Health Highlights: May 28, 2008

May 29 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

60 Percent of U.S. Adults Have at Least One Chronic Condition

In the United States, 60 percent of people aged 18 and older have at least one chronic medical condition, defined as one expected to last at least one year and result in limitations or the need for ongoing care.

The latest News and Numbers summary from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality looked at 2005 data, finding that:

• Nearly 40 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 had at least one chronic condition, as did 90 percent of people aged 65 and older.
• About 77 percent of those aged 65 and older had two or more chronic conditions, compared with 14 percent of those aged 18 to 34.
• Treatment of chronic conditions accounted for nine of every 10 dollars spent for medical care on American adults, excluding costs for dental care, medical equipment, and supplies.
• About 22 million adults received medical care for osteoarthritis and related conditions, 49 million for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 17 million for diabetes, 45 million for high blood pressure, and 19 million for heart disease.

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Drug Doesn't Stem Bleeding in People With Rare Disorder: FDA

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The unapproved GlaxoSmithKline drug Promacta doesn't appear to restrict bleeding in people with a rare blood disorder called chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, reviewers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

Glaxo studies submitted to the FDA "do not provide robust evidence" to back the company's assertions that the drug controls the severity and frequency of bleeding, the Associated Press quoted agency reviewers as saying.

The anti-clotting disorder of the immune system, affecting some 60,000 people in the United States, leads to abnormally high bleeding and bruising. It causes the body to destroy its own blood platelets, which are necessary for clotting.

Promacta is designed to raise levels of blood platelets. But a pair of studies sent to the FDA for review showed no significant difference between Promacta and a non-medicinal placebo, the wire service reported.