Experimental Weight-Loss Drug Successful in Clinical Trials
Contrave, an experimental weight-loss drug developed by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., has been shown to significantly aid weight loss in three late-stage clinical trials, the Associated Press reports. Findings from two trials showed that patients lost on average 17.6 pounds and 17.5 pounds, respectively. A third trial involved people with type 2 diabetes and showed that patients lost on average 13.5 pounds, according to the AP. The three trials each lasted 56 weeks, and about 3,800 patients in total participated. Orexigen announced that it plans to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration for Contrave in 2010. Common side effects of the drug included nausea and constipation. A few patients experienced more serious complications, including gallbladder infection and seizure.
Read about weight-loss ingredients the FDA says may endanger your health, along with 28 weight-loss products that contain them.
10 Salt Shockers That Could Make Hypertension Worse
Does too much salt cause high blood pressure, or doesn't it? Two new studies out yesterday in the journal Hypertension tip the scales in favor of reducing sodium, particularly for those Americans—1 in 4—who have high blood pressure, U.S. News's Deborah Kotz reports. One study found that reducing salt intake from 9,700 milligrams a day to 6,500 milligrams decreased blood pressure significantly in blacks, Asians, and whites who had untreated mild hypertension. Another study found that switching to a reduced-salt diet helped lower blood pressure in folks with treatment-resistant hypertension. Cutting sodium intake, though, involves a lot more than setting aside the salt shaker. Kotz lists 10 foods high in sodium that could make hypertension worse. The culprits include cottage cheese, which may pack more than 900 mg of sodium into a 1-cup serving, and dill pickles—one of which typically contains 830 mg of sodium, Kotz writes.
Find out whether drinking alcoholic beverages can spoil your plan to lose weight. In June, U.S. News dished about the high-calorie offerings of popular restaurant chains. And consider why you should avoid dining out: Researchers have found that restaurants are full of environmental cues—from plate size to bread condiments—that encourage us to eat more.
Is a Cash-Only or Direct-Pay Medical Practice Right for You?
With the unemployment rate above 9 percent and some 46 million Americans lacking insurance, the market for affordable healthcare is ripe. There's a growing movement toward cash-only medical practices, which do away with third-party billing and waiting for reimbursement and put responsibility for payment squarely on the patient. Cash-only, or direct-pay, medical practices cater to the uninsured or those with high-deductible health plans that kick in only for major expenditures. Across the country, there are now 500 to 1,000 family medicine practices operating on a cash-only model, according to one expert's estimate. The cash-only model is based on the idea that rather than charging higher, so-called retail rates for uninsured patients while negotiating discounted rates with insurance companies for covered patients, it's fairer—and possible—to offer flat and reasonable rates to all, U.S. News's January Payne reports.
Here are some tips on getting affordable health insurance for young adults, along with a quick guide to health insurance lingo. Consider 7 ways laid-off baby boomers can find health insurance.
—Megan Johnson
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