Misuse of Antibiotics

     On March 27, 2015 the White House announced a five-year plan. It aims to combating the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterias. Some of these become resistant to antibiotics, so they want to prevent that bacteria’s from becoming deadly by this action. Saying that there are bacterias that become resistant to certain antibiotics means that these bacterias develop the ability to inhibit the effects of the antibiotic in the body, thus making the drug  inefficient for its intended purpose. When transformed, the bacteria survives the antibiotic, thereby multiplying and causing more damage.

Non-resistant Bacteria vs Drug Resistant Bacteria

     The Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention (CDC) estimated that antibiotic-resistant bacterias cause each year in the United States 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses. These are very significant figures to start searching so we can combat the threat of these bacterias in the United States and other countries. It has been shown that the misuse of antibiotics causes bacterias to become resistant to them, so it is expected an wherever antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily.

     "Critics say it would be preferable for the White House to go further, especially in terms of the antibiotics used in animals that are afterwards processed meat for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already asked many pharmaceutical companies to eliminate the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in animals, but advocacy groups have asked the agency to also halt other uses of antibiotics in animals , like the prevention of diseases when animals are kept in cramped conditions."

    By prohibiting the antibiotic supplementation to animals, the contagion also slows down in the humans that eat them, for the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics causes bacterias to become resistant to it. It is not easy to create an antibiotic to fight bacteria, since any antibiotic has to change once the bacteria becomes resistant. In fact, this new antibiotic will need to be very different from the one initially used.

References:
Pictures:[1]:http://recend.apextech.netdna-cdn.com/images/tn/0/0/1200/596/900/447/2015/03/27/bacteria-reuters-bbc.jpg
[2]: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/SiteCollectionImages/topics/antimicrobialresistance/1whatIsDrugResistance.gif

Multivitamins: Poorly Manufactured

     According to the database Cerner Multum, Inc., multivitamins are a combination of many different vitamins that are normally found in foods and other natural sources. The newspaper “El Nuevo Dia” reported an investigation about the Quality of Vitamin Products in Puerto Rico. It revealed that some multivitamins sold locally are not manufactured properly, which poses a risk to consumer health. Many multivitamins do not comply with federal regulations, neither with clinical studies with high value.

     Investigators found that some of the tested products did not have the vitamins that they said they contained. They did not meet the identity, purity and composition which was indicated on its label. Also they found the presence of metals which are dangerous to the brain and our organs: causing skin irritation, kidney damage, anemia, among others. Another situation was the finding of increased amounts of iron per liter: 13,000mg per liter, when the allowed quantity is only 18 mg per liter. It is expected an amendment by the government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Food and Drug Administration to regulate multivitamins in the same way that prescription drugs are regulated.

      This news is important because it alerts us, as consumers, to choose multivitamins or other specific "over the counter" drugs carefully. As responsible consumers we should research the different drug brands and how to choose the most reliable drugs, whether brand name drugs or generic. It is unfortunate that there is no such strict regulations for this type of medication, so it is up to us consumers to watch what we ingest, because it is our health what is at stake.

If you want to read more about this you can acces online to this notice: http://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/vitaminasquesonunpeligro-2020176/

                     
Credits:
-Pictures from: http://www.howitworksdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/iStock_000008873262Medium.jpg, http://www.oliveronews.com/uploads/2/6/4/4/26440126/5136922_orig.jpg

Drugs that slow aging

     Day after day, researches are being conduced in finding solutions to social situations and in pursuit of an improved quality of life. On March 9, 2015 the journal Aging Cell revealed a study conducted by the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Mayo Clinic and others, which demonstrated in animals the ability to significantly delay aging. This research opens the door for increased life expectancy of human beings.

     Professor Paul Robbins with Professor Laura Niedernhofer awaits the development of a safe treatment with the studied drug that will: alleviate signs of weakness, improve heart function and increase life expectancy. It is expected from the drug components to work effectively against disorders and diseases related to aging, therefore improving the quality of life of people.

     The clinical study was conducted with the combination of two senolytics agents: dasatinib and quercetin. These agents are more efficient together; they kill senile cells, those which stop dividing and increase with age, accelerating the aging process. By killing these cells the lifespan of mice in the experiment increased, so it is expected that the same mechanism will be performed in humans.

     It's amazing how we challenge nature with our progress in trying to have a better quality of life. This study will continue developing in animals until we find a way to handle this cellular mechanism in humans. Who would not like to extend their life a little? ... These "needs" of human beings is why scientific field broadens more and more.

Video retrived from: https://youtu.be/J2GPtZhos5Y

If you want to read more about this research you can access online: 

    (PDF)   http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12344/pdf

    

Credits: 
-Picture from: http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Slow-Down-Aging.jpg
-http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2015/20150309agingcell.html 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Generic Drugs

      We know that brand name drugs are expensive. This is why it have been developed many generic drugs with the same active ingredients of the popular brands. This has boomed because it is a relief to the consumer's pocket. Some prefer not to trust them, but others choose them because of the low price.

Why these medications are so inexpensive?

     For a generic drug is released to the market, the drug must exist for brand name drug before. This medicine tends to be very expensive, since they have processing costs that are required for preclinical and clinical researches and promotional campaigns. For this they have 10 years of marketing exclusivity, during which time they can recover the costs invested. After those 10 years laboratories authorized health requirements use the same active ingredients to produce very similar to trade name drug, but at a lower cost, since the development of this product does not carry the costs of research already carried the brand name drugs. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of the use of generics:

Benefits

- Price: The main reason why the consumption of these drugs is preferred, since the price implies a saving of 30% to 50%.

- Safety and effectiveness: All generics are reliable, since active ingredients containing spent 10 years or more at the market.

- Quality: Very assured, since it requires legislation of the Health Authority for marketing authorization.

Disadvantages

- Availability: No availability even of all generic medications popular brand.

- Appearance: The color, size and taste may vary.

- Different excipients: That is, the additional ingredients that help active function effectively.

      I agree to the use of these generic drugs made providing excellent quality to the consumer and safety. Furthermore, with the economic situation we face daily, is not bad find other options to give us an aid to our pockets, if they have the same function as a brand name drug. Some people prefer to consume brand name drugs for their confidence in the market. In my opinion, if you can pay for these drugs is fine, but if you can not do it, there are generic as another option. It is very important to counsel patients about the use of such drugs, because often wary because they are unaware that the efficacy and safety of the drug is the same and many do not have the facility to pay a popular brand product.

     Developments such as these make society progresses, for the purpose of creating generic medications cause a well both the consumer and the producer. This opens the availability of drugs for a variety of consumers: those with economic facilities that can defray brand names drugs and those without economic facilities seeking equivalents of the medicines that they need.