Tamiflu Doesn't Help Otherwise Healthy Adults, Researchers Say
A new review suggests that if you are a healthy adult and catch the flu, taking Tamiflu may not do much good, HealthDay reports. Published in the British Medical Journal, the analysis used data from clinical trials testing the drug's effectiveness at reducing flu complications. (The researchers excluded some trials because of a lack of access to data.) Based on the analysis, the authors wrote that they have "no confidence in claims that Tamiflu reduces the risk of complications of influenza in otherwise healthy adults," according to HealthDay. An expert for the World Health Organization said the agency will not change guidelines that recommend administering Tamiflu to those at high risk of complications from swine flu, according to HealthDay.
[Slide Show: 10 Do's and Dont's to Protect Yourself From Swine Flu.] [Read 7 Swine Flu Facts You Need to Know Now.]
Cancer Death Rates Are Down, but Watch Out if Breast Cancer Screening Falls Off
The White House and Congress have been distancing themselves from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's controversial new breast-cancer screening guidelines, U.S. News columnist and physician Bernadine Healy writes. But after all the blaring headlines and government double talk, plus this week's news that cancer death rates continue to fall, how can women figure out if regular mammograms are indeed good for their health?
The new guidelines come out against routine screening of women in their 40s and call for cutting in half screening of those over 50 and stopping altogether at 74. This schedule, which would bring the typical woman down to about 12 mammograms total from two to three times that many, is in contrast to some other current guidelines, which advise screening every year starting at age 40. The downgrade of mammograms has left women with some heavy-duty misconceptions, thinking that early detection of cancer does not save lives, that 40-year-olds see trivial or no benefits from cancer screening, and that the new guidelines are better because they're based on science rather than sloppy emotion, Healy writes.
Welcome to the future, where the battle of dueling medical directives on how to care for patients effectively but at the lowest possible cost is just beginning. Read more.
[Read Health Reform, an Assault on Doctor-Patient Choice and Why Health Reform Will Be a Danger to Passive Patients.]
How to Find Out if Toys Are Safe
Parents around the nation breathed a sigh of relief with the news that Zhu Zhu Pets, those adorable robot hamsters, are not contaminated with antimony, a metallic element that can cause heart and lung problems, U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute writes. Zhu Zhu Pets are the "it" toy of the 2009 holiday season.
GoodGuide, a website that ranks the safety and environmental impacts of toys and household products, had reported over the weekend that Mr. Squiggles, one of the Zhu Zhu Pets, contained antimony at levels of 93 to 106 parts per million, in excess of the federal standard of 60 parts per million. Cephia LLC, the manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, quickly posted its own toxicology report on Mr. Squiggles. The Consumer Product Safety Commission examined the report and gave the little guy a clean bill of health. It turns out that GoodGuide had conducted its test with a hand-held X-ray fluorescence analyzer, which is considered less accurate than the methods required of manufacturers. Good for Mr. Squiggles, but what about all the other toys destined to be under the tree? Read more.
[Read 5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe at Home and Dangerous Toys Still on Store Shelves, Report Finds.]
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