Common antibiotic boosts death risk: study A popular antibiotic used for treating bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and sexually transmitted diseases may boost the risk of death, a US study said Wednesday.
'Good' cholesterol doctrine may be flawed: study Researchers on Thursday challenged a tenet of modern medicine that higher levels of "good" cholesterol automatically boost cardiovascular health.
Paralysed woman drinks coffee with thought-guided robot arm Scientists in the United States have enabled a paralysed woman to lift a drink to her lips with a thought-controlled robotic arm, boosting hopes that tetraplegics may regain their independence.
Coffee buzz: Study finds java drinkers live longer One of life's simple pleasures just got a little sweeter. After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn't matter.
Antibiotic linked with rare but deadly heart risk An antibiotic widely used for bronchitis and other common infections seems to increase chances for sudden deadly heart problems, a rare but surprising risk found in a 14-year study.
J&J drug shows promise in high-risk prostate cancer (Reuters) - Adding Johnson & Johnson's advanced prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, to hormone therapy before surgery has been shown for the first time to eradicate tumors in some men with high-risk forms of the disease. The mid-stage trial found that six months of treatment with the combination therapy completely or nearly eliminated the cancer in a third of patients, all of whom had localized, aggressive cancer. ...
Glaxo melanoma drug combo shows promise in small trial (Reuters) - Two drugs being developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc - each designed to block different pathways used by cancer cells - have been shown in a small clinical trial to curb melanoma with fewer side effects than current therapies. The experimental drugs are dabrafenib, designed to work in patients with a mutation of a gene known as BRAF, and trametinib, which interferes with a protein known as MEK. The drug combination was tested in patients with advanced melanoma and a mutation in the BRAF gene. About half of all melanomas - the deadliest form of skin cancer - have the genetic aberration. ...
Two-Drug Combo May Be Safe for Melanoma Treatment WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- A preliminary, first-stage study funded by a pharmaceutical company shows promising results for an experimental double-drug therapy for melanoma.
Advanced Prostate Cancer Drug May Help at Earlier Stage WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- A drug approved to treat advanced prostate cancer appears to help men who have localized high-risk prostate cancer if given before surgery.
Many Primary Care Docs Don't Know Long-Term Effects of Chemo: Survey WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Many primary care doctors don't know the long-term side effects of the chemotherapy treatments that cancer survivors under their care may have been given, a new survey found.
Health Tip: Avoid Cross-Contaminating Food (HealthDay News) -- Cross-contamination can occur when different foods are stored or prepared together.For example, germs from raw meat can contaminate ready-to-eat foods that are prepared at the same time.
Health Tip: Get the Most From Your Nap (HealthDay News) -- As more people join the ranks of the sleep-deprived, experts say a daily nap may do a world of good. Then again, poor napping habits can leave you groggier than before.
Novartis lung drug superior to placebo over 1 year ZURICH (Reuters) - A Novartis experimental lung drug to treat smokers' cough was superior to a placebo in improving lung function over a one-year period and had similar efficacy to a rival drug from Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday. The Phase III GLOW2 trial showed a 50 mcg once-daily dose of NVA237 improved lung function, symptom relief and quality of life over a one-year period in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), commonly referred to as smokers cough, compared with a placebo. ...
Do You Have Misophonia? Do you think you have misophonia? Here are the major symptoms of misophonia, also known as selective sound sensitivity, as explained by Dr. Marsha Johnson: Presence of “trigger sounds” which evoke strong emotional or physical reactions, generally limited to a few sounds. Most common are...
'Good' cholesterol doctrine may be flawed: study Researchers on Thursday challenged a tenet of modern medicine that higher levels of "good" cholesterol automatically boost cardiovascular health.
FDA warning hurts Hikma generics margins (Reuters) - Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc said it expects profitability in its generics business to be hurt by continuing price competition and steps it has taken to comply with a warning letter from U.S. regulators. In February, the company received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) about operations at its Eatontown oral dosage facility in New Jersey. Hikma said it was enhancing its processes to address the regulator's observations but the actions would slow sales in the first half. ...
FCC chooses spectrum for wireless medical devices NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. telecommunications regulator is expected to announce plans on Thursday to set aside spectrum to connect wireless medical devices for more convenient health monitoring. The Federal Communications Commission said it is scheduled to vote on May 24 to adopt the plan for so-called Medical Body Area Networks, according to the telecom regulator, which has been working on the project for about two years. ...
Data suggests drug treatment can lower U.S. crime WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. crime statistics show illegal drugs play a central role in criminal acts, providing new evidence that tackling drugs as a public health issue could offer a powerful tool for lowering national crime rates, officials said on Thursday. An annual drug monitoring report, released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, also showed a decline in the use of cocaine since 2003, a sign that drug-interdiction efforts and public education campaigns may be curtailing the use of the drug's powder and crack forms. ...
U.S. lowers threshold for lead poisoning in children ATLANTA (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut its threshold level for defining lead poisoning in children to 5 micrograms per deciliter on Wednesday from 10, marking the first such reduction in 20 years. "The recommendation was based on a growing number of scientific studies showing that even low blood lead levels can cause lifelong health effects," the CDC said, in adopting the recommendation of an advisory committee. "Today, CDC is officially announcing our agreement with that recommendation. ...
Study Shows MS Patients at Most Risk for Drug-Linked Brain Illness WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Drug company researchers say they've determined which multiple sclerosis patients are most vulnerable to developing a rare brain infection while taking a powerful drug called Tysabri (natalizumab).
Genetic Test May Spot Raised Autism Risk WEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that a new DNA test may be able to spot an increased risk of autism in children as young as 6 months old.
