Results of a new imaging study, supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, show that the nicotine received in just a few puffs of a cigarette can exert a force powerful enough to drive an individual to continue smoking. Researchers found that the amount of nicotine contained in just one puff of a cigarette can occupy about 30 percent of the brain's most common type of nicotine receptors, while three puffs of a cigarette can occupy about 70 percent of these receptors. When nearly all of the receptors are occupied (as a result of smoking at least 2 and one-half cigarettes), the smoker becomes satiated, or satisfied, for a time. Soon, however, this level of satiation wears off, driving the smoker to continue smoking throughout the day to satisfy cigarette cravings.

The following update was released on October 12, 2006. People following this outbreak and its reporting should also see this report and note the further links it contains.

FDA and the State of California announced today that test results from the field investigation of the outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 in spinach are positive for E.coli O157:H7.   Samples of cattle feces on one of the implicated ranches tested positive based on matching genetic fingerprints for the same strain of E. coli that sickened 199 people. 

LifeScan and FDA notified healthcare professionals and the public of counterfeit blood glucose test strips being sold in the United States for use with various models of the One Touch Brand Blood Glucose Monitors used by people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose. The counterfeit test strips potentially could give incorrect blood glucose values--either too high or too low--which might result in a patient taking either too much or too little insulin and lead to serious injury or death.

Read the complete MedWatch 2006 safety summary, including a link to the FDA press release, at:

Safety-related drug labeling changes for September 2006 have been posted on the MedWatch website. The September 2006 posting includes 39 drug products (16 separate drugs) with safety labeling changes to the BOXED WARNING, CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, or ADVERSE REACTIONS sections.

The Summary page available at the following linked location provides drug names and a listing of the sections changed.

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2006/sep06_quickview.htm

The Detailed view is available at the following linked location.

A study, published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that women who drink four or more cola beverages per week have a higher risk of developing the bone disease osteoporosis. The researchers used dietary questionnaires from more than 2,500 people who were part of an osteoporosis study in the US.

Regular cola consumption was linked to lower bone mineral density in all women studied, regardless of  other factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and calcium intake. Low bone mineral density increases the risk of osteoporosis, a debilitating condition also known as brittle bone disease.