most widely recognized for the complete line of TYLENOL® acetaminophen products, the leading pain reliever brand in the adult and pediatric categories. The TYLENOL® product line consists of hundreds of products across a variety of pain categories including: arthritis pain, pain with accompanying sleeplessness and upper respiratory. Other McNeil Consumer Healthcare brands include BENADRYL® allergy medicine; ZYRTEC®, IMODIUM® A-D anti-diarrheal; MOTRIN® IB; PediaCare® upper respiratory medicines for children; ROLAIDS® antacid products; ST. JOSEPH® Adult Regimen Aspirin; and SUDAFED® and SUDAFED PE® nasal decongestants. 

Source
American Pharmacists Association

It was a nasty head cold that sent Kerry Parham to Cinagro’s, a health-food store in suburban Cleveland, for an $8 bottle of herbal supplements.

“If I had a job with health insurance, I probably would have gone to see a doctor by now,” said Ms. Parham, 39, who lost her clerical job at American Greetings a while back. “But instead, I’m here buying echinacea. I hope it works.”

In flusher times, Ms. Parham said, she spent $50 a month on prescriptions for her asthma, allergies and other chronic problems. Now, she pays $6 a month for over-the-counter protein supplements and oregano oil capsules. “That’s an important savings for me,” she said. “It means I can rent a movie or make the kids food that they actually like.”

A lot of consumers seem to be doing the same math. Sales of vitamins and nutritional supplements, which have grown consistently for years, have surged in recent months, rising as the stock market has fallen. People are clearly cutting back on many items, from bread and milk to designer jeans and flat-screen televisions, but they are stocking up on pills that they think can spare them expensive doctor visits.

“When you go to the formal health system, you very quickly lose control over what this costs you,” said Uwe E. Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton whose specialty is health care policy. Instead of turning immediately to a doctor, “people try to initially tough it out,” he said.

Professor Reinhardt sees the growing interest in vitamins and herbs as a logical extension of the concept of “consumer-directed health care” — the idea that people will take more preventative measures if their insurance deductibles are set higher — which has been working its way from conservative policy circles toward the mainstream over the last 20 years. Critics say this approach leads to predicaments like Ms. Parham’s, with people staying sicker longer and avoiding much-needed medical treatment.

At the Vitamin Shoppe, a national chain with 414 stores, customers have been expressing alarm over health care costs and the high unemployment rate, said Tom Tolworthy, the company chairman. “The reduction of benefits associated with prescription drugs is sending people to prevention and alternative health care,” he said.

The Vitamin Shoppe has tracked a rise in new customers of about 20 percent over the last six months, Mr. Tolworthy said. That increase is at least 25 percent higher than the rise in new customers that the chain saw in the recession of 2001.

Nationally, the numbers tell a similar story. For the three months ending Dec. 28, sales of vitamins rose nearly 8 percent compared with the same period in 2007, according to Information Resources Inc., a market research company in Chicago. At the same time, sales of other health-related products — like cough and cold remedies, first-aid products and pain relievers — have been dipping, according to the Nielsen Company.

The strong sales of vitamins and supplements have continued into this year. “Our best January and February in history are the ones that just happened,” said Tom Newmark, chief executive of New Chapter Inc., a 26-year-old supplements manufacturer in Brattleboro, Vt.

Direct evidence linking the rise in sales to the recession is more anecdotal than scientific, though industry analysts said they saw the same correlation — though less pronounced — in previous downturns.

“I don’t have health insurance, so I can’t go and see a doctor because it’s very expensive,” said Jacqueline Kreiss, an unemployed hairstylist and makeup artist in Manhattan who joined the frequent-buyer club at the Vitamin Shoppe a few months ago. “The economy just really put me backward, so I started relying on the vitamins.”

Whether a testament to vitamins or the power of placebo, Ms. Kreiss, 40, said she was happy with the results. “I feel very energetic,” she said. “I feel strong again. I feel I’m in full form to go out there and get a job.”

Certainly, America’s interest in supplements did not begin with the current recession. The industry has accounted for as much as $23 billion in domestic sales annually in recent years.

Even so, the jump in sales last fall amid such widespread financial distress caught some people by surprise. “We didn’t expect that,” said Patrick Rea, publisher and editorial director of Nutrition Business Journal, a trade paper based in Boulder, Colo. “We were like, ‘What’s going on here?’ ”

Doctors caution against putting too much faith in supplements, and recent studies have cast doubt on the long-term effectiveness of products like multivitamins and vitamin E for certain cancers and heart disease. Dr. Edward L. Langston, a former chairman of the board of the American Medical Association, said he counseled his patients to take limited doses of vitamin C, but said supplements were no “panacea,” nor a substitute for traditional health care.

“A little common sense here goes a long way,” Dr. Langston said.

But science does not seem to have shaken everyone’s faith. Amy Breslin, who is 33 and studying to be a physician’s assistant, has pared back on fresh fruits and vegetables and stocked up instead on fish oil capsules and antioxidant supplements.

“Organics are expensive,” she said at a vitamin store in Los Angeles. “Supplements may be more of a bang for my buck.”

Because of consumers like her, supplement sales have been a rare bright spot for Whole Foods. “We just reported our first quarter of negative growth in our company’s history, but the supplement area is performing better than the rest of the store,” said Jeremiah McElwee, a senior coordinator who oversees supplements sales for the company.

While multivitamins and fish oil capsules have sold particularly well, many people have their own personal favorites. Monique Miedema, who is 42 and works in finance in Los Angeles, places her faith in a supplement called Adrenal Health, which its manufacturer, Gaia Herbs, describes as a mix of six herbal ingredients meant to “support calmness.”

“There was no salary increase this year, and I live in Santa Monica in a high-rent apartment,” she said. Holding up a little brown bag with her purchase, she added, “I’ve been doing this more.”

Rebecca Cathcart and Christopher Maag contributed reporting.

In 2005–2006, an estimated 29% of U.S. adults had hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure), and another 28% had prehypertension (1). Hypertension increases the risk for heart disease and stroke (2), the first and third leading causes of death in the United States (3). Greater consumption of sodium can increase the risk for hypertension (4). The main source of sodium in food is salt (sodium chloride [NaCl]); uniodized salt is 40% sodium by weight. In 2005–2006, the estimated average intake of sodium among persons in the United States aged >2 years was 3,436 mg/day (5). In 2005, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture recommended that adults in the United States should consume no more than 2,300 mg/day of sodium (equal to approximately 1 tsp of salt), but those in specific groups (i.e., all persons with hypertension, all middle-aged and older adults, and all blacks) should consume no more than 1,500 mg/day of sodium (6). To estimate the proportion of the adult population for whom the lower sodium recommendation is applicable, CDC analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the period 1999–2006. The results indicated that, in 2005–2006, the lower sodium recommendation was applicable to 69.2% of U.S. adults. Consumers and health-care providers should be aware of the lower sodium recommendation, and health-care providers should inform their patients of the evidence linking greater sodium intake to higher blood pressure.

NHANES is an ongoing series of cross-sectional surveys on health and nutrition designed to be nationally representative of the noninstitutionalized, U.S. civilian population by using a complex, multistage probability design. All NHANES surveys include a household interview followed by a detailed physical examination, including blood pressure tests.* Data from four NHANES survey periods (1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2004, and 2005–2006) were used to estimate the percentages of U.S. adults in the three risk groups for whom lower sodium intake of <1,500 mg/per day was recommended in 2005.^† To represent the three risk groups, three nonoverlapping populations were defined for the analysis: all adults aged >20 years with hypertension, all adults aged >40 years without hypertension, and blacks aged 20–39 years without hypertension (6). Participants first were categorized as having hypertension or not having hypertension, using an average of two or more blood pressure measurements (87% of the sample had three or more measurements). Hypertension was defined as having systolic blood pressure of >140 mm Hg, or diastolic blood pressure of >90 mm Hg, or taking antihypertension medication; prehypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of 120–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 80–89 mm Hg, and not taking antihypertension medication. Overall for the four survey periods, 22% of participants with hypertension had normal blood pressure readings but were categorized with hypertension because they self-reported taking antihypertension medication. Percentage estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using statistical software to account for nonresponse and complex sampling design. The significance of linear trend across survey periods was determined by using orthogonal polynomial coefficients calculated recursively.

Overall in 2005–2006, 69.2% of U.S. adults aged >20 years (approximately 145.5 million persons) met the criteria for the risk groups recommended for lower sodium consumption of <1,500 mg/day. Among adults aged >20 years, 30.6% were found to have hypertension; 34.4% did not have hypertension but were aged >40 years, and 4.2% did not have hypertension but were black and aged 20–39 years (Table). The overall percentage of persons in these risk groups increased significantly over the four NHANES study periods: 64.4% in 1999–2000, 67.4% in 2001–2002, 69.0% in 2003–2004, and 69.2% in 2005–2006 (p for linear trend = 0.05) (Table).

Reported by: C Ayala, PhD, EV Kuklina, MD, PhD, J Peralez, MPH, NL Keenan, PhD, DR Labarthe, MD, PhD, Div for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC.

Editorial Note:

Although the federal dietary guidelines were published 4 years ago, the percentage of U.S. residents to whom the lower sodium recommendation is applicable has never been reported. The findings in this report indicate that, using 2005–2006 NHANES data, the maximum daily sodium consumption of 1,500 mg recommended in 2005 applied to nearly 70% of U.S. residents aged >20 years. If the recommendation had been in effect during 1999–2006, the percentage of persons for whom it applied would have increased from 64.4% in 1999–2000 to 69.2% in 2005–2006. Previous NHANES results have indicated that the average daily sodium intake among persons in the United States aged >2 years increased from 3,329 mg in 2001–2002 to 3,436 mg in 2005–2006 (5), exceeding in each period even the higher sodium intake limit of 2,300 mg/day recommended in 2005.

Sodium reduction is recommended for persons with hypertension and as a first line of intervention for persons with prehypertension (2). Public health actions to reduce sodium intake likely will include 1) reducing the sodium content of processed foods; 2) encouraging consumption of more low-sodium foods, such as fruits and vegetables; and 3) providing more relevant information about sodium in food labeling. A randomized trial showed that the perceived pleasantness of highly salted food was based on dietary habit and that this perception could be changed by gradual reduction of dietary intake of sodium (7). The current daily percentage value for sodium in the nutrition facts panel of packaged foods is based on a previous federal guideline of 2,400 mg/day and is likely to mislead the majority of consumers, for whom the 1,500 mg/day limit is applicable. In addition, health-care professionals can counsel all patients regarding dietary salt intake and recommend that they adopt an eating plan such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet, which is reduced in sodium and rich in potassium and calcium (8) and has been shown to decrease blood pressure among persons with and without hypertension.

The findings in this report are subject to at least one limitation. NHANES data are restricted to the noninstitutionalized population, excluding persons who reside in long-term care facilities or correctional facilities. Inclusion of these populations likely would increase the percentage of the population for whom the recommended 1,500 mg/day sodium limit is applicable.

The World Health Organization has set a global target for maximum intake of salt for adults at 5 g/day (i.e., 2,000 mg/day of sodium) or lower if specified by national targets, such as the recommendation in the United States (9). Eleven countries in the European Union have agreed to reduce salt intake by 16% over the next 4 years (10). In the United States, Healthy People 2010 calls for increasing to 95% the proportion of adults with high blood pressure who are taking action (e.g., reducing sodium intake) to help control their blood pressure (objective 12-11). Recent examples of public health strategies to reduce sodium consumption include a New York City campaign to reduce sodium content in restaurant and processed foods.^§

References

1. Ostchega Y, Yoon SS, Hughes J, Louis T. Hypertension awareness, treatment, and control—continued disparities in adults: United States, 2005–2006. NCHS data brief no. 3. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db03.pdf
2. Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure; National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: the JNC 7 report. JAMA 2003;289:2560–71.
3. Kung HC, Hoyert DL, Xu JQ, Murphy SL. Deaths: final data for 2005. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2008;56(10).
4. Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for water, potassium, sodium chloride, and sulfate. 1st ed. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004. Available at http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10925&page=r1.
5. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. What we eat in America. Available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/services/docs.htm?docid=15044.
6. US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Agriculture. Dietary guidelines for Americans 2005. 6th ed. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Agriculture; 2005. Available at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/dga2005.pdf.
7. Blais CA, Pangborn RM, Borhani NO, Ferrell MF, Prineas RJ, Laing B. Effect of dietary sodium restriction on taste responses to sodium chloride: a longitudinal study. Am J Clin Nutr 1986;44:232–43.
8. Appel LJ, Brands MW, Daniels SR, Karanja N, Elmer PJ, Sacks FM; American Heart Association. Dietary approaches to prevent and treat hypertension: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension 2006;47:296–308.
9. World Health Organization. Reducing salt intake in populations: report of a WHO forum and technical meeting, 5–7 October 2006, Paris, France. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2007. Available athttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/reducingsaltintake_EN.pdf.
10. He FJ, MacGregor GA. A comprehensive review on salt and health and current experience of worldwide salt reduction programmes. J Hum Hypertens 2008. Available athttp://www.nature.com/jhh/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/jhh2008144a.html.

* Additional information available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/databriefs/calories.pdf.

^† The recommendation was based on dietary reference intakes published by the Institute of Medicine (4).

^§ Information available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cardio/cardio-salt-initiative.shtml.

Medicine packages barrage consumers with information, some required to be “prominent” and “conspicuous.” But marketing claims and brand names still overshadow critical fine print on nonprescription medications, Michigan State University researchers found. 

In a study to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, MSU researchers examined the effectiveness of two required warnings on over-the-counter medications, specifically their relative prominence and conspicuousness. 

“We wanted to quantify how well warning statements in over-the-counter drug packaging were working to convey information to consumers,” explained Laura Bix, an assistant professor in the MSU School of Packaging. “To be effective, warnings about the lack of a child resistant feature, or those that alert consumers to potential tampering of the product, need to be read and comprehended at the time of purchase.” 

Medicine labels carry brand identification and descriptions of contents; quantity; price; ingredients; dosage; directions; barcodes; and warning statements. Federal regulations require packages that do not have a child resistant feature, for example, to conspicuously state that the product is not intended for homes with small children. Such packages are blamed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a number of child poisonings every year. 

Bix and her colleagues quantified the relative prominence and conspicuousness of five different label elements on the packages of OTC pain-killers: the tamper-evident warning; the child-resistant warning; the brand name; the drug facts information; and statement of claims such as “extra strength.” They also evaluated how well test subjects remembered information presented on the product packaging. 

Using an eye tracking device, the researchers found that people spent the most time looking at the brand of the product and significantly less time looking at the tamper-evident and child-resistant warnings. Study participants also recalled the brand of the products at a higher rate. While two-thirds recalled one or more brands that they viewed during the course of the study, only 18 percent recalled warnings related to alcohol and 8.2 percent recalled that the product was not to be used in households with young children. Not one recalled warnings about tamper-evident features. 

The researchers also found that the brand and product claims were significantly more legible than the warning statements. They noted that the higher legibility of the brand name wasn’t surprising, given the importance of brand identification in purchasing decisions. 

“Little specific guidance exists from the federal government regarding what it means to be ‘prominent’ or ‘conspicuous,’ yet, this term is used quite frequently in the regulations that dictate labeling for a variety of product,” Bix said. “Our findings call into question whether these warnings are working, but do not indicate why. An array of reasons should be investigated: these could include design and graphics, consumer experience and previous knowledge and whether or not consumers recognize the potential consequences of missing or disregarding this information.” 

Bix, the study’s lead author, is a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station researcher. 

“Finding effective ways to get people to read and heed warnings on over-the-counter drugs is critical to their safety and well-being as well as those around them — especially children,” MAES Director Steve Pueppke said. “This research is an important step toward using consumer-focused science to improve design and labeling elements for these medications.” 

Follow-up research being conducted by one of Bix’s graduate students, Raghav Prashant Sundar, studies the same noticeability, recall and legibility issues for prescription drugs bearing prescription warning labels — the colorful stickers often applied at the pharmacy. 

Bix’s study can be viewed at the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science Web site, online at http://www.pnas.org this week. 

Notes:

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving. 

Source:
Mark Fellows
Michigan State University