Women Know Little About Stroke
A survey has found that few women could name the primary stroke symptoms and many weren't concerned about experiencing a stroke in their lifetimes. The online survey of about 2,000 adult women was commissioned by HealthyWomen, the National Stroke Association, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. The findings showed that only 27% of women could name more than two of the six primary stroke symptoms (sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the face; sudden numbness or weakness in an arm or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden severe headache with no known cause). About only 30% of the participants were aware that women are at higher risk for stroke than men. “The results of this survey underscore what we see too often with women when it comes to dealing with their unique health issues,” Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of HealthyWomen, said in a statement. “As they put the health of family members and everyone else first, they often underestimate their own risks and ignore warning signs of serious health problems like stroke.” The biotech company Genentech Inc. provided support for the survey.
Judge Hands Down Topamax Fine
Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, recently pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, for the illegal promotion of Topamax for psychiatric uses. Under a sentence delivered by a U.S. District Court judge in Boston last month, the company will pay a criminal fine of $6.14 million. The sentence is consistent with an agreement the company reached with the Justice Department in April. Prosecutors alleged that Ortho-McNeil used a program called “Doctor for a Day” to promote the epilepsy and migraine treatment Topamax among psychiatrists for off-label uses. The company paid physicians to accompany sales representatives meeting with psychiatrists. In its plea, the company acknowledged promoting the drug for certain unapproved uses between 2001 and 2003, but it said that it voluntarily discontinued the program before receiving the first subpoena in the government's investigation.
Medicare Weighs Oxygen Coverage
Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are considering Medicare coverage of home use of oxygen for cluster headache treatment. Currently, the program covers home oxygen only for patients with significant chronic stable hypoxemia. Last month, the American Academy of Neurology told the CMS that home oxygen is effective against cluster headaches, especially in the Medicare population. Other available cluster headache treatments, such as blood vessel constrictors and high-dose narcotics, may be contraindicated or pose dependency risks, Dr. Robert C. Griggs, AAN president, wrote in comments to the agency. Oxygen therapy, on the other hand, can be administered more than once a day without risk and is rapid in its effect, he said. The CMS is scheduled to propose a coverage decision in October and perhaps finalize it by next January.
New Stem Cell Lines Okayed
Officials at the National Institutes of Health have approved an additional 13 human embryonic stem cell lines for research supported by federal funding. The lines have also been added to the NIH stem cell registry, which now includes 64 lines eligible for federal research funding. Another 100 lines are pending approval at the NIH. Four of the new stem cell lines were originally approved during the George W. Bush administration, and two of those lines have been widely used by researchers, according to the announcement. NIH director Dr. Francis S. Collins said the approval of these older lines should provide reassurance to many researchers. “Scientists can continue their studies without interruption, and we can all be assured that valuable work will not be lost,” Dr. Collins said in a statement.