Community Magazine April 2014

110 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE INDIAN-MADEMEDICINES SPARK SAFETY CONCERNS A number of Indian pharmaceutical companies are receiving criticism from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over increased lapses in quality and safety of their products. During a recent visit to India, FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg spoke with executives from pharmaceutical and food exporting companies about her concerns over the poor quality of Indian medicines being sold in the United States. She said that the low quality exposes American consumers to greater risk of illness, recalls and warnings about vital products they rely on every day. India is the second largest exporter of prescription and over-the-counter medications to the U.S., and thus these safety concerns could have profound implications for Americans’ health. In 2013, the FDA investigated approximately 160 Indian drug plants – three times the number investigated in 2009. The investigations resulted in warning letters and penalties to many of these drug makers, including the Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy, which paid $500 million in penalties last year. A2010 survey report by theWorld Health Organization declared about 20 percent of Indian drugs as fake and 12 percent as spurious. Hamburg noted that many pharmaceutical executives in India have been shocked by heightened inspectional activities, arguing that the FDA is just protecting the U.S. from cheaper medications. Recently, the FDA banned Indian exports of generic versions of popular medicines – including Accutane, Neurontin and Cipro – after the regulatory agency found that they had been adulterated. ROSE HIP POWDER MAY EASE ARTHRITIS PAIN Relief from the dreadful pain of osteoarthritis (and other forms of arthritis) may be as close as your kitchen’s counter-top blender. A top university doctor says that according to his research, a tasty smoothie made with rose hip powder is often just as effective as powerful pain-killing drugs. Dr. Marc Cohen, Professor of Health Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said that rose hip powder works without the dangerous side effects of pain medications. Rose hip also comes in capsule form, which has been shown to be just as effective as powder. “I use rose hip myself,” he told Newsmax Health. “I have arthritis, but I’m not bothered by pain because I make myself a smoothie every morning. I add a tablespoon of rose hip powder. It has a pleasant but not overpowering taste.” Dr. Cohen did a detailed meta-analysis of university studies regarding rose hips. His conclusion: “Rose hip works.” He wrote that volunteers “reported treatment with standardized rose hip powder consistently reduced pain scores.” The renowned researcher went on to explain the benefits of rose hip over other remedies. “In contrast to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen), rose hip has anti-inflammatory action that doesn’t inhibit platelets, thereby avoiding potential side-effects for patients at increased risk from the gastrointestinal or cardiovascular side effects.” “You buy rose hip over the counter at supermarkets or in health food stores – and if you take a little more than recommended doses there’s no adverse consequence,” Dr. Cohen says. BULLYING HAS LINGERING EFFECTS ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH Being bullied at school leaves a lasting mark on young victims’ bodies and minds years after the bullying ends, a new study shows. Researchers found that the most significant impact of bullying is on the health of kids who were repeatedly targeted, and is linked with poorer mental and physical health, increased symptoms of depression, and lower self-esteem. “The effects of bullying can snowball over time,” said study researcher Laura Bogart, a social psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. In the study, the researchers surveyed nearly 4,300 students attending public schools in LosAngeles, Houston and Birmingham,Ala. By 10th grade, about 30 percent of the students in the study had been bullied. Even the kids who had been bullied in the distant past had lasting psychological wounds, although not to the same extent as those being bullied currently or who were repeatedly bullied. The findings show that bullying’s emotional scars may remain long after the teasing and taunting stop. So what can parents do to help their child? “The first step for parents is to strengthen communication with your child, so that bullying comes up in conversation, especially at younger ages,” Bogart said. She also recommended that parents be on the lookout for the common signs of bullying, such as obvious physical clues like a black eye, or more subtle signs like unexplained scratches or bruises. Parents can also tune in to subtle changes in a child’s behavior, such as not wanting to go to school or seeming more anxious, sad or depressed. Bogart advised parents to help teach kids that they can speak up if they witness someone being bullied. To • • Health

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjg3NTY=