It's a firestorm! The FDA announced that makers of certain older and risky medical devices will have to prove that their products are safe and effective according to the New York Times. This is a very hot issue. Related to this, I just read an editorial published by NEJM (the New England Journal of Medicine): The Medical Device Safety Act of 2009. Who's side are you on? The patient? Industry? Litigation attorneys? Others?
Current ("old") inhalers use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants. Because CFCs damage the ozone layer, the FDA will prohit the sale of CFC inhalers after December 31st, 2008. The "new" inhalers use a new ozone-friendly propellant, hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs). These new inhalers feel and taste different from the old inhalers. If you haven't made the switch yet, you might want to start making the switch now, so that you can get used to the change. Here are some of the things you'll notice . . .
Food for thought. Are we getting soft? Today's seniors make more visits to the doctor than older people did 10 years ago, reports USA Today, in, "Aging population making more visits to the doctor's." I think this statistic is very telling, "The number of medical visits increased 26% between 1996 and 2006, significantly higher than the 11% population growth during that period." I'll admit, as a 50-something, I'm not very hardy. This should be a wake-up call, and tough look in the mirror for ourselves. More reading on this aging population doctor visits topic:
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