The Associated Press reports on a project that helped hospitals reduce surgery-linked infections by a third with some simple measures: having patients shower with special germ-fighting soap before surgery and having surgery teams change gowns, gloves and instruments during operations to prevent spreading germs picked up during the procedures. Simple measures cut infection rates in hospitals. A government report issued today sharply criticizes Medicare on its shift to electronic medical records, saying it has failed to put in place adequate safeguards to ensure against fraud and abuse, reports the New York Times. Medicare faulted on shift to electronic medical records. Prices of brand name drugs soar, generics drop.The New York Times reports that the prices of brand-name prescription medicines are rising far faster than the inflation rate, while the prices of generic drugs have plummeted, creating the largest gap so far between the two, according to a report published Wednesday by the pharmacy-benefits manager Express Scripts. For the study's complete chart of medications, their degree of interaction, and suggested alternative drugs, click here for a pdf version from NBC News. Atorvastatin interacts with grapefruit juice if you drink large quantities (more than 1.2 litres daily), but an occasional glass is thought to be safe. ABC News includes a list of the drugs in its story ( click here). Grapefruit - Lipitor (Atorvastatin Calcium) Interaction Herbal: Grapefruit Also Known As: Citrus paradisi Drug: Atorvastatin Calcium Brand names: Lipitor Medical Content Editor Dr. If you're a grapefruit or citrus fruit lover, be sure and ask your pharmacist or doctor about any possible interactions the fruit could cause with prescription medications you're taking.įor a list of medications that interact with grapefruit products: Sweet orange varieties don't produce the same effect, but beware Seville oranges, limes and pomelos. Just one grapefruit or an 8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice can cause an effect that may last more than 24 hours. "I've seen a tenfold increase in some patients," Bailey told NBC News. Grapefruit contains chemicals called furanocoumarins, which interfere with how the body breaks down drugs before they enter the bloodstream.ĭrinking less than a cup of grapefruit juice once a day for three days, for instance, can lead to a 330 percent concentration of simvastatin, or Zocor, the researchers reported. The heart drug dronedarone, or Multaq, mixed with grapefruit can cause extreme irregular heartbeat.īailey and his colleagues were the first to discover the trouble with grapefruit more than 20 years ago, when they found that consuming it along with certain prescription drugs can concentrate the medication in a patient's bloodstream. Heart medications, including verapamil and amiodarone, have also led to serious interactions when consumed with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Atorvastatin - commonly known by the brand name Lipitor and taken by millions of Americans - is one of the drugs that have been linked to serious cases of drug toxicity when combined with grapefruit products, ABC News reports. Many of the drugs involved are common ones, like statins to lower cholesterol, antibiotics and heart medication. The researchers noted that adults older than 45 buy the most grapefruit and take the most prescription drugs, making them the most likely to risk these interactions. To learn more about cholesterol and heart disease, read Managing Your Cholesterol, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School."When I say sudden death, I'm not being sensational," study lead author David Bailey, a clinical pharmacologist at the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, told NBC News. Grapefruit juice affects certain statins more than others. But to be on the safe side, check with your doctor, and avoid taking your pills with grapefruit juice. What's more, eating half a grapefruit is even less risky than drinking grapefruit juice, since it takes several fruits to make a single glass of juice. That's because the studies showing dangerous effects used massive amounts of furanocoumarins, the amount found in a quart or more of the juice. But if you can't switch, experts say it's probably okay to enjoy a small glass. Not all statins are affected equally by grapefruit juice, so grapefruit fans might want to switch to a statin that's less affected (see the table below). As a result, more of the drug is absorbed, making it more powerful than it's meant to be - even toxic in some cases. Grapefruit juice contains compounds called furanocoumarins that stop CYP3A from doing its job. Why?Ī: Certain classes of drugs - most notably statins - are metabolized (broken down) in your intestines by an enzyme called CYP3A, which normally reduces the amount of drug that enters your bloodstream. Q: I've heard that people shouldn't drink grapefruit juice if they're taking a statin.
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