Odds and Ends

Less Sitting = Less Cancer:  Really is there more to say here. Study after study reports that an active lifestyle AND a lifestyle that limits sedentary time (because these are two different things) is health promoting and disease preventing.

Vytorin - label change:  The FDA has approved the use of Vytorin for a new condition.  IN other words, the drug company can now market the pill for something beyond just lowering cholesterol.  Vytorin is a combination of two medicines, Zetia and Zocor.  A study was conducted to request this new use.  In the study the combined medicines were used in persons with kidney disease.  There are several categories of kidney disease (chronic, acute, end stage).  The pill was only effective in reducing cardiovascular events in persons with chronic kidney disease CKD who were not on dialysis.  The new label will not say that the combo is better than either drug (zetia or zocor) alone because the study did not include the separate drugs. Patients in the study received Vytorin or nothing (placebo). The new allowance is only recommended for CKD patients because the other kidney patients in the study did not have better outcomes with the medication. The company can market the drug for a new indication or an "on label" use in other words.

Rhode Island and the HPV Vaccine:  I read in the American Public Health Associations newspaper that in Rhode Island vaccines are available for free.  It is called a universal vaccine state.  RI has the highest rate of HPV immunization.  I am coming around to the need for this vaccine.  I also understand that the vaccine needs to occur at a young age because as soon as a person becomes sexually active, with the current prevalence of HPV (human papillomavirus), they are nearly guaranteed to be exposed to the disease.

Drinking less SSB, i.e soda:  A new campaign is underway which addresses the high consumption of soda and how that contributes to childhood obesity.  The full slogan is Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks.  The website is www.fewersugarydrinks.org.  Several reputable organizations are behind the campaign, including my favorite, Consumer Science in the Public Interest.

2011 Walking Survey: I have not had a chance to check out full results, but as I love survey research ,it is on my agenda.  Here is a link to the full report.  At this point I do not know what kind of survey it was, only that 7000 persons responded.  The main reasons given for walking were related to physical and mental health.  Physicians were not making recommendations for people to walk and that was listed as a big concern.  There was no mention in the article regarding walking for weight loss which I thought was good because that is not the main reason people should be walking... oh but see bullet number one for a good reason.

And one sarcastic comment:
$80,000 in debt:  Because I hear these stories almost daily I have to make this comment(financial health matters).  If someone graduated college with $80,000 in student loans and tried to get a job at my company I would not hire them because they are obviously an idiot.  (mean yes, but just because a lender says you can have all that money does not mean that you NEED it)