Health Highlights: May 27, 2009

May 28 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Poorer Hospitalized More Often for Preventable Conditions: Report

In 2006, hospital admissions for asthma and diabetes were 87 percent and 77 percent higher, respectively, for the poorest Americans than for wealthier people, according to a federal government report released Wednesday.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said that, compared to people from wealthier communities, those from the poorest areas had higher hospitalization rates for other potentially preventable conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (69 percent), congestive heart failure (51 percent), skin infections (49 percent), and dehydration (38 percent).

Patients from the poorest communities were also more likely to be hospitalized for severe blood infections, stroke and depression, said the AHRQ's latest News and Numbers.

The report also said hospitalized patients from the poorest areas were 80 percent more likely to receive hemodialysis for kidney failure, and were more likely to undergo procedures often done on an outpatient basis, such as eye and ear procedures (81 percent more likely).

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FDA Issues TV Drug Ad Guidelines

Drug and medical device ads on TV shouldn't overstate drugs' benefits while downplaying their risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a new draft guidance.

In issuing the guidelines, the FDA noted that the omission or minimization of risk information was the most common violation cited in enforcement or warning letters, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The proposed advertising guidelines offer several suggestions on how drug and medical device makers can avoid breaking FDA rules. For example, the agency said that a product that requires monthly blood tests to check for liver damage should clearly state that fact, instead of telling patients and health-care professionals there is a need for "certain monitoring." The FDA also advised companies against the use of distracting music and images and music that may affect consumers' ability to learn about potential side effects.