City briefs

heart patients warned of milk products' risk

Patients taking a blood-thinning drug should not consume four milk products imported from New Zealand, the Centre for Food Safety said last night. The warning came after a report was issued by the World Health Organisation saying Anlene health drinks for adults contain too much vitamin K for heart disease patients taking the blood-thinning drug warfarin. Vitamin K could offset the effectiveness of the warfarin. But the centre said the products were safe for ordinary people.

The products are Anlene High Calcium Non-fat Milk Powder, Anlene Gold High Calcium Non-fat Milk Powder, Anlene High Calcium Low-fat Milk Drink, and Anlene Gold High Calcium Low-fat Milk Drink.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital cardiac services chief Chiang Chung-seung warned that a patient who drank two cups of one of the products daily for two or three days could receive too much Vitamin K. The centre's principal medical officer, Tina Mok, said the centre had instructed the importer of the products to attach a label to them warning of the risk for heart patients.

So far, there had not been any reports of patients developing problems after consuming the milk drinks, Dr Mok said.

Form one pupil dies after taking part in relay race