News tagged with 'LABA'

St. John's wort shows some phototoxicity to the eyes, which may not show up for years in the form of cataracts and macular degeneration among users taking it for depression. But under law, the industry largely regulates itself and federal regulations take over only after the consumer is harmed. The uninformed user is left vulnerable.

A warning for those who use St. John's wort as a natural alternative to prescription drugs. "Nature's Prozac" also can be phototoxic to the eye lens creating cataracts, a reaction that's only been seen in the lab until now.

Hypericin, the active compound in the herb, St. John's wort, works to keep depression at bay but also has been shown in the lab to be phototoxic to the human ocular lens. Now for the first time, a correlation has been seen in the human population between the popular herb and cataracts.

On Thursday, an FDA panel of experts will weigh whether to allow certain drugs to continue to be marketed for asthma treatment in adults and children amid lingering concerns that the products increase the risk of asthma-related deaths and side effects.

The continued use of four popular asthma drugs, including SereVent, increases risk of asthma-related deaths and asthma attacks, according to two federal drug officials. But not all regulators universally agree. This week the agency will convene a committee of experts to help reach an agreement.