Health

Which OTC Health Products Are Best? New Report Claims to Know

Published

1 month ago

March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024 — If you’ve been in a drugstore recently or shopped online, you know: The number and variety of over-the-counter health products on the market — from cough syrups to anti-wrinkle creams — can be overwhelming. Which to choose and which to bypass? Which work best?

In a new report released today, U.S. News & World Report has attempted to answer those questions. The publication partnered with the Harris Poll for the second consecutive year to produce the report, ranking products in 132 categories based on input from pharmacists and dermatologists. Consumers can access it free of charge.

The list is robust, according to Shanley Chien, senior editor of health at U.S. News. It includes more than 900 brands across the 132 product categories. Among the categories are acne treatments, sunscreens, sleep aids, blood pressure monitors, and cough suppressants.

While many products got good ratings, the brand with the most No. 1 products this year is Nature Made, followed by CeraVe and Neutrogena. The company with the most products ranked number 1 is Kenvue (formerly a Johnson & Johnson division) followed by Haleon (Sensodyne, Advil, Centrum) and Parmavite LLC (Nature Made).

How to use the list? “It’s really based on individual needs,” Chien said. For instance, if you’re trying to find the best multivitamin for your child, you can refer to the list for suggestions. (Flintstones got the top spot.) It’s based on symptoms and what you are trying to treat, she said.

Methodology

For the rankings, U.S. News and Harris surveyed 354 pharmacists and 122 dermatologists practicing in the U.S. in February.

Those surveyed took into consideration availability, accessibility, costs, affordability, safety, efficacy, and quality when choosing best brands. For instance, Chien said, many experts said they ranked some migraine medicines higher than others because they were both effective and more accessible — and that accessibility is important for those with migraine trying to resume their schedule.

Both pharmacists and dermatologists selected the top three brands in each product category assigned to them. A top-ranked brand got 5 points, second place, 3, and third place, 1. Unranked got no points. Brands were ranked by the total number of points received.

No compensation or incentives were given to the participants. The pharmacists and dermatologists did comment on how familiar they were with the categories they were asked to rate, but financial ties to companies were not tracked. No responses mentioned conflicts of interest, according to US News.

The Winners

Among the many products ranked No. 1 in various categories by pharmacists are:

Arthritis creams: Voltaren
Arthritis pain relief: Aleve
Back pain: Motrin
Blood pressure monitors: Omron
Burn treatment: Neosporin
Children’s cough medicine: Children’s Delsym
Children’s multivitamins: Flintstones
Decongestants (Oral): Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine)
Diarrhea remedies: Imodium
Fish oil/omega-3 supplements: Nature Made
Men’s multivitamins: Centrum
Women’s multivitamins: One A Day
Sore throat sprays: Chloraseptic

Among the many products evaluated by dermatologists and ranked No. 1:

Baby sunscreens: Aveeno Baby
Baby wipes: Aveeno
Dandruff shampoos: Head and Shoulders
Diaper rash: Desitin
Eye creams (anti-wrinkle): La Roche-Posay
Face moisturizers: CeraVe
Hand creams: Neutrogena
Moisturizers with SPF, night creams: CeraVe
Sunscreens (Facial): EltaMD
Wrinkle creams: Neutrogena

Perspectives

A pharmacist and two dermatologists reviewed the new report for WebMD and had some additional suggestions on how to use it and what other actions are needed to find effective products.

The experts see a need for guidance.

“The variety of products available for similar indications marketed by different manufacturers can be overwhelming and difficult for consumers to navigate,” said Melody Berg, PharmD, editorial director of patient medication information for ASHP (the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists). “Although this list attempts to help make that decision more manageable, it cannot replace the medical expertise of a pharmacist or other health care provider.”

Besides encouraging people to speak with their pharmacist, she stressed the importance of knowing what the active ingredient is in a product, not simply the brand name.

She suggested using the new report “as a launching point for discussion” with one’s pharmacist. The ASHP patient medication website Safe Medication also provides valid information on OTC products, she said.

When choosing OTC products, individual needs and personal specifics must be considered, said John Barbieri, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “When it comes to skin care, it’s important to consider which ingredients and formulations make the most sense for someone’s skin type and skin care goals,” he said.

He also urges people to think about an overall skin care routine, not just to focus on single products.

For skin care products, “I would look for products that are dermatologist-approved or recommended,” said Mamina Turegano, MD, a New Orleans dermatologist. “Oftentimes these are brands that have rigorous research behind the products and their ingredients.”

These products often avoid the use of fragrance and dyes, she said, which are problematic for some.

Turegano has been a consultant for Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, and Dermavent.

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Health

A Healthy Lifestyle Can Add Years to Life, Despite ‘Bad’ Genes

Published

5 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Liz Scherer

May 9, 2024 – Were you born with family genes that predict a short life? Fear not; it turns out that having such genes is not a death knell but an opportunity.

In fact, new findings suggest that adopting and sticking to a combination of lifestyle changes may be one of the most important ways to defy these “bad” family genes.

The study, which was published in late April, looked at the combined effect of lifestyle and genetics on human lifespan based on the records of over 350,000 people of European ancestry who were followed for an average of 13 years.

After dividing the people in the study into three groups based on predicted lifespan (long, intermediate, and short), the researchers found that those who had a high genetic risk for short lifespans faced a 21% increased risk of early death, compared with those with low genetic risk, regardless of lifestyle. Moreover, people with lifestyle habits considered unhealthy had an increased risk of dying early by 78%. But following a healthy lifestyle appeared to change the genetic odds by as much as 62% and add 5.2 years to life.

“We identified an optimal lifestyle combination of four lifestyle factors that offered better benefits for prolonging human lifespan: no current smoking, regular physical activity, adequate sleep duration, and a healthy diet,” said Xue Li, PhD, a study co-author and professor of big data and health science at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China. “Our advice is to focus on building and sticking to healthy habits, no matter what your genes say.”

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

For the study, the researchers used an index called the polygenic risk score (PRS) to arrive at a person’s overall genetic tendency to have a short or long life. The score combines multiple changes in DNA (known as variants) that influence life expectancy. Li said using this tool with screening and genetic counseling might help people make informed decisions about their health.

But it might be difficult to mimic this approach; not only is the PRS not part of routine clinical practice, but genetic counseling is also not routinely offered. And testing through private companies can be costly. But take heart; there’s still a lot of steps you can take.

“There’s an enormous amount of literature that has looked at lifestyle and longevity and genes and longevity,” said Pam Factor-Litvak, PhD, a professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. She said that gene expression can be changed by environmental factors (for example, smoking or diet). Factor-Litvak also explained that markers of healthy aging called telomeres (DNA and protein structure responsible for cell division) are also impacted by lifestyle factors. A healthy lifestyle lengthens telomeres and prolongs a cell’s life and ability to divide, and an unhealthy one shortens them, causing the cells to die and tissues to age.

“The earlier you start a healthy lifestyle, the better off you are,” she said.

To Factor-Litvak’s point, the cutoff used in the study was 40 years, with findings showing that people with good lifespan genes and healthy lifestyle habits had an average gain of 6.69 years of life expectancy, compared with people with bad lifespan genes and unfavorable lifestyle habits.

But older adults can still benefit; like dominoes, the effects of lifestyle changes add up.

William Samuel Yancy Jr., MD, an internist and medical director of the Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center in Durham, NC, said that he treats a lot of people in their 70s and 80s who start to feel better and become stronger when they add one of the four lifestyle factors cited in the research: healthy eating.

“They’re more energetic, get stronger, and are less likely to get injured or have falls; you get pretty immediate benefits,” he said. “And obviously, there are some long-term benefits over the following years, depending what kind of changes they make.”

Yancy also said that as people age, they are able to make their health a priority, which helps them stick to healthier lifestyles.

Selvi Rajagopal, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an obesity medicine specialist in Baltimore, said she’s also had older patients who’ve benefited from lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to strength and resistance training. “We know that falls are one of the major risk factors for early mortality,” she said.

Bad Behaviors Go Together

One bad habit tends to lead to another, which leads to another, and so on.

“That’s one reason why the combination of the big four – smoking, physical activity, sleep, and healthy diet – is bigger than the individual effects,” said Factor-Litvak.

The study authors referred to those for habits as “the optimal lifestyle combination.”

Notably, these big four were also shown to convey better benefits for a longer lifespan than other combinations, according to the study results. But just as bad behaviors go together, so do healthy ones.

“Typically, when people lose 10% to 15% of their initial body weight, they start to experience significant improvements in their mobility and joint function. And so, they feel more inclined to engage in higher levels of physical activity, where there’s a really positive cascade effect,” Rajagopal said.

The challenge is that few people are able to stick with a composite healthy lifestyle like the one tested in the study. “My recollection is that about 25% of people are doing all of these healthy lifestyle practices simultaneously,” said Yancy. Toward that end, there may be something to be gained by starting small.

“It’s unrealistic and unsustainable for someone in the modern age with lots of life commitments and stressors to do all of the things right. Instead, start with a few small, meaningful, actionable items that you can do. Then make it part of who you are (it usually takes 8 to 10 weeks to form a habit),” said Rajagopal.

Then? “Once you’ve nailed it, make a checkbox for the next thing, and have an accountability partner who can walk this journey with you,” she said.

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Health

How to Create and Deliver High-quality Student Interventions

Published

9 hours ago

May 9, 2024

Sue Ann Highland, PhD

Student interventions are an essential part of any K-12 education system. Each student’s needs are unique, and some students might need additional guidance beyond what they get through whole class instruction. A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) or a Response to Intervention program (RTI) ensure that students’ various learning needs are addressed, allowing everyone to thrive.

In a tiered intervention system, all students receive core instruction. Those who need more help in meeting academic or behavioral goals then receive additional instruction in a small group environment, such as in reading or math groups. Students who need further help might receive one-on-one support through specialized instruction, behavioral support, or even replacement instruction as necessary. Along with instructional practices, the learning environment can support intervention.

Whether the interventions are academic, social emotional, or behavioral in nature, high-quality student intervention systems all share some key characteristics. Here are four critical strategies for designing and delivering student interventions that lead to success.

Information is Power

For interventions to be effective, educators must identify every student’s strengths and needs, then match each child with an appropriate intervention, monitor their progress, and make adjustments as needed. This requires educators to collect and analyze social-emotional, behavioral, and achievement data for every student on an ongoing basis.

The Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports from the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Institutes for Research (AIR) describes four essential components of an MTSS framework.

Screening

This is a systematic process for identifying students who might be at risk for not meeting learning outcomes. Screening is generally conducted three times a year through reliable and valid assessment tools.

Multi-level Prevention System

This is an integrated continuum of academic, social emotional, and behavioral instruction and intervention that includes three tiers of intensity.

graphic of a pyramid with three colors to show the structure of the multi-tiered system of supports, or mtss — *MTSS is a multi-tiered system of supports. MTSS teams should be representative of all key stakeholders, including regular education, special education, administration, and family and community input.*

Progress Monitoring

This involves the use of valid and reliable assessment tools to monitor students’ progress, gauge their response to interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these supports. If students aren’t making sufficient progress, they might be paired with a different intervention or moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3 intervention.

Data-based Decision-making

All of this activity relies on the collection and use of student performance data, including grades, test scores, teacher observations, and the results from student screening and progress monitoring.

It Takes a Village

Decisions about which students need which types of interventions are best made collectively, with a student support, success, or intervention team regularly reviewing the data and discussing the best course of action for specific students.

Teams should include representation from a broad array of roles and perspectives, including administrators, counselors, and both regular and special education teachers. The process should be collaborative, with everyone on the team having a voice. The most successful teams are made up of volunteers, so leaders should try to assign members who genuinely want to participate.

The Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports provides guidance on creating effective school-based intervention teams.

sensory room for elementary students with soft seating, bubble tubes, and mirrors — Elementary Sensory Chill Corners take a small footprint within a general education classroom (or other space within a school) primarily designed for an individual to take respite within a classroom setting for self-regulation. Rendering provided by Projects By Design® from School Specialty®.

Effective Interventions Require High-Quality Resources and Environments

This might seem obvious, but you can’t deliver effective interventions without high-quality (and evidence-based) instructional resources to support them. The right resources can foster creativity and self-expression, which are essential components of social emotional learning. The learning environment should also be utilized to support instruction and intervention. Ensuring that the environment supports instruction allows students to build agency for their learning, collaborate, and have choice and voice to learn where they best learn is critical to support the instructional practices.

Research indicates that the design of the physical learning environment has a big influence on both the type and quality of instruction that occurs in that space. To maximize the effectiveness of student interventions, think about the design of the classrooms and other spaces where this learning occurs. Learning environments can be designed to support student interventions at each tier of instruction.

In Tier 1, for instance, flexible furnishings that can be moved around the room easily to create various student groupings make it easy to transition from whole group to small group instruction or even individual learning. The right type of classroom design can also promote student wellness and social emotional learning. In this tier, a school might also consider how they encourage social interactions and collaboration by providing a “hallway hangout” with soft seating or small group work areas. Schools may want to consider the use of acoustics to quiet noise in a more public area. These areas may also be used with tier two interventions.

Snoezelen® multi-sensory environments provide a self-guided sensory options space for students at all levels of cognitive and motor function. They can used for relaxation or purposeful engagement and learning. Rendering provided by Projects By Design® from School Specialty®.

Tier 2 environments can allow students to take respite or support the need for a quiet space to work. This can be a chill corner in the back of a classroom that has soft seating, fidgets, or even sensory panels. Again, some of this instruction at tier two can benefit from using a “hallway hangout” space for small group or individual support.

Students who need Tier 3 behavioral intervention might benefit from spending time in a Snoezelen® multi-sensory room. Students with sensory processing concerns may benefit from interventions focused on proprioceptive input, vestibular input, or oral motor, language, or auditory skills. A Snoezelen® multi-sensory room allows a student to control their environmental inputs by changing the colors or sounds in the room, among other things.

Fostering Success

With interventions playing an increasingly important role in K-12 instruction, how you design and deliver these programs is fundamental to student success. By following this advice, you can develop highly effective student intervention programs that enable everyone to flourish.

Dr. Sue Ann Highland

Sue Ann Highland, PhD, is the National Education Strategist for School Specialty. She has more than 25 years of experience as an educator, administrator, and consultant with school systems across the United States, with broad expertise in designing and creating highly effective learning environments.

Read more by Dr. Sue Ann Highland–>

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