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.

I found this article about a website where you can check the disciplinary records of physicians. It’s important when choosing a physician to make an informed decision. Physicians may have disciplinary action taken if they have provided incompetent or negligent care, over-prescribed drugs, committed sexual misconduct or if other things, such as substance abuse problems, compromise their ability to provide competent care to their patients.

The Castle Connelly website offers a search facility that will search individual states or all 46 states and the District of Columbia. Four states, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, are not included.

I ran a few test searches on the website, both in single state and nationwide. Parts of the site seem to still be under construction and a 46-state search only returned an error screen. I was able to perform single state searches, however.

To verify that the information contained on the site is up-to-date, I checked with my state’s Board of Registration in Medicine for the names of physicians who have been disciplined in the last year. I tried several searches on names of physicians that I know have had disciplinary action taken by the board – in one case, a doctor who has had his license to practice medicine revoked by the state board. Unfortunately, in each case, the Castle Connelly search turned up no information regarding any disciplinary action. I decided to try the website of the American Medical Association, which offers a doctor-finder search facility for patients.

The AMA website wasn’t much help either as it didn’t return any information on doctors who are not AMA members. The doctor who had his license revoked apparently was an AMA member and so his name did bring search results, but no mention was made of any disciplinary action and he seemed to be a member in good stead. The AMA doctor finder even provided a link to this physician’s website, in spite of the fact that his license to practice is under complete revocation and has been for four months. The physician in question is an orthopedic surgeon.

The four states not included in the Castle Connelly search facility have their own state-wide physican profile page. In fact, many states do make public the disciplinary and malpractice records of physcians licensed in that state. In most cases these can be easily found by googling “Board of Medicine+your state’s name”. The information found on these pages is usually current and verifiable. If your state doesn’t provide physician profiles online, usually you will be able to contact the state board in charge of licensure and registration of medical doctors by phone. Check your state’s government website for information.

When searching for a specialist or even a new primary care physican, take the time to research your choices and find the best match for your health issues.

The FDA has issued another alert to consumers about purchasing drugs via internet websites after a number of consumers received drugs containing haloperidol, a powerful anti-psychotic.

Consumers who placed orders for specific drugs – Ambien, Xanax, Lexipro and Ativan – instead received products that contained the haloperidol, a drug used to treat schizophrenia. Reports show that several consumers suffered symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, muscle spasms and muscle stiffness after ingesting the suspect product and sought emergency medical treatment.

The FDA wants to caution consumers about the dangers of ordering prescription drugs online and states that consumers should consult the FDA website before buying medication over the Internet.

Photos of the of the tablets in question and the shipping packages can be seen here.

Over many parts of the country, winter has settled in with snowfalls ranging in depth from inches to feet. That means thousands of Americans will grab shovels and start to dig out. But for those who don’t normally engage in strenuous exercise, shoveling snow is dangerously hard work.

“If your body isn’t prepared for shoveling snow, your chances of sustaining muscle pulls and strains will increase,” said Dr. Susan Wainwright, vice chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Or worse she added, as shoveling snow is no different than any physical activity that strains the heart.

Back injuries are common because people try to lift with their backs, twisting and throwing snow. According to Wainwright, the back is meant to stabilize and the lifting and work of shoveling to be done with the arms.

Additionally, men and women over 45 who aren’t used to strenuous activity run a risk of straining the heart and heart attack.

“The heart is a muscle like any other muscle in your body,” said Wainwright. “When it gets strained, it shuts down because it can’t handle the increased load. Older adults who aren’t that active tax their cardiovascular system when they start to shovel and this results in heart attacks. You have to remember that shoveling is hard work and you should take every precaution to not get injured or even worse.”

Health Tip: Shoveling Snow Can Lead to Injuries – University of Sciences in Philadephia