Contact: Ekaterina Peshva epeshev1@jhmi.edu 410-502-9433 Johns Hopkins Medicine Johns Hopkins research in mice unravels mystery behind sex disparities in drug-induced hepatitis A life-threatening condition that often requires transplantation and accounts for half of all acute liver failures, autoimmune hepatitis is… Read More ›
Lethal or Unintended Side Effects
Over-diagnosis and over-treatment of depression is common in the US
Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright nwoodwri@jhsph.edu 410-614-6029 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Americans are over-diagnosed and over-treated for depression, according to a new study conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study examines adults with… Read More ›
Large HIV study stopped after safety review found more study participants who received the vaccine later became infected
HIV vaccine study halted by US government over unsuccessful shots Associated Press in Washington guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 April 2013 17.52 EDT A 2009 study in Thailand is the only HIV/Aids study ever to show a modest success. Photograph: Denis Farrell/AP… Read More ›
40 percent of parents give young kids cough/cold medicine that they shouldn’t
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System Many parents disregard label warnings, give children under age 4 common medicines, according to new U-M National Poll on Children’s Health ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Children can get five… Read More ›
Nexium can cause debilitating spinal injuries
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Astrazeneca failed to warn that its Nexium, for gastroesophageal reflux, can cause debilitating spinal injuries, a patient claims in Jefferson County Court. http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/24/56992.htm
Meds taken during pregnancy increase risk of Autism
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 Women who take valproate (Depacon) during pregnancy may increase the risk of childhood autism and its spectrum disorders in their children, a population-based study showed. In utero exposure to the drug was associated with a… Read More ›
Common osteoporosis drug slows formation of new bone
Contact: Jenni Glenn Gingery jgingery@endo-society.org 301-941-0240 The Endocrine Society Study results suggest combination treatments may be needed to stop bone loss, fuel growth Chevy Chase, MD––Although the drug zoledronic acid slows bone loss in osteoporosis patients, it also boosts levels… Read More ›
US hospitals make more money when surgery goes wrong
17 Apr 2013 WASHINGTON (AFP) US hospitals face a disincentive to improve care because they make drastically more money when surgery goes wrong than when a patient is discharged with no complications, a study published Tuesday found. “We found clear evidence that… Read More ›
Financial meltdown was caused by too many bankers taking cocaine, says former government drugs tsar Prof David Nutt
Academic, who was sacked for claiming that horse riding was as safe as taking ecstasy, said abuse of cocaine caused the financial meltdown. Rob Williams Monday, 15 April 2013 The former Government drugs tsar, Professor David Nutt, has said the… Read More ›
1 in 5 seniors on risky meds; more in US South
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University More than 1 in 5 seniors with Medicare Advantage plans received a prescription for a potentially harmful “high risk medication” in 2009, according to a newly published analysis by Brown University public health… Read More ›
Arrhythmia drug may increase cancer risk ( Up to 46% after 2.5 years )
Contact: Amy Molnar sciencenewsroom@wiley.com Wiley One of the most widely used medications to treat arrhythmias may increase the risk of developing cancer, especially in men and people exposed to high amounts of the drug. That is the conclusion of a… Read More ›
Dental anesthesia may interrupt development of wisdom teeth in children
Contact: Siobhan Gallagher siobhan.gallagher@tufts.edu 617-636-6586 Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus BOSTON (April 3, 2013) — Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have discovered a statistical association between the injection of local dental anesthesia given to children ages two… Read More ›
Sweden confirms swine flu vaccine and narcolepsy
Saturday, 30 March 2013 The swine flu vaccine Pandemrix has a direct link to causing narcolepsy, especially among the younger people who were vaccinated, a new Swedish study revealed on Tuesday. The Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) ordered the massive… Read More ›
Our genomic liberty may be lost: ” Companies have essentially claimed the entire human genome for profit”
Contact: Lauren Woods Law2014@med.cornell.edu 646-317-7401 Weill Cornell Medical College You don’t ‘own’ your own genes Researchers raise alarm about loss of individual ‘genomic liberty’ due to gene patents that may impact the era of personalized medicine NEW YORK (March 25,… Read More ›
C. diff infection risk rises with antihistamine use to treat stomach acid, Mayo Clinic finds
Contact: Robert Nellis newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic ROCHESTER, Minn. — Patients receiving antihistamines to suppress stomach acid are at greater risk of infection from Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, a common cause of diarrhea, particularly in health care settings, Mayo… Read More ›
Research suggests popular diabetes drugs can cause abnormal pancreatic growth in humans
Contact: Enrique Rivero erivero@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2273 University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences Individuals who had taken a type of drug commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes showed abnormalities in the pancreas, including cell proliferation, that may be associated… Read More ›
Why your brain tires when exercising : Excess Serotonin shuts down the brain causing fatigue
A marathon runner approaches the finishing line, but suddenly the sweaty athlete collapses to the ground. Everyone probably assumes that this is because he has expended all energy in his muscles. What few people know is that it might… Read More ›
Cancer vaccines self-sabotage, channel immune attack to injection site
UT MD Anderson scientists find common vaccine ingredient diverts T cells from tumors HOUSTON – Cancer vaccines that attempt to stimulate an immune system assault fail because the killer T cells aimed at tumors instead find the vaccination site… Read More ›
Johns Hopkins study: Risk of pancreatitis doubles for those taking new class of diabetes drugs
Contact: Stephanie Desmon sdesmon1@jhmi.edu 410-955-8665 Johns Hopkins Medicine People who take the newest class of diabetes drugs to control blood sugar are twice as likely as those on other forms of sugar-control medication to be hospitalized with pancreatitis, Johns Hopkins… Read More ›
Increased risk of sleep disorder in children who received swine flu vaccine : Up to 16-fold increased risk
Contact: Emma Dickinson edickinson@bmjgroup.com 44-020-738-36529 BMJ-British Medical Journal Results consistent with findings from Finland and Sweden, but may still be overestimated The results are consistent with previous studies from Finland and Sweden and indicate that the association is not confined… Read More ›
Study finds higher levels of several toxic metals in children with autism
James Adams, a professor of materials science and engineering, has done extensive research into autism. He directs the ASU Autism/Asperger’s Research Program. Photo: Jessica Slater/ASU Posted February 25, 2013 In a recently published study in the journal Biological Trace Element… Read More ›
Caffeine linked to low birth weight babies
Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central Maternal nutrition is important to a developing embryo and to the health of the child later in life. Supplementing the diet with specific vitamins is known to increase health of the foetus… Read More ›
Just say don’t: Doctors question routine tests and treatments
Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:00 GMT Reuters By Sharon Begley NEW YORK, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Now there are 135. That’s how many medical tests, treatments and other procedures – many used for decades – physicians have now identified as… Read More ›
Almost one-third of chemotherapy used “off-label”
4:44pm EST By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – About one-third of chemotherapies are used to fight cancers that drug regulators never approved them to treat, says a new study. Chemotherapies – drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells… Read More ›
Emerging cancer drugs may drive bone tumors
February 12, 2013 By Julia Evangelou Strait Chang Yang, MD, PhD Investigational cancer drugs, IAP antagonists, may increase the risk of tumors spreading to bone. Tumors often cause bone loss, but IAP antagonist treatment accelerates the problem. Cancer drugs… Read More ›
Teenager wins $109MILLION lawsuit after 90 percent of her skin falls off and she goes blind from allergic reaction to Children’s Motrin
Samantha Reckis was given Children’s Motrin to treat fever when she was seven years old However, quickly developed Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, which caused 90 percent of her skin to fall off; she also lost her vision Jury awarded her and… Read More ›
Commonly used painkiller ‘should be banned over heart risk’
A painkiller used by at least a million people in Britain a year should be banned because it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke by almost half, say British academics. Daily doses of painkillers can increase the risk… Read More ›
Newly identified natural protein blocks HIV, other deadly viruses
EEV: 25-hydroxycholesterol/Statin? Contact: Enrique Rivero erivero@mednet.ucla.edu 310-794-2273 University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences A team of UCLA-led researchers has identified a protein with broad virus-fighting properties that potentially could be used as a weapon against deadly human pathogenic… Read More ›
Kids on Meds Meant for Adults Lose Class Status
By LORRAINE BAILEY (CN) – A federal judge refused to certify a nationwide class of children and teens who took the antidepressants Celexa or Lexapro, which are approved only for adults. Beginning in 2009, Forest Pharmaceuticals faced a rash of… Read More ›
Frequently prescribed drug used in concerning ways with harmful side effects: i.e. Death – benzodiazepines
Contact: Kate Taylor TaylorKa@smh.ca 647-393-7527 St. Michael’s Hospital TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2013—A popular class of drugs commonly used to treat sleep and mood symptoms continues to be frequently prescribed despite being known to have potentially life-threatening side effects. Previous studies… Read More ›
20 hours of TV a week almost halves sperm count
Contact: Stephanie Burns sburns@bmjgroup.com 44-020-738-36920 BMJ-British Medical Journal But 15 or more hours a week of moderate to vigorous exercise improves it Healthy young men who watch TV for more than 20 hours a week have almost half the sperm… Read More ›
Prescription overdose rate reaches epidemic levels in NYC
Contact: Stephanie Berger sb2247@columbia.edu 212-305-4372 Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health Fatality rate for white males is 3 times higher than for blacks; Deaths from prescription opioids like Oxycontin soared to 7 times the rate of 1990 The rate… Read More ›
Exposure to antiepileptic drug in womb linked to autism risk
Contact: Stephanie Burns sburns@bmjgroup.com 44-020-738-36920 BMJ-British Medical Journal Increases risk of other neurodevelopmental disorders too when taken separately or with other drugs Children whose mothers take the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate while pregnant are at significantly increased risk of autism… Read More ›
Chronic hepatitis C: Interferon may be harmful in re-treatment: “may face an increased risk of dying sooner”
Contact: Jennifer Beal sciencenewsroom@wiley.com 44-012-437-70633 Wiley People with hepatitis C and chronic liver disease who relapsed or failed to respond to initial treatment are unlikely to improve on interferon retreatment. In fact, they may face an increased risk of dying… Read More ›
Piers Morgan Says He Got A Flu Shot And Ten Days Later He’s Sick! ( Failed Dr Oz. PR stunt )
Discovered the segment through the Natural Society. Even though not a scientific analysis, the Irony was priceless. Thank you to Mox News for this clip. *** In some instances the video as embedded does not play. It will however… Read More ›
Common anti-fever medications pose kidney injury risk for children
Contact: Eric Schoch eschoch@iu.edu 317-274-8205 Indiana University Sick children, especially those with some dehydration from flu or other illnesses, risk significant kidney injury if given drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, Indiana University School of Medicine researchers said Friday. In… Read More ›
Harms from breast cancer screening outweigh benefits if death caused by treatment is included
Contact: Emma Dickinson edickinson@bmjgroup.com 44-020-738-36529 BMJ-British Medical Journal Cancer expert remains to be convinced by breast screening review Harms from breast cancer screening outweigh benefits if death caused by treatment is included Michael Baum, Professor emeritus of surgery at University… Read More ›
Study suggests link between regular aspirin use, increased risk of age-related macular degeneration: 3.7% vs 9.3%
Contact: Jie Jin Wang, Ph.D. jiejin.wang@sydney.edu.au JAMA and Archives Journals CHICAGO – Regular aspirin use appears to be associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a leading cause of blindness in older people, and… Read More ›
Insight: Evidence grows for narcolepsy link to GSK swine flu shot : Doctors are fearful of having their reputations ruined by reporting possible links
By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent | Reuters – 8 mins ago STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Emelie is plagued by hallucinations and nightmares. When she wakes up, she’s often paralyzed, unable to breathe properly or call for help. During the day she… Read More ›
Commonly prescribed medications for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Can cause Heart Damage
Contact: Quinn Phillips quinn.phillips@ualberta.ca 780-399-7505 University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry New UAlberta research shows commonly prescribed medications could have adverse effects A research team with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta reported… Read More ›
Uncovering how morphine increases pain in some people
Contact: Jean-François Huppé jean-francois.huppe@dc.ulaval.ca 418-656-7785 Université Laval The pain puzzle: Researchers discover new pathway to reduce paradoxical pain Quebec City & Toronto, January 6, 2013—For individuals with agonizing pain, it is a cruel blow when the gold-standard medication actually causes… Read More ›
Metformin leads to an accumulation of AMP, which inhibits an enzyme called adenylate cyclase, thereby reducing levels of cyclic AMP and protein kinase activity: WOOPS
Contact: Karen Kreeger karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5658 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Most-used diabetes drug works in different way than previously thought Findings could lead to diabetes treatments with less side effects PHILADELPHIA – A team, led by senior author Morris… Read More ›
Paradox of Vaccination: Is Vaccination Really Effective against Avian Flu Epidemics?
Abstract Background Although vaccination can be a useful tool for control of avian influenza epidemics, it might engender emergence of a vaccine-resistant strain. Field and experimental studies show that some avian influenza strains acquire resistance ability against vaccination. We investigated,… Read More ›
Cholesterol medicine affects energy production in muscles: Up to 75 per cent of patients
Painful side effects Up to 75 per cent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain. Scientists at the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a possible mechanism underlying… Read More ›
Some men voice complaints of shortened penis following prostate cancer treatment
Contact: Teresa Herbert teresa_herbert@dfci.harvard.edu 617-632-4090 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Perceived reduction in penis size linked to regrets of treatment choice BOSTON – A small percentage of men in a prostate cancer study complained that their penis seemed shorter following treatment, with… Read More ›
Foodborne Illness Could Have Sinister Causes : Medications being intentionally added
Contact: Angela Collom acollom@acponline.org 215-351-2653 American College of Physicians Observation Article: Foodborne Illness Could Have Sinister Causes Doctors should consider the intentional addition of medicine to food as a potential cause of foodborne disease outbreaks. The World Health Organization… Read More ›
Ten More Deaths Blamed on Plavix: ” Plavix plus aspirin (dual therapy) poses a 20 percent increased risk to the patient of suffering bleeding injuries, heart attacks, stroke and death”
By JACK BOUBOUSHIAN CHICAGO (CN) – Ten people died from the blockbuster blood-thinner Plavix, which is no better than aspirin against stroke but costs 100 times more, dozens of family members claim in two complaints…. Read More ›
Firms May Be Liable for Acne Treatment Woes: Acne Drug Solodyn related to Liver Failure, Lupus, and Hepatitis
By ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN (CN) – A college student whose liver failed allegedly as a result of using the acne treatment Solodyn may sue Medicis and Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals for negligence, a federal judge ruled. Brittani Tigert,… Read More ›
Mild painkillers in pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of male reproductive problems
2010 study posted for filing Contact: Emma Mason wordmason@mac.com European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology New evidence has emerged that the use of mild painkillers such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen, may be part of the reason for the… Read More ›
Study shows a single shot of morphine has long lasting effects on testosterone levels
2010 study posted for filing Contact: Ilene Raymond Rush irush@shro.org 215-470-2998 Sbarro Health Research Organization A single injection of morphine to fight persistent pain in male rats is able to strongly reduce the hormone testosterone in the brain and plasma,… Read More ›
Engineering Evil 