In a recent study, it was found that Lexapro, a common antidepressant, can also be helpful in reducing the severity and frequency of menopausal symptoms.

Participants in the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, who took the antidepressants reported a 47% decrease in hot flashes, as well as a decrease in the severity and frequency of other symptoms like night sweats and overheating, and effects of the drug were reported almost

Though this has been known for a while in the medical community, this study just further substantiates the fact that some antidepressants may be a viable alternative to hormone therapy. Many doctors have been prescribing antidepressants “off label” for years for the treatment of these symptoms in order to avoid hormone therapy.

While hormone therapy is the only approved form of menopause treatment, it is not recommended for long-term use because it increases a woman’s risk of developing serious conditions such as heart disease, breast cancer, and other health problems.

The makers of Lexapro, a type of anti depressant know as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), has said they will not seek approval of the drug for the treatment of menopause symptoms. More research is being done on how this class of drugs can benefit menopausal women, and we may see an alternative treatment sometime in the near future.

What do you think of antidepressants being use to treat menopause symptoms like hot flashes? Would you take an “off label” medication that has been shown to help, but is not approved for, the relief of a condition? Let us know what you think, and be sure to check out the video below for more information on menopause symptoms.

The study, which was conduced by an Brazilian university and published in the Journal of Reproductive Health, took a deeper look at an already assumed benefit of essential fatty acids: they may be able to provide relief for PMS symptoms.

Research on this topic began back in the 80s, but this is the first modern study on how getting the correct amount of essential fatty acids can effect a woman’s menstrual health. Essential fatty acids cannot be created by the body and must be obtained through diet or supplements.

In the study, 120 women were given a supplement (80 containing the fatty acid mixture and 40 given a placebo). The women who took the fatty acid supplement reported a decrease in symptoms after 3 months, and a significant improvement after 6 months. The active supplement contained at least a gram of essential fatty acids gamma linolenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E. Other nutrients that have been studied in the past also included vitamin B6, ascorbic acid, and niacin.

Nearly ¾ of all women complain of PMS symptoms, and nearly 40% of them report that they can cause a disruption to their quality of life. If there is a natural and effective way to control PMS symptoms, many women would be much happier and healthier. Essential fatty acids can be found in foods like eggs, nuts, fish, and vegetables oils. For those who don’t get enough in their diets or for those who need an extra boost.

What do you think of the fact that essential fatty acids and other nutrients may be able to ease the pain and symptoms associated with PMS? Ladies, would you take a supplement if it meant that you could avoid these symptoms every month? Let us know by leaving us some comments, and be sure to check out the video on PMS pain below.

Eli Lilly & Co. has hot a roadblock in the approval of an imaging agent, florbetapir, which may be able to detect the presence of beta-amyloid, a common sign found in Alzheimer’s patients.

The drug, which is called Amyvid, is supposed to be used on patients receiving positron-emission tomography (PET), a type of body imaging, to show the presence of beta-amyloid. While it is not being marketing as an Alzheimer’s diagnostic tool, it may prove helpful in the early detection of the disease. The FDA, however, is unconvinced.

“Although no significant risks associated with the use of Amyvid have been identified, no convincing evidence of benefit from Amyvid PET has been demonstrated either,” FDA said in a memo late last month. “At this point in time, the regulatory and secondary clinical reviewer recommends against approving the new drug application.”

The FDA is not in the practice of approving drugs just because they aren’t harmful, and since there is known scientific link between the presence of amyloid and Alzheimer’s, they have yet to find a reason why knowing the presence of the protein prior to death is beneficial. The FDA has also found significant inconsistencies in the way many machines read the results of the scan using Amyvid. Until they can determine a clear benefit to the drug, and readers can become more accurate, they cannot yet approve its use.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, and early detection can be difficult since many patients don’t exhibit definitive signs until the condition has further progressed. Most Alzheimer’s diagnosis is done through cognitive tests, and amyloid analysis is not commonly done until after the patient has died. The presence of the protein is a common post-mortem indicator that the patient suffered from Alzheimer’s, and scientists are speculating that early detection of the protein can lead to an earlier AD diagnosis and more treatment options.

What do you think of the possibility of an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis option? Do you think the FDA should invest further testing into the approval of the imaging agent? Let us know what you think of these topics by leaving us comments, and be sure to check out the following video for more information on Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of early detection.

For those who are taking common blood pressure medication and may also be on antibiotics, there is a new study out that shows this could possibly be a lethal combination.

Medications that contain calcium channel blockers, such as high blood pressure medications Plendil, Coniel, Norvasc, Cardizen, and Porcardia, have a high potential to cause a sudden and serious drop in blood pressure when mixed with the antibiotics erythromycin and clarithromycin.

The study, which focused on people over 65, found that the combination of these commonly taken medications cause a sudden drop in blood pressure believed to be due to the blocking of an enzyme that allows the body to metabolize calcium. This can cause dizziness, falling, shock, organ failure, and even death.

Since elderly patients are often on some type of blood medications and are at a higher risk of developing many infections, it is not out of the question that a patient would be on a blood pressure medication and an antibiotic at the same time.

Health care professionals have long suspected that this combination has the potential to cause problems, especially in elderly patients, but this new study out of Canada confirms their concerns. Doctors are being urged to not mix the two, and pharmacists are being warned to watch out for people with this prescription combination.

What do you think of this new development? Do you worry about prescription medications having adverse reactions with each other? Let us know your feelings on these topics by leaving us some comments, and be sure to check out this video for more information on low blood pressure.

Times have been tough for Johnson & Johnson, as the company has faced recall after recall of their products over the past year for complaints ranging from odors to contaminated products to deficient paperwork. The most recent one was issued on Friday, affecting over 47 million packages.

The latest recall comes after McNeil conducted a records review and found that documents disclosed that some equipment at the company’s Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, plant was not properly cleaned or it was found that the documents themselves were incorrect or deficient. The Fort Washington plant was closed in April following the first round of recalls, and the latest batch was produced their prior to its closing.

In one of the largest recalls issued from them, it affects 37 types of Tylenol, 6 types of Benadryl, 10 Sudafed varieties, and 24-count packages of Sinutab. A complete list of recalled Johnson & Johnson products and their corresponding lot numbers can be found at a website set up by McNeil to keep track of the recalls.

The company has announced that this recall is precautionary, and only affects customers at the wholesale level. There have been no consumer complaints filed about these products, and people who have purchased them can continue to use them.

It certainly has not been a good year for Johnson & Johnson. In addition the onslaught of recalls, the company is also being sued by the state of Oregon in relation to potentially withheld information regarding other recalls this year. Stock for the company is slowly falling, and people are becoming increasingly weary of their products. Can they recover from this and secure their place as a trusted health family product provider?

What do you think of all the Johnson & Johnson recalls over the past year? Who do you think is at fault for the issues they have been having? Let us know what you think by leaving us comments on these topics, and be sure to check out the video below about some of the problems Johnson & Johnson has faced.

In a potentially exciting development, a recent study has shown that an antibiotic commonly used to treat traveler’s diarrhea has shown to have a significant effect on improving the symptoms of IBS.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is considered to be a “functional” gastrological condition, meaning that symptoms are not considered to be severe enough to interfere with a person’s life. They can, however, be extremely painful at times and the condition itself has no known cause and can be very difficult to treat. Symptoms often include bloating, cramping, loose stool, and constipation.

This is why a recent study is important to the millions of people who suffer from this condition. It has shown that a common antibiotic, rifaximin, may be able to ease the symptoms over a long period of time.

Of the 1,200 IBS sufferers in the study (half given rifaximin and half given a placebo three times a day for two weeks), about 40% of those who took the antibiotic reported a significant improvement in their symptoms compared to just over a third of those who took the placebo.

While these findings may seem small, doctors are eager to have a viable option for their patients since there are no good options currently available for the long-term treatment of the condition.

Rifaximin has not yet been approved for the treatment of IBS, but the FDA is currently reviewing it. They expect to have a decision in March. If it is approved, it will be the first antibiotic for the treatment of the condition. It is believed to be a good option because it has been shown to have little bacterial resistance, so it can be used over and over for extended treatment.

What do you think of the possibility that there may be a viable IBS treatment on the horizon? Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and have no good treatment options available to you? Let us know what you think about these topics by commenting, and check out this video on IBS below.

For those who attend church on Christmas, it is supposed to be a joyous moment of faith and prayer on the most important Christian holiday of the year. But for a church in Nassau County, New York, churchgoers may have gotten more than they expected.

Church officials have warned parishioners that they may have been contaminated with Hepatitis A during a Christmas mass when it was discovered that a church leader that may have handled and distributed the communion wafers tested positive for the virus.

Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver and is caused by ingesting materials that have come into contact with contaminated fecal matter. The most common mode of contamination is when infected people do not properly wash their hands after using the restroom. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, stomach cramps, jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, and dark colored urine.

The church has been identified as Our Lady of Lourdes in Massapequa, NY. The church leader at the root of the issue has not yet been identified, nor has anyone complained of feeling ill after the communion ceremony. The church has made the announcement to their over 7,500 members as a precautionary measure.

What do you think of the possibility that an entire Christmas mass may have been infected with Hepatitis A while at church? Do you think that community leaders should be required to submit to health screenings to ensure things like this don’t happen? Let us know what you think about this story by leaving us some comments, and check out the video on Hepatitis A below for more information.

The weight loss product Fruta Planta has been voluntarily recalled by its makers after the FDA determined that the products contained a previously banned ingredient that has been shown to cause heart-related problems in some people.

PRock Marketing, a Kissimmee based company, has issued a recalled of Fruta Planta and Reduce Weight Fruta Planta. Both are the same product marketed under different names. The product is sold as an “all natural organic” Chinese weight loss supplement that can eliminate body fat and boost metabolism resulting in weight loss of up to 15 pounds in one month without diet or exercise. However, recent tests by the FDA has shown that it may contain sibutramine, and ingredient the FDA pulled from shelves last month.

Also known as Meridia, sibutramine has been shown to cause high blood pressure and increased heart rate and poses a potentially dangerous risk of heart attack or stoke in people with a history of cardiovascular problems. The FDA issues a warning to supplement makers last month after they pulled Meridia from shelves, but decided to look into Fruta Planta after several reports of heart problems and at least one death associated with the medication.

Consumers who have Fruta Planta in their possession are urged to dispose of the product in a sealed container to avoid consumption by children or pets. Any questions or concerns can be directed to PRock Marketing at 877-225-1009. Anyone who has experienced heart problems or any other adverse side effects can report them to the FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program on the FDA website.

What do you think of the recall of Fruta Planta? Have you taken this weight loss supplement? Do you think the FDA should be able to have more control over supplements to avoid these kinds of situations? Let us know by leaving us comments on these topics, and be sure to check out the video below for more information on sibutramine.

Washington University recently published a study that examined the addiction and think link between other conditions in America and found that people with parents or other family members who suffered from alcoholism were much more likely to become obese than those who did not.

The study, called Emerging Link Between Alcoholism Risk and Obesity in the United States, was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry on December 30th and compared two studies of 75,000 people; one conducted in the early 90s and then another that was done more than a decade later.

What the study found was that people who had a family history of addiction, especially alcoholism, we much more likely to become obese than those who did not have alcoholic family members. Researchers believe the link lies in the predisposition to addiction.

Since people who have been exposed to alcoholism know the dangerous and devastating consequences of the condition, they tend to avoid alcohol. However, since the addictive behavior has still be inherited, they often turn to high calorie foods and develop and eating addiction.

This is a much greater problem than it was 20 years ago due to the fact that modern foods have much more sugar and fat in them than they did in the 80s. In fact, only 15% of the US population was considered obese in the 80s. Since then, that number has doubled to more than 30%.

Surprisingly, the study also showed that women were much more likely than men to become obese when they had a history of alcoholism in their families. The study showed that these women were 49% more likely to become obese than women who did not have alcoholism in their families.

What do you think of the study that shows the link between a family history of alcoholism and the risk of becoming obese? Does it make sense to you that avoiding one addiction can lead to another if that behavior runs in your family? Let us know what you think by leaving us comments, and be sure to check out this video on alcoholism below.

First Class Foods, Inc. is recalling 34,373 pound of organic ground beef that was distributed to retailers and restaurants in six different states after they became aware of a potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Though nobody has reported getting sick from the possibly contaminated beef, the company decided to issue a voluntary recall to be on the safe side. The ground beef in question was sent to groceries and other food service establishments in California, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Washington. The effected foods include:

• 16-oz. packages of “NATURE’S HARVEST ORGANIC GROUND BEEF BRICK” sold singly with one of the following “USE or FREEZE by” dates: “12/30/10″ or “01/08/11.”
• 16-oz. packages of “ORGANIC HARVEST ORGANIC GROUND BEEF BRICK” sold singly and in three-packs with one of the following “USE or FREEZE by” dates: “12/28/10″ or “01/06/11.”
• 16-oz. packages of NATURE’S HARVEST GROUND PATTY” containing four (4) 4-oz. patties with the following “USE or FREEZE by” date: “12/30/10″ or “01/08/11″

These lots also are marked as “EST. 18895” with Pack Dates of “10341” and ‘10350”. They were packaged on December 7 and December 16. Any consumers who have purchased recalled products can return them to their place of purchase for a full refund, and any distributors or consumers with questions and concerns are directed to call Lucienne Adams of First Class Foods, Inc. at 310-676-2500.

What do you think of this recall of organic ground beef? Have you ever been effected by a recall or have been contaminated with E. coli from food? Let us know by leaving comments, and be sure to check out this video on the topic below.