|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Health Highlights: March 11, 2013
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: NYC Ban on Large Sugary Drinks Takes Effect Tuesday When New York City's ban on large sugary drinks takes effect Tuesday, consumers won't be able to buy the beverages in anything larger than 16-ounce containers. Some restaurants have been preparing for the nation's first law of its kind by doing things such as ordering smaller glasses and reprinting menus, CBS News/Associated Press reported. However, other businesses are delaying any changes while they wait to see if a court challenge overturns the new law or at least delays it. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it is in the nation's interest to do something about empty calories and high sugar intake, which can cause a number of health problems, many of them associated with obesity. He also noted that people who want larger amounts of the beverages can buy two 16-oz. servings. "It's totally your choice, we're not banning anything. It's called portion control," Bloomberg said on CBS News' "Face The Nation." ----- Sanofi Under Investigation Over Plavix Sanofi's disclosures to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about its widely used blood thinner Plavix are being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department, the Associated Press reported Monday. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week, the French drug company said it had learned in June about the probe, which focuses on differing responses to the drug, the AP reported. Sanofi said it is cooperating with the investigation. It jointly markets Plavix with Bristol-Myers Squibb. In June 2010, the FDA warned that certain patients with a genetic variation can't metabolize Plavix, putting them at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, the AP reported. ----- More Than 100 Passengers Fall Ill on Cruise Ship More than 100 passengers aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were sickened by a gastrointestinal illness that might have been norovirus. ABC News reported the incident on Friday, although the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention did not yet have information on the incident. Almost 2,000 passengers and 772 crew members were traveling on Vision of the Seas, which had pulled into Port Everglades, Fla., Friday as it concluded an 11-night Caribbean cruise, according to ABC News. The ill passengers were given over-the-counter medication while on the ship and had responded well, Royal Caribbean International said. In a statement to ABC News on Friday, the cruise line said: "At Royal Caribbean International, we have high health standards for all our guests and crew. During the sailing, we conduct enhanced cleaning on board the ship to help prevent the spread of the illness. Additionally, when Vision of the Seas arrived to Port Everglades, Fla., today, we conducted an extensive and thorough sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal to help prevent any illness from affecting the subsequent sailing." Another Vision of the Seas cruise set sail late Friday afternoon, although Royal Caribbean said passengers were given the option of rescheduling their cruise if they were not comfortable traveling on that ship at this time.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. URL:http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=674300
|
