CDC HEALTH UPDATE- BIOTERRORISM
THINKING ABOUT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT?
FORGET ABOUT EPHEDRA
THINKING ABOUT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT?
FORGET ABOUT EPHEDRA
OTC diet aids are a huge success - for the companies that manufacture them, that is. Sales have climbed steadily, creating an almost $6 billion industry. Although the sales figures clearly reflect people's desire for help, they don't address whether the products lighten anything but your wallet.
There's no magic . The only way to lose weight and keep it off is through permanent lifestyle changes. Eat healthier, watch portions and exercise. Borr-ing, you say. But it works.
One of the most popular OTC weight-loss products is Metabolife , and herbal dietary supplement. There are others such as MetaboLITE, and MetaboMax , but the main ingredient in all of these products is ephedrine, which comes form the ephedra plant.
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Ephedrine , ephedra or 'Ma Huang' is usually combined with caffeine or Guarana, a potentiator such as Aspirin or Willow Bark and additives. This combination works to suppress your appetite, so you will eat less, but it will also increase your metabolic rate to ideally "burn your fat away".
Does it work? Not really, any effects are very short term and limited, however the side effects bear mentioning. Ephedra causes your blood pressure to rise, your heart will race and the pulse may become irregular. Nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attack, stroke and death may all follow. It is also a product that you should NOT stop all at once. Daily doses should be gradually tapered to avoid discomfort.
So why is it on the market for sale? Good question. Herbal diet supplements aren't classified as drugs so the FDA hasn't any pre-market power to stop their release. While the FDA recommends the ephedrine be limited to < 8 milligrams, this is rarely followed. Additionally the FDA points out that these products have:
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no pre-market clinical testing
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no checking for purity or quality
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no guarantee about what's really in the bottle
The FDA's hands are tied, for it is almost impossible to pull a product not under their jurisdiction from the shelves.
Although natural, and therefore popularly considered harmless, herbal supplements contain active ingredients that may not safely mix with prescription or over the-counter (OTC) drugs. It is very important to tell your doctor about any herbal supplements you take. Ephedra should not be taken with caffeine, decongestants, stimulants, heart medications and antidepressants . All of these medications will potentate the already high risk Ephedra alone has. Not convinced?
Visit the MayoClinic.com for further information
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CDC HEALTH UPDATE-BIOTERRORISM
The CDC has issued this Health Update in response to public questions on bioterrorism
Smallpox -Vaccination is not recommended and, the vaccine is not available to health providers or the public. In the absence of a confirmed case of smallpox anywhere in the world, there is no need to be vaccinated against smallpox. There also can be severe side effects to the smallpox vaccine, which is another reason vaccination is not recommended.
In the event of an outbreak, the CDC has clear guidelines to swiftly provide vaccine to people exposed to this disease. The vaccine is securely stored for use in the case of an outbreak. In addition, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson recently announced plans to accelerate production of a new smallpox vaccine.
Anthrax- Our course of action for preventing anthrax after exposure in the civilian population would be with antibiotics. Vaccination is not recommended, and the vaccine is not available to health care providers or the general public. The CDC does not recommend that physicians prescribe antibiotics for anthrax at this time. They currently have enough antibiotics to prevent the disease in 2 million persons exposed to anthrax, therefore we could rapidly get preventive medicine to those who may be affected by this disease, which cannot be transmitted between people.
Preparedness- We continue to hear stories of the public buying gas masks and hoarding medicine in anticipation of a possible bioterrorist or chemical attack. The CDC does not recommend that the public does either of these. As Secretary Thompson said recently, people should not be scared into thinking they need a gas mask. In the event of a public health emergency, local and state health departments will inform the public about the actions individuals need to take.
For more information on emergency public health response efforts, the CDC web page at http://www.bt.cdc.gov is highly recommended.
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