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Stroke Prevention Pill?

Is it really possible to just pop a pill to prevent a stroke? That would be nice. Apparently now there is. It looks like within the next few weeks just a pill – for the price of £2.50 a day (just over $4.00) – will be available.

Named Pradaxa, it is meant to be much safer and easier to take than the blood-thinner used until now (Warfarin) which had its own slew of problems including accidental overdose and taking care of diet since certain foods prevent its adequate absorption. Pradaxa (also known as dabigatran etexilate) on the other hand doesn’t encounter these issues, isn’t diet related and is said to be up to “39 per cent better at preventing strokes,” following a trial with more than 18,000 testers suffering from atrial fibrillation.

In the UK, there are approximately 1.2 million atrial fibrillation sufferers which lead to around 15 percent of the country’s 150,000 annual strokes. But many sufferers will not take the warfarin medication due to the possible complications. Pradaxa is very different in this rein since it can actually lead to an improvement of overall health as well as their general quality of life.

Over the last five decades, this was the first new oral anticoagulant that has been approved in Europe. Indeed, according to chief executive of the Atrial Fibrillation Association, Trudie Lobban, “Patients have waited a long time for an alternative to warfarin. Dabigatran etexilate has the potential not only to improve stroke prevention but also to greatly improve people’s quality of life.”

Epilepsy Drug May Cause Oral Birth Defects

According to the Food and Drug Administration, an epilepsy drug that is also used for relieving migraines increases the risk of oral birth defects in babies if taken during a pregnancy. The drug is sold generically by Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd, Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc, Mylan Inc and numerous other drug makers as topiramate, its chemical name, while Johnson & Johnson sell it under the name of Topamax.  Women taking this drug during their pregnancy are nearly twenty times more likely to give birth to children with cleft lips or palate deformities.

Physicians have been advised to warn female patients of the risks, as the defects occur in the fetus during the first three months of pregnancy, before many women even know that they are pregnant. FDA based the warning on data gathered from a study from the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry.


The data exposed that cleft lips and other deformities occurred in 1.4% of babies who were exposed to the drug, and 0.38-0.55% of babies who had been exposed to other epilepsy treatments. Only around 0.07% of babies who are not exposed to any such medication suffer from the defect.

Red Carpet Fashion of 2011

This year’s Academy Awards saw plenty of shimmering dresses, as well as many that featured at least one sleeve. The color theme was relatively subdued, with most celebrities wearing shades of blue, silver, cream and purple.

Oscar winner Natalie Portman wore an off-the-shoulder purple Rodarte dress that showed off her baby bump, while former Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock wore an elegant, strapless red Vera Wang gown. Co-host Anne Hathaway also chose to wear red. Reese Witherspoon, also a former Oscar winner, chose to wear a simple, strapless black and white Armani Prive dress.

Red Carpet Fashion of 2011- Part II

Designer Marc Bouwer is working on another trend which he calls “futuristic architectural minimalism.” He explained that the look focuses not only on the dress, but on the accessories that go with it.

Greg Kwiat of Kwiat Diamonds said “We’re going to see statement pieces. A bracelet, a necklace. There will be everything from classic diamonds to lots of colors like yellow gold or aquamarine.”


Hair stylist Anthony Morrison added that if the dress and jewels are bold, the hair must be simple and “not so overly complicated.” “Whether the hair is up or down,” he says, “it’s more about having a finished look, not frizzy or disheveled. We’ve been using a lot of smoothing products to make sure hair is glossy, shiny and polished.” He added that hair color is also expected to be bold this year.

Red Carpet Fashion of 2011- Part I

Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have started a wave of bold, futuristic fashion on the red carpet. In contrast to recent years, during which the style featured more subdued, vintage gowns and minimal jewelry, celebrities are beginning to branch out towards brightly colored, distinctive gowns with accented shoulders and sleeves.

“Artists are starting to dress much more crazy, more out there and it has a ripple effect on fashion,” explains designer Marc Bouwer. “While you won’t see a Lady Gaga outfit necessarily on the Oscar red carpet, you will see more architectural styles- an expanded shoulder, a pronounced sleeve. The stronger power woman has emerged, and you cannot ignore that trend.”

Glee Cast Breaks Record Set By Elvis

The “Glee” cast has recently broken the record set by Elvis Presley for the most single entries. The cast has six new songs that are to be released on the singles chart this week, raising their number to 113 entries on the Hot 100. It is incredible that show is less than two years old.

The King of Rock and Roll had 108 singles listed on the chart, which was started in 1958. Presley’s career began around two years before the chart’s inception.

“Glee,” the Fox show that won an Emmy, features a group of unusual (or perhaps, highly usual) high school students in a choir. The show produces five or six covers versions of songs from all genres in each episode. Guest stars such as Britney Spears, Broadway singers Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have also made appearances throughout the show.

In October, the Glee cast passed the 71 Billboard Hot 100 entries of the Beatles. Other marks it has passed include those set by James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.