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Health Highlights: March 4, 2013
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: Queen Elizabeth II Leaves Hospital After Bout of Stomach Flu Queen Elizabeth II left a London hospital Monday after being treated for symptoms of gastroenteritis, often referred to as stomach flu. The 86-year-old British monarch smiled as she left King Edward VII Hospital, CNN reported. The queen was taken to the hospital Sunday morning "as a precautionary measure," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. She was last hospitalized in 2003, when she had surgery to repair damaged cartilage in her knee. All the queen's engagements for the week were postponed or canceled, including a two-day visit to Italy that was scheduled to begin Wednesday, CNN reported. ----- FDA Report Questions Use of Salmon Hormone to Treat Osteoporosis A salmon hormone used to treat osteoporosis in post-menopausal women may not reduce the risk of bone fractures enough to outweigh its cancer risks, according to a report by U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff. It said that three studies of oral, injectable and nasal calcitonin-salmon drugs showed unreliable or disappointing results. Additional research showed that the drugs posed a "plausible" cancer risk, Bloomberg News reported. FDA advisers are scheduled to meet next week to decide if sales of calcitonin-salmon drugs should be halted in the United States. Last year, the European Medicines Agency said that the drugs should not be used to treat osteoporosis. "This lack of effectiveness when combined with the potential for a cancer risk associated with calcitonin salmon therapy raises concerns about the overall risk and benefit assessment," FDA staff said, Bloomberg reported.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. URL:http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=674079
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