Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health,americast.usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Fri, Sep 4 1992 Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 04:34:27 EDT Message-ID: 09-04 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update Sept. 4-7, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MOST QUIT SMOKING `COLD TURKEY': Nine of 10 Americans who successfully quit smoking do so either "cold turkey" or with self-help manuals, says a Centers for Disease Control study, out Thursday. Still, after a year, do-it-yourself quitters have only an 8%-25% success rate compared to a 20%-40% success rate for those who go to smoking cessation clinics. Far fewer smokers opt for the clinics, though. SANDOZ SETTLES SUIT: Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp. will pay $21 million to settle a lawsuit over marketing of the schizophrenia medication Clozaril. More than 30 states sued in 1990 because, until 1991, the drug was distributed only if patients also purchased an expensive blood-monitoring service from a Sandoz business affiliate, Caremark Inc. (For more, see special Clozaril package below.) CLINTON LEADS ON HEALTH CARE: More Americans look to Bill Clinton on the issue of health care, but President Bush is gaining ground, says a new Kaiser:Harris survey of 1,250 adults. When asked which candidate would do the most to provide affordable health care, 55% said Bill Clinton, while 27% said George Bush. A July 19 poll had showed 57 point lead for Clinton. Margin of error: Plus or minus 3%. HEALTH CARE STILL TOP ISSUE: A new Kaiser:Harris survey shows that Governor Bill Clinton holds a 28 point lead on the issue of health care, though President Bush is closing the health care gap. The survey found that 63% of likely voters cited the economy:jobs as one of the top two issues that will determine their vote, abortion ranked second, cited by 18%, with health care ranking third at 13%. WALK COAST-TO-COAST: Tens of thousands of volunteers will take a walk on American Discovery Trail-Blazer Day Sept. 12. The American Discovery Trail is the only coast-to-coast, east-west hiking trail. It covers almost 5,000 miles in 13 states. For information about participating, call 1-800-343-9255. HEPATITIS E VACCINE DEVELOPING: A British and American drug company say they will work together to develop the world's first vaccine against hepatitis E, a deadly disease that has reached epidemic proportions in the developing world. British pharmaceutical giant SmithKline Beecham will pay California-based Genelabs Technologies Inc. about $12 million during the next three years to help develop the vaccine. MOSQUITO ITCH RELIEVED: People can stop the itch of a mosquito bite within the first three minutes by covering the bite with ammonia or a paste made of baking powder or papain, found in some meat tenderizers, according to Prevention magazine. The itching is caused by a reaction to a foreign protein in the mosquito's saliva. MORE PEOPLE IN POVERTY: There were 35.7 million people in poverty in 1991, the highest number since 1964, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Of the poor, 29% lacked medical insurance. The report said 2.1 million people moved below the 1991 federal poverty line: $13,924 for a family of four; $6,932 for a single person. DRIVER FATALITIES ASSESSED: Teen males make up the largest group of driver fatalities. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 31 out of every 100,000 motor vehicle deaths last year were male teenagers. Adult men make up the second largest group, followed by teen females and adult women. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CLOZARIL: CLOZARIL USERS GET REBATE: Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp's monitoring arrangement pushed the average cost of treatment of schizophrenia with the medication Clozaril to $9,000 per year (the drug alone costs $4,160 a year). Under the agreement, Sandoz will rebate $10 million to Clozaril users; the rest will go to mental health agencies and patients who can't afford the treatment and for fees. COMPANY SAYS MONITORING NEEDED: Clorazil is considered a "breakthrough" medication in the treatment of mental illness, but can produce a rapid and potentially fatal decline in white blood cell count, called agranulocytosis. While likelihood of its occurrence is small, the condition requires patients to have blood samples drawn, tested and monitored on a weekly basis, the company says. NO FATALITIES REPORTED: From the drug's U.S. introduction in February 1990 until June 1991, when Caremark was the exclusive provider of blood monitoring services, there were no cases of agranulocytosis-induced fatalities due to improper monitoring, Sandoz says. The company added that Caremark continues to achieve a record of over 99% compliance with weekly testing among its patients. (End of package.) ADVISORY: Decisionlines will not be published Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. Decisionlines will resume publication on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Health Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM