Fat Removal and Lipo Dissolve Alert - Healthcare Education Campaign Launched
Breaking news coverage surrounding a new fat removal treatment, lipodissolve, has prompted staff at eHealthinfoline. com to launch a Healthcare Education Campaign: How to be an Informed Consumer. Included is news about leading medical organizations warning consumers against the use of this unapproved fat dissolving injection.
Wenatchee, WA (PRWEB) November 14, 2007
eHealthinfoline. com has become an important source of health and medical information for consumers. While the primary focus of the website has been covering the most common medical conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, they have also focused their efforts on monitoring breaking news about new drugs. Recently, for example, the website reported on a popular fat removal drug treatment known as lipodissolve (http://www. lipotreatmentfacts. org/), which hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Today eHealthInfoLine. com (http://www. ehealthinfoline. com/) announces the launch of its Healthcare Education Campaign: How to be an Informed Consumer.
"Last month we launched our Consumer Health News Monitoring Program, a broadening strategy where we not only track scientific breakthroughs and new drug approvals, but lawsuits and medical warnings as well," says Bill Francis, a senior editor for eHealthinfoline. com. "Now we want to go a step further by launching a new initiative aimed at educating consumers based on the findings of this monitoring program."
The monitoring program has tracked cautions from leading medical organizations warning consumers against the use of lipodissolve, also known as phosphatidylcholine injections or injection lipolysis (http://www. lipotreatmentfacts. org/UKban. php). "When a warning is issued about a new drug, eHealthinfoline. com feels it necessary to spread the news. Public awareness about the safety of new drugs is our main concern," Francis says.
Lipodissolve is meant to remove small deposits of fat through a series of phosphatidylcholine-based (PC/DC) injections (http://www. lipotreatmentfacts. org/phosphatidylcholine. php). eHealthinfoline. com has been keeping a close eye on the treatment ever since the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts endorsed a ban in September against physicians administering lipodissolve unless as a part of an FDA-approved clinical trial. The ban has since been temporarily enjoined based on an appeal by a lipodissolve business but remains under review.
Last month, the Physician's Coalition for Injectable Safety (http://www. injectablesafety. org/newsroom/pr_10082007.php) issued a consumer warning about lipodissolve. The alert advises consumers that FDA-approval is critical for any pharmaceutical injected into the body. Dr. Julius Few of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a member of the Coalition warns, "these should not be mistaken as an accepted medical or cosmetic treatment of localized fat reduction" and "are unproven medical treatments." In addition, the safety of lipo-dissolve has been under scrutiny by other major medical societies (http://www. lipotreatmentfacts. org/majormedicalcautions. php), including the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Both discourage doctors from administering the injections because the drugs are not FDA-approved and long-term effects of the drugs have not been documented.
One lipo dissolve (http://www. lipotreatmentfacts. org/lipoFAQ. php) advertisement claims "lipodissolve is becoming popular with the elite and is an ideal treatment for celebrities and royalty," so it's no wonder that the treatment is growing in popularity. Staff at eHealthinfoline. com want to make sure that consumers know the details before choosing for or against any new drug, including lipodissolve. "The average person may not know the facts behind a drug or procedure and therefore are unable to make informed decisions or even ask the right questions," says Francis. "We believe consumers base their decision on advertisements and patient testimonials, not scientific data. We want to prevent this from happening."
A search on the eHealthinfoline. com website reveals that Dr. Roger Daily of The Physician's Coalition for Injectable Safety warns consumers that "[lipodissolve] is not FDA approved nor has it been formally tested for predictable results or safety. That alone should steer customers away from the marketing hype." To prevent consumers from being overwhelmed by what he calls "hype," eHealthinfoline. com encourages patients to ask questions and do their homework when considering any medical procedure, including lipodissolve.
"Online research helps, but one must be wary of the source of the information," warns Francis. "Look for balanced sources and weigh out the pros and cons of the medical procedure on your own."
As a part of this Healthcare Education Campaign, eHealthinfoline. com has listed a set of questions outlining what a consumer should ask a physician before receiving any type of drug treatment (www. ehealthinfoline. com/healthcare-education. html (http://www. ehealthinfoline. com/healthcare-education. html)). "Our company is devoted to informing the public by providing up-to-date information on medical conditions and new procedures and treatments," says Francis. "We hope these questions will help consumers make the most informed decisions. After all, you only have one body, so be educated on what you're doing to it."
About eHealthInfoLine. com:
EHealthInfoLine. com is a free health care information directory and medical news watchdog. Ordinary people use EHealthInfoLine. com to research common health conditions and find answers to commonly asked medical questions. The company is based in Wenatchee, Washington.
Contact:
Linda Francis
Wenatchee, WA
Ph. (800) 731-5756
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