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Vitamin C: Tips For Increasing Your Intake
A new RDA?

According to a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the National Institutes of Health is taking another look at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C. The current RDA for vitamin C is 60 milligrams per day—about the amount you get from one orange. Due to recent findings on the potential health benefits of this wonder vitamin, the NIH is now considering boosting the RDA to somewhere between 100 and 200 milligrams per day, two to three times the current recommendation.
Why all the hype?

Vitamin C has long been known for its value as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are natural compounds found in many of the foods we eat. The most well known antioxidants are vitamin C, selenium, beta carotene and vitamin E. Antioxidants work by inhibiting toxic substances in the body (also known as "free radicals") which may lead to the development of cancers, heart disease and the aging process. There has been a strong correlation between diets high in fruits and vegetables (which are rich in antioxidants) and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Vitamin C may account for much of this protection. However, we are also finding numerous other compounds within fruits and vegetables, collectively called "phytochemicals", that may also play a preventative role. Phytochemicals are defined simply as chemicals found in plants. They occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. These substances, many of which also have an antioxidant effect, may protect our bodies from cellular damage that can lead to cancer and other chronic diseases.

Due to the strong correlation between diets abundant in fruits and vegetables and disease prevention, The National Cancer Institute launched the "5-A-Day" program. The basis of this campaign promotes the intake of a minimum of five fruits and vegetables daily as a good defense against cancer and other diseases. A specific recommendation of this program is to include vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables in the diet each day since vitamin C is a particularly well-researched antioxidant. The mainstay of the program, however, is that by eating five servings of produce daily we can easily take in not just a good dose of vitamin C, but the minimum amount of protective plant chemicals shown to be effective in reducing risk of chronic diseases. Remember, five is the minimum amount. In the case of fruits and veggies it's definitely a situation where more is better!

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FDA Tightens Oversight of Home Medical Devices

TUESDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- As the population ages and medical technology improves, more people are using complex medical devices such as dialysis machines and ventilators at home, adding to the need for better-educated patients.

To meet this growing need, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it has started a new program to ensure that patients and their caregivers use these devices safely and effectively.

"Medical device home use is becoming an increasingly important public health issue," Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health said during an afternoon news conference.

The U.S. population is aging, and more people are living longer with chronic diseases that require home care, he added. "In addition, more patients of all ages are being discharged from the hospital to continue their care at home," Shuren noted.

Meanwhile, medical devices have become more portable and sophisticated, making it possible to treat and monitor chronic conditions outside the hospital. "A significant number of devices including infusion pumps, ventilators and wound care therapies are now being used for home care," he said.

Given the growing number of home medical devices, the agency plans on developing procedures for makers of home-care equipment. Procedures will include post-marketing follow-up, and other things that will encourage the safe use of these devices.

The FDA is also developing educational materials on the safe use of these devices, the agency said.

According to Shuren, there are no clear regulations for complex medical devices used in the home.

Devices not made specifically for the home can pose a safety problem, he noted. "There may be environmental or safety hazards that can affect a device's performance, including the presence of pets, sanitation issues and electromagnetic interference from home wireless networks or even video games that can disrupt the function of a medical device," Shuren explained.

The agency has already received reports of medical device-linked adverse events that have occurred in the home. "And due to widespread underreporting, it is likely just the tip of the iceberg," Shuren said.

For example, a dialysis machine became blocked by cat dander and would not function, he said. In another case, a ventilator whose alarm could not be heard in the home caused the ventilator to fail, resulting in injury and death. "We do have such examples," he said.

To deal with these problems the agency plans to:

• Develop recommendations for approval of these devices, including testing with home caregivers and patients.
• Develop FDA's authority to require that certain devices are labeled as cleared for home use.
• Develop post-market procedures to track and address adverse events in the home.

In addition, the agency is launching a 10-month pilot program this summer to get manufacturers to voluntarily submit their labeling to the agency for posting on a central Web site, Shuren noted.

This could help patients and caregivers to quickly find important safety information about their devices, he added.

The FDA is already citing manufacturers on potential trouble from at-home devices. On Monday, the agency sent letters to makers of negative-pressure wound therapy devices indicating that they will have to start including testing their devices specifically for home use and labeling them accordingly or stating that the device is not for home use, Shuren said.

"By providing greater assurance of the safety and safe use of medical devices in the home, FDA hopes to support the tremendous promise of home health care to provide patients with more comfort, convenience and independence in their medical care," Shuren said.

More information

For more information on home medical devices, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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