Weekly Summary -- February 22, 2019
Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Here are what Pharmacist's Briefing editors consider the most important developments for the week of February 22, 2019
Mom's Prenatal Fish Oil Might Help Kids' Blood Pressure Later
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Obese young children may have less risk for high blood pressure if their mother took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA -- found in fish oil -- during pregnancy, new research suggests.
Opioid Overdose Deaths Quadruple, Centered in 8 States
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- U.S. opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled in the last two decades, and the highest rates are now seen in eight Eastern states, a new study shows.
HPV Infections Most Tied to Cancer Are in Decline, and Vaccines May Be Why
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Infections with two strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) are showing marked declines among American women, and rising vaccination rates could be driving the trend.
Kratom-Related Poisonings Are Soaring, Study Finds
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Calls to U.S. poison control centers related to the herbal drug kratom have skyrocketed, increasing more than 50-fold in a matter of six years, a new study shows.
Acupuncture Could Help Ease Menopausal Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Could an ancient Chinese practice come to the rescue for women struggling with menopausal symptoms?
AHA News: Diabetes Remains Dangerous Despite Modern Medicine
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (American Heart Association News) -- Despite medical advances, having diabetes is still linked to a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, new research shows.
FDA Aims to Strengthen Sunscreen Rules
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took steps Thursday to tighten regulation of over-the-counter sunscreen products.
Walnuts, Almonds Help the Hearts of Those With Type 2 Diabetes
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- If you have type 2 diabetes and you want to do your heart a favor, a new study suggests you should let your diet get a little nutty.
Transgender Hormone Therapy Could Pose Heart Dangers
MONDAY, Feb. 18, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Men and women who get hormone therapy during gender transition treatment may face a much higher risk for developing heart disease, new Dutch research cautions.
Rivaroxaban Does Not Reduce VTE Incidence in High-Risk Cancer Patients
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- In high-risk ambulatory patients with cancer, the incidence of venous thromboembolism or death due to venous thromboembolism during 180 days is not significantly reduced for rivaroxaban compared with placebo, according to a study published in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
FDA Advances Regulation to Ensure Sunscreen Safety, Efficacy
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took steps Thursday to tighten regulation of over-the-counter sunscreen products.
Morning Exercise Linked to BP Reduction in Sedentary Seniors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- In sedentary overweight/obese older adults, morning exercise reduces systolic blood pressure, with additional benefit seen by combining exercise with regular breaks in sitting, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in Hypertension.
Eating Nuts Tied to Reduced CVD Incidence, Death in T2DM Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Higher consumption of nuts, especially tree nuts, is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Circulation Research.
Early Intensive Treatment May Improve Long-Term MS Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Long-term outcomes are more favorable for early intensive treatment (EIT) versus first-line moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published online Feb. 18 in JAMA Neurology.
Late-Onset Migraine With Aura Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- There is an increased stroke risk in late life among patients with late-onset migraine with aura (MA), according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Headache.
Recombinant Zoster Vaccine Cost-Effective in Simulation
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Vaccination with recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) seems cost-effective under a wide range of conditions, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Sacituzumab Govitecan Promising in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- An antibody-drug conjugate, sacituzumab govitecan-hziy, shows promise in refractory metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, according to a study published in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Combo Regimens Effective for Tx of Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- For first-line therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, pembrolizumab plus axitinib and avelumab plus axitinib both show improved survival versus sunitinib, according to two studies published online Feb. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Feb. 14 to 16 in San Francisco.
Prenatal Fluconazole Exposure Increases Neonatal Risks
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Maternal exposure to fluconazole during pregnancy may increase the risk for spontaneous abortion, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Plazomicin Noninferior to Meropenem for Complicated UTI
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Plazomicin is noninferior to meropenem for patients with complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), according to a study and a research letter published in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Low Vitamin D Tied to High Blood Glucose Levels in Women
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations appear to be associated with high blood glucose levels in women, according to a study recently published online in Menopause.
Darolutamide Slows Spread of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Metastasis-free survival is significantly longer among men with nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with darolutamide versus placebo, according to a phase 3 study published online Feb. 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Feb. 14 to 16 in San Francisco.
U.S. Agencies Probing Johnson & Johnson Over Asbestos in Talc
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Johnson & Johnson is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over possible asbestos contamination of the company's baby powder and other talc-based products.
Vertical Integration Has Little Impact on Quality Measures
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Vertical integration between hospitals and physicians has little impact on quality measures, while increased hospital market concentration is strongly associated with reduced quality in measures of patient satisfaction, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Medical Care Research and Review.
FDA Head Says Feds May Intervene to Cut Vaccine Exemptions
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- The U.S. government may have to take steps to reduce vaccine exemptions for children if states do not do it, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggested. His comments come as measles outbreaks rage in a number of states. Those outbreaks could have been prevented if children had all been vaccinated. But nearly all states allow children to attend school even if their parents opt out of inoculation programs, CNN reported.
Inappropriate Use of Fentanyl Preps Seen Despite Awareness
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (Pharmacist's Briefing) -- Despite adequate levels of prescriber, pharmacist, and patient knowledge regarding transmucosal immediate-release fentanyls (TIRFs), the rates of inappropriate use are high, according to a study published in the Feb. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
