Nation in brief

Women get heart advice

Doctors issued new marching orders specifically for women Wednesday in the battle against heart disease, providing the most comprehensive guidelines for treating and preventing cardiovascular disease.

The guidelines - compiled by a panel of experts for the American Heart Association - emphasize diet and exercise but also include aggressive medication recommendations for high-risk women. Those at greatest danger should take aspirin daily along with cholesterol-lowering medication, even if their current levels are normal.

The recommendations could prompt thousands of women to start drug therapy, which would be warranted, said Dr. Lori Mosca, a cardiologist from Columbia University Medical Center who helped write the guidelines.

"The problem that we have now is undertreatment," Mosca said. "So we hope these guidelines will lead to appropriate use of the preventive medications that have been shown to save lives."

Published in the journal Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the recommendations are based on a review of more than 1,200 research studies. They can be read at www.americanheart.org

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration issued new recommendations on Wednesday to simplify the warnings that prescription drug print ads must provide to consumers.

The proposals, which drew mixed reaction from consumer advocates, would allow companies to describe only the gravest and most common risks as long as they provide toll-free telephone numbers or Web site addresses where consumers can get more information. Similar requirements govern prescription drug ads that are broadcast on radio and television.

Current FDA standards require prescription drug ads in newspapers and magazines detail every side effect, precaution or potential problem with the drug's use.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. - A sport utility vehicle slammed into a couple walking with their 1-year-old daughter, then drove for a mile with the baby and her stroller lodged in the grill. The child survived, but her father was killed.

A suspect was in custody, and authorities said he was drunk at the time of the Tuesday crash.

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