Drugs

Stopping Hormone Therapy Linked to Cardiovascular Death

Kate Johnson October 05, 2015 LAS VEGAS — In the first year after a postmenopausal women discontinues hormone therapy, her risk for cardiovascular mortality is higher than if she had continued the therapy, according to an observational study. Hormone therapy guidelines for postmenopausal women recommend the lowest dose for the briefest period. “This has led […]

Multicenter study examines safety of medical cannabis in treatment of chronic pain

Date: September 29, 2015 Source: McGill University Health Centre Summary: A Canadian research team has completed a national multicenter study looking at the safety of medical cannabis use among patients suffering from chronic pain. They found that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis daily for one year, when carefully monitored, did not have an […]

Statins: Heart disease drug speeds up ageing process, warns new research

By LUCY JOHNSTON PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Sep 27, 2015 Scientists have found the heart disease drug badly affects our stem cells, the internal medical system which repairs damage to our bodies and protects us from muscle and joint pain as well as memory loss. Last night experts warned patients to “think very carefully” before taking […]

Epidural Corticosteroid Injections for Radiculopathy and Spinal Stenosis

Ann Intern Med. 2015 Sep 1;163(5):373-81. doi: 10.7326/M15-0934. Epidural Corticosteroid Injections for Radiculopathy and Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Roger Chou, Robin Hashimoto, Janna Friedly, Rongwei Fu, Christina Bougatsos, Tracy Dana, Sean D Sullivan, Jeffrey Jarvik PMID: 26302454 DOI: 10.7326/M15-0934 Abstract Background: Use of epidural corticosteroid injections is increasing. Purpose: To review evidence […]

Risk of Colorectal Polyps Tied to Blood Pressure Medications

Risk increases with the number of antihypertensive drugs taken WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Blood pressure medications may raise the risk of colorectal polyps, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases. Yoshitaka Watanabe, from the University of Tokyo, and colleagues analyzed data from 1,318 consecutive patients […]

USPSTF Backs Aspirin for CVD, Colon Cancer Prevention

09.14.2015 by Crystal Phend Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Low-dose aspirin was recommended for primary prevention of both cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer for 50- to 59-year-olds by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The draft recommendation applied to only people at 10% or greater 10-year cardiovascular disease risk who aren’t at increased risk […]

CoQ10 is reduced in plasma following treatment with statins

Pharmacol Res. 2015 Sep;99:329-36. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2015.07.008. Epub 2015 Jul 17. Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations-A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Banach M Lipid and Blood Pressure Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group. Abstract Statin therapy may lower plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentrations, but the evidence as to the significance of this effect is […]

Pot Smoking May Increase Prediabetes Risk

09.13.2015 by Salynn Boyles Contributing Writer Marijuana use in early adulthood was associated with an increased risk for prediabetes, but not diabetes, by middle adulthood in an adjusted analysis of data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Current marijuana use was associated with a 65% increase in prediabetes risk and […]

PT and Chiro Care vs Opioids in Claims Duration

BMJ Open 2015;5:e007836 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007836 Rehabilitation medicine Association of worker characteristics and early reimbursement for physical therapy, chiropractic and opioid prescriptions with workers’ compensation claim duration, for cases of acute low back pain: an observational cohort study Jason W Busse Abstract Objective To assess the association between early reimbursement for physiotherapy, chiropractic and opioid prescriptions for […]

Cannabinoids for Pain—Time to Consider?

August 31, 2015 Written by Robert Bonakdar MD, FAAFP Recently, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has been a leading venue for research on medical marijuana. In October 2014, an analysis appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine noted that states which enacted medical cannabis laws had a 24.8% lower mean annual opioid overdose mortality […]

Antibiotic Use Linked to Increased Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Miriam E Tucker August 27, 2015 Antibiotic use was associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in a new population-based, case-control study. The findings were published online August 27, 2015 in theJournal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism by Kristian Hallundback Mikkelsen, MD, a PhD student at the Center for Diabetes Research, Gentofte Hospital, […]

Merck Agrees to Settle Litigation Over Fosamax Jaw Injuries

December 09, 2013 By Reuters Staff NEW YORK (Reuters) Dec 09 – Merck & Co has agreed to settle hundreds of lawsuits over jaw injuries allegedly caused by the osteoporosis drug Fosamax, lawyers disclosed at a court hearing Monday. Lawyers for Merck and plaintiffs pursuing litigation over the once-blockbuster drug revealed at a court hearing […]

ESI Beneift Small, Not Sustained, Not Effective for Spinal Stenosis, and No Effect on Long-Term Surgery Risk

Epidural Corticosteroid Injections for Radiculopathy and Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Roger Chou, MD Ann Intern Med. Published online 25 August 2015 doi:10.7326/M15-0934 Background: Use of epidural corticosteroid injections is increasing. Purpose: To review evidence on the benefits and harms of epidural corticosteroid injections in adults with radicular low back pain or spinal […]

Steroid Shots No Better for Back Pain Than Placebo

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR AUGUST 24, 2015 Steroid shots are commonly used for back pain, but evidence that they work no better than placebos is mounting. In a review published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers combined data from 30 placebo-controlled studies of epidural steroid injections for radiculopathy (back pain that radiates to the legs) […]

Quality of Life and Hypertension After Hormone Therapy Withdrawal

Quality of Life and Hypertension After Hormone Therapy Withdrawal in New York City Michelle P. Warren, MD, Olivia Richardson, BA, Sonal Chaudhry, MD, Aimee D. Shu, MD, Yael Swica, MD, Valerie R. Sims, BA, and Nancy L. Sloan, DrPH Disclosures Menopause. 2013;20(12):1255-1263. Abstract Objective: Many women stopped hormone therapy (HT) or estrogen therapy (ET) after […]

Aspirin reverses obesity cancer risk

Date:  August 17, 2015 Research has shown that a regular dose of aspirin reduces the long-term risk of cancer in those who are overweight in an international study of people with a family history of the disease. The study, conducted by researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Leeds, UK, is published in the […]

Allopurinol and Risk of Fatal Hypersensitivity Reactions

August 07, 2015 JAMA internal medicine TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this retrospective population study examined the incidence of allopurinol hypersensitivity and its risk factors. The annual incidence of allopurinol hypersensitivity among new users was 4.68 per 1000, the incidence of related hospitalization was 2.02 per 1000, and the incidence of mortality was 0.39 per […]

NSAIDs, Opioids Found Similar for Chronic Pain Risk After Vehicular Accidents

Clinical Pain Medicine ISSUE: AUGUST 2015 | VOLUME: 13(8) There are no significant differences between giving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids to patients in the emergency department (ED) with regard to their risk for developing chronic pain after motor vehicle accidents, a new study suggests. Individuals presenting to EDs after vehicular accidents have a […]

Intake of polyunsaturated fat in relation to mortality among statin users and non-users

Intake of polyunsaturated fat in relation to mortality among statin users and non-users in the Southern Community Cohort Study Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 08/06/2015 Kiage JN, et al. The results suggest potential benefits of PUFA consumption on mortality which are only apparent in the absence of statin therapy. It seems prudent to consider the […]

NSAIDs and Antithrombotics a Bad Combination

Clinical Pain Medicine ISSUE: JULY 2015 | VOLUME: 13(7) Taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with antithrombotic therapy after a myocardial infarction (MI) almost doubles the risk for bleeding compared with not using NSAIDs—even after short-term treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2015;313:805-814). The cardiovascular event risk […]