Nation digest 01/25/06

Vote advances Alito nomination to full Senate

WASHINGTON -- The Judiciary Committee favorably recommended Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate on a party-line vote Tuesday, moving the conservative jurist one step closer to joining the high court. All 10 Republicans voted for Alito, while all eight Democrats voted against him. The partisan vote was almost preordained, with 15 of the 18 senators announcing their votes even before the committee's session began. The full Senate expects to take a final vote on Alito's nomination before the end of the week. That vote is also expected to follow along party lines, with only one Democrat -- Ben Nelson of Nebraska -- coming out so far in support of Alito. Republicans hold the balance of power in the Senate 55-44, with one independent.

Ban proposed for asthma inhalers that use CFCs

WASHINGTON -- Certain types of nonprescription inhalers used for decades by asthma sufferers, often against the advice of doctors, could be taken off drugstore shelves because they contain propellants that harm the ozone layer. An advisory panel voted 11-7 Tuesday to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration ban Primatene Mist and similar nonprescription inhalers, said Fran Sullivan, a spokesman for Primatene manufacturer Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. The agency usually follows the advice of its outside panels of experts, though a decision can take months. Wyeth estimates that 3 million Americans use Primatene Mist, Sullivan said. The over-the-counter inhalers proposed to be banned contain chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which are being phased out because they harm the Earth's ozone layer. In March, the FDA said inhalers using CFCs would be banned at the end of 2008. On Tuesday, Wyeth asked that the FDA stay any such ban on Primatene Mist until it is ready to market an approved CFC-free version. Wyeth hopes to have such an inhaler ready in 2009 or 2010.

Review: Fish oil doesn't seem to reduce cancer risk

CHICAGO -- Fish oil, seen as beneficial for reducing heart disease risks, probably doesn't help prevent cancer, according to a review of studies involving more than 700,000 patients. Researchers examined data from 38 studies that tracked patients for up to 30 years, and said most showed there is no cancer protection from omega-3 fatty acids. Although a few studies found some risk reduction for cancers of the breast, prostate and lung, those studies were relatively small and not definitive, said Dr. Catherine MacLean, the lead author and a researcher at the Rand Corp. and Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. "It doesn't mean that omega-3 fatty acids don't have other health benefits -- it's just that reducing cancer risk isn't one of them," MacLean said. However, the review is unlikely to be the last word on the issue. Diet is known to play a role in cancer, and the researchers evaluated observational studies, which provide mostly circumstantial evidence.

-- From wire reports