Doxorubicin disrupts the immune system to cause heart toxicity. eurekalert.org. August 06, 18. The drug targets enzymes that control the immune response and spleen macrophages. Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug widely used in ovarian, bladder, lung, thyroid and stomach cancers, but it carries a harmful side effect. The drug causes a dose-dependent heart toxicity that […]
Reducing side effects in commonly used drugs. sciencedaily.com. February 27, 2018. Summary: New research has drilled down to the molecular level to find similarities across six pharmaceutical drugs used in pain relief, dentist anesthetic, and treatment of epilepsy, in a bid to find a way to reduce unwanted side-effects.New research from The Australian National University […]
Mixing Opioids and Tranquilizers Can Be Deadly, FDA Warns. By Maggie Fox.nbcnews.com. August 31, 2016. More and more people have died from mixing strong painkillers with tranquilizers like Xanax, leading federal health officials to strengthen warnings against doing so. People who mix opioids with the sedatives can suffer from breathing problems, which can lead to […]
Arthritis Possible Side Effect of Certain Cancer Drugs: Study. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. June 28, 2016. Doctors should weigh the risk-benefit ratio, researcher says.Certain cancer immunotherapy drugs may increase risk for joint and tissue disease, including arthritis, new research suggests. "We keep having referrals coming in from our oncologists as more patients are treated with […]
Drug for Yeast Infections May Raise Miscarriage Risk, FDA Warns. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. April 26, 2016.Agency recommends alternatives to for mothers-to-be until its review is complete. Doctors should use caution when prescribing the antifungal drug fluconazole during pregnancy because it may raise the risk of miscarriage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.Fluconazole (brand […]
Trial offers objective evidence of muscle-related side effects with statins. sciencedaily.com. April 03, 2016. Summary:The first major clinical trial to include a blinded, placebo-controlled “statin re-challenge” in patients with a history of muscle-related side effects sheds new light on statin-associated muscle symptoms, according to new research. The trial also demonstrates that monthly self-injection of the […]
Anxiety Meds Like Valium, Xanax Won’t Raise Seniors’ Dementia Risk: Study. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. February 03, 2016. Research may ease some concerns about use of benzodiazapines, but side effects do exist. Taking one of a class of anti-anxiety pills that includes Ativan, Valium or Xanax does not increase older adults’ risk of dementia, a […]
Girls Given Risky Meds Don’t Get Contraceptive Advice. nlm.nih.gov. December 16, 2015. Study examines young women taking drugs that cause birth defects and finds most aren’t cautioned. New research from a Midwestern hospital suggests a wide majority of teen girls and young women fail to get information about contraceptives when they take medications that could […]
Off-label prescription use leads to high rates of adverse events, serious side effects. clinicaladvisor.com, November 03, 2015. Off-label drug use puts patients at risk for serious side effects, especially when scientific evidence is lacking, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Tewodros Eguale, MD, PhD, who led a research team […]
New computational approach to predicting adverse drug reactions with higher confidence. sciencedaily.com. November 03, 2015. 200,000 people die every year in Europe from these adverse effects, seven times more than in traffic accidents. Summary: A new integrated computational method helps predicting adverse drug reaction — which are often lethal — more reliably than with traditional […]
Infants Born to Drug-Abusing Mothers Often Readmitted to Hospital. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. October 06, 2015. These babies are often born addicted and have higher risk of breathing, feeding problems, experts say.Newborns with drug withdrawal syndrome are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital than those without the condition, a new study finds.Drug withdrawal […]
Antipsychotics increase risk of death in people with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.sciencedaily.com. September 30, 2015. Summary: Antipsychotic drugs may increase the risk of death in people with Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP), according to a new study. PDP affects more than 50 per cent of people with Parkinson’s at some point in their condition and antipsychotic drugs […]
Some adverse drug events not reported by manufacturers to FDA by 15-day mark. sciencedaily.com. July 27, 2015. Summary: About 10 percent of serious and unexpected adverse events are not reported by drug manufacturers to the US Food and Drug Administration under the 15-day timeframe set out in federal regulations, according to a new article.Health care […]
Some heartburn drugs may boost risk of heart attack, study finds. By Bruce Goldman*. med.stanford.edu. June 10, 2015. A data-mining study has found an association between the use of proton-pump inhibitors, which account for 100 million prescriptions per year in the United States alone, and the likelihood of incurring a heart attack down the road.A […]
More evidence arthritis/pain relieving drugs may contribute to stroke death. sciencedaily.com. November 05, 2014. Summary:Commonly prescribed, older drugs for arthritis and pain may increase the risk of death from stroke, according to a study. "Our study supports stepping up efforts to make sure people with a higher risk of stroke are not prescribed these medications […]
Medicines are biggest culprit in fatal allergic reactions: study. By Kathleen Doheny. philly.com. October 10, 2014. Although food allergies have garnered a lot of attention lately, a new study reports that medications are actually the biggest cause of sudden deaths related to allergy.Over a little more than a decade, nearly 60 percent of the allergy-related […]
Certain Meds, Driving Can Be Deadly Mix: FDA. By Robert Preidt.nlm.nih.gov. October 07, 2014. Even nonprescription drugs might bring on drowsiness, agency warns. Thinking about taking a drive after popping some over-the-counter medications? Better check the label first, warn experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency cautions that some common nonprescription medicines […]
Side Effects May Vary (Wildly): 6 Of The Strangest Things Prescription Drugs Are Capable Of. By Lecia Bushak. medicaldaily.com. October 02, 2014.Most drugs have side effects of some sort, typically minor things like drowsiness or mood swings. But certain medications can also be the culprit of various other strange effects, like odd dreams or hallucinations […]
American Academy of Neurology Warns Against Opioid Painkillers. By Erik Derr. latinpost.com. September 30, 2014.After recent public protests over approval of hydrocodone and other narcotics by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Neurology is advising against using painkillers for general discomfort. In a position paper published in the Sept. 30 print […]
Xanax And Other Benzodiazepine Use Increases Alzheimer’s Risk By More Than 43%. By Susan Scutti. medicaldaily.com. September 09, 2014. Benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as tranquilizers, are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in America. A new study from an international team of Canadian and French researchers finds long-term use of benzodiazepine, including the drugs Xanax, Ativan, […]
Antibiotic Might Raise Heart Risks for Some. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. August 20, 2014.Taking the widely used antibiotic clarithromycin may boost some patients’ odds of dying from heart-related causes, a new study suggests. Because millions of people receive this antibiotic each year, the findings require urgent confirmation, said the Danish researchers behind the study. However, they […]
Heart Medication Digoxin Linked to Higher Risk of Death for Some.nlm.nih.gov. August 11, 2014.Increase seen in people with certain abnormal heart rhythms, study finds. Digoxin, a drug that’s been used to treat heart problems for about 200 years, might increase the risk of dying in certain patients. New research suggests that for people who have a […]
Death by prescription painkiller? .sciencedaily.com. June 17, 2014.Summary: The number of deaths involving commonly prescribed painkillers is higher than the number of deaths by overdose from heroin and cocaine combined, according to researchers. In a first-of-its-kind review of existing research, researchers have put the spotlight on a major public health problem: the dramatic increase in deaths […]
FDA: An Aspirin A Day Might Not Prevent Heart Problems, Stroke In People Who Never Had OneBy Anthony Rivas. medicaldaily.com. May 5, 2014.“An aspirin a day,” they say, will keep heart attacks at bay. While this is the case for many people around the country, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday that […]