Slimmer (瘦身者) suffers heart failure (心臟衰竭) after taking pills

Slimmer (瘦身者) suffers heart failure (心臟衰竭) after taking pills

A 48-year-old woman suffered heart failure after taking, over a two-year period, a slimming product (note 1) she bought in the mainland.

Tests showed the product, called SlimEasy Herbs Capsule, contains the banned medicines (note 2) sibutramine (西布曲明減肥藥) and phenolphthalein (苯酚酞).

The woman went to the emergency ward of Kwong Wah Hospital after suffering shortness of breath (note 3) and ankle swelling (腫脹) on October 14, and was admitted on the same day with heart failure.

A Department of Health spokesman said the patient bought the slimming pills from an "unknown source" in the mainland.

The department is investigating whether her symptoms are related to the product.

She was discharged (放走) on Wednesday after her condition improved.

Sibutramine is a part I poison and was once used to suppress appetites (note 4), but was banned in November 2010 because it was found to lead to increased cardiovascular (心血管性的) risk.

Phenolphthalein, once used for treating constipation (), has been banned for its cancer-causing effect.

The spokesman urged the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition (note 5).

If they have bought the SlimEasy Herbs Capsule product, consumers should stop using it immediately and consult their doctor if they feel unwell.

It is an offense (note 6) to sell unregistered (沒有註冊) medicines.

Those convicted face up to a HK$100,000 fine and two years' jail.

Meanwhile, an action plan launched to reduce dangers related to alcohol abuse has no drinking guidelines.

The World Health Organization has identified the use of alcohol as the third leading risk factor when it comes to noncommunicable (不會傳染的) diseases, which cause about 2.5 million deaths worldwide every year.

"Generally speaking, the dangers of alcohol are expressed as a continuum (連續), that is, the more you drink, the higher the chances for you to suffer alcohol- related illnesses”.

From good to better English:

(note 1) a slimming product=減肥產品。Slim=纖細的，苗條的；微弱的, 瑣細的。a slim excuse=理由不充分的藉口。 very slim chances of success=成功的希望很渺茫。 the slimmest (of) evidence=最不充分的證據。

(note 2) banned medicines=禁藥。Ban= .禁止，禁令。lift [remove] the ban=開禁，解禁。 place [put] under a ban=禁止。

(note 3) shortness of breath=氣喘。Short=短；缺少；簡單。

(note 4) suppress appetites=壓抑食慾。Suppress= .鎮壓，撲滅, 禁止發行；刪掉。suppress a yawn=忍住呵欠。 with laughter suppressed=忍住笑。

(note 5) doubtful composition=可以的成分。Doubtful=可疑的，有疑問的；曖昧的。Victor is doubtful of [about] the news= Victor懷疑那個消息不盡可靠。 Julian is doubtful (as to) what I ought to say. Julian拿不準該說些什麼。 a doubtful proposition=可疑的命題。 a doubtful character=可疑的人物。 magazine of doubtful taste=內容不太好的[低級趣味的]雜誌。 a doubtful reply=含糊的回答。 a doubtful future= 難以預料的未來。

(note 6) an offence= 罪，侮辱；觸怒。a first offence=初犯。No offence was meant=並沒有觸犯的意思。Offence is the best defense=攻擊是最好的防禦。commit an offence against=犯(法)。 take offence=生氣。

ictor’s View: Look before you leap. We all want a slimmer body but we shouldn’t take drugs indiscriminately.

(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)