Urgent Recall - ESI Lederle is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of one lot (number 9991052) containing 4.2 million capsules of its generic Etodolac (Lodine®) Capsules 300 mg. This lot of etodolac was contaminated in its manufacture with acebutolol hydrochloride, a drug used for high blood pressure and certain heart problems. This may, in rare cases, cause serious or life-threatening side effects in patients with underlying heart conditions.

In drug approval news, based on the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation study (HOPE), the FDA has approved a new use for the anti-hypertensive drug ramipril (Altace): reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death in patients who are at increased risk for these problems.

ALTACE ®, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, was first approved by the FDA in 1991 for use in the treatment of hypertension and subsequently approved by the FDA for the treatment of congestive heart failure after a patient suffers from heart attack. ALTACEŽ is the first and only ACE inhibitor to receive FDA approval to reduce the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes in patients 55 and over. You can depend on Vidyya to have the complete information on this medication.

In epidemiology news, the number of American adults who smoke held steady in 1998 at one in four--a rate that hardly budged during the 1990s despite anti-tobacco campaigns and new kick-the-habit aids like nicotine gum and the patch. Could it be that addiction rates hold steady despite public health efforts? Read a complete report from the CDC in today's issue.

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month gets underway, the media will be blanketed with information regarding the disease. According to an article scheduled to appear in tomorrow's Parade Magazine, breast cancer strikes 1 in 9 women in the U.S. over their lifetime. Until it can be prevented or cured, the best defense is early detection with regular mammograms (safe low-dose breast X-rays) and manual breast self-examinations, which have raised survival rates. The article includes Internet addresses for patients and practitioners to download educational materials. Also included with this Vidyya article is an excellent breast cancer glossary that defines terms that are frequently used, but often poorly understood by the general public.

The articles in today's Vidyya are:

• Urgent Safety Alert: ESI Lederle Conducts Nationwide Recall Of Etodolac Capsules 300 MG Mixed With Heart Drug

• FDA Approves Altace For Reducing Risk Of Heart Problems

• Prescribing Information : Altace ® (Ramipril)

• Smoking Rates Hold Steady For American Adults

• Information For Patients - Breast Cancer Glossary; Plus, Synopsis Of Article To Be Published In Tomorrow's Parade Magazine