http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—Doctors should avoid ordering certain antibiotics for older patients who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor, Canadian researchers say. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-statins-antibiotics-toxic-reaction.html Cardiology Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:20:29 EST news290712022 Seeking to improve the lives of sickle cell anemia sufferers around the world, researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, the Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center in Boston and the BloodCenter of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and others are preparing to launch Phase II of a clinical trial to investigate a potential new therapy for reducing the disorder's severest symptoms. Sickle cell anemia is a serious, painful and chronic illness that impedes blood flow and can lead to early death. More than 100,000 Americans and several million people worldwide suffer from this genetic disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-sickle-cell-anemia-therapy-advances.html Genetics Wed, 12 Jun 2013 06:00:03 EST news290194799 Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made novel discoveries concerning the current vaccine against whooping cough that may lead to the development of an improved future vaccine. The findings could help reduce the incidence of the disease which is increasing in developed countries. The research led by Professor of Experimental Immunology, Kingston Mills has just been published in the leading international journal PloS Pathogens. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-discovery-whooping-vaccine.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 13 May 2013 08:10:01 EST news287649713 (HealthDay)—There has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency-room visits related to sleep medications such as Ambien, according to a new U.S. study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-er-tied-ambien.html Medications Wed, 01 May 2013 12:20:01 EST news286627285 Janelle Leuthaeuser is on the cutting edge of biophysics. A molecular genetics and genomics Ph.D. student, she is part of a nationwide effort to create a more efficient generation of protein-based drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-drugs-side-effects-explore-ways.html Medical research Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:29:50 EST news286180183 (HealthDay)—Allopurinol initiators have an almost 10-fold increased risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) compared with nonusers, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-severe-cutaneous-adverse-rxns-allopurinol.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:30:02 EST news285940367 Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disorder that's difficult to treat. However, thanks to new research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, doctors may be able to treat some patients more effectively. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-genes-reveal-patients-benefit-scleroderma.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:00:01 EST news284819657 Despite their well-documented benefits, statins, drugs used to lower cholesterol, are commonly discontinued in routine care. Statin discontinuation has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular events and death in patients with coronary artery disease; nevertheless, the reasons for discontinuation are only starting to be explored. In a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), researchers examined the role adverse reactions play in statin discontinuation and found that more than 90 percent of the patients who stopped taking a statin due to an adverse reaction, were able to tolerate it when they tried again. This study is published in the April 2, 2013 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-role-adverse-reactions-statin-discontinuation.html Cardiology Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:00:01 EST news284034188 (HealthDay)—The injected imaging drug Lymphoseek (technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help surgeons locate the lymph nodes among people with breast cancer or melanoma. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-lymphoseek-lymph-nodes.html Cancer Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:30:02 EST news282419095 New parents quickly learn that their kids have years of vaccinations ahead of them. The vast majority of parents keep up with the schedule but some parents diverge from the recommended timeline, and a small minority object to the vaccines overall. A new report from the Institute of Medicine should reassure parents. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-future-kids-shots.html Health Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:55:24 EST news277714519 (HealthDay)—Octaplas has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to augment insufficient clotting proteins that could otherwise lead to excessive bleeding or excessive clotting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-octaplas-blood-clotting-disorders.html Medications Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:20:02 EST news277660055 New recommendations from a task force of allergy experts advise people with an egg allergy to get a flu vaccine, and not to delay with allergy testing before the vaccine. Patients had previously been cautioned about vaccination because of concerns about adverse reactions to egg protein in the vaccine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-advice-egg-allergic-patients-flu-vaccine.html Immunology Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:50:02 EST news277454145 (HealthDay)—Signifor (pasireotide diaspartate) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Cushing's disease in cases that cannot be treated by surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-signifor-cushing-disease.html Medications Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:10:02 EST news274989641 (HealthDay)—Xeljanz (tofacitinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among people who can't tolerate, or haven't been helped by, the drug methotrexate. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-xeljanz-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Wed, 07 Nov 2012 15:08:08 EST news271523281 (HealthDay)—Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—in combination with the drug carboplatin—to treat advanced or spreading non-small cell lung cancer among people who aren't candidates for surgery or radiation therapy, the agency said Friday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-abraxane-advanced-lung-cancer.html Cancer Sun, 14 Oct 2012 06:33:08 EST news269415178 A deadly meningitis outbreak in the United States blamed on a tainted drug has triggered outrage and calls for tighter regulation of the loosely controlled pharmaceutical compounding industry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-oversight-tainted-drug-outbreak.html Medications Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:08:47 EST news269194120 (Medical Xpress)—The p53 gene plays a key role in the prevention of cancer, by blocking cell growth and triggering programmed cell death or apoptosis. If, however, p53 has mutated and become defective, the cancer cells can acquire the ability to evade apoptosis and become more resistant to therapy. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have now obtained results from the first tests using a new substance that can restore the function of defective p53 and activate apoptosis in cancer cells. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-substance-cancer-cell-suicide.html Cancer Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:42:44 EST news267180156 (HealthDay)—Aubagio (teriflunomide) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-aubagio-multiple-sclerosis.html Medications Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:10:01 EST news266766072 As Hurricane Isaac nears the Gulf Coast, one may wonder what the impact of natural disasters are on children. Who is most at risk for persistent stress reactions? How can such youth be identified and assisted in the aftermath of a destructive storm? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-children-stress-natural-disasters.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:50:01 EST news265383505 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet demonstrates the efficacy of Tofacitinib, a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis. According to the study, which is published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the drug is just as effective as biological medicines, but unlike them can be taken in tablet form. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-efficacy-rheumatoid-arthritis-drug.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Thu, 09 Aug 2012 04:13:33 EST news263704405 (HealthDay) -- Kyprolis (carfilzomib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat certain people with multiple myeloma who have already been given at least two prior therapies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-kyprolis-multiple-myeloma.html Cancer Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:13:08 EST news262015981 Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche is under investigation over a failure to properly report adverse drug side-effects, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-roche-probed-faulty-drug-safety.html Medications Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:02:17 EST news259516928 Each year, an estimated four million Americans experience adverse reactions to prescription medications. Many of these reactions, ranging from mild rashes and drowsiness to hospitalization and death, could be avoided if warning labels were more effective, according to a Michigan State University study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-oft-ignored-prescription.html Health Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:20:01 EST news258977186 A group of researchers from the IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute) and from the INAD (Hospital del Mar Neuropsychiatry and Addictions Institute) has participated in an international study aiming to give a general overview at a chemical, pharmacological and behavioural level of a recently appeared new chemical compound, according to the Recreational Drugs European Network, as a new abused drug: methoxetamine (MXE). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-internet-drugs-health.html Health Tue, 08 May 2012 09:59:31 EST news255689950 Prescribing opioids for pain to older patients within seven days of short-stay surgery appears to be associated with long-term analgesic use compared to those patients who did not receive prescriptions for analgesics after surgery, according to a study published in the March 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-opioids-pain-short-stay-surgery-long-term.html Medications Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:00:08 EST news250779581 University of Southampton researchers are investigating innovative methods of testing drugs that will reduce the need for involving animals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-significantly-clinical-animal.html Immunology Thu, 08 Mar 2012 07:07:53 EST news250412858 (HealthDay) -- Children who are allergic to penicillin are not more likely than other kids to develop additional drug allergies, new research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-kids-penicillin-allergy-drug-reactions.html Inflammatory disorders Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:40:02 EST news250403088 A study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers has provided the first comprehensive look at just how metal-on-metal total hip replacements are failing in patients around the country. Made possible by what is thought to be the largest archive of failed joint replacements, the research should help doctors develop a better hip replacement for future patients. The study will be reported at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Feb. 7-11. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-archive-joint-hip.html Other Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:20:02 EST news247895087 Administration of routine infant immunizations with a vaccine for serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that is a cause of serious disease such as sepsis and meningitis, was effective against meningococcal strains and produced minimal interference with the response to the routine vaccinations, according to a study in the February 8 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-administration-meningococcal-vaccine-routine-infant.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:30:44 EST news247854597 Researchers in Australia on Monday called for health warnings on caffeine-loaded energy drinks following a spike in the number of people reporting medical problems after drinking them. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-australia-experts-energy.html Health Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:59:39 EST news245905148