The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Rheumatoid arthritis medication shouldn’t be approved by FDA, consumer group says

Baricitinib, a medication that would be used to treat adults with rheumatoid arthritis, shouldn’t be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because it causes unique life-threatening harms and lacks any unique benefit over the similar FDA-approved medication tofacitinib, Michael Carome, M.D., director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, said Monday.

The FDA rejected the medication in April 2017 after concluding that it has an unfavorable risk-benefit profile. Data from randomized clinical trials show that baricitinib, which was developed by Eli Lilly and Co., can cause potentially fatal blood clots, a risk not seen with similar rheumatoid arthritis medications. The company resubmitted an application for approval of the product, but didn’t provide any new data that alters the agency’s original conclusion.

Approval of baricitinib would show blatant disregard for the public health principles underlying the FDA’s regulatory authority, Carome said.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers offer their thoughts and observations on spring

It’s officially Spring – which is more important for some of our boomer bloggers than others. For Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski of Baby Boomster it’s not too significant because she lives in Californian, where all the seasons meld into one. However, our Best of Boomer Bloggers are spread all over the world. A couple of us are still in the snow and Sue Loncaric, who lives in Australia is enjoying autumn.

It’s also Earth Day weekend. People concerned about protecting the earth are raising awareness, so our children and grandchildren won’t have to suffer from our carelessness. Enjoy our spring thoughts and observations.

Topics for our bloggers include Earth Day, self-care and self-investment, creativity, breath, chronic illness, violent TV programming, and money matters.

Forstadt-Olkowski writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #543. Click here to find the links to these articles.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Earth Day 2018

At no time in our nation’s history have we faced bigger environmental challenges than we face today.

With the Trump administration slashing environmental rules, such as prohibiting factory waste to be dumped into rivers, we are in danger of losing hard-fought environmental gains that have been made over the last several decades.

It’s imperative that consumers stand up for the environment. In addition to working individually on environmental issues in your community, you can join an environmental organization

Here are organizations I think do good work:

Wells Fargo agrees to pay $1 billion for auto, mortgage loan violations

Photo: Laimerpramer

Wells Fargo Bank reached a $1 billion settlement Friday in a coordinated action with two federal agencies for the way it handled auto and mortgage loans.

Wells Fargo violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act in the way it administered a mandatory insurance program for its auto loans, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation showed. The bureau also found that Wells Fargo violated the act in how it charged some borrowers for mortgage interest rate-lock extensions. Under the consent orders, Wells Fargo will return money to harmed consumers and undertake changes related to its risk management and compliance management.

The bureau assessed a $1 billion penalty against the bank and credited the $500 million penalty collected by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency toward its fine.

33 funeral homes fail to disclose price information to consumers, the FTC finds

In 33 of the 134 funeral homes visited in 11 states during 2017, the Federal Trade Commission's undercover investigators found failures to disclose pricing information required by the FTC’s Funeral Rule.

The rule requires funeral homes to provide consumers with an itemized general price list at the beginning of a discussion of funeral arrangements, a casket price list before consumers view any caskets, and an outer burial container price list before they view grave liners or vaults. The rule also prohibits funeral homes from requiring consumers to buy any item, such as a casket, as a condition of obtaining any other funeral good or service.

By requiring a list of prices, the Funeral Rule allows consumers to compare prices and buy only the goods and services they want.

More work needs to be done to protect the public from unsafe food, new research shows

Salmonella and Campylobacter continue to cause the most foodborne illness in the United States, and progress in reducing foodborne illness has stalled, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on the recent release of preliminary data documenting trends in foodborne illness.

Compared to 2014-2016, the preliminary data from 2017 shows increases in foodborne illnesses for several pathogens, especially Campylobacter, Listeria, and certain types (non-O157) of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections. The data show a significant decrease in illnesses from certain strains of Salmonella, but these are offset by increases in illnesses caused by other Salmonella strains, resulting in a 5 percent decrease overall. However, Campylobacter illnesses rose 10 percent in 2017 compared to 2014-2016.

“This data shows we need to do more to protect Americans from unsafe food,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute. “The steep increase in campylobacteriosis is particularly concerning. Campylobacter affects millions of people every year and often causes serious long-term health impacts. The Salmonella data gives some cause for optimism, but it’s too early to tell whether it will be sustained.”

How to reduce the amount of harmful pesticides you and your children eat

All adults and children should eat more fruits and vegetables, whether they’re organic or conventionally grown, most diet plans and health care professionals recommend. The EWG’s 2018 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce can help you choose healthy produce while cutting down on unwanted doses of toxic pesticides.

Pesticide residues are common on conventionally grown produce, even after it’s washed or peeled. The EWG's analysis of the most recent tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that nearly 70 percent of samples of conventionally grown produce were contaminated with pesticide residues.

The USDA tests found 230 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on the thousands of produce samples analyzed. The EWG's review of the tests shows that there are big differences among various types of produce. The Shopper's Guide lists the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues, and the Clean 15, for which few, if any, residues were detected.

Why does TV continue to be such a wasteland?

For several stretches in my life, I’ve gone without television. Then, after I returned to the Lower 48 from Alaska in the late 1980s, I decided to get TV after a year or two. I took a class at the local-access station, and I wanted to see the program I produced.

Now, I listen to public radio during the day and watch some cable TV in the evening. The offerings aren’t that great.

Like movies, TV is violence, violence, and more violence.

To write this article, I started watching a new show “Blindspot.” The ads for the show were so phony looking; a Jane Doe with no memory and tattoos all over her body sexily slithering out of a duffle bag in Times Square, one leg first then another. The tattoos are clues to crimes. The show goes on and on, violent episode after violent episode. I’ll be glad when it ends.

Baby boomer bloggers share their wisdom

It’s that time again. Boomers bloggers share useful information, wisdom, and just plain interesting thoughts.

Boomers are writing about how to save money on prescription drugs, aging, how bad experiences can turn into good, thriving in life, starting a business overseas, the truth about taxes, how to go through the stages of a job loss, the virtues of tap dancing, and how to face mortality.

Carol Cassara of Heart•Mind•Soul reports on these articles for the Best of Boomer Blogs #542. To get the links, click here. And, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Vortex electric space heaters being recalled by Vornado Air due to fire and burn hazards

Vornado Air is recalling about 350,000 VH101 Personal Vortex electric space heaters.

The electric space heaters can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.

Vornado has received 15 reports of the heaters catching on fire.

This recall involves Vornado VH101 Personal Vortex electric space heaters sold in the following colors: black, coral orange, grayed jade, cinnamon, fig, ice white, and red. The heaters measure about 7.2 inches long by 7.8 inches wide by 7.10 inches high and have two heat settings, low and high, and a fan only/no heat setting.