MATURE MARKET HEADLINES updated 7/11/2000
Herbs May Be Harmful to Health and Vision
Consumers using "botanicals" to alleviate various conditions should be aware that certain herbs have the potential to cause health or eye problems, cautions Dr. Leland Carr, Dean of the College of Optometry at Pacific University. Carr advises that some herbs can be as powerful as prescription drugs, and can be harmful if taken in excess.
"The public seems to have endorsed the notion that herbal equals natural. However, there are ocular
considerations for many of these products. For example, there have been reported cases of black cohosh causing clotting in the blood vessels in the back of the eye, an intolerance to contact lenses, and changes in the curvature of the cornea."
Other herbs that have been reported, documented, or suspected of causing eye problems are St. John's Wort (appears to enhance ultraviolet damage to the crystalline lens), ginseng, bilberry extract, kava kava, and an herbal combination of gingko biloba, grapeseed extract, sweet clover and iodine marketed to combat cellulite.
On the other hand, says Dr. Carr, there are some herbs that offer benefits to the patient, and present no known harm to the eyes, or may be even helpful. More important, though, is that the patients tell their optometrist what botanicals they are taking. "About 75% of adult patients using herbals failed to report that usage during standard medication histories. It's vital that the eye care professional be aware of this, especially if the patient is currently being treated for an eye health disease, such as glaucoma.
Dr. Carr's findings were presented at a recent conference of The American Optometric Association (AOA). AOA represents 33,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians in
more than 6,600 communities across the country and in foreign countries.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Herbal Products Complicate Surgery
Some Herbal Remedies Horrible
Elders With Vision Eat More Spinach
These Symptoms Indicate Vision Problems
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Health Symptoms Never To Be Ignored
How can you tell the difference between a medical problem that will go away on its own and one that should be attended to immediately? Elaine Alpert, M.D., M.P.H., of Boston University School of Medicine writes in the June issue of Reader's Digest New Choices about the following symptoms you should call your doctor about.
- Continuing weight loss
loss of 10 or more pounds without intending to.
- Persistent headaches
headaches so severe that you miss work or over-the-counter pain-killers don't help.
- Chest pain
a dull, pressure-like chest pain comes on for no reason.
- Abdominal pain
whatever the possible cause, have it checked out.
- Bruises and bleeding
rectal bleeding, vaginal bleeding after menopause, blood in urine.
- Sadness
sad and irritable most of the day for at least two weeks.
Other signs of depression include crying spells for no apparent reason, unexplained aches and pains that won't go away, difficulty in making decisions, an inability to concentrate, and a feeling that the future looks grim.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
How to be a Power Patient at Next Doctor Visit
Doctors Cure Fear of Hospitalization
Strengthening Doctor-Patient Relationships
Embarrassment Is Major Medical Problem
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Vitamin E Helps Heart in Type II Diabetics
A high intake of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, can help reduce heart disease and stroke risk in type II diabetics, UT Southwestern researchers have found. The main cause of death and morbidity in type II diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, are vascular complications.
In a study published in the July 11 issue of Circulation, Drs. Ishwarlal Jialal and Sridevi Devaraj found that increased inflammation caused by white blood cells, monocytes, was reduced when diabetics were given 1,200 International Units per day of natural vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) for three months.
"This is the first study that shows that vitamin E has anti-inflammatory effects in diabetic patients," says Jialal, professor of pathology and internal medicine. "It could be a further therapy to prevent vascular complications in diabetes since inflammation seems to be critical as a causative factor in diabetic vascular disease.''
Type II is also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes. The elderly and obese individuals are high risk for Type II diabetes. The UT Southwestern study was funded by The American Diabetes Association.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Hispanic Elders High Risk for Diabetes
Latina Mothers Risk Late-life Diabetes
Boomer Diabetes Risk Sweetens Profits
Understanding Diabetes
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
FDA Approves New Exelon Alzheimer Drug
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an Alzheimer therapy that shows clinical benefits in all three symptom areas: activities of daily living, global functioning, and cognition. Eating, dressing, thinking and speaking are the kind of tasks made easier by Exelon, a potent brain-selective cholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD).
Dr. George T. Grossberg, who is the Samuel W. Fordyce Professor of geriatric psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, says that the FDA's approval of Exelon is a milestone for Alzheimer patients. Grossberg should know. He served on the International Safety Monitoring Board for Exelon, and has five years experience with the compound which is manufactured by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
During clinical testing of Exelon in patients with mild to moderately severe AD, elders treated with the drug demonstrated the following benefits.
- activities of daily living improvements (eating, dressing, household chores),
- behavioral symptom improvements (fewer delusions and agitation), and
- cognitive improvements (thinking, memory, and speaking).
Alzheimer disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease affecting 10 million people worldwide and 4 million in the U.S. It causes impaired memory, thinking and behavioral problems leading to the loss of independence. Further information on Exelon and AD is available on the Internet at: www.alzheimer.disease.com
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
TriAD Program Helps Alzheimer Caregivers
Postmenopausal Alzheimer’s Prevention Study
HKUST: East Meets West to Fight Alzheimer's
Prednisone Ineffective Against Alzheimer's
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Antidepressants Impair Cognitive Function In The Elderly
New medical research provides preliminary evidence that psychoactive drugs such as antidepressants have both immediate and cumulative negative effects on cognitive performance for people age 80 and
over. "These kinds of medications are often prescribed to improve cognitive function. However, this study showed the opposite result" explains Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Penn State University.
The three-year study of elders, age 80 and over, interviewed the study participants for approximately three and a half-hours using standard cognitive tests. Questions tested things such as short and long-term memory, reasoning, recognition of everyday items and simple calculations such as balancing a checkbook.
"Many of these people take multiple medications daily", says Dr. Dellasega. Since these medications affect the elder's ability to perform their day-to-day activities, the researchers believe that physicians and family members need to be aware that these elderly patients may need help managing their medications.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Elders Ignore Signs of Late Life Depression
Meds Plus Counseling Best Depression Therapy?
Psychiatrists Look Into Next Century's Depression
New Depression Meds Not Always Better
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
View More Headlines
AgeVenture News Service, 21946 Pine Trace, Boca Raton, FL 33428 USA
Dr. David Demko, Editor
E-mail:newsdesk@demko.com
the media may use these headlines free-of-charge