Health trends

NHF adds new active ingredient

National Health Fund (NHF) members who are enrolled for ischaemic heart disease can now enjoy subsidies for Ivabradine, a new active ingredient that treats their condition. NHF added Ivabradine, under the label Procoralan, to its NHF Card Drug List and offers a subsidy of $69.90 for each five-milligram tablet and $104.85 per 7.5-milligram tablet.

Claims for Ivabradine will only be payable for prescriptions written by cardiologists and internal medicine specialists.

Another label for the active ingredient Metformin, which is used to treat diabetes, has also been added to the NHF Card Drug List. The new label is Metfil, which offers a 500-milligram tablet and has an NHF subsidy of $3.44 per tablet.

Details of the list of NHF subsidies are available from NHF participating pharmacies, the NHF website or by calling NHF.

Source: National Health Fund

New 100-calorie Malta Light

Preparing for a demanding workout or looking to refresh yourself after working up a sweat? Refuel with Malta Light. It is the newest variant of the Malta family, which includes Malta, Malta Refresh and Malta Velvet. Malta Light has 40 per cent less sugar than the original, contains B Complex vitamins, and is only 100 calories.

Recently, Brand Ambassador Shakira Martin, Miss Jamaica Universe 2011, visited Spartan Health Club in Kingston to introduce Malta Light to gym members.

"Persons loved the taste, how smoothly it went down and how refreshing it was," Martin commented. "Some of the feedback we got was: 'It tastes just as good as the original' and 'It's pleasantly refreshing'."

Martin, who recently handed the Miss Jamaica Universe crown over to Chantal Zacky, says as a former beauty queen, she knows the importance of rewarding her body with a healthy drink and says Malta Light fits in perfectly with her lifestyle. Persons can visit Facebook.com/Stush and enter to win a three-month gym membership at Cuthbert's Fitness Studio, a one-month membership at Fit Farm or two cases of Malta Light.

Source: Red Stripe