Health Buzz: Painkillers Get Warning and Other Health News

FDA Says Painkillers Must Have Boxed Warning

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that drugs containing propoxyphene, a strong pain-killing ingredient that carries a risk of accidental overdose, may stay on the market but their labels must show a boxed warning of the risks, the Associated Press reports. Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Darvon and Darvocet, which both contain propoxyphene, and similar generic drugs are the medicines targeted by the FDA; it is now also calling for a study on the heart risks associated with taking the drugs in high doses, Reuters reports. The FDA's action came after the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen petitioned the agency to pull the drugs from the U.S. market, according to the AP. The drugs have been banned in Britain for years. But the U.S. drug agency did not ban the medications. "The benefits of using the medication for pain relief at recommended doses outweigh the safety risks at this time," the FDA stated in a news release.

Check out these 5 dangerous drug combinations you should avoid and 4 ways to prevent drug errors.

5 Risks Linked to Diabetes Medications like Lantus, Avandia, Actos

For the 200 million diabetics worldwide, the past few years have brought some disturbing findings about risks that may be associated with certain diabetes drugs. Recent concerns that Avandia (rosiglitazone) might cause cardiovascular problems, for example, have led some experts to call for it to be pulled from the market, although it remains available today. And in late June, studies published online by the journal Diabetologia raised concern about a possible link between the diabetes medication Lantus (insulin glargine) and an increased risk of cancer, U.S. News's January Payne reports. Payne offers a look at the concerns raised about Lantus's possible cancer risk, as well as 4 other risks that some experts have mentioned about the diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos. Risks from Avandia may include fractures and heart, eye, and liver problems.

Recent bad news on diabetes drugs has caused a decline in their manufacturer's stock values. In 2007, for example, shares of GlaxoSmithKline fell 13 percent during a nine-day period because of concern about heart risks that researchers linked to Avandia. Read about whether pricey new diabetes drugs like Actos and Byetta actually provide more bang for the buck than older, cheaper ones.

New America's Best Nursing Home s Honor Roll

Of 15,000-plus nursing homes ranked by U.S. News in July's update of "America's Best Nursing Homes," 41 merited Honor Roll status. All achieved a perfect five-star rating on each of the federal government's three yardsticks: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality measures of individual care. A few of the homes are pediatric facilities that provide Medicaid-funded long-term care or skilled rehabilitation services. The Honor Roll is updated every three months.

For a look at the latest nursing home data across the nation, see 10 best states for top nursing homes and 10 worst states for top nursing homes.

U.S. News also offers tips to help those grappling with where to house a loved one. Recommended steps include determining whether it is truly time to move Dad or Mom to a nursing home, whittling down the roster of available nursing homes to a handful of decent prospects, visiting the homes that made the cut, and regularly following up to make sure that the choice was a good one. We also offer valuable information about paying for care, a close look at homes with a particularly bad track record, and a daughter's poignant story of her family's struggle to find humane care for her Alzheimer's-affected father.

—Megan Johnson

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