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Jun 04, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- OBESITY LINKED TO PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have found a significant association between obesity and the prevalence of periodontal disease. The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Periodontology, examined the body mass, waist circumference and teeth of more than 13,000 people. The relationship between obesity and periodontal disease among individuals aged 18-34 years was 76 percent higher than for normal weight individuals in this age group. No significant association was found in the middle and older age groups. The researchers said the young adults might have lower dietary intake of calcium and vitamin C -- both associated with periodontal disease.
ALLERGY CITIES RANKED
Allergies have a grip on American cities, according to a new ranking of cities by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The "Allergy Capitals" were identified and ranked key environmental and medical factors involving allergies in American cities. Living in or traveling to an "Allergy Capital" should be a reminder to allergy sufferers to control allergy symptoms by planning ahead, according to the AAFA. Louisville, Ky. leads the country in high pollen days, number of antihistamine prescriptions written per capita, and the number of board certified allergists per capita, followed by: Austin, Texas; St. Louis, Mo.; Atlanta; and Charlotte, N.C. To avoid symptoms the AAFA recommends spending less time outside when pollen and mold counts are high, keeping windows closed, using an air filter that is cleaned regularly and reducing dust mites by washing bedding often.
SIMILAR DRUG NAMES CONFUSE
University of Buffalo researchers are getting a $1.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to help end medication errors caused by similar-sounding drug names. The Institute of Medicine estimates such medication errors result in more than 7,000 fatalities a year. A 2002 Food and Drug Administration report claimed in the United States alone, medication errors made throughout the drug distribution system injure another 1.3 million patients a year. Confusing nomenclature, labeling, packaging and handwriting bear some responsibility, but thousands of drugs with confusing look-alike and sound-alike names account for one-fourth of all reported errors. A look at some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the pharmaceutical arsenal suggests the extent of the problem: Vioxx/Videx, Clinoril/Clozaril, Serzone/Seroquel, Zantac/Zyrtec, Toradol/Torecane, Zoloft/Zocor, Clonidine/Klonopin, Celebrex/Celexa.
QUITTING SMOKING BETTER FOR WOMEN
Findings from the Lung Health Study indicate that, in general, women's lung function improves significantly more than men's after sustained smoking cessation. The new analysis indicates benefits to the lungs are greater in women than in men. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, followed more than 5,300 middle-aged smokers for five years. All participants had mild or moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the first year after quitting, women's lung function improved more than twice that of the men's. Among those who quit, improved lung function remained greater for women than for men throughout the study, although the gender differences narrowed over time.
(EDITORS: For more information on PERIODONTAL, contact Amy Duff at (312) 573-3244 or amyd@perio.org. For ALLERGY, Brian Devenny at (212) 537-8168 or bdevenny@gcigroup.com, for DRUG NAMES, Patricia Donovan, (716) 645-5000, ext 1414, or pdonovan@buffalo.edu., and for SMOKING, NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute communications office at (301) 496-4236.)
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
