Macau, Hong Kong Order GSK To Recall Augmentin Due To Plasticizer Contamination

Hong Kong & Macau have ordered pharmaceutical major GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to recall the antibiotic Augmentin used for treating infections because it contained detectable levels of chemical additives.

According to the Hong Kong health department, tests revealed GSK’s Augmentin antibiotic tablet (375mg) contained several plasticisers, including diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) & di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), raising “quality concerns”.

The information was supplied toMacau’s Health Bureau which also ordered the British firm to recall the antibiotic.

Augmentin 375mg tablet is an antibiotic for treating bacterial infections.

Health authorities say the amount of chemicals found in Augmentin tablets was “considered unlikely to cause acute harmful effects if the tablets were taken according to the recommended dosage”.

Further tests have been carried out but the sources of the plasticisers are still to be determined. As GSK could not provide satisfactory explanation on sources of the plasticisers, the quality of the product is in question.

Residents can contact the Department of Pharmaceutical Affairs of the Health Bureau (85983523/66833329) to get more information.

GlaxoSmithKline said it had launched an “urgent and thorough investigation” to determine the source of the additives.

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Ring-Finger Manicure – The Latest Celeb Nail Trend

It’s currently the flavor of the season – the ring-finger manicure. It’s a fun, new way to wear nail polish.

No need of visiting a salon, all you have to do is to paint 9 of your nails in one color, but use a slightly different shade on your ring finger.

The Vanessa Hudgens inspired trend consists of painting the ring finger in a different color to that of the rest of the nails, thereby highlighting the ring finger.

The trick lies in picking colors that will complement each other.

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Jawbone’s Up Wristband Monitors Your Lifestyle

A novel bracelet that promises to assist dieters shed flab healthily has recently been launched.

Jawbone’s Up wristband purports to help wearers lead a healthier lifestyle by monitoring eating, sleeping & activity patterns.

The Up wristband connects to a smartphone to facilitate the feeding in of information recorded into an accompanying app.

The details of food ingested may be fed into the app manually, or by clicking a picture with a smartphone.

The programme then advises the user how they may improve their lifestyle, like suggesting a high-protein breakfast & an additional glass of water for someone who lacks sleep.

Jawbone, the creator of the Up band, claims that the new wristband is unobtrusive, quite different from available products in stores.

Jawbone, known for designing speakers and Bluetooth headsets, promises that its Up wristband would be reasonably priced and available in a variety of colors.

A price for the Up wristband hasn’t been released yet. It’s expected to hit stores in theU.S.by the year end.

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Diesel Exhaust Fumes Raise Heart Attack Risk

The chemical particles generated when diesel burns are damaging to blood vessels & could increase the possibility of blood clots developing in arteries, heightening the chances of a stroke or heart attack, a recent research has shown.

University of Edinburgh researchers measured how diesel exhaust fumes impacted healthy volunteers at concentrations that could be present in heavily polluted cities.

Researchers compared how people responded to the gases present in diesel fumes like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide with those caused by the extremely fine chemical particles from vehicle exhausts.

The British Heart Foundation funded research showed that it wasn’t the gases but the minute particles which impaired the functioning of blood vessels that control how the blood is routed to the body’s organs. 

While most people tend to associate air pollution with damage to lungs, there is solid evidence that it impacts the heart & blood vessels also.

The tiny chemical particles discharged by car exhausts produce extremely reactive molecules known as free radicals that could impair the blood vessels and cause vascular disease.

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Planking Is Passé, Owling Is The Hottest Online Craze!

Looks like the wacky online craze for planking has ended; owling is the newest trend spreading across workplaces globally.

Owling, thought to be of Australian origin, consists of nothing more onerous than squatting on one’s haunches & gazing into the middle distance, mimicking the nocturnal birds.

People then click photos of themselves & post them on social networking sites.

Hundreds of youngsters in Australia, America and more recently Britain, are hooked onto the latest ‘owling’ craze.

This bizarre trend is a development of the ‘planking’ craze where people would take snapshots of themselves lying face down in odd locations.

However, in recent times ‘planking’ has gotten increasingly mainstream – and hence less popular for trend-conscious Internet users.

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