Today we remember those lost, honor those living who were there to help and dedicate ourselves to a goal of peace.
Here is a bit of what happened this past week that I thought noteworthy:
- NIH Announces Landmark Blood Pressure Study – A study that is sure to spark conversations and new scripts for blood pressure medication was released this week by NIH. The importance of the study – called SPRINT – lay in the fact that it would appear that more aggressive control over blood pressure levels might result in better outcomes for patients, particularly those over 50. Hypertension, a very common condition, is known to have several ill effects on the body. Looking at the systolic figure, when the SPRINT study was designed, the standard for control was 140 in healthy adults and 130 in those with kidney disease. The study suggests a target of 120 or less brings added health benefits.
- FDA Advances Food Safety Measures – And speaking of landmark, FDA announced this week that it was taking “one of the most significant steps in decades” in food safety by finalizing the first two of seven major rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The effort is aimed at prevention and according to the agency will result in holding imported food to the same safety standards as food that is produced domestically and develops a nationally integrated food safety partnership between the federal government and states. The ultimate goal is to work to prevent outbreaks rather than be in a position of responding to an outbreak once it has occurred. The announcement states that the action will affect both human and animal food.
- FDA to Look at Hormonal Contraception Drug Interactions – The agency announced the scheduling of a public meeting to be held November 9, 2015 at the FDA White Oak Campus site entitled “Drug Interactions with Hormonal Contraceptives: Public Health and Drug Development Implications”. FDA states that the goal of the meeting is to gain input on the public health concerns associated with the use of horomonal contraceptives and interacting drugs. People interested in attending the meeting in person or via Internet are directed by FDA to register by October 9. The docket for comments will be open until December 15.
That’s it for this week. Have a good weekend everyone.
