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Pharmacology
Cape Town Metro clinics ignoring guidelines on antibiotics
Clinics are ignoring guidelines on prescribing antibiotics more than half of the time‚ a study has found. And almost one in five people who...
Acetaminophen over-dose risk rises in the flu season
A study reveals that acetaminophen use and over-dosing rise in cold/flu season in the US, primarily due to increased use of over-the-counter combination medications...
15% of NSAIDs' users exceed maximum recommended dosage
Chances are you or someone you know has used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) within the last month. NSAIDs, such as Advil (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen)...
Alzheimer's: Benzodiazepine and related drugs raise mortality by 40%
Benzodiazepine and related drug use is associated with a 40% increase in mortality among persons with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study from the...
No causal association between HPTS and birth defects — UK commission
The use of hormonal pregnancy tests (HPT), like Primodos, did not cause birth defects of miscarriages, a UK scientific review has found. The Commission...
Traditional South American drug improving wellbeing
A psychedelic drug traditionally used in South America improves people's general sense of wellbeing and may offer a treatment for alcoholism and depression, new...
Warfarin associated with lower risk of some cancers
Warfarin appeared to be associated with reduced cancer risk in a national European population, found an observational study.
Warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant prescribed...
Safety and effectiveness of 4 Alzheimer's drugs ranked
A study ranking the safety and effectiveness of four drugs taken to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and moods, found that donepezil was most likely...
All clear for a trial of Ecstasy drug in PTSD patients
According to a Science Magazine report, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated 3.4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as the illegal drug ecstasy,...
Caution urged over 'new frontier' anti-inflammatory that slashes CVD and cancer risk
A pioneering drug, currently used to treat juvenile arthritis, has been found in a trial to also to cut the risk of heart attack...
OTC medication could benefit multiple sclerosis patients
Treatment options currently are limited for people suffering from secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. However, an Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) pilot study suggests...
One-third of hypertension patients not taking medication – UK/Czech study
More than a third of people with high blood pressure had not been taking their blood pressure medication, found a study on a UK/Czech sample...
Hydromorphone effectively treats opioid addiction
Hydromorphone was as effective as pharmaceutical heroin for opioid addiction treatment, but it was associated with fewer serious side-effects, according to results from the...
Do painkillers rubbed on the skin really work?
There is good evidence that some formulations of topical analgesics are useful in acute pain conditions, with a 'strong message' that the exact formulation...
EpiPens are lasting long after expiration dates
The EpiPen auto-injector retained substantial epinephrine for years after their expiration dates in a small study from California, with more than half of pens...
Lack of strong scientific evidence in most off-label antidepressant prescriptions
Most off-label antidepressant prescriptions lack strong scientific evidence, finds a study by Jenna Wong at the department of epidemiology, biostatistics, and occupational health, McGill...
Statins may reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk by up to 15%
Common anti-cholesterol drugs show promise for significantly reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, an analysis of US Medicare data reveals.
The new study shows that, based...
Debate on long-term psychiatric drug use
The benefits of psychiatric drugs have been exaggerated and the harms underplayed due to poor trial designs, argues one expert. But another expert and a patient contend that the evidence supports the use of these drugs, in a debate on the pages of The British Medical Journal.
Pricey cancer drugs gets rushed approvals despite poor trials
Highly priced cancer drugs get rushed approvals from benign regulatory authorities, despite poor trial methodology and little effect on the longevity of patients, cautions a British-American study. Unlike most other diseases, cancer instils a special fear and 'is treated as an evil, invincible predator, not just a disease', the authors note.
Researchers compared 8942 oncology clinical trials conducted between 2007 and 2010 with trials for other diseases. Trials for cancer drugs were 2.8 times more likely not to be randomised, 2.6 times more likely not to use a comparator (single arm), and 1.8 times more likely not to be blinded.
WHO's new essential medicines list
The World Health Organisation has published the new edition of its Model List of Essential Medicines which includes ground-breaking new treatments for hepatitis C, a variety of cancers and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB), among others.
Positive results for dalbavancin
Dalbavancin has potent in vitro activity against staphylococci and streptococci, including isolates with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes, according to a study reported at the 25th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Fake medicines pose an urgent risk
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has released a special supplement on falsified and substandard medicines, most of which articles address the issue of poor quality malaria drugs.
Bendavia found not to prevent scarring
Patients who received the new drug Bendavia before undergoing angioplasty or receiving a stent showed no significant reduction in scarring compared to a placebo.
Combo-medication reduces risk of first stroke
In a study of more than 20,000 adults in China with high blood pressure but without a history of stroke or heart attack, the combined use of the hypertension medication enalapril and folic acid, compared with enalapril alone, significantly reduced the risk of first stroke.
No neuro-psychiatric risk with varenicline
University of Bristol researchers, from the largest review of clinical trials to date on whether patients prescribed the smoking cessation drug Varenicline are at an increased risk of neuro-psychiatric events, found no evidence of an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, depression or death.
Using genetics to discover drug sensitivity
Patients with a genetic sensitivity to warfarin have higher rates of bleeding during the first several months of treatment and benefited from treatment with a different anticoagulant drug.
Common meds linked to dementia risk
A large study links a significantly increased risk for developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, to taking commonly used medications with anti-cholinergic effects at higher doses or for a longer time.
Dietary supplement does not slow ageing
The popular dietary supplement ubiquinone, also known as Coenzyme Q10, is widely believed to function as an antioxidant. But a study at McGill University finds that consuming it is unlikely to provide any benefit.
Long-term dangers of paracetamol
A British review of eight studies found that although paracetamol is widely considered to be a safe pain killer, taking it for long periods for certain illnesses may pose cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and renal problems for little benefit.
New drug extends advanced breast cancer survival
Investigational oral medication Palbociclib is well tolerated and extends progression-free survival in newly diagnosed, advanced breast cancer patients, according to a US phase II study.
Cannabis shows promise as an analgesic
Robust, federally-approved research on cannabis is just starting to emerge. At the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2015 annual meeting, researchers have reported some promising initial results, especially on its potential as an analgesic.
Top herbal products 'fraudulent and potentially dangerous'
A New York State Attorney-General's Office investigation of the herbal products sold by four prominent national retailers found that four out of five products tested did not include any of the herbs listed on their labels. Worse, hidden ingredients and contaminants could be dangerous to people with allergies to those substances. Meanwhile, South African health and beauty retailer Clicks has said it would continue to sell US-based GNC's products despite the NYC finding that these were 'fraudulent and potentially dangerous'. GNC has rejected the AG's findings were based on 'inappropriate' DNA bar-coding tests.
Drug combination doubles mortality risk
The combination of the commonly prescribed antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole with the diuretic spironolactone, widely used for heart failure, more than doubles the risk of death for older patients, according to a large Canadian study.
Tamiflu shown to alleviate flu symptoms
Antiviral Tamiflu – often criticised as ineffective – can alleviate symptoms and prevent respiratory complications, shows new research from the University of Michigan, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Alabama.
Chemical path through malaria drug resistance
University of Liverpool scientists have identified a path to overcome the resistance to current malaria drugs using X-ray crystallography. It is reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
NIH report: ‘A silent epidemic' of chronic pain
There are major failures in the way American clinicians are treating pain. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) report cites a 'silent epidemic' of distress, disability, and danger caused by 'the prevalence of chronic pain and the increasing use of opioids'.
Drinking and using AI medication
Data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that almost 42% of American drinkers have used alcohol-interactive (AI) prescription medications, putting themselves at risk of 'serious alcohol and medication interactions'.
Ibuprofen may extend life span
A Texas University study shows that Ibuprofen increases longevity in lab organisms, raising the possibility it does the same thing in people.
Novel diet pill is an 'imaginary meal'
Researchers from the Salk Institute detail the creation of a novel diet pill – called fexaramine – that acts like an ‘imaginary meal’.
Drinking coffee may prevent eyes from deteriorating
New research indicates that drinking coffee may protect against deteriorating eyesight and even blindness. Medical News Today reports that researchers from Cornell University found...