Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for September 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
β-Blockers Equivalent in Long QT Syndrome Genotype 1
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS), different β-blockers are effective for reducing the risk for first cardiac event in LQT1, but only nadolol is effective in LQT2, according to a study published in the Sept. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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American Academy of Neurology Issues Opioid Guidelines
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risks of opioids outweigh their benefits for treating chronic noncancer pain such as chronic headaches, low back pain, and fibromyalgia, according to a new statement from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
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Fish Oil Supplements Don't Prevent Recurrence of A-Fib
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High doses of fish oil supplements won't prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), Canadian researchers report. The study, funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec, was published in the Oct. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Antibiotic Use Before Age 2 Might Raise Obesity Risk
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are given broad-spectrum antibiotics before the age of 2 may face a slightly higher risk of becoming obese during childhood, according to research published online Sept. 29 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Pharmacists Less Happy at Work Versus Other Occupations
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to other types of employees, pharmacists are not as happy, according to results from the TINYpulse employee engagement surveys.
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'Just-in-Time' Methodology Can Reduce Patient Waiting Times
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Having trainee physicians review cases prior to clinic hours can reduce patient waiting times, flow times, and clinic session times, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in Pain Medicine. The management process studied was first popularized by Toyota in Japan.
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Insulin Increases Resting-State Functional Connectivity in T2DM
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults with type 2 diabetes, a single dose of intranasal insulin increases resting-state brain functional connectivity, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Diabetes.
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Pediatricians Endorse IUDs, Implants for Teen Birth Control
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Long-acting contraceptive devices should be the first choice of birth control for teenage girls, new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics state. The guidelines were published online Sept. 29 in Pediatrics.
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Bevacizumab Safe for Use in Tx of Macular Degeneration
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The systemic safety of bevacizumab appears to be similar to that of ranibizumab as intravitreal therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to research published online Sept. 15 in The Cochrane Library.
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Experiences Trump Things, Even Before Purchase
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People derive value from the anticipation of purchasing something, and this anticipation tends to be greater for an experiential purchase than for a material purchase, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in Psychological Science.
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Oral Sodium Phosphate Doesn't Up Acute Kidney Injury
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of oral sodium phosphate (OSP) for bowel cleansing prior to a colonoscopy is not associated with the risk of postprocedure acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a study published in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Half of HIV+ MSM in U.S. Aren't Getting Proper Treatment
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Even though men who have sex with men (MSM) make up the majority of Americans infected with HIV, half aren't receiving ongoing care or being prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to research published in the Sept. 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Can Media Multitasking Alter Your Brain?
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Multitasking with smartphones, laptop computers, and other media devices could change the structure of your brain, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in PLOS ONE.
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Meta-Analysis: Anti-TNF Therapy Deemed Safe for Children
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy appears to be safe, according to research published in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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All Work, No Play May Up Risk of Diabetes
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Working long hours may increase one's risk for diabetes, but this may depend on the job. These findings have been published online Sept. 25 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
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NSAIDs Tied to Risk of Venous Thromboembolism
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to new research published online Sept. 24 in Rheumatology.
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Kidney Disease Doesn't Bar Thrombolytic Therapy in Stroke
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Intravenous (IV) thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke (IS) is not contraindicated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research published online Sept. 23 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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CDC: Enterovirus D68 in 29 States, District of Columbia
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have a total of 213 confirmed cases of Enterovirus D68, the severe respiratory illness that typically targets children, U.S. health officials are reporting.
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Soda Giants Pledge to Make Calorie Cuts in Their Drinks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The top U.S. soda makers have agreed to help reduce Americans' consumption of calories from sugary beverages by one-fifth during the next decade -- by shrinking drink sizes and marketing healthier options.
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Vitamin C Doesn't Improve Distal Radial Fracture Healing
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with distal radial factures, vitamin C treatment provides no benefit, according to a study published in the Sept. 3 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Review: Desmopressin Offers Modest Benefit for Nocturia
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Desmopressin offers a modest benefit for treating nocturia in generally healthy adults, according to a systematic review published in the September issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Report Identifies Game Changers for U.S. Health Care
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Imagine if doctors and hospitals got paid for providing better care, not more care, and patients had better data for making informed health choices. A new report suggests that's the direction the U.S. health system is headed.
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FDA Warns Doctors of Danger From 'Fake' Drugs
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The number of "rogue" wholesale distributors selling fake or unapproved prescription drugs is growing, so doctors need to be vigilant when purchasing medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.
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Generic Discount Drug Program Use Has Increased Over Time
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the generic discount drug program (GDDP) for filling prescriptions with generic drugs has increased since its introduction, according to a research letter published online Sept 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Chikungunya Fever Identified in the United States
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Chikungunya fever is being seen in travelers returning to the United States from affected regions and should be considered as a diagnosis for febrile travelers, according to an ideas and opinions piece published online Sept. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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NIH Adds $10M to Encourage Gender Balance in Clinical Trials
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. National Institutes of Health is investing $10 million in additional funding in scientific trials to encourage researchers to consider gender in their preclinical and clinical studies.
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Statins May Improve Hemorrhagic Stroke Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients taking statin medication while in the hospital for a hemorrhagic stroke are more than four times more likely to survive than people who aren't taking the drugs, according to a new study. The findings were published online Sept. 22 in JAMA Neurology.
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Metformin May Affect TSH Levels in Some Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Metformin may raise the risk of low levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) among patients with hypothyroidism, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Low Iron Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Autism Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Taking iron supplements as prescribed may play a role in reducing the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to research published online Sept. 22 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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AAP Urges Flu Vaccine for All Children 6 Months and Older
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated their influenza vaccine recommendations and is urging vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. The recommendations were published online Sept. 22 in Pediatrics.
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E-Cigarettes Don't Help Cancer Patients Quit Smoking
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Smokers with cancer who used e-cigarettes along with traditional cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine than those who didn't use the devices, a Memorial Sloan Kettering study found. These patients were also just as likely -- or less likely -- to have quit smoking than patients who didn't use e-cigarettes.
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Pancreatic Cancer Risk Not Higher With Diabetes Rx DPP-4i
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There is no increased short-term pancreatic cancer risk with dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) compared to sulfonylureas (SU) and thiazolidinediones (TZD) for glycemic control, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
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Redundant Antimicrobial Therapy Is Pervasive, Costly
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Redundant use of antimicrobial therapy is pervasive in U.S. hospitals and is associated with considerable, potentially avoidable, health care costs, according to a study published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Systemwide Changes Needed to Restrain Health Care Spending
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Systemwide changes are necessary to prevent excessive health care spending, and so are tools to help consumers make better, more informed medical choices, according to a white paper published in June by Vitals.
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FDA: Trulicity Approved for Type 2 Diabetes
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Trulicity (dulaglutide), a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes along with diet and exercise.
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Tight Glucose Control Doesn't Prevent Strokes Long Term
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A six-year study of people with type 2 diabetes shows that intensively lowering blood pressure has a long-lasting effect in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and deaths, but intensive blood glucose control does not. The findings were published online Sept. 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with presentation of the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna.
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Vitamin E Supplements Do Not Appear to Prevent Cataracts
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Daily supplements of selenium or vitamin E don't seem to protect against the development of age-related cataracts among men, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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Obama Calls for National Plan to Fight Antibiotic Resistance
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama escalated the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria on Thursday, ordering key federal agencies to pursue a national strategy to deal with the threat.
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CDC: Add PCV13 As Routine Vaccination in Older Adults
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a Category A recommendation for revised routine pneumococcal vaccination in older adults. The recommendation has been published in the Sept. 19 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Presence of Peers Ups Health Workers' Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The presence of other health care workers improves hand hygiene adherence, according to a study published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Vitamin K Antagonist + Clopidogrel Feasible for PCI
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) combined with clopidogrel may be a better alternative to triple anticoagulant therapy in patients on long-term VKA undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stenting, according to a review published in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Recent Increase in Liver Injury From Herbs, Supplements
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The proportion of liver injury cases resulting from herbals and dietary supplements (HDS) has increased significantly in the last decade, according to a study published online Aug. 25 in Hepatology.
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Strategies Can Help Docs Lower Their Tax Burden
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Strategies are presented to help physicians lower their tax burden in an article published Sept. 2 in Medical Economics.
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One Dose of Antidepressant Changes Brain Connectivity
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Just a single dose of a common antidepressant can quickly alter the way brain cells communicate with one another, according to early research published online Sept. 18 in Current Biology.
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CDC: Almost Everyone Needs a Flu Shot
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Less than half of all Americans got a flu shot last year, so U.S. health officials on Thursday urged that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated for the coming flu season. "It's really unfortunate that half of Americans are not getting the protection from flu they could get," said Thomas Frieden, M.D., director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a morning news conference.
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FDA Panel: Limit Testosterone Drug Use
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There is little evidence that testosterone replacement therapy effectively treats normally declining levels of the hormone in aging American males, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said Wednesday.
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Researchers ID Factor in Hospital Bacterial Resistance
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have uncovered a key factor to explain why antibiotic-resistant bacteria can thrive in a hospital setting. These findings have published in the Sept. 17 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Internists Report Considerable EMR-Linked Time Loss
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is associated with considerable loss of free time per clinic day, according to a research letter published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Most Treatments for Acute VTE Appear Safe, Effective
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Almost all the various treatment options for acute venous thromboembolism are equally safe and effective, according to research published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Obama to Step Up Aid to Fight Ebola in West Africa
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- On the same day that President Barack Obama was to announce a significant increase in U.S. aid to help combat West Africa's Ebola crisis, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the window to contain the virus was closing and infections could start doubling every three weeks.
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CDC: Opioid-Related Deaths Quadrupled in Past Decade
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans dying from accidental overdoses of opioid analgesics jumped significantly from 1999 to 2011, according to a September data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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AACR: Targeted Drugs Among Successes Against Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- About 14.5 million U.S. cancer survivors are alive today, compared to just three million in 1971, the American Association for Cancer Research reported Tuesday.
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FDA Approves Movantik for Opioid-Induced Constipation
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Movantik (naloxegol) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid-induced constipation, the agency said Tuesday.
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Folate Intake Ups Outcomes for Assisted Reproductive Technology
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment, higher supplemental folate intake is associated with improved outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Over a Quarter of Hospital Orders Classified As Defensive
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-quarter of hospital medicine services were rated by ordering physicians as at least a partially defensive order, according to a research letter published online Sept. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Children's Severe Respiratory Virus Confirmed in Northeast
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The severe respiratory virus believed to have sickened hundreds of U.S. children in Midwestern and Western states has now spread to the Northeast, health officials report.
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Medicare Patients' Outcomes Better With Generic Statins
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Prescribing generic instead of brand-name statins may improve adherence to therapy and cardiovascular outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries, according to research published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Pattern of Estrogen-Progestin Use From 1970 to 2010 Described
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The use of estrogen-progestin has varied over the past 40 years, peaking in the 1990s and declining in the early 2000s, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Unsupervised Prescription Drug Intake Sends Many Children to ER
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- From 2007 to 2011, there were nearly 10,000 emergency hospitalizations per year for unsupervised prescription medication ingestion by young children, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in Pediatrics.
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HPV Vaccine Knowledge Doesn't Predict Vaccination
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Neither parents' nor adolescents' knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines predicts vaccination compliance, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in Pediatrics.
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Antimicrobial Prescriptions for Children Higher Than Expected
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Just over one-quarter of U.S. children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) have bacterial illness, yet antimicrobials are prescribed twice as frequently as expected during ARTI outpatient visits, according to a study published online Sept. 15 in Pediatrics.
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INR Variability Predicts Warfarin Adverse Effects
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Unstable anticoagulation predicts warfarin adverse effects regardless of time in therapeutic range, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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New Role of Patient As Consumer Requires Market Changes
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The new consumer retail market in U.S. health care is necessary and will benefit consumers, and as consumers take on more costs of care, access to information to help them make informed decisions is crucial, according to a recent white paper published by Vitals.
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Errata Frequently Seen in Medical Literature
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Errata, including those that may materially change the interpretation of data, are frequent in medical publications, according to a study published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
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Mechanism Proposed for Nicotine Gateway Hypothesis
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Mechanisms underlying nicotine use as a gateway to cocaine use have been proposed in a Shattuck lecture published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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AAFP Joins Coalition to Prevent Misuse of ADHD Meds
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has joined the Coalition to Prevent ADHD Medication Misuse (CPAMM), which launched Aug. 28.
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Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants Vary in Assay Effects
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants exhibit variable effects on coagulation assays, according to a study published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Adding Antipsychotic Med May Improve Behavior in ADHD
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adding an antipsychotic medication, such as risperidone, to stimulant therapy and parent training may improve parent ratings for behavioral problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Opioid Overdose Prevention Needed in Young Adult Users
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many young adult nonmedical prescription opioid (PO) users are relatively uninformed about overdose awareness, avoidance, and response strategies, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in The International Journal of Drug Policy.
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Review: ASA to Prevent Primary CVD Should Be Individualized
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Prescribing aspirin for primary cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention should be judged on an individual basis by health care providers, according to an article published online Sept. 1 in Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine.
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U.S. Ebola Survivor Gives Blood to Infected Health Care Colleague
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An American medical missionary who survived infection with Ebola has donated blood to a colleague who's struggling to fight his own infection with the virus.
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FDA Approves Novel Weight-Loss Medication
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new weight-loss medication has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment option for chronic weight management in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity.
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Ebola-Infected Doctor Showing Improvement in Nebraska
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An American medical missionary being treated at a Nebraska medical center for Ebola infection is showing signs of improvement, according to the hospital.
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Gates Foundation Gives $50M to Fight Ebola Outbreak in Africa
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Acting in response to the devastating Ebola outbreak in four West African nations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday that it has pledged $50 million to help combat the epidemic.
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Statins May Provide Microvascular Benefit in Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Statins may help prevent microvascular complications associated with diabetes, according to research published online Sept. 10 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
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Low-Dose Fish Oil Cuts Seizures in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, low-dose fish oil can reduce seizures compared with placebo, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Reanalyses of RCTs Can Lead to Different Conclusions
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of the small number of reanalyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have implied conclusions different from those of the original articles, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Recommendations Developed for Sickle Cell Disease
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Evidence-based recommendations have been developed to support health care professionals who provide care for individuals with sickle cell disease. The summary of the 2014 evidence-based report by expert panel members was published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Long-Term Statins Benefit Familial Hypercholesterolemia
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term statin use among children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with normalization of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) progression, according to a research letter published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Increased Alzheimer's Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, with exposure density correlating with increased strength of association, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in BMJ.
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Meds of Questionable Benefit Often Prescribed to Elderly
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medications of questionable benefit are often prescribed for patients with advanced dementia, adding substantially to the costs of care, according to research published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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For Some, Health Insurance More Costly Than Uninsured Penalty
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For some young people in the United States, the cost of paying a penalty for not buying health insurance will be lower than the lowest-cost insurance, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Sleep Not Harmed by Caffeine for Apnea of Prematurity
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Caffeine administered for treatment of apnea in premature infants does not appear to have long-term detrimental effects on sleep during childhood, according to research published online Aug. 29 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Stopping SSRI Use Not Found to Cut Risk of Miscarriage
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Increased risk of miscarriage is observed whether women receive selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during early pregnancy or discontinue their use before pregnancy, according to research published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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ASCO/CCO Issue New Guidelines for Advanced Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Guidelines, issued jointly by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) in Canada, highlight recent advances in treating hormone-therapy-resistant advanced prostate cancer. The guidelines were published Sept. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Comparative Studies Lacking for Osteoporosis Drugs
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Good-quality evidence supports the efficacy of several medications for osteoporosis, but the comparative effectiveness of these drugs is unclear, according to research published online Sept. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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USPSTF Recommends Aspirin for Preventing Preeclampsia
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends low-dose aspirin for preeclampsia prevention in high-risk pregnant women. The findings are presented in a final recommendation statement published online Sept. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Peri-Op Melatonin Doesn't Cut Post-Op Delirium in Elderly
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For elderly patients undergoing acute surgery for hip fracture, perioperative melatonin does not reduce the incidence of delirium, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in CMAJ, the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Single-Dose, Injected Flu Treatment Shows Promise
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new single-dose, injected drug appears safe and effective at helping ease flu symptoms, according to an analysis of Phase II and Phase III clinical trials. The research, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and drugmaker BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, was presented Saturday at the American Society for Microbiology meeting in Washington, D.C.
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Novel Ebola Vaccine Shows Potential in Monkey Trial
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental Ebola vaccine has shown promise in a trial involving monkeys, according to a report published online Sept. 7 in the journal Nature Medicine.
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Health Care Spending Expected to Rise in 2014 Through 2023
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- While health spending growth was slow in 2013, health spending is expected to increase in 2014 and remain higher through 2023, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Health Affairs.
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Nearly 10 Percent of Americans Admit to Illicit Drug Use
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 10 percent of Americans aged 12 and older were illicit drug users in 2013, and almost 20 million said they used marijuana, making it the most widely used drug, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. Two states, Colorado and Washington, permit the recreational use of marijuana.
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FDA: Keytruda Approved for Advanced Melanoma
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with advanced melanoma who are no longer responding to other drugs.
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High Potassium Intake in Older Women Tied to Lower Stroke Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High potassium intake in older women is associated with lower stroke and all-cause mortality risk, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Stroke.
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Influenza Vaccine Immunogenic in HIV+ Pregnant Women
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) provides protection against confirmed influenza in HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected pregnant women and in infants not exposed to HIV up to 24 weeks after birth, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Bisphosphonate Use Ups Atypical Femoral Fracture Risk
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Bisphosphonate use, especially over a long duration, is associated with increased risk of atypical femoral fracture, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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New Myeloma Treatment Options Show Promise
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New multiple myeloma treatment options appear promising for patients aged 65 years and younger and for newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for stem-cell transplantation, according to two studies published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Guidelines Issued for HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Evidence-based recommendations have been developed for chemotherapy and targeted therapy for women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer. The clinical practice guideline was published online Sept. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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E-Cigarette Vapor May Be Less Toxic Than Tobacco Smoke
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Secondhand vapor created by one brand of electronic cigarette harbors fewer hazardous chemicals than regular cigarette smoke, although the researchers report the finding doesn't leave e-cigarettes in the clear. The study was published online Aug. 22 in Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.
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Little Evidence of Testosterone Drugs' Benefits or Risks: FDA
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There is little evidence that testosterone drugs are either beneficial or pose serious health risks to men, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says in a review posted online Wednesday.
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CVS Halts Tobacco Sales
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- As of midnight Tuesday, all CVS locations across the United States stopped selling tobacco products.
Health Highlights: Sept. 3, 2014
ADHD Stimulant Rx Doesn't Significantly Affect Growth
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulant treatment in children is not associated with significant changes in growth, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in Pediatrics.
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