FDA Panel Supports Rapid, At-Home HIV Test
Home HIV tests should be sold in retail stores, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel urged Tuesday. If approved by the FDA, a mouth-swab test made by OraSure Technologies Inc.â€"and sold commercially to health professionalsâ€"would become available over the counter. That way, people could check if they had the virus within the privacy of their own homes. The 20-minute test is 93 percent accurate for positive results and 99.8 percent for negative, according to the manufacturer. About 240,000 Americans are unaware they are HIV positive, and are responsible for between 50 and 70 percent of the 50,000 new infections each year. "There is huge global momentum in support of over-the-counter testing for HIV," Nitika Pant Pai, an assistant professor of medicine at Montreal's McGill University who co-authored an analysis of the effectiveness of an at-home HIV test earlier this year, told HealthDay. "People desire private, discreet options that protect their confidentiality." It's unclear how much the over-the-counter test would cost.
How to Cope With Criticism
You're looking a little pudgy these days. Why didn't you get that promotion? You should be doing a better job with the kids. Why isn't the house cleaner?
Criticism stings. Yes, you're going to feel deflated and defensive, and you're probably going to take it personally. Certainly, it's easier to give than receive. "No one enjoys being criticized, especially if it's unfair," says psychologist Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger. "Yet how well we respond determines how our relationships go, both at work and at home. A lot is at stake."
It's possible to master the art of coping with criticism, which is important for your well-being: "If you don't learn how to deal with criticism, it'll likely elevate your stress level and compromise your mental and emotional functioning," says psychologist Leon Seltzer, who's based in Del Mar, Calif. "Like everything else, it's best not to let things get to you. That's why learning how to effectively 'process' criticism is so important to happiness and well-being."
Next time you're in the hot seat, try these nine tactics:
1. Breathe. Do what you can to remain calm. Slow your breathing and take a long, deep breath before speaking. When you're on guard, your nervous system quickens, interfering with your ability to appropriately listen and respond.
2. Postpone the conversation if necessary. If deep breaths don't help and you're too riled to engage in a reasonable conversation, trying to listen could actually do more harm than good. Tell the other person that you recognize the conversation's importance, but that you can't have it at that moment. Schedule another time so you can be prepared and ready to talk. [Read more: How to Cope With Criticism]
What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?
If you're a typical American, chances are about 50-50 that you take at least one prescription drugâ€"and if you're upwards of 60, the odds are nearly 2 in 5 that you take five drugs or more. Some may be lifesaving, especially for those with potentially deadly chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. But how many drugs in those mountains of pills add years to the lives of people who don't suffer from such illnesses?
"The majority of drugs approved probably aren't life-extending," says Lisa Schwartz, an internist and professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire who specializes in medical communication related to the benefits and harms of prescription drugs and screening tests. But clearly, some can extend lives.
Take the massively popular class of heart drugs called statins. By lowering the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol in the blood, statins can cut the chances of a killer heart attack or stroke even in those who have never had one. That's why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of statins for individuals at high risk because of age, family history, smoking, and elevated cholesterol, even if they haven't shown outward symptoms of heart disease.
Yet every drug comes with baggage, some of it deadly. "All drugsâ€"even the safest onesâ€"have side effects," says Patrick J. M. Murphy, an associate professor of pharmacology at Seattle University. A notorious example is the arthritis medication Vioxx, a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) recalled in 2004 because it significantly increased the risk for cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Today, other over-the-counter NSAIDS (such as naproxen and ibuprofen) can help ease pain but at the potential expense of bleeding ulcers in regular users. And while cholesterol-lowering drugs have proven benefits, the FDA recently announced that alongside muscle pain, labels for statins should also include side effects like memory loss and confusion. [Read more: What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?]
Angela Haupt is a health reporter for U.S. News World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or reach her at ahaupt@usnews.com.
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