HEALTH Tidbits

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FDA APPROVES LIQUID FORM OF EPILEPSY DRUG

The Food and Drug Administration has approved grape-flavored, liquid

Keppra for epilepsy patients who cannot swallow tablets. Keppra, or

levetiracetam, is manufactured by UCB Pharma Inc. and has been on the

market in tablet form since 1999 as part of a treatment plan for

adults with epilepsy. The new liquid formula is expected to be

available through pharmacies this fall. Worldwide, epilepsy is the

most common neurological disorder, even more common than Alzheimer's

disease and it can strike at any time. Epilepsy affects some 2.3

million Americans.

 

HIV PATIENTS AT HIGHER RISK FOR HEART DISEASE

Researchers say HIV-positive adults, ages 18 to 34, could be more

likely to have heart disease than people the same age but

HIV-negative. University of California at Los Angeles researchers say

it is important HIV patients and their physicians monitor cardiac

health. Their study included a review of six years of data from 28,513

HIV-positive patients and more than 3 million HIV-negative patients.

It showed the rate of heart disease in 18- to 34-year-old HIV-positive

men was 1.64 cases per 100 patient years, compared to 0.76 incidents

per 100 patient years in HIV-negative men. The findings did not hold

true, however, for men over age 34 and women over age 45.

 

VOCAL CORD DYSFUNCTION SYMPTOMS MIMIC ASTHMA

Physicians say asthma that does not respond to standard therapy might

really be vocal cord dysfunction instead. A conference this weekend,

" Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Vocal Cord Dysfunction, " at

the National Jewish hospital in Denver, looks at how involuntary

closure of the vocal cords can mimic several asthma symptoms and often

is misdiagnosed as asthma. The treatment for vocal cord dysfunction,

however, is a series of exercises rather than medications. VCD can

cause difficulty breathing and even wheezing -- much like asthma.

 

COLON CANCER: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The exact cause of colon cancer is not known but physicians do know

early treatment is crucial to successful outcomes. The National Cancer

Institute says risk factors for developing colon cancer include age --

the disease is more common if you are over 50 -- diets high in fat and

calories and low in fiber, and the presence of polyps in the colon and

rectum. Symptoms include blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits

-- diarrhea, constipation or a feeling the bowel does not empty

completely -- abdominal pain or bloating, weight loss for no reason,

constantly being tired and vomiting. Because these symptoms also could

indicate many other health conditions, it is very important to talk

with your doctor as soon as you notice them. A colonoscopy is the best

method for detecting colon cancer.

 

For more information go to <a

href= " http://www.cancer.gov/ " >http://www.cancer.gov/</a> on the

Internet.

 

© Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

 

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