Health & Wellness - November 2015 Archives

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I regularly have heartburn and my doctor is recommending I try a proton pump inhibitor. Can you tell me more about this medication? Are there any risks to taking it? ANSWER: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the most effective medications for the treatment of chronic acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) and peptic ulcer. They work by blocking the production of stomach acid — too much of which can cause a burning sensation in your chest or throat (heartburn) — and by giving damaged tissue in your esophagus time to heal. Proton pump inhibitors come in prescription and nonprescription strengths. These medications are most commonly taken as a pill once a day, usually about an hour before breakfast. Proton pump inhibitors are generally safe when you use them as directed. But as with any medications, there are potential risks with taking them. Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors has been associated with a greater risk of infections such as pneumonia and a form of antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). However, whether proton pump inhibitors are directly responsible hasn’t been proved.

Las recomendaciones equilibran la privacidad del participante en estudios con la necesidad familiar de conocer la información médica ROCHESTER, Minnesota: El grupo de un proyecto galardonado con cinta azul y financiado por los Institutos Nacionales de Salud publicó las primeras pautas, redactadas en consenso, acerca de cómo compartir con los demás familiares los resultados genómicos obtenidos a través de estudios realizados en adultos y niños. Las recomendaciones se publican en la Revista de Leyes, Medicina y Ética y orientan respecto a cómo compartir la información, antes y después de la muerte del participante en un estudio. “Estas recomendaciones repercutirán sobre las futuras políticas para protección de los participantes en investigaciones, cuando se realicen estudios genómicos”, comenta la Dra. Gloria Petersen de Mayo Clinic, quien comparte la autoría de las pautas con la jurista Dra. Susan Wolf de la Universidad de Minnesota y con la Dra. Barbara Koenig de la Universidad de California en San Francisco. Las autoras dicen que el explosivo crecimiento de la investigación genómica ha llevado al planteamiento de preguntas complicadas acerca de qué hacer con la información de los resultados. ¿Deben los investigadores compartir los resultados personales de un individuo con los familiares que corren el mismo riesgo genético? Esa duda generalmente menoscaba la privacidad del individuo en favor de la necesidad familiar.

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