Holly on Health » women’s health

Understanding the new FDA warning on popular birth control

hollyonhealth — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:07:43 +0000

This week the Food and Drug Administration announced a change in the warning label of specific types of birth control pills, because consumers may be at an increased risk for blood clot development. The changing of the warning label is not a cause for immediate alarm, however, the facts behind this new warning label should definitely spark a conversation between you and your physician if you are a birth control pill consumer.

The pills under scrutiny contain the hormone drospirenone, a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone. Popular brands that contain this hormone include Bayer’s Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Safyral as well as several other brands such as Gianvi, Loryna, Ocella, Syeda and Zarah. These particular oral contraceptive formulations have been highly popular in the past several years, with Yaz being one of the top-selling U.S. contraceptives.

The risk for blood clots is nothing new for birth control pills; the warning label has been in place for years. Most pills contain a combination of estrogen and a progesterone, or a synthetic form of progesterone, commonly known as progestin, such as levongesterel or drospirenone. These hormones in birth control pills put women at a higher risk for the development of blood clots compared to non-pregnant women not taking birth control pills. The increased risk for blood clot formation in pill users normally range anywhere from 3 to 9 women-per-10,000. This reason is why pill use is discouraged in women who are already at a higher risk for blood clot formation, such as women who smoke, are obese or have certain blood clotting disorders.

This recent FDA warning is based on a FDA review of several studies regarding the risk of blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Based on the review, the FDA has concluded that these particular pills may be associated with an even higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.

The studies reviewed by the FDA, however, have conflicting results. While some studies show a three-fold risk of blood clots in drospirenone-containing pills, others found that there is no increased risk. Despite these conflicts, the FDA still believes it is necessary to require this new warning label in all drospirenone-containing pills.

The most important thing that I recommend is to talk to your doctor about your risk for blood clots before deciding which birth control method to use. Factors such as a family history of blot clots, smoking or being overweight can increase your risk for blood clot development and should be discussed with your doctor. The fact that these particular pills may have a higher risk for the development of blood clots paired with the FDA’s concern should be warning signs to consumers. Also note, however, that the current studies are conflicting and there will likely be more decisive research developing over the next several years. Your physician can help you weigh the risks and benefits of your birth control method, and birth control users should keep an eye out for future blood clot related studies.

As seen in The Tulane Hullabaloo, 4/13/2012

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Disordered eating habits affect 50% or more of college students

hollyonhealth — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:14:53 +0000

As seen in Tulane Hulaballoo, 3/2/2012

The above photo, from the New York Times: “Isabelle Caro, a French model and actress who became the international face of anorexia when she allowed her ravaged body to be photographed nude for an Italian advertising campaign to raise awareness about the disease, died on Nov. 17. She was 28.”

Feb. 26 to March 3 marks National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. More than 10 million men and women in the United States have battled eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and millions more suffer from binge eating disorder. The peak onset of eating disorders occurs during puberty and the late teen and early adult years. Eating disorders, however, are now being documented in children as young as kindergarten as well as older adults. This week serves as an opportunity to raise awareness for these potentially life threatening disorders, and reduce the stigma over receiving treatment.

Eating disorders are troublingly common in the college population, with disordered eating habits affecting 50 percent or more of college students. Furthermore, evidence has shown that up to one in three dieters progress to some form of disordered eating. “Disordered eating” includes a wide-range of abnormal eating behaviors, including several of the behaviors seen in anorexia or bulimia. Though disordered eating itself may not meet all the criteria for the full-blown disease state of anorexia or bulimia, disordered eating can certainly lead to these serious medical conditions. It can also have general negative effects on a person’s overall emotional, social and physical health.

The differentiations of the three main eating disorders can be confusing. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss by extreme restriction of caloric intake. Anorexics don’t allow themselves to maintain a minimally normal body weight for their height (BMI < 18.5), have an intense fear of weight gain and feel “fat” despite dramatic weight loss. Female anorexics often stop having a menstrual cycle.

Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by purging, often through self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic use, excessive exercise or fasting. Binge eating is defined as eating large amounts of food in short periods, often beyond the point of comfortable fullness. Symptoms include repeated episodes of binging and purging, feeling out of control during a binge, frequent dieting and an excessive concern with body weight and shape. Bulimics are often a normal body weight.

Binge eating disorder is characterized as uncontrolled, impulsive or continuous eating beyond the point of fullness. Unlike bulimia, there is no purging after binging. Binge-eaters, however, may go on repetitive and sporadic fasts or diets and often have feelings of shame or self-hatred following a binge. Their body weight can range anywhere from normal to morbidly obese.

Contrary to many perceptions, eating disorders are not “female” diseases. In fact, a 2007 Harvard study on eating disorders indicated that more men suffer from eating disorders than previously thought and is on the rise. In this study, men represented 25 percent of those suffering from anorexia or bulimia and 40 percent of those suffering from binge eating disorder.

Though the symptoms of eating disorders are similar in male and females, the mentality behind the disordered eating behaviors differ. Women often develop eating disorders from an obsession with “thinness,” while men are in pursuit of the “six-pack abs” and ripped muscles.

Eating disorders in men are often complicated by stigma. Men often refuse or hesitate to seek help for eating disorders because of the perception that eating disorders are feminine, though thankfully, this general perception is changing. Eating disorders often go unrecognized by parents, coaches or friends and even by the man himself because of the unawareness of the prevalence and symptoms of eating disorders in men.

Eating disorders are life threatening and require treatment. People with disordered eating habits are encouraged to seek treatment because many of these behaviors have the serious potential to progress to an eating disorder. Treatment can include therapy, nutritional counseling, medication and in severe cases, hospitalization. The Tulane Student Health Center offers dieticians and counselors who specialize in eating disorder treatment.

A great opportunity to volunteer and improve public health education in New Orleans!

hollyonhealth — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:11:51 +0000

Hey Health Nuts!

Are you experienced in health education, nutrition or culinary arts?

Are you motivated to help reduce obesity and hunger in New Orleans?

Be a Part of Shopping Matters®

Come help the Edna Pilsbury WIC clinic lead grocery store shopping tours and teach families key shopping skills like buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels and identifying whole grains.

To learn more about the program or sign up to be a tour facilitator email Davita Petty at dpetty@tulane.edu

For many people, it can sometimes be a struggle to maintain a routine of healthy eating (we definitely experience this first-hand in New Orleans!). The first step of eating healthy is learning how to shop for healthy foods at the grocery store. This can be especially difficult and overwhelming if a person has never been taught healthy shopping habits, is trying to provide for a family, and is shopping on a tight budget. Studies have shown that learning how to find good value foods at a good price has the effect of “improving sense of self-control, self-esteem, and empowerment” in regard to food shopping (Webber, 2010). Furthermore, shoppers with this opportunistic outlook increase their fruit and vegetable intake, especially when given incentives such as food vouchers through programs such as WIC (Herman, 2006).

If you are reading this blog, you are probably personally interested and actively learning about living a healthy lifestyle. Why not give back to the community by becoming involved in a program that spreads the knowledge of healthy shopping and cooking habits? I encourage anyone interested in volunteering in New Orleans to contact Davita Petty (dpetty@tulane.edu) and become involved in this organization! You will learn how to teach New Orleans families to shop for healthy foods on a budget through the WIC program. You will probably learn a lot about healthy shopping for yourself too!

Resources:

Shopping Matters Website: http://join.strength.org/site/PageNavigator/SOS/SOS_ofl_shoppingmatters_home

Herman, D. R., Harrison, G. G., & Jenks, E. (2006). Choices made by low-income women provided with an economic supplement for fresh fruit and vegetable purchase. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106, 740–744.

Webber, C.B., Sobal J., Dollahite, J.S. (2010). Shopping for fruits and vegetables. Food and retail qualities of importance to low-income households at the grocery store. Appetite, 54, 297-303.

Not getting political here, but since she brought it up…

hollyonhealth — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:01:50 +0000

After Monday night’s Republican debate, Michele Bachmann appeared on NBC’s TODAY show continuing to criticize Governor Rick Perry’s 2007 executive order that middle school girls in Texas receive the life-saving HPV vaccine, Gardasil. During the debate, Bachmann accused Perry of receiving campaign contributions from the maker of Gardasil, Merck & Co., subsequently profiting from the public health mandate.

Bachmann made her point, but REALLY should have stopped there.

She went too far by instilling unsubstantiated fear in the minds of parents and girls over a vaccine that has been proven to be safe and has the ability to save women from a virus known to cause cervical cancer. In her interview with Matt Lauer, she states:

“I will tell you that I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Florida, after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter. It can have very dangerous side effects. The mother was crying when she came up to me last night. I didn’t know who she was before the debate. This is the very real concern and people have to draw their own conclusions.”

We live in an age where life-saving vaccines are often sources of unwarranted fear perpetuated by non-evidence based anecdotes, hysteria, and invalid studies. To plant the seed that the HPV vaccine is linked to mental retardation is perhaps one of the most dangerous and irresponsible remarks that Bachmann has ever made, and it could have lasting consequences. After all, the MMR vaccine vs. autism study appearing in The Lancet that began the movement for parents to withhold life-saving vaccines from their children has been withdrawn, yet the hysteria still remains.

Over the past two days the medical community has strongly come forward with damage control against Bachmann’s remarks.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a formal press release stating:

“The American Academy of Pediatrics would like to correct false statements made in the Republican presidential campaign that HPV vaccine is dangerous and can cause mental retardation. There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement. Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend that girls receive HPV vaccine around age 11 or 12. That’s because this is the age at which the vaccine produces the best immune response in the body, and because it’s important to protect girls well before the onset of sexual activity. In the U.S., about 6 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year, and 4,000 women die from cervical cancer. This is a life-saving vaccine that can protect girls from cervical cancer.”

There has already been much backlash regarding Bachmann’s comments and hopefully there will continue to be more over the next several days. The quicker we can dispel this crude and unsubstantiated rumor, the better!

For more information on the HPV virus, cervical cancer, and Gardasil, check out these websites:

CDC information about HPV: http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/

Gardasil Vaccine Information: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/HPV-vaccine

Check out the NBC’s story on the Bachmann backlash, including expert opinion from NBC’s Chief Medical Editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy