Pharmaceuticals told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last week
that it was expanding its recall to three additional lots of Losartan potassium
tablets and two additional lots of Losartan potassium/hydrochlorothiazide tablets.
Company officials said an impurity suspected of being a cancer-causing agent
had been found in the finished manufactured version of the tablets. Here is more
information about the recall from the American Heart Association.
If you want more health headlines, we’ve combed through this week’s top
stories, so you don’t have to. Here’s what else caught our attention.
Many People Are Still Unaware of HPV-Related Cancer Risks
HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection, can lead to cervical cancer, anal
cancer, penile cancer, and oral cancer, among others. According to new research
from the University of Texas over 70 percent of US adults are unaware of these
HPV-related cancer risks. The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also
found that many people eligible for vaccination do not receive recommendations
for this inoculation from their doctors.
Hysterectomy Tied to Depression, Anxiety
New research in the journal Menopause shows the having a hysterectomy may
increase the long-term risk for depression and anxiety. Removing the uterus may
have more effect on physical and mental health than previously thought.
Because women often get a hysterectomy at a young age, knowing the risks
associated with the procedure even years later is important. Researchers
reviewed the health records of nearly 2,100 women who underwent removal of
the uterus but not the ovaries. They found they had about a 7 percent increased
risk of depression and a 5 percent increased risk of anxiety over 30 years.
Women who had a hysterectomy between the ages of 18 and 35 had the highest
—12 percent—risk of depression, according to the study. Learn more about
hysterectomies.
New research published in The Gerontologist suggests that having a furry loved
one at home may help ease the pain after the loss of a spouse. Pets can provide
support during stressful times -- even petting a dog or cat can calm you,
researchers noted. The study found that while all people who became widowed
or divorced did have some decline in their mental health, having a pet seemed to
make a difference. Patients without pets who experienced such a loss had an
average of 2.6 symptoms of depression, but that fell to 1.2 symptoms for those
with pets.
Certain Diets Helped Women With Diabetes Cut Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
Eating patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet and the blood pressure-lowering
DASH may help older women with Type 2 diabetes ward off heart attacks,
strokes and related problems, new research published in the Journal of the
American Heart Association.
Adults With Low Vitamin D Levels May Live Shorter Lives
Young and middle-aged adults with low vitamin D levels may live shorter lives,
a large study suggests. The findings come from a 20-year follow-up of more than
78,000 Austrian adults. Researchers found that those with low vitamin D levels
in their blood were nearly three times more likely to die during the study period
than those with adequate levels. When it came to the cause of death, vitamin D
levels were most clearly linked to deaths from diabetes complications. Here are
top foods for healthy bones.
More Hot Flashes Could Mean Higher Odds for Heart Trouble
New research offers evidence that frequent or persistent hot flashes are linked to
higher odds of heart attack and stroke. The finding stems from a 20-year study of
about 3,300 women during menopause. Of those women, 231 had a heart attack,
stroke or heart failure. Women who had frequent hot flashes had twice the risk
of heart trouble during the study, researchers found. And those who had
persistent hot flashes had an 80 percent higher risk over 20 years. Not all women
who experience hot flashes will develop heart disease, nor are hot flashes a
cause of heart disease, experts said. But menopausal women are still at a greater
risk of other preventable chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Find out what you should know about menopause.
Eating Onion and Garlic May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
In the first population-based study to examine the association between onion and
garlic consumption and breast cancer in Puerto Rico, researchers found that
women who ate sofrito (a condiment that’s a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine)
more than once per day had a 67 percent decreased breast cancer risk. That’s
according to the findings of a study led by University at Buffalo and University
of Puerto Rico researchers. Results were published in the journal Nutrition and
Cancer. In fact, those who consumed sofrito more than once per day had a 67
percent decrease in risk compared to women who never ate it.
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