Connect with us

Health and Wellness

Which Gut Medicines Could End Up in a Lawsuit? Are There Really Links to Cancer and Kidney Disease? Should I Stop Taking Them?

Published

on

Drugs commonly used to treat conditions corresponding to heartburn, acid reflux disease, indigestion and stomach ulcers could possibly be the topic of a class motion lawsuit in Australia.

Lawyers are examining whether Long-term use of those over-the-counter and prescription medications has been linked to stomach cancer and kidney disease.

The potential class motion lawsuit follows a settlement in a related multi-million dollar lawsuit in the United States. Last 12 months, the international pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca settled in for US$425 million (A$637 million) after patients reported that two of its drugs caused serious and potentially life-threatening negative effects.

Patients said drugs like Nexium (esomeprazole) and Prilosec (omeprazole) increase the danger of kidney damage.

What drugs are trafficked in Australia?

The class of medication we’re talking about is “proton pump inhibitors” (sometimes called PPI). In a potential class motion lawsuit in Australia, lawyers investigate:

These drugs, depending on the concentration and quantity, can be found in pharmacies over-the-counter or with a prescription.

They have been available in Australia for over 20 years and are in top ten drugs issued under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Program.

They are used to treat conditions made worse by stomach acid. These include heartburn, acid reflux disease, and indigestion. They work by blocking a protein accountable for pumping acid into the stomach.

These medications are also prescribed in combination with antibiotics to treat the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Drugs in this class are also used in combination with antibiotics to treat infections.
nobeastsofierce/Shutterstock

What can we learn about risk?

Proper use of proton pump inhibitors plays a crucial role in treating several serious digestive problems. As with all medications, there are risks related to their use depending on how much and how long they’re used.

When used appropriately, proton pump inhibitors for short-term treatment of stomach problems are frequently well toleratedsecure and effective.

Their risks are mainly related to long-term use (using them for greater than a 12 months) due to negative effects resulting from reduced stomach acid levels. In older people, these include an increased risk of intestinal and respiratory infections, nutrient deficiencies, and fractures. Long-term use of those drugs in older people can be related to an increased risk dementia.

In children, an increased risk is observed risk of significant infection related to the usage of these medications, whatever the duration of their use.

What about cancer and kidney risks?

Currently in Australia, consumer information leaflets accompanying medicines corresponding to this one, esomeprazoldon’t list stomach cancer or kidney damage among the many risks of proton pump inhibitors.

So what does the evidence say about risk?

In the past few years, large studies have been conducted on the overall population who’ve taken proton pump inhibitors. These studies have shown that folks who take them are almost twice as likely to develop stomach cancer and 1.7 times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease compared to individuals who don’t take them.

In particular, these studies indicate that users of the drugs lansoprazole and pantoprazole have about three to 4 times greater risk of developing the disease than non-users. chronic kidney disease.

Although observational studies suggest an association between medication use and these outcomes, we cannot use this evidence to conclude that one causes the opposite.

Illustration of a human kidney with blood vessels
Scientists haven’t yet proven that these drugs cause kidney disease.
crystal light/Shutterstock

What can I do if I’m frightened?

Several digestive conditions, especially acid reflux disease and heartburn, can profit from easy changes to eating regimen and lifestyle. However, overall evidence because they are usually not strong and their effectiveness varies from person to person.

However, it might be helpful to avoid large meals two to three hours before bedtime and to limit your intake of fatty foods, alcohol and coffee. Eat slowly AND losing a few pounds If you might be chubby, it may additionally help relieve symptoms.

There are also medications aside from proton pump inhibitors that could be used for heartburn, reflux, and stomach ulcers.

These include over-the-counter antacids (e.g. Gaviscon and Mylanta), which work by neutralising the acidic environment of the stomach.

Alternatives to prescription medications include nizatidine and famotidine. They work by blocking histamine receptors in the stomach, which reduces stomach acid production.

If you might be concerned about taking proton pump inhibitors, it is vital to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before stopping them. This is because after prolonged use, stopping them may result in increased or ‘rebound’ acid production.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health and Wellness

Atlanta-Fulton Smoke Advisory Following Chemical Fire

Published

on

By


Fulton County, Georgia, is feeling the fallout from Sunday’s chemical plant fire in Rockdale County, 20 miles east of Atlanta. According to , the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is assessing the impacts of the BioLab chemical fire. EMA expects the smell of chlorine and visual smoke to persist for several days, October 3-6.

Mayor Andre Dickens held a press conference to tell residents concerning the possible chlorine odor.

The Georgian Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) provides detailed insight into the situation performed for tracking and monitoring purposes chemical levels.

The agency states: “Current weather models show winds will begin to shift from east to west after sunset on Wednesday. Smoke is predicted to settle toward the bottom because it moves toward Atlanta. There’s an excellent likelihood Metro Atlanta residents will get up Thursday morning to fog and the smell of chlorine.

On September 29, 2024, BioLab, a chemical plant 20 miles outside of Atlanta, burned to the bottom with smoke attributable to a faulty sprinkler system. Large clouds of red and black smoke were visible for hours after the fireplace began, prompting emergency warnings to be issued in Rockdale County and surrounding counties. The incident led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents. As a result, a category motion lawsuit was filed.

Daniel Rock Flyn of the law firm Dicello Levitt said: “Companies like BioLab have a duty and responsibility to ensure that they do not pollute the surrounding community.”

Residents of the town say they’re experiencing unwanted side effects equivalent to “breathing problems and burning and itchy eyes.”

The smoke was a wide range of colours and was visible on radar covering multiple cities in Georgia.

The company says a malfunctioning sprinkler system combined with highly reactive chemicals is accountable. The plant was not operational on the time of the accident, so no employees suffered direct physical injuries.

The GEMA website details precautions residents can take to remain protected:

  • Limit outdoor activities and stay at home.
  • Keep the indoor air as clean as possible.
  • Elderly people, children and folks with weakened immune systems should stay indoors or limit outdoor activities.
  • If you may have asthma or one other lung disease, follow the recommendation of your doctor or other health care skilled.

Chlorine levels are reported to be protected. If you or someone you already know has difficulty respiration or any respiration problems, call your doctor or the Georgia Poison Control Center at 404-856-6252.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading

Health and Wellness

Mathew Knowles on the importance of genetic testing and what he has learned as a breast cancer survivor

Published

on

By

Keer Orr and Veronica Hill for point-and-click photography.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While we all know that black women are 40% more more likely to die from the disease, black men are also in danger because they’re 52% more more likely to develop breast cancer in comparison with white men. This risk is higher for every kind of breast cancer and in all age groups.

One of the most famous fathers in America experienced this firsthand. While Mathew Knowles is a global leader in sales and marketing, brand development, entrepreneurship and leadership, he is chargeable for developing, recording and distributing some of the most notable careers in culture, including Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Earth, Wind & Fire, Solange and many others, even have helpful health lessons to share with the world, mainly about prevention and the importance of early detection.

Knowles is actually a survivor because he is a male breast cancer survivor who lives with a BRCA2 gene mutation. The diagnosis took him completely by surprise – almost as much as the decision to undergo a mastectomy, a procedure he believed was reserved for ladies battling breast cancer. Now five years into remission, he has decided to make it his passion to share his story and encourage others, especially black men, to discover their very own risk for breast and other cancers and the way to reduce it.

Mathew has partnered with AstraZeneca on the BeBRCAware camp to extend the effectiveness of his advocacy efforts. The goal of this campaign is to teach people about the importance of genetic testing, understanding family history and risk for breast, prostate and other cancers, and how the presence of an inherited BRCA mutation may also help inform health care. We spoke with Knowles about his experience battling breast cancer and why he is so captivated with educating others about genetic testing for recovery.

BEING: Can you share your experience with breast cancer with our readers? What alerted you that something was flawed?

Matthew Knowles: Five years, two months ago I used to be wearing a white T-shirt. Imagine you will have a white sheet of paper and a red pen and you set five dots on it. So after I modified my shirt, I saw these five dots on my shirt. The first day I didn’t think anything about it, but on the second day I saw red dots in the same place. So I asked my wife if she had any latest shirts. She said, “You know, there have been red blood stains on your side of the bed for the last few days.” The next day I saw discharge and immediately called the doctor. While talking to him, I suggested getting a mammogram. He said he’s never had a male patient ask for a mammogram, but we’ve one and I used to be actually diagnosed with male breast cancer.

When I underwent surgery, it turned out that the disease went further than breast cancer. I received a genetic test that showed I had a BRCA2 gene mutation. Which means, Dominique, that 1/2 of the genetic mutations are related to an increased risk of breast cancer in men and women, ovarian cancer (not cervical cancer), prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma.

How have you ever modified your lifestyle given this news?

I used to be diagnosed with 2, so there was no treatment plan, just awareness, which is why we do what we do today: bring awareness. I even have partnered with AstraZeneca to teach as many individuals as possible about genetic testing. I also modified my lifestyle. For me, that meant losing a few pounds. I used to be chubby. With changes to my weight loss program and consistent exercise, I lost 30 kilos. Now I walk two miles in 45 minutes!

How has your status helped you educate people about the importance of proactively taking care of your health?

You know, quite interesting. I used to be sharing this with my wife last night. My dad was a volunteer firefighter in a small town in Alabama and my mom was a volunteer at a hospital. Watching my parents give back to the community filled me with enthusiasm and joy to present back and share my knowledge. I’m grateful that I even have a platform where I can share and that I can discuss breast cancer in men and women and the importance of early detection, the importance of, for my part, early genetic testing and early mammography.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Continue Reading

Health and Wellness

WATCH: Paint The Polls Black – Don Lemon – Essence

Published

on

By

“; } }); // Drag and scroll functionality const playlistContainer = document.getElementById(‘playlist’); let isDown = false; let startY; let scrollTop; playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mousedown’, (e) => { isDown = true; playlistContainer.classList.add(‘active’); startY = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop = playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseleave’; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); playlistContainer.addEventListener(‘mouseup’, () => { isDown = false; playlistContainer.classList.remove(‘active’); }); mousemove’, (e) => { if (!isDown) return; e.preventDefault(); const y = e.pageY – playlistContainer.offsetTop; const walk = (y – startY) * 3; .scrollTop = scrollTop – walk; }); } } if (” !== ‘efoc24’) { // Check DoubleVerify Quality Targeting signals before rendering the player if ( ‘unknown’ !== typeof PQ ) { PQ.cmd. push(function() { // If DVQT signals are not available after 500 ms, render the player anyway. const timeout_id = setTimeout( jwPlayerRender, 500 ); // Get “Authentic Direct” signals. PQ.getTargeting({ signals: [‘abs’] }, function(error, targetingData) { clearTimeout(timeout_id); jwPlayerRender(error? undefined: targetingData); }); }); } else { jwPlayerRender(); } function jwPlayerRender( dvqt_signals=”” ) { let jw_ad_tag ​​= {“client”:”googima”,”adscheduleid”:”G7hR9pQ2″,”schedule”:[{“tag”:”https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?correlator=&iu=/21698916284/ess/VideoNews&env=vp&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&sz=400×300%7C640x480%7C1000x1%7C1920x1080&description_url=__page-url__&tfcd=0&npa=0&vpmute=1&vpa=auto&vad_type=linear&url=__page-url__&vpos=preroll&unviewed_position_start=1&v=tfgWVCQw&pmnd=0&pmxd=60000&ad_rule=1&cust_params=ttid%3DtfgWVCQw%26frnch%3D__item-franchise__%26environment%3Dproduction%26kwblock%3DAbb%2CMicrosoft%2CCapOne%2CLincoln%2CUPS%2CVG%2CATTCric%2CTargetbos%2CToyota%2CNationwide%2CDisney%2CBest+Guest%2Cattefoc3″,”offset”:”pre”},{“tag”:”https://vid.springserve.com/vast/670880?url=https://www.essence.com/news/watch-paint-the-polls-black-don-lemon/h=450&w=800&cb=8567″,”offset”:”50%”}]”offers”:{“bidders”:[{“id”:”jw-video-tfgWVCQw”,”name”:”jwdemand”,”publisherId”:”evcxFIDZ”,”siteId”:”WT5iFegj”,”placementId”:”24399785″}]”settings”:{“disableConsentManagementOnNoCmp”:true,”mediationLayerAdServer”:”dfp”,”floorPriceCents”:200,”floorPriceCurrency”:”usd”,”buckets”:[{“increment”:0.1,”max”:30,”min”:0},{“increment”:0.5,”max”:50,”min”:30}]}}}; // Configure ad tag on the fly… let additional_params = {}; // Input DVQT signals. if ( dvqt_signals && dvqt_signals.ABS.length > 0 ) { additional_params.ABS = dvqt_signals.ABS.join(“,”); } // Injecting Operational Mage signals. if ( dfp_ad_object && dfp_ad_object[0].page_targeting.length > 0 ) { let dfp_ad_targeting = JSON.parse(dfp_ad_object[0]page targeting); if ( dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage && dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage.length > 0 ) { additional_params.opsmage = dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage.join(“,”); } if ( dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage_alt && dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage_alt.length > 0 ) { additional_params.opsmag_alt = dfp_ad_targeting.opsmage_alt.join(“,”); } } // Create a string additional_parameters. let extra_params_str=””; for (enter additional_parameters) { let value = additional_parameters[key]; additional_params_str += `${key}=${value}`; if ( key !== Object.keys( additional_params .pop() ) { additional_params_str += ‘&’; } } // Update ad tag cust_params (must be URL encoded). if ( Object.keys( additional_parameters ). length > 0 ) { let ad_schedule = jw_ad_tag.schedule; if ( ‘undefined’ !== ad schedule type ) { for (let i = 0; i < ad_schedule. length; i++) { let ad_url = new URL(jw_ad_tag. schedule[i].label); let query_params = new URLSearchParams(ad_url.search); query_params.set("cust_params", query_params.get("cust_params") + `&${additional_params_str}`); ad_url.search = query_params.toString(); jw_ad_tag.schedule[i].tag = ad_url.toString(); } } } let playerId; if ("undefined" !== type jwplayerQueue) { playerId = 'jw-video-tfgWVCQw'; jwplayerQueue.push({ 'instanceId': 'playerInstance_tfgWVCQw', 'playerId': playerId, 'config': { pid: 't6KP9zcV', playlist: "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/tfgWVCQw", autostart: !jw_ad_tag, repeat: true, mute: true, aspect ratio: "16:9", share: {sites: ["facebook", "twitter", "email", "linkedin"]}, cast: {}, float: {disibility: true}, autoPause: {viewability: true}, displaytitle: true, displaydescription: true, controls: true, related: {displayMode: 'shelfWidget'}, interactive: {} , ad: jw_ad_tag ​​​​} }); } // Load video. jQuery(window).trigger("jw:loadplayers"); function waitForJWPlayer(callback) { if (type jwplayer !== 'undefined') { callback(); } else { setTimeout(function() { waitForJWPlayer(callback); }, 500); } } waitForJWPlayer(function() { jwplayer(playerId).on('adsManager', function (adsManagerLoaded) { let adsManager = adsManagerLoaded.adsManager; let videoElement = document.getElementById(playerId ); let config = { anId: '929481' , campId: '640x360', ias_xps: "autoplay", // autoplay state ias_xbp: "2", // video destination type ias_xar: "1" // autoplay state } // Start IAS integration googleImaVansAdapter. init(google, adsmanager, videoitem, config } } });

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending