Health Buzz: Statins and Other Health Headlines

More News on Vytorin and Zetia

The blockbuster cholesterol drugs Vytorin and Zetia, which millions of Americans take each year, may not actually do what they're supposed to do and should be tried as a last resort, according to an editorial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The drugs' effectiveness was brought into question after the full results of a two-year clinical trial were published. In light of the news, a panel of four doctors at a Chicago cardiologists' conference recommended that doctors and patients go back to statins, such as Lipitor, which have proven benefits.

Which cholesterol-lowering drug is right for you? It depends. You can read a U.S. News article on statins, discover one cardiologist's take on cholesterol, and learn about Senior Writer Avery Comarow's experience as a "statins junkie" at usnews.com.

How Hospitals Compare on Patient Satisfaction

The federal government's Hospital Compare page added a massive amount of information about 2,521 hospitals that reveals how often (never, sometimes, usually, or always) and how well patients' various needs were met: nurses listened to them, doctors treated them with courtesy and respect, their pain was kept in check, and in 19 other ways they were recognized as individuals. Avery Comarow reviews the site and offers some suggestions.

A Rise in HIV Cases in the United States

The Centers for Disease Control last week released data on the number of new cases of HIV diagnosed in the United States in 2006.  While the numbers were higher than in previous years, the Wall Street Journal credits the federal agency's new and improved surveillance of the disease, rather than an actual increase in the epidemic.

Should Men Care That Male Birth Control Options Are Languishing?

For decades, experts and pundits have been predicting that a male birth control pill or breakthrough men's contraceptive was just a few years away. Don't hold your breath--the perception among drug companies is that there's little money to be made in producing a male contraceptive, and thus there has been little progress. But On Men columnist Adam Voiland writes of signs  that new birth control options for men may eventually straggle to market. What do you think? Should there be male birth control? Read his column and take a poll.