FDA expands use of cervical cancer vaccine

WASHINGTON - The cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil also works to prevent cancers of the vagina and vulva, federal health officials said Friday, as they approved expanding its use to protect against those diseases as well.

"Condom" ring-tone a hit in India

CHENNAI, India (Reuters Health) - A ring-tone that sings "condom, condom, condom" has attracted over 270,000 downloads since its launch last month and has spread the message of safe sex to many more mobile phone users in India and abroad.

The innovative "Condom a Capella" ring-tone that has the word "condom" sung in many overlapping melodies is the work of an Indian duo, Rupert Fernandes and Vijay Prakash. The website http://www.condomcondom.org, where the ring-tone can be heard, has had over 2 million hits.

Study sees longterm benefit of blood-sugar control

Diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar — even if only for the first decade after they are diagnosed — have lower risks of heart attack, death and other complications 10 or more years later, a large follow-up study has found.

The discovery of this "legacy effect" may put new emphasis on rigorous treatment when people first learn they have Type 2 diabetes, the most common form and the type linked to obesity.

Doctors warn that people should not let their blood sugar spin out of control — that could have serious health consequences.

Reported by AP, full text

New Safety Information - Potential drug risks

The U.S. FDA reports serious safety issues with the following drugs:

Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) January - March 2008

Product Name: Active Ingredient (Trade) or Product Class	Potential Signal of Serious Risk/New Safety Information
Arginine Hydrochloride Injection (R-Gene 10)	Pediatric overdose due to labeling / packaging confusion
Desflurane (Suprane)	Cardiac arrest
Duloxetine (Cymbalta)	Urinary retention
Etravirine (Intelence)	Hemarthrosis
Fluorouracil Cream (Carac) and Ketoconazole Cream (Kuric)	Adverse events due to name confusion
Heparin	Anaphylactic-type reactions
Icodextrin (Extraneal)	Hypoglycemia
Insulin U-500 (Humulin R)	Dosing confusion
Ivermectin (Stromectol) and Warfarin	Drug interaction
Lapatinib (Tykerb)	Hepatotoxicity
Lenalidomide (Revlimid)	Stevens Johnson Syndrome
Natalizumab (Tysabri)	Skin melanomas
Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat)	Overdose due to labeling confusion
Octreotide Acetate Depot (Sandostatin LAR)	Ileus
Oxycodone Hydrochloride Controlled-Release (Oxycontin)	Drug misuse, abuse and overdose
Perflutren Lipid Microsphere (Definity)	Cardiopulmonary reactions
Phenytoin Injection (Dilantin)	Purple Glove Syndrome
Quetiapine (Seroquel)	Overdose due to sample pack labeling confusion
Telbivudine (Tyzeka)	Peripheral neuropathy
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Blockers	Cancers in children and young adults

Exercise trumps obesity gene in study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Vigorous physical activity can help even people genetically prone to obesity keep the weight off, U.S. researchers said on Monday.  They said a study among a group of Amish people found those who had an obesity-related gene called FTO but were very physically active weighed about the same as others who did not carry the gene
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Ask the Doctor- Ear, Nose & Throat, Hepatitis C, and Liver Transplant

Mount Sinai Medical Center has teamed with MedHelp.org  in opening up three new (free) ask the doctor forums:

Ear, Nose & Throat
Hepatitis C
Liver Transplant

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. Founded in 1852.

MedHelp, with over 5.5 million monthly users, is the largest online health community site connecting people with shared medical experiences. MedHelp provides its users with access to advice from experts at the top medical institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, National Jewish Health, Partners Healthcare, and The Mount Sinai Medical Center.