Is Phenylephrine Bogus?, Fish Oil Supplements: Ineffective?, Should Your Blood Pressure be Measured While Seated or Lying Down?, COVID Corner: Moderna Update, 7 Health Lifestyle Habits Shown to Reduce the Risk of Depression.
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Phenylephrine, a popular decongestant, supposedly no more effective than placebo. 🧐
Gist: U.S. government experts claim that the popular decongestant phenylephrine is no more effective than a placebo pill. This challenges the trust in a key ingredient found in widespread over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
Nitty-Gritty: Advisers to the U.S. FDA voted against the efficacy of phenylephrine, a common ingredient in medicines like Sudafed and Dayquil.
- Phenylephrine became the leading drug in OTC decongestants after medicines containing pseudoephedrine were moved behind counters due to potential illegal conversion into methamphetamine.
- Dr. Michael Rieder suggests that while the risk of using phenylephrine is small, it's not beneficial.
- University of Florida researchers petitioned the FDA based on studies showing that phenylephrine products didn't outperform placebo pills.
- Rigorous studies since 2016, including those by Merck and Johnson & Johnson, found no difference in effectiveness between phenylephrine and placebos.
- The FDA's latest review reflects that oral phenylephrine leaves only trace levels in nasal passages, though it seems more effective when applied directly as nasal sprays or drops.
- The FDA panel’s decision isn't binding but paves the way for phenylephrine's potential removal from the FDA's approved list.
Big Picture: The trusted decongestant phenylephrine is under significant scrutiny for its lack of efficacy. If the FDA acts on this information, major pharmaceutical companies may need to adjust, potentially leading consumers back to pseudoephedrine products or different treatment alternatives. Such a shift would necessitate widespread public education about available congestion relief options. This situation emphasizes the evolving nature of medical research and the importance of regular review and update of approved drug ingredients for public safety and well-being.
Original source: here.
Fish Oil: does it really reduce cardiovascular risk? 🐟
Gist: A study suggests that many fish oil supplements make unsupported health claims on their labels, and they contain varying doses of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A significant portion of adults still consume them for heart health, even though studies have not shown cardiovascular benefits.
Nitty-Gritty:
- The EPA and DHA dosages in the supplements studied were highly variable, leading to potential inconsistencies in safety and efficacy.
- Principal author, Ann Marie Navar, stated that fish oil doesn't help in avoiding heart disease.
Editor's Note: That being said, there may be other benefits other than heart disease for which these supplements are beneficial. Do your research and seek expert consultation! - *Additionally, in 2022, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) updated their guidelines to reflect that omega-3 supplements are ineffective for the management of lipids (i.e., cholesterol) and not recommended. Dietary sources are better (such as fish and walnuts).
The CCS also states that the only one prescription form of a purified fish oil (icosapent ethyl) has proven effective in a select group of patients. You can find more information here. - Qualified Health Claims (QHC) (i.e., what's on the label) relate to a product's potential to treat or prevent disease while structure/function claims describe the role of a nutrient but do not claim it prevents or cures any disease.
Big Picture: There's a disparity between the health claims on fish oil supplements and the actual proven benefits of these supplements. This misinformation potentially misleads consumers into buying products that might not offer the expected health benefits. Clinicians and experts are emphasizing the need for accurate labeling and advising patients that a healthy diet can't be replaced by supplements. The public must be educated about the limited evidence behind many supplement claims and guided towards making informed decisions.
Original source: here.
Should blood pressure be measured while lying down or seated?
Gist: Measuring a patient's blood pressure (BP) while they are lying down might provide more accurate insights into their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to when they are seated, according to new research.
Nitty-Gritty:
- Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which tracked over 11,000 adults, was analyzed. Findings showed that those with hypertension while lying down were at an increased risk for CVD, even if they didn't show hypertension while seated.
- The analysis included 11,369 adults (average age of 54, 56% women, 25% Black individuals) without prior CVD history.
- Data from 1987-1989 showed 16% of individuals without seated hypertension had supine (i.e., lying down) hypertension, while 74% with seated hypertension also had it supine.
- Supine hypertension was linked to increased risks for several health issues, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, even after accounting for seated hypertension.
Big Picture: The results emphasize the potential value of measuring BP in the supine position, especially for those at risk of heart disease and stroke. It highlights the nuances in BP measurements and the potential gaps in understanding cardiovascular risk based solely on seated readings. The broader medical community might need to consider new practices and further research to determine the most effective way to gauge and manage hypertension, taking into account the feasibility in clinical settings.
Original source: here.
COVID Corner: Health Canada approves Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine. 💉
Gist: Health Canada has approved Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine for Canadians aged six months and above, specifically designed for the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant.
Nitty-Gritty:
- The vaccine targets only the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant, making it more specific to current virus strains.
- Official distributions to provinces begins in October.
- Dosage recommendations: Canadians five years and older should receive one dose, irrespective of their past vaccinations. Children between six months and four years require two doses if unvaccinated or one dose if they've had at least one previous shot.
- The shots aren't termed boosters but rather updated options, likened to annual flu shots.
- Recommended interval between doses is six months, given that immunity to infection decreases over time.
- Health Canada is also considering updated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax.
- Preliminary data indicates a promising immune response from the XBB.1.5 vaccine against various Omicron sublineages.
Big Picture: The push for these updated vaccines comes amid an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Canada as fall approaches. The initiative is hoped to curb virus transmission in the coming respiratory virus season, especially when combined with the flu vaccine, which Canadians can get simultaneously with the COVID shot. This move mirrors similar actions in the U.S., where the FDA recently authorized updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Global COVID infections and hospitalizations are rising but are still below historical peaks, largely due to global immunity achieved through previous infections and vaccinations.
Original source: here.
7 healthy lifestyle habits that can significantly reduce the risk of depression
Gist: A study has found that a combination of seven healthy lifestyle habits can significantly reduce the risk of depression.
Nitty-Gritty:
- The research utilized data from the UK Biobank, analyzing data from 290,000 people over nine years, 13,000 of whom had depression.
- The seven lifestyle factors associated with a decreased risk of depression are: moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, healthy sleep, never smoking, limited sedentary behavior, and frequent social connections.
- Of these factors, adequate sleep (7-9 hours) had the largest protective effect, reducing depression risk by 22%. Frequent social connection lowered risk by 18%.
- Depending on how many healthy factors individuals adopted, they were grouped into "unfavourable," "intermediate," or "favourable" lifestyles. Those in the "favourable" group had a 57% lower depression risk than the "unfavourable" group.
- Even with varying genetic risk for depression, a healthy lifestyle consistently lowered depression risk.
- Brain scans revealed connections between healthy habits and more voluminous specific brain regions, while blood markers pointed to the impact of lifestyle on immune system and metabolism.
Big Picture: Lifestyle factors appear to play a more influential role in depression risk than genetic predisposition. The researchers underscored the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for mental well-being, irrespective of genetic risk. These findings emphasize the intertwined nature of physical and mental health and underscore the importance of healthy habits from a young age.
Original source: here.
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