The Division of Drug Information (DDI) is CDER’s focal point for public inquiries. We serve the public by providing information on human drug The Division of Drug Information (DDI) is CDER’s focal point for public inquiries. We serve the public by providing information on human drug products and drug product regulation by FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablet s on Dec. 11. Donepezil hydrochloride is indicated for the treatment of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease. Although other generic versions of donepezil hydrochloride are already available, the orally disintegrating tablets dissolve on the tongue, without having to be swallowed whole. This may make it easier to take the medication for older or disabled patients who have difficulty swallowing. For more information, please visit: Donepezil and drug product regulation by FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablet s on Dec. 11. Donepezil hydrochloride is indicated for the treatment of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease. Although other generic versions of donepezil hydrochloride are already available, the orally disintegrating tablets dissolve on the tongue, without having to be swallowed whole. This may make it easier to take the medication for older or disabled patients who have difficulty swallowing. For more information, please visit: Donepezil

 

Guess what you can do with a touch screen, camera, scanner, WiFi, and google maps …     View a building through it, and it gives you all the information about that building….     Choose a building and touch a floor and it tells you more details of the building. You can use it when you want to know a car model, an insect name, what kind of food is served at a restaurant and how much, who built a bridge, etc. etc.     It’s got a scanner built in.     so you can use it this way when you want to check the meaning of a word in the newspaper, book, magazine, etc. It would be much easier to read a real book. You can use the dictionary, wikipedia, thesaurus and anything else available on the web. What do you think?     Indoor guide:Works in a building, airport, station, hospital, etc.     Automatic simultaneous translation: here Latin to English.     Search keyword: Helpful when you want to find out a word from a lot of text in newspaper/book.       Nutrition: This kind of function would be helpful for health freaks..

Jeff Bridges in ‘Crazy Heart’

Jeff Bridges in ‘Crazy Heart.’

© Fox Searchlight

Four-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges is earning major awards buzz for his powerful performance in Crazy Heart, the touching story of an aging country singer. Bridges plays Bad Blake, an alcoholic loner who travels the backroads playing his music to less than standing room only crowds in bowling alleys, bars, and other smaller venues. Bad Blake’s been on the road for years, never settling down and never far from a drink. But when a pretty journalist (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) asks for an interview, Bad Blake finally feels a connection with someone and finally has a reason to try to clean up his act.

Jeff Bridges didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to star in this film from first time feature film director Scott Cooper. “When I first got the script, there wasn’t any music attached to it so I took a passer on it,” recalled Bridges. “And then when I found out from my good buddy, T-Bone Burnett, that he was going to do it if I was going to do it, then that filled in that empty, missing piece. So when he got involved, I knew the music was going to be top notch, and that got me to the party really quick.”

At the LA press day for the Fox Searchlight film, Bridges said he could relate to Bad Blake on a personal level. As an actor, Bridges’ life is often as nomadic as Bad Blake’s. According to Bridges’ wife, the two have been apart for 11 months this year due to Jeff’s acting commitments. “That’s tough. That’s the hardest part, for me. But, we’ve been married for 33 years and we’ve done this a lot together, so we know the routine and how much we depend on each other. It’s great to have a partner like that.”

Bridges added, “But there is a similarity to acting and singing. One of the things that’s appealing about country music in general is that it’s dealing with human emotions that people can relate to. We can all relate to not only the fear of failure, but the fear of success and what we do to ourselves when we get successful. Once you get to the top of the mountain, there’s only one place to go. You roll down. So, how do you deal with that? A lot of us deal with it by numbing ourselves. That’s our strategy. We slow ourselves down. So, I can relate to that, just as a human being. Just being alive, you struggle with that.”

A Cameo Appearance By an Actor Not Normally Associated with Music

Bad Blake mentors a young singer/songwriter, Tommy Sweet, and then Tommy’s career takes off while Bad Blake’s hits the skids. Irish actor Colin Farrell shows up to play Tommy.

“He was great to work with,” said Bridges of his time on the set with Farrell. “With movies, you only have a certain time to pull it all together. For this one, we just had 24 days to do it, so you’re really looking for comrades that can get the fire going, as quickly as possible. I think Colin worked maybe four or five days, but we hit it off right off the bat. We approach the work in a similar way and got along great. It was a joy working with him. I’ve admired him. The first time I saw him was in Tigerland, and I’ve been keeping up with his career. I loved In Bruges. I thought that was a great movie. And then, singing together is a great way to strike up a relationship with your fellow actors, when you harmonize. That all fell into place really well.”

The Importance of Mentors

Bad Blake takes Tommy Sweet under his wing in Crazy Heart, and in real life Bridges had mentors of his own to watch over and guide him. “My dad was my mentor. Unlike a lot of actors, he really encouraged all of his kids to go into show business. He loved it so much. I remember when I was a little kid, he came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you wanna be in Sea Hunt? There’s a little part.’ That was a TV series my dad had in the ‘60s. And I said, ‘I don’t know.’ He said, ‘Well, you get to get out of school. You can make some money and buy some toys.’ So I said okay, and then I remember him sitting me on his bed and giving me the basics of acting and teaching me how to do it.”

“And, of course, my brother is my mentor. He took up where my dad left off. We worked on scenes to get my agent. And then I remember a big turning point in my career was doing a movie version of The Iceman Cometh, and I got to work with all these masters, like Robert Ryan, Fredric March and Lee Marvin. Most of my scenes were with Robert Ryan and I learned a lot from working with him, about fear and insecurity. I remember doing a scene with him across the table in a bar, and we were waiting for the scene. He took his hands off the table and there were two big puddles of sweat on the table. I said, ‘Bob, gee, after all these years, you’re still frightened, nervous and scared?’ And he said, ‘Oh, yeah. I’d be really scared if I wasn’t scared.’ That let me know that fear is always going to be with you. It’s how you deal with that. It’s hopeless to think you’re going to get rid of that.”

Drug Information Update- FDA Approves First Generic Aricept to Treat Dementia Related to Alzheimer’s Disease

The Division of Drug Information (DDI) is CDER’s focal point for public inquiries. We serve the public by providing information on human drug products and drug product regulation byFDA.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) orally disintegrating tablet s on Dec. 11. Donepezil hydrochloride is indicated for the treatment of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Although other generic versions of donepezil hydrochloride are already available, the orally disintegrating tablets dissolve on the tongue, without having to be swallowed whole. This may make it easier to take the medication for older or disabled patients who have difficulty swallowing. 

For more information, please visit: Donepezil

‘Avatar’ Movie Review

 

Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez in ‘Avatar.’

© 20th Century Fox

I don’t like performance capture films. I’m not a big supporter of 3D and I hate, yes, hate (not just dislike or loathe) wearing 3D glasses. And I didn’t drink the Kool-Aid and start out all gung-ho about James Cameron’s return to directing with Avatar. I thought the first trailer was ridiculous and just a showcase for Cameron’s new favorite technology. The aliens, or whatever they were supposed to be, looked like Lord of the Rings elves only taller and with bad blue tans. Avatar, as far as I was concerned, didn’t have a plot and was all about the effects. That’s what I got out of the teaser trailer.

First impressions last, and Avatar didn’t make a good first impression. But the ‘never judge a book by its cover’ saying could easily be reworked to ‘never judge a film by its first trailer.’ You have to see Avatar to believe it, and even then it’s nearly impossible to register all of what’s on screen. In fact, stop reading this now, get a ticket, go seeAvatar, and then you try and describe the experience. I dare you. I double dare you. 

The Story

Avatar is set in a future in which we’re able to travel to distant planets and interact (read exploit) the natives. A huge corporation, backed by military forces to keep the peace, needs to mine a rare substance from the planet Pandora. Pandora’s populated with humanoid creatures known as the Na’vi. The Na’vi have blue skin, yellow eyes, elf ears, are incredibly athletic, and tall. They’re peaceful but can be fierce in battle, shooting arrows dipped in a toxin which kills almost instantaneously. In addition to the Na’vi, the planet is full of exotic-looking, dinosaurish creatures, humongous birds which can be ridden in battle, and phosphorescent plants.The substance the corporation is on Pandora to mine is located at the base of a giant tree, which is also the spiritual center of the Na’vi. The corporation is using a two-pronged attack to get to the substance. They’ve got the military out making excursions into hostile territory to try to get to the material. There’s also a scientific research arm of the company that’s working on making inroads with the natives through the use of avatars.

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in ‘Avatar.’

© 20th Century Fox

Mixing human and Na’vi DNA, creatures who look like the Na’vi can be manipulated by scientists linked to their own avatar. The scientist rests in a hyperbolic chamber, connects to his/her avatar, and thus is able to interact with the Na’vi. The head of the research program is Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), a chain-smoking, no-nonsense scientist who doesn’t tolerate fools. Under her guidance, the Na’vi have learned to speak some English and together they’re working on trying to come to a peaceful solution.Into this already touchy situation comes ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Jake’s lost the use of his legs and is recruited into the avatar program with the promise he’ll be approved for the costly surgery that will let him walk again. Because his now-deceased twin brother was a scientist whose DNA was used to create an avatar, Jake can slip right into the program without any real training.

Jake’s first outing in avatar form is quite an awakening. In his Na’vi form, Jake can run and is in complete control of all of his motor functions. He doesn’t need a wheelchair, and the experience is exhilaratingly freeing. It’s also fraught with danger, which he ignores in order to explore Pandora.

On his first trip outside the company’s base, Jake winds up being attacked and is cut off from the rest of the research unit. Forced to spend the night in an alien environment he knows nothing about, Jake only survives because he’s rescued by Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a powerful Na’vi who decides not to kill him only after the interference of spirits that look like tiny jellyfish.

Believing she’s received a sign from her ancient ancestors that Jake is meant for something special, Neytiri takes him under her wing, training him to survive on Pandora, and teaching him the ways of the Na’vi. As Jake learns more about these incredible creatures and their wondrous planet, he becomes fascinated with their culture, ultimately feeling more at home and more comfortable in avatar form among the Na’vi than back on the base with his human coworkers. He also falls in love with his teacher, a relationship that’s frowned upon by her tribe.As the ultimate showdown approaches, Jake’s forced to take sides. The battle over the tree and the fight for the survival of the Na’vis’ way of life dominates the last 40 minutes or so of Avatar, with James Cameron orchestrating a collision of the two races that’s epic in scope.

The Bottom Line

What Cameron’s done is deliver on every single promise he made regarding this passion project of his that’s been a dozen years in the making. Avatar will change the way films are made and the way we watch movies forever. I don’t care how he did it, what was involved in the process, or how much money he spent (although I believe every dollar of his budget is up on that screen). Don’t tell me the mechanics behind it. I don’t want to spoil the magical time I had sitting through 2 hours and 40 minutes of mind-blowing, visually striking effects, which made for a completely transcendental movie-going experience, by taking a peek behind the curtain. 

Zoe Saldana as Neytiri in ‘Avatar.’

© 20th Century Fox

What Christopher Nolan did for me with Batman Begins, James Cameron does with Avatar. Nolan made me care about a comic book superhero; Cameron made me a believer that performance capture and 3-D are viable art forms and not just annoyances. Gone are the soulless eyes and the mannequin-like quality of the skin we see in Polar Express and A Christmas Carol. Avatar is state-of-the-art filmmaking at its finest.Avatar will blow your mind. I don’t use sentences like that; it sounds like I’ve been time-warped to the ’60s. But Avatar is guaranteed to knock your socks off. The acting is superb, the graphics are extraordinary, and the story – although a form of it’s been done hundreds of times before – was compelling enough to make you forget you’re watching completely made up creatures on a planet that doesn’t exist.

Please James Cameron, visit Pandora again sometime soon. Don’t wait another 10 years between movies. I want a return trip to this beautiful alien planet as quickly as possible. I plan on seeing Avatar again, in digital 3-D, and trust me, when you watch movies for a living it’s very seldom you ever want to see a film twice in theaters.

Avatar is the event film of 2009. In a year where nearly every major release didn’t live up to its hype, James Cameron’s Avatar exceeded every expectation. I didn’t expect to ever say this but…here it comes…Avatar is my favorite movie of 2009.

GRADE: A

Avatar is rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.

Theatrical Release: December 18, 2009

The 2010 Golden Globes Nominees – Honoring Films Released in 2009

George Clooney and Vera Farmiga in ‘Up in the Air.’

© Paramount Pictures

Jason Reitman’s third film, Up in the Air, leads the pack of Golden Globe nominees with six, including acting noms for George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. The dramatic musicalNine is gathering a little awards steam, nipping at Up in the Air’s heels by earning five Golden Globe nominations. James Cameron’s groundbreaking action epic Avatar and Quentin Tarantino’s rewrite of WWII, Inglourious Basterds, each earned four nominations.

Winners will be announced on the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards to be held Sunday, January 17, 2010.

2010 Golden Globes – The Nominees

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Animated Feature Film
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (Chile)
A Prophet (France)
The White Ribbon (Germany)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Director – Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman and Shelton Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
Michael Giacchino, Up
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Cinema Italiano” - Nine
“I Want to Come Home” - Everybody’s Fine
“The Weary Kind” - Crazy Heart
“I Will See You” - Avatar
“Winter” - Brothers

* * * * * * *

- TV Dramas – Golden Globe Nominees
- TV Comedies – Golden Globe Nominees

Osteopenia – What You Need to Know About Osteopenia and Bone Health

What is Osteopenia?

Osteopenia is a condition marked by low bone mass. Although people with osteopenia have less dense bone than normal, the condition is not as severe as osteoporosis. However, people with osteopenia are at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis if their condition is left untreated.

An estimated 18 million people in the U.S. have osteopenia.

Risk Factors for Osteopenia

Because aging-related processes deplete bone of minerals and mass, your risk for osteopenia (as well as osteoporosis) is likely to increase as you get older.

In addition, women are more prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis than men, due to their naturally lower bone mineral density and certain bone-affecting hormonal changes that occur duringmenopause.

Other factors that may raise your risk for osteopenia include:

eating disorders or other issues that prevent the body from absorbing a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins

exposure to radiation therapy or chemotherapy

a family history of osteoporosis

excessive consumption of alcohol

use of certain medications, such as steroids

Natural Treatment of Osteopenia

Several natural substances and alternative therapies have been studied for their effects on bone health. Here’s a look at some key findings:

1) Tai Chi

In a 2007 study of 49 older adults with osteopenia or osteoporosis, scientists found that 18 weeks of training in tai chi (an ancient Chinese martial art that combines slow, graceful movements with meditation and deep breathing) helped improve balance and may reduce risk of falling.

A systematic review published the same year concluded that tai chi may be an effective, safe, and practical intervention for maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. However, the review’s authors note that existing studies on tai chi’s bone-protecting effects are limited in quantity and quality.

2) Green Tea

Consumption of green tea might improve bone mineral density by stimulating activity in bone-forming cells and inhibiting activity in bone-weakening cells, according to a report published in 2009.

3) Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is common among patients with osteopenia (as well as osteoporosis), suggests a 2006 study of 448 individuals. Vitamin D is essential for helping the body absorb calcium, a mineral key to forming and maintaining bone.

Exposure to the sun’s UVB rays helps the body synthesize vitamin D. However, since UV exposure is known to increase your risk for skin cancer, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends obtaining vitamin D from foods and supplements.

Better Bone Health

These strategies can also help preserve bone health:

getting enough calcium (between 1000 to 1500 mg per day, depending on your age, dietary intake, and other health conditions)

getting regular exercise, including weight-bearing exercise

limiting caffeine intake

avoiding smoking

_Sources:

_{Kocjan T, Tan TM, Conway GS, Prelevic G. “Vitamin D status in patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis–an audit of an endocrine clinic.” Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2006 76(5):307-13.}

_{Maciaszek J, Osiński W, Szeklicki R, Stemplewski R. “Effect of Tai Chi on body balance: randomized controlled trial in men with osteopenia or osteoporosis.” Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(1):1-9.}

_{Shen CL, Yeh JK, Cao JJ, Wang JS. “Green tea and bone metabolism.” Nutr Res. 2009 29(7):437-56.}

_{Wayne PM, Kiel DP, Krebs DE, Davis RB, Savetsky-German J, Connelly M, Buring JE. “The effects of Tai Chi on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review.” Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 88(5):673-80.}

Drug Information Update – Public Health Advisory: Availability of Tamiflu for Oral Suspension

The Division of Drug Information (DDI) is CDER’s focal point for public inquiries. We serve the public by providing information on human drug products and drug product regulation by FDA.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing healthcare professionals and consumers that additional quantities of the commercially prepared Tamiflu for Oral Suspension are being shipped to wholesalers and pharmacies. This new supply should address the current overall product shortage, although it will not immediately resolve shortages in all areas and availability may be variable for some time.

Pharmacists may still be required to prepare a compounded version of Tamiflu oral suspension from the 75 mg capsules, as directed in the drug label, until adequate supplies are available.

FDA is also reminding healthcare professionals and consumers of additional important safety information regarding the safe and effective use of Tamiflu suspension.

For more information, please visit: Tamiflu

Latin Christmas Albums – The Best of 2009

Everyone loves Christmas music and artists love to sing them — in their own style. This list of 2009 releases have something for everyone from tropical to norteno, traditional to carols with a special, Latin beat.For more Holiday fare, check out this top pick list of Latin Christmas albums. 

1. ‘Lo Mejor de Gilberto Santa Rosa’ (Gilberto Santa Rosa)

Gilberto Santa Rosa released his popular Christmas album Una Navidad Con Gilberto in 2008, but this 2009 release is a collection of songs from Una Navidad, Asi Es Nuestra Navidad (with El Gran Combo) and other songs you’ll find on various compilations. Santa Rosa fans will be pleased to have these numbers together on one album. 

2. ‘Mi Navidad’ (Andrea Bocelli)

Christmas music never really gets old and Mi Navidad, a collection of traditional Christmas music sung by the popular Andrea Bocelli, is an album that will be treasured by the entire family. 

3. ‘Me Regalo en Navidad’ (Moncho Rivera)

Moncho Rivera (nephew of Ismael) is on a roll this year with his 2009 album Yo Tengo Lo Mio; he actually dropped this Christmas album at the end of 2008 although I’ve only come across it recently so I’m adding it to the list. A great Christmas salsa album with lots of help on vocals from Gilberto Santa Rosa, Henry Santiago and Charlie Donato.

4. ‘En Esta Navidad al Estilo Norteno y Banda’ (Various)

With Mexican norteno and banda music leading the list of most popular Latin music sold in the U.S., this album of Christmas songs performed in these styles should be a welcome addition to holiday fare. Performers include Banda 3030, Adolfo Urias, Los Marineros del Norte, Dinastia Nortena and more.

5. ‘Volvio La Navidad” (Johnny Ventura)

If merengue is your passion, who better to spend an holiday evening with than merengue royalty? Johnny Ventura can easily be named the once and future king of merengue and, in his new Christmas album, he adds that infectious beat to both familiar and less familiar numbers.

6. ‘Bossa Nova Christmas’ (Jack Jezzro)

Guitarist Jack Jezzro takes those Christmas carols you love to sing, adds a talented group of musicians to the mix and arranges these tunes in a bossa nova style that makes for a cool, jazzy, easy listening holiday. Actually, the only thing ‘Brazilian’ about the album is the style of music, but who cares?

7. ‘La Trulla del Pam Pam Pam’ (Various)

This album of tropical Christmas songs is blessed with a wonderful cast of vocalists that includes NG2, Victor Manuelle, Rey Ruiz, Celia Cruz, Luis Enrique, Ismael Miranda and more. 

8. ‘Lo Especial en Esta Navidad’ (Various)

Mariachi Max, Noemy, Yesenia Flores, Los Dinnosaurios and other Mexican artists bring a taste of Christmas south of the border.

9. ‘Celebrando Navidad y Ano Nuevo’ (Various)

This album is a mix of traditional and newer composed songs by Mexican artists including Tres Razones, Relampago Norteno, Tamborazo Kampenisno, Los Giros del Norte and more

10. ‘An Esperanza Family Christmas Album’ (Various)

Here’s a collection of 16 traditional Christmas classics, each sung by a different artist including Santana, Alejandro Sanz, Jose Carreras and Marcos Witt. All of the album proceeds go to Esperanza, a national network of 16,000 Hispanic faith-based and community organizations. 

Umcka – Natural Cold Remedies

What Is Umcka?

Umcka (Pelargonium sidoides) is a geranium plant native to South Africa. Long used in traditional African medicine, umcka (short for “umckaloabo”) has recently become popular in other parts of the world, particularly in treatment of respiratory problems.

Uses for Umcka

Umcka is typically used to treat these respiratory issues:

the common cold

sore throat

bronchitis

sinusitis

Benefits of Umcka

To date, few studies have explored umcka’s efficacy in treatment of health problems. Existing research suggests that umcka may help manage the following conditions:

1) Rhinosinusitis

For a study published in 2009, researchers assigned 103 people with acute rhinosinusitis to take either an extract of umcka root or a placebofor a maximum of 22 days. (Usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection, acute rhinosinusitis is marked by inflammation of the mucosa of the nasal passages and at least one of the paranasal sinuses.) Study results showed that umcka was more effective than placebo in treatment of the condition.

In a research review published the previous year, scientists concluded that doubt exists as to whether umcka is effective in alleviating symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis.

2) Bronchitis

Umcka appears to be more effective than placebo for patients with acute bronchitis, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2008. Researchers sized up four placebo-controlled clinical trials, finding that umcka significantly reduced bronchitis symptoms by day 7 of treatment.

3) The Common Cold

A 2007 study indicates that umcka may decrease the severity of cold symptoms and shorten the cold’s duration. Focusing on 103 adults with cold symptoms, researchers found that 78.8 percent of those who took umcka were clinically cured after 10 days (compared to 31.4 percent assigned to a placebo).

How to Use Umcka

Available in syrup, liquid extract, and capsule form, umcka can be found in most health food stories and pharmacies that carry herbal products.

Umcka has been found to produce few adverse effects, but may trigger allergic reactions of gastrointestinal upset in some cases.

_Sources:

_{Agbabiaka TB, Guo R, Ernst E. ” Pelargonium sidoides for acute bronchitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Phytomedicine. 2008 15(5):378-85.}

_{Bachert C, Schapowal A, Funk P, Kieser M. “Treatment of acute rhinosinusitis with the preparation from Pelargonium sidoides EPs 7630: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Rhinology. 2009 47(1):51-8.}

_{Lizogub VG, Riley DS, Heger M. “Efficacy of a pelargonium sidoides preparation in patients with the common cold: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Explore (NY). 2007 3(6):573-84.}

_{Timmer A, Günther J, Rücker G, Motschall E, Antes G, Kern WV. “Pelargonium sidoides extract for acute respiratory tract infections.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 16;(3):CD006323.}