Health Highlights: Aug. 24, 2009

Aug. 25 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Reviews Liver Injuries Possibly Tied to Weight-Loss Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday that it has begun a review of "adverse event reports" of liver injury in people taking the weight loss drug orlistat. The prescription version of the drug is marketed as Xenical; the over-the-counter version is known as Alli.

The FDA said it had received 32 reports of serious liver injury in patients taking orlistat between 1999 and 2008. Twenty-seven of the cases required hospitalization and six resulted in liver failure. Thirty of the "adverse events" happened outside the United States.

The most commonly reported side effects were jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), weakness, and stomach pain, the agency said in a news release.

The FDA said it was reviewing additional data from orlistat manufacturers on suspected cases of liver injury. The FDA's analysis of this data is ongoing, and no definite link between liver injury and orlistat has been found, the agency said.

Consumers taking Xenical should continue to take it as prescribed, and those using over-the-counter Alli should continue to use the product as directed, the FDA said.

Consumers who have used orlistat should consult a health-care professional if they experience symptoms possibly linked to the development of liver injury, particularly weakness or fatigue, fever, jaundice, or brown urine. Other symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching, or loss of appetite, the FDA said.

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Speed Up Swine Flu Vaccine Distribution: Panel

A presidential panel has recommended that the U.S. government speed up availability of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, develop a better system for tracking the virus and appoint a White House staff member to coordinate the nationwide response, the Washington Post reported.