Class action settlement earmarks money for consumers

If you bought the prescription antibiotic Augmentin from Jan. 4, 2000 to April 30, 2004, you could be eligible for a payment from a class action settlement. GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $29 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit over whether it improperly blocked manufacturers from selling generic Augmentin.

Fifty-five percent of the settlement is earmarked for consumers. The rest will go to third-party payors, such as health insurance companies.

To find out more, visit www.augmentinlitigation.com.

New book on C-sections aimed at expectant moms

With one in four babies now delivered by Cesarean section, a new book by health journalist Rita Rubin is timely. "What If I Have a C-Section?" covers how the procedure is performed, strategies for quick recovery and tips such as: “If you want your partner to cut the cord after you have a C-section, tell your doctor ahead of time.” Rita Rubin is the medical reporter for USA Today.

Could be worth a bookmark

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a web site that clearly explained complicated topics like embryonic stem cell research? That’s what ClearlyExplained.com is trying to do.

It’s a project of Australian science teacher and communicator Richard Conan-Davies. The site takes on topics in nature, technology and culture.

Magazine targets Alzheimer's caregivers

A free quarterly magazine for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia illnesses debuts this month.

It's called "Vantage" and it's produced by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first issue features professional advice on how caregivers can temporarily let go of their duties and enjoy a vacation.

To subscribe, e-mail your mailing address to vantage@mmhc.com.

Avoid scars with these techniques

The Harvard Health Letter provides these tips to minimize scarring:

-- Avoid infection by keeping the wound clean and covered with a sterile bandage.

-- Keep the wound moist. Soak dried scabs in warm, soapy water to help the scab fall off. Use an antibiotic ointment such as Bacitracin and cover with a bandage.

-- Keep the scar moist. Aloe vera lotion can help reduce a scar's redness. Vitamin E creams and oils can provide moisture, but have no other proven benefits.

-- Gentle daily massage can promote healing and improve the scar's ultimate appearance.

To purchase a Harvard Medical School report called "Skin Care and Repair" click here.

Chat about nutrition and cancer

People Living With Cancer will host a live online chat Wednesday on "Nutrition and Cancer." The hourlong Q&A session will address how cancer treatment affects nutrition, nutritional approaches for managing side effects, drug interactions with food and other topics.

The chat will take place Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon, Pacific (2 to 3 p.m., Eastern). For more details, visit the People Living With Cancer web site. To submit a question in advance of the chat, click here.

Young Asian women say no to eye surgery

Blepharoplasty, commonly known as "Asian eyelid surgery," is the fastest-growing type of plastic surgery in the Asian community in California. The procedure creates a permanent crease in the eyelid, making eyes look rounder. The cover story of Women’s eNews says some young Asian-American women are just saying no.

You say potato ...

A Longview, Wash., man is considering suing Wal-Mart because, he says, a pharmacist mistakenly gave him estrogen instead of testosterone.

He was supposed to get Delatestryl, an injectable testosterone. Instead, he got Delestrogen, an injectable estrogen. He claims he got heart problems, larger breasts and smaller genitalia as well. Read more.

The thorny story of devil's club

Devil’s club is a thorny medicinal plant with spiritual meaning to Alaska’s Tlingit tribe. National Public Radio’s Ketzel Levine reports today on the plant’s properties, and on tribal members' differing viewpoints on commercializing it.

New antidepressant approved; stockholders rejoice

Eli Lilly & Co. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its new antidepressant, Cymbalta. Lilly stock rose 68 cents.

First, let's speculate on the brand name's derivation: "Cym" from the Latin "cymbalum" or "hollow of a vessel" ... "alta" from the Latin "altus" or "high" ... thus, "hollow high"?

Next, Reuters reports that Cymbalta works similarly to Wyeth’s Effexor, increasing both serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. It also may cause similar harsh withdrawal symptoms and should not be stopped cold turkey, according to www.crazymeds.org.

Crazy Meds is a site built by a self-described "bipolar, epileptic, autistic, agoraphobic spazz." I stumbled across it today. The site's philosophy seems to be: The drugs suck, but they're better than life without 'em. (This philosophy is much more graphically expressed on the site.)

Let me know what you think of Crazy Meds. Should I add it to my favorite links? Send me e-mail by clicking on my name ("Carla") below.

Finally, my applause to Lilly for its plans to post all results from its human clinical trials by October at www.lillytrials.com. Read more in this Indianapolis Star story.

Heart health: Supplements little help

A review of research between 1994 and 2002 finds little evidence for taking antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E, to prevent or treat heart disease.

The review is published as a scientific advisory in today’s issue of "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association."

The heart association continues to recommend a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, poultry and lean meats is better. Read more.

A role for parents in preventing college alcohol abuse

Are you sending a son or daughter to college in the fall? Do you know the school’s policy on drinking?

This web page links you to college alcohol policies across the nation. It’s part of a college drinking prevention web site sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

And here is NIAAA's brochure What Parents Need to Know About College Drinking. The brochure includes tips such as "Call your son or daughter frequently during the first six weeks of college."

A 2002 report on college drinking commissioned by the NIAAA estimated that 1,400 college students die each year from alcohol use, either because of drinking and driving or from alcohol toxicity.