McNeil Consumer Healthcare recalls over-the-counter liquid meds for babies & children.

More than 40 over-the-counter (OTC) liquid medications for infants and children have been recalled for precautionary reasons. The list includes Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products sold in the USA and 11 other countries. A complete product recall list is available online or by calling 1-888-222-6036 (USA).

PositiveTip: Check the online list of recalled children's liquid medications, before giving any meds to your children, then contact your physician for advice on alternatives if needed.

High adherence to anti-hypertensive medication therapy lowers risk of cardiovascular disease!

Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Is compliance with prescribed anti-hypertenrsive medication regimens beneficial to lower CVD risk? Italian investigators followed almost 19,000 hypertensive patients without CVD at baseline for almost five years in an attempt to answer this question. They found those with high adherence had 38% lower risk for CVD compared to lower adherence. This study examined medications as the agent for anti-hypertensive therapy. Regular physical activity, ideal weight, a healthy, low-sodium diet and less stress may reduce or eliminate the need for these medications as well.

PositiveTip: If you are on medications for hypertension, take them regularly as prescribe to lower your risk of CVD.

Its the wild, wild west when it comes to undeclared medications in dietary supplements!

Are you certain all the ingredients in your "natural" dietary supplements are safe, let alone effective? There is an alarming increase in the discovery of a wide variety of undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients contaminating supplements in the marketplace today. In July of this year the FDA listed 75 tainted weight loss products that contained undeclared medications--some with multiple medications in a single formulation. The most common targets for these undeclared, potentially hazardous ingredients are supplements for weight loss, sexual enhancement, and athletic performance. Caveat emptor--let the buyer beware!