San Diego, CA, United States (AHN) – Antibiotics don’t help fight most sinus infections. but most doctors routinely prescribe them for that purpose, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say that antibiotics prescribed for sinus infections do not ease patients’ symptoms or get them up and back to work any sooner than a placebo pill.

Antibiotics are known to fuel the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria. Experts have grown increasingly worried about overuse. This is a particular concern with sinus infections, because doctors cannot tell if the sinus infection is caused by bacteria or by a virus, in which case antibiotics are useless.

The researchers say that doctors should refrain from giving antibiotics to people with a sinus infection and do what they call “watchful waiting,” which involves keeping an eye on the patient to see if they get better, and not using drugs other than over-the-counter painkillers.

People with sinus infections have lasting and severe cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose and pain around the eyes, nose and forehead.

Sinus infections are the fifth most common reason antibiotics are prescribed for adults.

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Kampala, Uganda (IRIN) – Uganda’s National Drug Authority recently arrested sales representatives of a company selling a drug that purports to cure HIV; the firm’s owners are not licensed to sell medicine and are being sought by the police.

The drug, known as Virol ZAPPER, was being sold in 37-milliliter liquid doses, each costing about US$210; patients were advised to take 10 drops daily. It was being advertised on local radio and TV stations as a miracle cure for HIV.

The sale of such “cures” is a profitable racket for charlatans willing to take advantage of desperate HIV-positive people; here is a collection of some dodgy treatments that have made the news in Africa over the years:

Tanzania – In 2011, tens of thousands of people from all over East Africa flocked to the tiny village of Loliondo in Tanzania seeking a cure for several diseases, including diabetes, tuberculosis and HIV. Ambilikile Mwasapile, a former Lutheran pastor, was charging 500 Tanzanian shillings – about $0.33 – for a cup for his concoction.

Several sick people died in the queues, which at their peak numbered 15,000 people. Studies are being conducted to determine the properties of Mwasapile’s treatment.

South Africa – A 2008 Cape High Court judgment ruled that clinical trials of multivitamins in the treatment of HIV/AIDS by controversial vitamin salesman Matthias Rath were unlawful, and stopped them. The court also prohibited Rath from publishing any more advertisements claiming that his product, VitaCell, cured AIDS, pending further review by the Medicines Control Council.

Rath, who had been operating in South Africa since about 2004, claimed his multivitamins treated AIDS, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, bird flu and numerous other illnesses. Rath ran numerous advertisements aimed at convincing HIV-positive people to take his high-dose multivitamins rather than ARVs, available free-of-charge through the public health system, which he claimed were “toxic”.

Kenya – In 2008, the government warned HIV-positive people in the country’s eastern Coast Province to reject herbal “cures” peddled by fake herbalists who claimed their concoctions contained unique ingredients that could boost the immune system and even cure HIV.

An estimated 80 percent of Kenyans use traditional healers either exclusively or in conjunction with western medicine; the government is drafting regulations to stop fraudulent herbalists from practicing.

Gambia – In 2007, President Yahya Jammeh was roundly denounced by AIDS activists when he said he had found a cure for HIV/AIDS and began treating citizens. Shortly after his announcement, Jammeh expelled the most senior UN official in the country for questioning his “cure”.

The program is still running, but more Gambians are choosing ARVs over Jammeh’s treatment.

Ethiopia – In 2007, thousands of HIV-positive patients flocked to Entoto, an ancient mountain north of the capital, Addis Ababa, seeking a “holy water” cure for AIDS after local priests said they could cure HIV.

The Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Paulos, later advised patients to continue with their ARVs even as they sought healing at Entoto.

São Tome and Principe – In 2007, questions were raised about Dorviro-Sida, or “Put AIDS to sleep” in Portuguese, an anti-AIDS herbal remedy produced by Amancio Valentim, president of the Association of Traditional Medicine of São Tome and Principe. Valentim claimed three tablespoons of the brownish syrup, taken every day before meals, could reduce the viral load and make patients feel better; he said four patients who had taken the drug for four years had tested negative for HIV.

AIDS activists were concerned the drug could make HIV-positive people complacent about taking their ARVs, and the health ministry said it did not support Valentim’s treatment.

South Africa – In 2006, a clinic in South Africa’s east coast city of Durban began to sell “ubhejane” – a herbal mixture believed to treat HIV/AIDS.

The controversial traditional medicine received vast media coverage, mainly due to the backing it received from influential political figures such as the former health minister, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, and provincial health officials. Ubhejane, a dark brown liquid sold in old plastic milk bottles, had not undergone any clinical trials to test its efficacy. All that the tests confirmed was that it was not toxic.

But HIV-positive patients were far more willing to accept the traditional medicine as an effective remedy, flocking to the clinic to buy a full course of the herbal remedy that retailed at R374 ($40).

Uganda – In 2006, the Ugandan government banned the use of a popular anti-AIDS herb remedy known as “Khomeini” , after tests found it provided no cure. Iranian Sheikh Allagholi Elahi claimed the drug – which contained olive oil and honey and cost $1,650 per dose – could cure HIV/AIDS and TB in three weeks.

Studies by experts in Uganda and Kenya found that while patients had gained weight due to the nutritional content of the drug, it was incapable of curing HIV.

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– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.

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Oakland, CA, United States (AHN) – Drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder, including Ritalin and Adderall, are safe for adults’ hearts even though they can increase blood pressure and heart rate, a new study finds.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA., found in a review of health records for more than 440,000 adults aged 25 to 64 that those taking ADHD drugs had about the same number of heart attacks, strokes and sudden heart attack deaths as adults who did not use those drugs.

More than 150,000 medication users in the study were from all over the United States. The data compared their health patterns with similar adults who did not use ADHD drugs over a span of 20 years.

The researchers found that overall there were 1,357 heart attacks, 575 strokes and 296 sudden cardiac attests. Roughly an equal amount of numbers were found in ADHD users and nonusers.

Participants in the study used the drugs for an average of less than a year, with an upper range of 14 years. There was no increased risk with longer use.

ADHD is usually thought of as a condition in childhood, but many continue to have symptoms as adults, including impulsive, fidgety behavior, and difficulty focusing or paying attention.

More than 1.5 million U.S. adults were taking drugs used for ADHD in 2005. The study also found that use of ADHD drugs in adults increased more rapidly than in children over the past 10 years.

The findings, which will be published in the American Medical Association’s print edition on Dec. 28, supports the Food and Drug Administration’s decision in 2006 against putting a black box warning about serious heart events on ADHD drug labels.

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San Antonio, TX, United States (AHN) – Women with advanced breast cancer may soon have two new treatment options, according to two separate studies.

In a large international study, two new combination treatments appears to improve survival, although the researchers note that more follow-up needs to be done.

For women whose breast cancer continues to spread after treatment, adding the cancer drug Afinitor to a hormone drug called Aromasin more than doubled the time before the disease got worse.

For women with untreated metastatic breast cancer, adding an experimental drug from Genetch called pertuzmab to the breast cancer drug Herceptin, and chemotherapy, lengthened the time before the cancer progressed.

In both studies, women given the combination treatments lived months longer before their cancer got worse.

Researchers say that eventually all women with metastatic disease get worse, but this new data is the most promising they have seen. They call the drugs “game changers.”

Nearly 41,000 women in the United States die from breast cancer each year, and these results showing that both drug treatments kept tumors in check months longer than standard therapies are being cheered by medical communities.

The new drug treatments are the first for breast cancer since Herceptin came out in 1998, the standard treatment for the disease.

The drug cocktails are expected to be expensive, up to $10,000 a month and have yet to provide any cures. However, doctors remain hopeful and see much promise in treating women with early stage breast cancer with the drugs when a cure is more likely.

The study was presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published online by The New England Journal of Medicine.

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Atlanta, GA, United States (AHN) – Over the past decade, the medicating of Americans for mental illness has continued to grow.

From 2001 to 2010, overall use of psychiatric drug use among adults rose 22 percent. One on five adults now takes at least one psychotic drug such as anti-depressants, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety medications.

The new figures, released Wednesday, are based on prescription drug pharmacy claims of 2 million insured American adults and children reported by Medco Health Solutions Inc., a pharmacy benefit manager.

In 2010, Americans spent $16.1 billion on antipsychotics to treat depression, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia; $11.6 billion on antidepressants; and $7.2 billion on treatment for ADHD, according to IMS Health, which tracks prescription drug sales.

While the use of most psychotic drugs grew strongly, declines were seen in antidepressant use in children and anti-anxiety drug use in the elderly.

A pronounced increase in medication to treat ADHD among young and middle ages adults was seen, particularly in women.

Use in the over-65 population also spiked by about 30 percent for men and women over the last decade.

Reasons for the rise could include people who were diagnosed and treated as children for ADHD continue to suffer symptoms, adults who were never before treated but suspect they have symptoms sought help, and increased awareness.

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Atlanta, GA, United States (AHN) – The number of overdose deaths from prescription painkillers more than tripled over a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone were responsible for the deaths of almost 15,000 people in 2008, more than three times the 4,000 deaths in 1999.

The report from the CDC shows nearly 5 percent of Americans ages 12 and older said they have abused painkillers in the past year, using them without a prescription or just for the high.

Oklahoma reported the highest rate of abuse, while the lowest rates of abuse were found in Nebraska and Iowa in the 2008-09 survey.

The overdose deaths reflect the increase in the number of narcotic painkillers prescribed every year.

States oversee prescription practices. A federal drug plan announced this year calls for state programs to track prescriptions. The only states yet to approve them are Missouri and New Hampshire, and while a number of states have approved them, they don’t have them in place yet.

Experts say that prescription drug abuse in America is epidemic. Patients are urged to get rid of unused or expired painkillers.

In 2008, there were 26,450 fatal overdoses, including accidental cases involving illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, along with prescription medicines. About three quarters of the deaths from prescriptions involved narcotic painkillers.

Other findings from the CDC study include that New Mexico had the highest overdose rate and Nebraska had the lowest. Fatal overdoses were more likely in men, middle aged adults, and whites and American Indians. Additionally, sales of prescription painkillers are highest in the Southeast and Northwest.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved a new combination drug to treat both diabetes and high cholesterol.

Sold under the brand name Juvisync, the drug is a fixed-dose combination tablet that combines the diabetes drug sitagliptin with simvastatin.

In a statement, Dr. Mary H. Parks, director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, explained why approval of the new drug mattered.

“This is the first product to combine a type 2 diabetes drug with a cholesterol lowering drug in one tablet,” said Parks. “However, to ensure safe and effective use of this product, tablets containing different doses of sitagliptin and simvastatin in fixed-dose combination have been developed to meet the different needs of individual patients. Dose selection should factor in what other drugs the patient is taking.”

Sitigliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor sold as Januvia. The FDA first approved it in 2006 as an adjunct to diet and exercise. Simvastatin (Zocor) is a popular statin drug that helps reduce total and LDL cholesterol.

In the short term, the combination product will come in three strengths, all with 100 mg of sitagliptin and 10, 20, or 40 mg of simvastatin.

Merck subsidiary MSD International GmbH Clonmel, of Tipperary, Ireland, will manufacture the drug. Initially, the combination will come in three strengths.

FDA officials caution physicians to consider the other drugs a patient is taking before prescribing Juvisync.

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Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – Recent warnings over misuse and overuse of antibiotics appears to be paying off.

A new report released Thursday from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that since 1993-1994, the number of prescriptions written and filled for children under 14 years of age declined 24 percent.

The findings reveal that doctors prescribed fewer antibiotics for colds and sore throats, but little or no change was seen in prescriptions for ear infections.

Antibiotics are often used for viral infections and are not effective. Misuse can lead to treatment failure and resistance.

Experts say doctors incorrectly prescribe antibiotics more than 50 percent of the time, most often with respiratory infections.

The decline in antibiotic prescriptions was partially attributed to physician enlightenment, fewer doctors office visits and better vaccines.

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Amsterdam, Netherlands (AHN) – Many women and doctors both swear by cranberry juice and capsules to treat reoccurring bladder infections, but a new Dutch study reveals that antibiotics may be more effective even if they contribute to a greater risk for antibiotic resistance.

About half of all women experience urinary tract infections (UTIs) during their lifetime, and roughly 30 percent will develop recurrent UTIs. A great deal of women are also concerned about the resistance problem associated with taking antibiotics for a long period.

The study found that women who just took cranberry capsules were more likely to develop at least systematic UTI compared with their counterparts who received antibiotics.

Cranberries have long been used as a natural remedy to treat bladder infections and many doctors say they still have a role in in preventing UTIs. Dr. Carol Dean, a naturopathic physician in Maui, HI, told USA Today, “We have been using cranberry juice and extract for a long time, It stops adhesion of bacteria to the bladder wall.”

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Mogadishu, Somalia (IRIN) – Hospitals in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, have been hit by a shortage of drugs following the arrival of large numbers of drought-displaced people in the past two months, with health officials reporting that up to five patients were dying daily due to disease outbreaks.

“Hospitals are experiencing shortages of medicines yet they need to distribute drugs to deal with outbreaks of measles, diarrhea, malnutrition, malaria and respiratory diseases,” Aden Ibrahim, the Health Minister in Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government, told IRIN in Mogadishu.

A severe drought has hit many parts of Somalia, with civil society officials reporting that hunger-related deaths were on the rise as areas that were previously not drought-prone were also affected . The hunger-stricken were moving to the city and other urban areas in south-central Somalia in search of help.

At a press conference on 15 July in Nairobi, US deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Reuben Brigety II, said historically, those fleeing their homes were financially and physically able to leave, while those remaining behind were often worse off.

He said the ongoing crisis in Somalia was different. “We are seeing now even the poorest of the people in Somalia are leaving – farmers, herders, people for whom there just is no food any more.”

In Mogadishu, Ibrahim said the city was no longer able to handle the flood of desperate people.

“At least three to five children are dying daily [in the hospitals] following disease outbreaks as a result of the large influx of the drought-displaced in the city,” he said.

Lul Mohamoud Mohamed, the director of Banadir Hospital, the largest in Mogadishu, said the facility had exhausted its medical supplies due to a sharp increase in the number of patients.

“No organization supports the hospital directly; we used to get medicine from DBG [Daryeel Bulsho Guud, an NGO based in Germany] as well as medicine for diarrhea and measles from UNICEF [UN Children's Fund] and WHO [World Health Organization] but we have run out, due to the large number of patients we’re receiving,” Mohamed said.

She said hospital authorities had written to UNICEF, WHO and other organizations for help but had yet to get a response.

Most of the children referred to Banadir, Mohamed said, were in a serious condition.

“Three to four of the estimated 100 children we receive at the hospital daily die; we cannot save them because we are now in a situation where we cannot do anything, especially for those suffering from measles,” Mohamed said.

A month ago, she said, the hospital used to receive up to 70 child referrals daily, “but now we receive about 100 referrals because of the outbreak of diseases such as measles and diarrhea in the city”.

In the first quarter of 2011, Banadir received 160 measles referrals and 440 other referrals in the second quarter, Mohamed said.

“We received 1,228 child diarrhea patients in the first quarter and another 2,003 in the second quarter,” Mohamed said, adding that the facility registered 160 and 440 cases in the first and second quarter, respectively.

While otherwise healthy children recover from measles within two or three weeks, the consequences can be severe for displaced children who are already vulnerable. WHO says that “particularly in malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, measles can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia”.

The outbreak is facilitated by low immunization coverage in the areas currently affected by drought, according to Tarik Jasarevic, a media and advocacy officer with WHO. “There was already a weak health system and problems with water and sanitation in these areas,” he said.

In neighboring Kenya, where many Somalis have sought refuge, WHO, UNICEF and the Kenyan Ministry of Health are planning a measles and polio vaccination campaign that will target 215,000 children under-five. De-worming tablets and Vitamin A will also be provided.

The campaign will target children in Mogadishu, and those who live along the Kenya-Somali border, including the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, Fafi and Lagdera districts and migration corridors such as Garissa municipality.

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– Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.

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