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American Morning
House Call: Today's Top Health Stories
Aired December 26, 2002 - 07:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: With all of this snowy weather, you want to stay healthy. So, for a look at today's top health stories, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Put on a doctor hat right now.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Off with the anchor hat and on with the doctor hat.
KAGAN: You do it all.
GUPTA: A couple of good stories today and some interesting stories.
KAGAN: I think so.
GUPTA: First of all, you've heard about black boxes for airplanes, but what about for the human body? Well, that's exactly what some folks at Medtronic Research Institute actually have done. They've created a very small, about 2 centimeters in size, a little black box that actually goes into your chest wall.
What does it do? It measures your heart rhythms, it continuously records that. So, if you have a heart palpitation, you ever feel your heart speeding up or you even faint, this will figure out exactly what happened to your heart at that time. Give that to the doctors, they can figure out what to do for you. So, that's a good thing for people who have heart conditions.
There's also a story about zinc. We've talked a lot about zinc, zinc lozenges, trying to ward off colds. Well, now there's a good study actually looking at it. And does it work? The verdict is yes. In fact, it reduces colds if you take it prophylactically, before a cold, by about 50 percent. It reduces the need for antibiotics by about 92 percent. And this is the big one. An average cold last about 10 days. If you're taking this stuff, it will last about six days.
And finally, Daryn, we talked about Celebrex a little earlier. This is a huge medication, $6 billion worth of medication sold in this country. It's an anti-inflammatory taken for achy joints and pains and things like that. It was sold -- it was pitched as this medication that would not give you any troubles with your stomach, and that's why it became so popular.
There's a study about that now. Here's the caution. If you have had problems with your stomach in the past and think that you're OK with Celebrex, you still have about a 10 percent chance per year of having an ulcer with your stomach. So, bottom line, if you're concerned about it, check with your doctor. Celebrex, other medications could still be a problem.
KAGAN: Yes, and a lot of people on that. My own dad had a problem with it.
GUPTA: That's right, you told me about that.
KAGAN: And we talked about that.
GUPTA: Yes, exactly.
KAGAN: I don't think he did a great job about talking with his doctor ahead of time about the other medications he was on. So, that's the key, too.
GUPTA: Absolutely. If you think Celebrex -- it's a good medication, but if you're concerned about your stomach, you've still got to tell your doctor that you're on it, and they've got to watch for that.
KAGAN: Hear that, Dad?
GUPTA: Is he watching?
KAGAN: It's a little early in California. He might not be, but we will check with him.
GUPTA: All right.
KAGAN: Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 26, 2002 - 07:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: With all of this snowy weather, you want to stay healthy. So, for a look at today's top health stories, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Put on a doctor hat right now.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Off with the anchor hat and on with the doctor hat.
KAGAN: You do it all.
GUPTA: A couple of good stories today and some interesting stories.
KAGAN: I think so.
GUPTA: First of all, you've heard about black boxes for airplanes, but what about for the human body? Well, that's exactly what some folks at Medtronic Research Institute actually have done. They've created a very small, about 2 centimeters in size, a little black box that actually goes into your chest wall.
What does it do? It measures your heart rhythms, it continuously records that. So, if you have a heart palpitation, you ever feel your heart speeding up or you even faint, this will figure out exactly what happened to your heart at that time. Give that to the doctors, they can figure out what to do for you. So, that's a good thing for people who have heart conditions.
There's also a story about zinc. We've talked a lot about zinc, zinc lozenges, trying to ward off colds. Well, now there's a good study actually looking at it. And does it work? The verdict is yes. In fact, it reduces colds if you take it prophylactically, before a cold, by about 50 percent. It reduces the need for antibiotics by about 92 percent. And this is the big one. An average cold last about 10 days. If you're taking this stuff, it will last about six days.
And finally, Daryn, we talked about Celebrex a little earlier. This is a huge medication, $6 billion worth of medication sold in this country. It's an anti-inflammatory taken for achy joints and pains and things like that. It was sold -- it was pitched as this medication that would not give you any troubles with your stomach, and that's why it became so popular.
There's a study about that now. Here's the caution. If you have had problems with your stomach in the past and think that you're OK with Celebrex, you still have about a 10 percent chance per year of having an ulcer with your stomach. So, bottom line, if you're concerned about it, check with your doctor. Celebrex, other medications could still be a problem.
KAGAN: Yes, and a lot of people on that. My own dad had a problem with it.
GUPTA: That's right, you told me about that.
KAGAN: And we talked about that.
GUPTA: Yes, exactly.
KAGAN: I don't think he did a great job about talking with his doctor ahead of time about the other medications he was on. So, that's the key, too.
GUPTA: Absolutely. If you think Celebrex -- it's a good medication, but if you're concerned about your stomach, you've still got to tell your doctor that you're on it, and they've got to watch for that.
KAGAN: Hear that, Dad?
GUPTA: Is he watching?
KAGAN: It's a little early in California. He might not be, but we will check with him.
GUPTA: All right.
KAGAN: Thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
