The FDA has added warning labels to some commonly used pain relievers like ibuprophen and naproxen, warning that use of these NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) increase the risk of heart attacks.

But according to Curt Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the FDA has ignored the most dangerous of these drugs, Voltaren, and incorrectly labeled naproxen, which appears to be safe based on research.

High doses (500 mg twice daily) of Aleve were not associated with an increased risk of heart attacks compared to a placebo. High doses of Advil (800 mg three times a day) and Voltaren (75 mg twice daily) were associated with rates of heart attack that were 51 percent and 63 percent higher, than the placebo. The increased risk of heart attack is associated with drugs that are COX-2 inhibitors.

“Naproxen does not increase the risk of heart attacks and ought to be a painkiller of choice,” said Furberg. “On the other hand, Voltaren carries the same risk as the harmful COX-2 inhibitors Bextra® and Vioxx®, which have been taken off the market.

Read more at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

270 Medicare recipients in Tennessee will soon have someone to help remind them when to take their medications. As part of a Medicare program to reduce hospitalizations, a new device called the Med-eMonitor will alert patients when it is time to take a pill.

These “smart pillboxes” will also monitor whether a patient has missed a dose or taken the wrong medication and send an alert over a standard phone line to a secure Internet site which will prompt a follow-up call from a health professional.

The Med-eMonitor is programmed with each patient’s individual schedule and alerts the patient with a sound – usually a song – when it is time to take medication.

Web-linked pillbox reminds patients to take meds

A bill that has passed the House and now needs Senate approval, will give Medicare the right to negotiate drug prices and bargain directly with the pharmaceutical companies. Drug companies are lobbying hard against this legislation.

AARP is urging all members and all seniors to contact their Senators on April 4, AARP’s National Call to Action Day, to urge their senators to pass this bill and give Medicare the ability to negotiate lower prices for their 43 million beneficiaries.

For instructions on how to join the Call to Action, see the AARP website.

According to a CDC report, Americans are still not eating recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables and no state has reached national target consumption rates.

The report found that seniors, however, eat more fruit and vegetables than do 18 to 24 year olds. College graduates were more likely to eat more of both fruit and vegetables than those with less education and people earning more than 50K per year had higher fruit and vegetable consumption than those earning less.

A diet high in fruit and vegetables has been linked to a lower incidence of chronic disease. Fruit and vegetables also help keep weight down because they have fewer calories by volume than processed foods.

To protect your health and help maintain a healthy weight, the CDC recommends that adults consume 2 cups of fruit per day and a 1 cup serving of vegetables three times a day. The government calls this the “5 a Day” plan.

More information can be found at:

5 A Day
CDC website