12 Tips for Avoiding the Flu

Every year, the threat of contracting the dreaded flu bug looms large. Can you afford to risk getting sick? Thanks to the government, most of us know that getting a flu shot is the best way to avoid getting the flu. But for many people, the threat of any sickness pales in comparison to facing the needle, while others are allergic to the flu shot medium and have no choice but to forgo the yearly vaccination.

12 Tips for Avoiding the Flu

1. Know when flu season occurs : Most people know that the flu generally peaks during January to February of each year, but the actual duration and intensity of each year’s flu season fluctuates. You can monitor the current situation in the U.S. by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.  During peak times, avoid spending time in public places whenever possible and avoid visiting the doctor’s office, hospital, nursing home, airport, and shopping centers. Avoid flying, taking elevators, and sharing transportation (like taxi cabs and the bus) during peak times. Avoid any close confined space with others during the flu season.
2. Handwashing is the all-purpose disease preventer and is effective in limiting the spread of the flu in most cases : Wash with soap (antibacterial soap isn’t necessary) and warm water for a full 20-30 seconds. Include your fingernails, the backs of your hands, and in between fingers. Keep your nails short, use a nailbrush when washing, and avoid wearing rings if possible. (Artificial nails are a breeding ground for germs, and should be removed if you are concerned about contracting or passing on the flu.) Read about the CDC’s guidelines for washing your hands to make sure you are washing properly to prevent the spread of disease. Teach kids to wash properly and encourage your co-workers to wash as well. Keep hand sanitizers readily available during flu season and offer it to others often.
3. Regularly disinfect doorknobs, the telephone, light switches, car keys, the fridge door, faucets, and the toilet to help stop the spread of germs: Often, you can pass on the flu bug before you even know you are infected, so regular cleaning during flu season helps lessen your chances of picking up a bug.
4. Avoid public restrooms whenever possible : Don’t put your purse, briefcase, computer case, or backpack on the floor – ever. The floor is contaminated with all kinds of germs. (We cultured the bottom of our shoes worn only in the nursing lab during nursing school and came up with Chlamydia (an STD), dozens of strains of Staphylococcus (commonly found in infected wounds), that year’s flu virus, and a whole host of other disgusting bugs.)
5. Take off your shoes at the door : Keep a separate pair of indoor shoes or slippers to be worn around the house to prevent tracking germs from the outside world into your home.
6. Open public doors with a paper towel, handkerchief, or your rear end whenever possible – not your bare hands.
7. Wash your hands thoroughly before applying makeup, putting in contact lenses, after blowing your nose or sneezing, and before eating.
8. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth at all costs: Don’t chew on pencils, pens, your fingernails, or other non-food items. Clean the outside of canned goods with hot soapy water before opening and wash your hands after touching any food packaging when preparing meals.
9. Clean the shopping cart handle with a disinfectant and wash immediately after handling money: Disinfect your hands after using the ATM, the gas pump, after petting animals, and after collecting the daily mail.
10. Take care of your body during flu season with plenty of rest, a balanced diet, and lots of water and exercise: Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables during the flu season – 50% of each meal should be comprised of fruits and veggies. Take a high-quality, liquid multivitamin everyday. (Yes, it should be a LIQUID, not a pill, for better absorption.)
11. De-stress : Stress is possibly the leading contributing factor to any illness. Exercise, take time for R&R, and spend quiet time alone to reduce your stress levels every day. Get counseling and deal with any unresolved issues in your close personal relationships.
12. Try a little alcohol : While drinking alcohol isn’t found on any doctor’s advice sheet, hordes of my patients over the years swear by the power of alcohol to fend off sickness. (Think of the old home remedy of making Hot Toddies for colds and fevers.) Vodka and fruit juices (like grapefruit or orange) are favorite home remedies for preventing the flu.

What tips do you have for staying healthy during the bleak winter months? Have you found anything that helps fend off colds and flus effectively?

FDA approves new orphan drug for rare cholesterol disorder

 31st December, 2012, Hyderabad, India – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Juxtapid (lomitapide) to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). Juxtapid is intended for use in combination with a low fat diet and other lipid-lowering treatments.

HoFH is a rare inherited condition that makes the body unable to remove LDL cholesterol, often called the “bad” cholesterol, from the blood, causing abnormally high levels of circulating LDL cholesterol. In the United States, HoFH occurs in approximately one in one million individuals. For those with HoFH, heart attacks and death often occur before age 30. Juxtapid works by impairing the creation of the lipid particles that ultimately give rise to LDL.

Juxtapid is a capsule taken once a day, without food, and at least two hours after the evening meal. Patients should take supplements that contain fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids daily while taking Juxtapid.

“Juxtapid, in addition to diet changes and other cholesterol-lowering treatments, is a new option for those suffering with HoFH and the serious health consequences resulting from this condition,” said Eric Colman, M.D., deputy director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The safety and effectiveness of Juxtapid were evaluated in a clinical trial of 29 patients with HoFH. On average, levels of LDL cholesterol fell by approximately one-half during the first 26 weeks among those who tolerated the drug. Juxtapid carries a Boxed Warning regarding a serious risk of liver toxicity because it is associated with liver enzyme abnormalities and accumulation of fat in the liver, which could potentially lead to progressive liver disease with chronic use. Juxtapid also reduces the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and interacts with several other medications.

The FDA approved Juxtapid with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that consists of elements to ensure safe use including prescriber and pharmacy certification and documentation of safe-use conditions consisting of a prescription authorization form that will be required to accompany each new prescription.

The FDA is requiring three postmarketing studies for Juxtapid: an animal study to evaluate the potential for toxicity in children and teens; a long-term registry of patients with HoFH treated with Juxtapid to determine the long-term safety; and an enhanced pharmacovigilance program to monitor reports of malignancy, teratogenicity, and hepatic abnormalities. The most common adverse reactions in the clinical trial included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and abdominal pain.

Juxtapid is marketed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Juxtapid (lomitapide) for Aegerion Pharmaceuticals

FDA approves Eliquis to reduce the risk of stroke, blood clots in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

The anticlotting drug Eliquis for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer

29th December, 2012, Hyderabad, India – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the anti-clotting drug Eliquis (apixaban), an oral tablet used to reduce the risk of stroke and dangerous blood clots (systemic embolism) in patients with atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve problem.

Atrial fibrillation, one of the most common types of abnormal heart rhythm, is an abnormal, irregular, and rapid beating of the heart in which the heart’s two upper chambers (atria) do not contract properly, allowing blood clots to form in them. These clots can break off and travel to the brain or other parts of the body. 

“Blood clots in the heart can cause a disabling stroke if the clots travel to the brain,” said Norman Stockbridge, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Anti-clotting drugs lower the risk of having a stroke by helping to prevent blood clots from forming.”

The safety and efficacy of Eliquis in treating patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by cardiac valve disease were studied in a clinical trial of more than 18,000 patients that compared Eliquis with the anti-clotting drug warfarin. In the trial, patients taking Eliquis had fewer strokes than those who took warfarin.

Patients with prosthetic heart valves should not take Eliquis nor should patients with atrial fibrillation that is caused by a heart valve problem. These patients were not studied in clinical trial. As with other FDA-approved anti-clotting drugs, bleeding, including life-threatening and fatal bleeding, is the most serious risk with Eliquis. There is no agent that can reverse the anti-coagulant effect of Eliquis.

Eliquis will be dispensed with a patient Medication Guide that provides instructions on its use and drug safety information. Health care professionals should counsel patients on signs and symptoms of possible bleeding.

Eliquis is manufactured Bristol-Myers Squibb Company of Princeton, N.J. and marketed by BMS and Pfizer Inc. of New York.