Volume 194 - Issue 9
In Other Journals
Author: Sophie McNamara
Med J Aust 2011; 194 (9): 486. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03071.x
Published online: 2 May 2011
Published online: 2 May 2011
Puffing on a delusion
Although the public health announcements state that “every cigarette is doing you damage”, many smokers believe that the amount of damage depends on the colour of the cigarette packet. Researchers used data from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey, which polled more than 8000 smokers from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. The study found that 20% of smokers incorrectly believed that “some cigarette brands could be less harmful than others”. Compared with smokers from other countries, Australian smokers were more likely to believe that their own brand of cigarette “might be a little less harmful than others”, with 47% of Australian smokers agreeing with this statement. Smokers of silver, gold, purple or blue brands were much more likely to agree with this statement than those who smoked red or black brands. Researchers said that the study shows that smokers believe certain colours are associated with lower harm, highlighting the importance of plain packaging, as proposed in Australia.
Addiction 12 April 2011 (Online first)
Acne + antibiotics ≠ Drug resistance
Acne is sometimes treated with the same antibiotics used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Colonisation with S. aureus is common in the general population, raising concerns that acne patients using long-term antibiotic therapy could become a source of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus. Researchers tested 83 consecutive acne patients for S. aureus using cultures from oropharyngeal and nasal swabs, at an American dermatology clinic. Overall, 43% were colonised with S. aureus and two had MRSA. Patients using oral or topical antibiotics were less likely to be colonised than other acne patients. Researchers hypothesised that rates of S. aureus colonisation would be higher among long-term oral antibiotic users, due to antibiotic resistance; however, no statistically significant difference was found.
Arch Dermatol 11 April 2011 (Online first)
Combo drug fights obesity
Using a new two-drug combination, overweight and obese patients lost an average of 8%-10% of their body weight, depending on the dose taken, during a 1-year Phase 3 trial. The CONQUER study examined a combination of phentermine, a central norepinephrine-releasing drug, and topiramate, a drug licensed for treating epilepsy and migraine. Almost 2500 patients — who had a body mass index of 27- 45 kg/m2 and at least two comorbidities such as diabetes or hypertension — were randomly assigned to receive placebo, a lower-dose combination of the two drugs, or a higher-dose combination. After 56 weeks of treatment, average weight loss compared favourably with existing and emerging obesity drugs. Patients lost an average of 1.4 kg in the placebo group, 8.1 kg in the lower-dose group and 10.2 kg in the higher- dose group.
Lancet 11 April 2011 (Online)
Superbugs win again
Expanding the use of barrier precautions should reduce the spread of so-called superbugs in hospitals, right? Perhaps not, according to American research on the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) in 18 intensive care units (ICUs). The ICUs were randomly assigned to either an intervention group, in which the use of gloves and gowns was expanded, or to a control group in which existing practice was maintained. Gloves, gowns and hand hygiene were used more frequently in intervention ICUs. But surprisingly, the incidence of MRSA or VRE colonisation or infection did not differ significantly between the two groups. Researchers speculated that improved compliance by health care providers and improved turnaround times for confirming the results of surveillance cultures may have reduced transmission more effectively.
N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 1407-1418
Fix the basics for AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of adult irreversible vision loss in developed countries. But two new studies based on data from the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS) build on our understanding that modifiable lifestyle factors play a huge role in the development of the condition. In the first paper, researchers found that changing lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and smoking could reduce the risk of early AMD as much as threefold.1 A second study showed that for women aged 50-75 years, having high levels of serum vitamin D was significantly associated with a 48% decreased risk of early AMD; however, researchers called for further study to verify the association.2
1 Arch Ophthalmol 2011; 129: 470-480
2 Arch Ophthalmol 2011; 129: 481-489