The Nation

Aug 11, 01:19 AM

Current Headlines: Drugs ease heartburn but don't hurt heart

WASHINGTON - The popular heartburn drugs Prilosec and Nexium don't appear to spur heart problems, say preliminary U.S. and Canadian probes announced Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration and its Canadian counterpart began reviewing the drugs in May, when manufacturer AstraZeneca provided them an early analysis of two small studies that suggested the possibility of a risk.

Those studies compared treating the chronic heartburn known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, with either of the two drugs or with surgery, and tracked patients for five to 14 years. The company's initial analysis counted more patients treated with drugs who had had heart attacks, heart failure or heart-related sudden death.

The FDA followed up on those studies, and found that they seemed skewed: Patients who underwent surgery were younger and healthier than those treated by drugs, suggesting the heart link was a coincidence.

Immigration effort coming up

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration plans to step up immigration enforcement by raising fines on employers who hire undocumented workers, overhauling temporary worker programs and speeding up deployment of border agents.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez planned to announce broad immigration changes at a news conference today.

An outline of the announcement said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports.

9-11 familes to mourn at site

NEW YORK - Relatives of Sept. 11 victims upset by plans to move this year's commemoration have reached a deal with Mayor Michael Bloomberg that will allow them to mourn at ground zero.

Mr. Bloomberg said he met with the families and agreed to their proposal that they be allowed to descend briefly into the seven- story pit that was the World Trade Center's basement to pay their respects. The city announced last month that the sixth anniversary ceremony could not be held at the 16-acre site, as it had been each year since the 2001 attacks, because construction there has made the area too dangerous.

In other news

ATTORNEYS FOR COMAIR said in court Thursday that the airline will sue the federal government for its role in the fatal crash of Flight 5191 at Blue Grass Airport last summer.

A MONSTER TRUCK performing stunts in front of an auto parts store in DeKalb, Ill., plowed into a crowd of spectators Thursday, injuring at least nine people, officials said. Two were hospitalized in serious condition.

A TRIO OF MEXICAN teenagers won the eighth National Geographic World Championship on Thursday, dethroning the United States, a four-time champion.

- Edited from wire reports by James Folker

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