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• Beginning January 1, 2011, consumers will not be able to purchase nonprescription medications with funds from flexible spending accounts (FSAs) unless the medication is prescribed by a health care provider. The change is included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which was signed into law on March 23.
• A retrospective chart-review study of egg-allergic children 6 months to 18 years of age concluded that patients without anaphylaxis to egg may safely receive the influenza vaccine in a two-dose, graded fashion without a vaccine skin test. The conclusion is based on data from 171 patients. (Pediatrics. 2010 Apr 5.)
• In a cohort of more than 19,000 middle-aged German men and women, consumption of 6 g of chocolate per day (approximately 0.25 oz, or one small square) was associated with a 39% lower risk of the combined outcome of myocardial infarction and stroke. Chocolate consumption appeared to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in part by reducing blood pressure. (Eur Heart J. 2010 Apr 10.)
• Daily consumption of soy products for 1 year—specifically, consuming 25 g of soy protein and 60 mg of isoflavones daily in the form of snack bars, drink mixes, and cereals—failed to produce favorable lipid profile alterations in a cohort of 87 overweight, postmenopausal women. The Food and Drug Administration currently is re-evaluating whether soy products should be permitted to claim that they “may reduce the risk of heart disease.” (Menopause. 2010 Mar 3.)