Placebo News and Research

RSS

Study: Low-dose calcium equally effective as high-dose in preventing preeclampsia

To help prevent preeclampsia and preterm birth - common complications in pregnancy that can be fatal to women and newborns - low-dose calcium supplementation (equivalent to one 500-milligram pill per day) may be as effective as the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommended high-dose calcium supplementation (equivalent to three 500-milligram pills taken throughout each day), according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and collaborators in India and Tanzania.

10 Jan 2024

Carvedilol improves heart health marker in childhood cancer survivors

Physicians at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, in cooperation with the Children's Oncology Group (COG), have conducted the largest clinical trial to date seeking to reduce the risk of people who have survived childhood cancer from developing heart failure.

9 Jan 2024

GLP-1R agonist liraglutide rapidly improves insulin sensitivity in pre-diabetics, independent of weight loss

A new study published in the journal Diabetes demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity.

4 Jan 2024

Coffee extract supplementation shows no significant cognitive benefits in older adults, study finds

Study evaluated the impact of daily coffee extract supplementation on cognitive function over two years in older adults, finding no significant improvement in global or domain-specific cognitive function compared to a placebo, but suggestive benefits in those with poorer baseline diet quality.

3 Jan 2024

New research highlights potential of cytisine for global smoking cessation efforts

A new study published in Addiction has found that cytisine, a low-cost, generic stop-smoking aid that has been used in eastern Europe since the 1960s, increases the chances of successful smoking cessation by more than two-fold compared with placebo and may be more effective than nicotine replacement therapy. It has a benign safety profile, with no evidence of serious safety concerns.

2 Jan 2024

Phthalate exposure before conception linked to reduced fertility and hormonal imbalances in women

Study examines the impact of preconception phthalate exposure on women's reproductive health, revealing associations with reduced fecundability, hormonal changes, and increased oxidative stress and inflammation.

1 Jan 2024

Daily beetroot juice supplement improves blood pressure and walking distance in COPD patients

A 12-week course of daily beetroot juice supplement for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lowered blood pressure and improved how far patients could walk in six minutes in research published today (Wednesday) in the European Respiratory Journal.

19 Dec 2023

New study challenges "gold standard" opioid treatment for cancer pain

Researchers examining the data on opioids for pain caused by cancer have found surprisingly large gaps in evidence regarding the true benefits of these medicines for cancer pain.

18 Dec 2023

New study casts doubt on effectiveness of opioids for cancer pain

The world's largest review on opioid medicines for cancer pain has found it is unclear whether some commonly used opioid medicines are better than a placebo and suggests that non-opioid medicines, including aspirin, may be as effective as opioids.

18 Dec 2023

Psilocybin may benefit individuals with cancer and major depression

Results from a phase II clinical trial indicate that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms of the genus Psiloybe, may benefit individuals with cancer and major depression.

18 Dec 2023

Experimental drug paired with a standard-care medication offers hope for kidney disease patients

In a clinical trial of patients with chronic kidney disease, an experimental drug significantly reduced albuminuria - albumin in urine, a sign of kidney damage - for 50% of participants.

15 Dec 2023

Blueprint Medicines announces approval of AYVAKYT for treatment of ISM patients in Europe

Blueprint Medicines Corporation today announced the European Commission has approved AYVAKYT® (avapritinib) for the treatment of adult patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) with moderate to severe symptoms inadequately controlled on symptomatic treatment. AYVAKYT is the first and only approved therapy for people living with ISM in Europe.

15 Dec 2023

Can vitamin C reduce the severity of the common cold?

The effect of vitamin C supplementation on common cold severity and duration.

13 Dec 2023

Researchers find powerful combo weapon against aggressive lymphoma

The targeted therapy combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and achieved an overall remission rate in 82% of patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Results from the Phase III SYMPATICO trial were presented at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

12 Dec 2023

Tirzepatide shows success in maintaining weight loss in obese adults

Study finds that the anti-obesity medication tirzepatide effectively maintains weight loss in obese adults, offering a promising approach to managing obesity and related health complications.

12 Dec 2023

RBD-focused vaccines may offer broader protection against emerging COVID-19 variants

Published in The Lancet's eBioMedicine, 76 healthy adults from Melbourne, aged 18 to 64 who were previously vaccinated with licensed SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, were randomized to receive a fourth dose of a novel protein vaccine, mRNA vaccine or placebo.

12 Dec 2023

Coffee and caffeine boost metabolism and enhance exercise performance, study finds

Study reveals that coffee and caffeine enhance metabolism and exercise performance, showing varied effects on heart rate, energy expenditure, fat loss, and insulin sensitivity, with implications for athletes and general health.

11 Dec 2023

Tirzepatide maintains weight loss and improves cardiometabolic health in SURMOUNT-4 trial

The current class of anti-obesity drugs is proving remarkably effective at removing excess pounds. However, a phase 3 randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian found that people who stopped taking the medication regained much of that weight within a year.

11 Dec 2023

Synbiotic formula shows promise in reducing long COVID symptoms

Study finds that the synbiotic preparation SIM01 significantly reduces post-acute COVID-19 syndrome symptoms in patients, including fatigue, memory issues, and gastrointestinal distress, indicating its potential as a treatment for long COVID.

11 Dec 2023

Targeted therapy reduces markers of disease burden, improves symptoms for patients with nonadvanced system mastocytosis

The targeted therapy bezuclastinib was safe and rapidly reduced markers of disease burden while also improving symptoms for patients with a rare blood disorder called nonadvanced system mastocytosis, according to results of the Phase II SUMMIT trial reported by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

11 Dec 2023

Placebo News and Research

Study: Low-dose calcium equally effective as high-dose in preventing preeclampsia

Carvedilol improves heart health marker in childhood cancer survivors

GLP-1R agonist liraglutide rapidly improves insulin sensitivity in pre-diabetics, independent of weight loss

Coffee extract supplementation shows no significant cognitive benefits in older adults, study finds

New research highlights potential of cytisine for global smoking cessation efforts

Phthalate exposure before conception linked to reduced fertility and hormonal imbalances in women

Daily beetroot juice supplement improves blood pressure and walking distance in COPD patients

New study challenges "gold standard" opioid treatment for cancer pain

New study casts doubt on effectiveness of opioids for cancer pain

Psilocybin may benefit individuals with cancer and major depression

Experimental drug paired with a standard-care medication offers hope for kidney disease patients

Blueprint Medicines announces approval of AYVAKYT for treatment of ISM patients in Europe

Can vitamin C reduce the severity of the common cold?

Researchers find powerful combo weapon against aggressive lymphoma

Tirzepatide shows success in maintaining weight loss in obese adults

RBD-focused vaccines may offer broader protection against emerging COVID-19 variants

Coffee and caffeine boost metabolism and enhance exercise performance, study finds

Tirzepatide maintains weight loss and improves cardiometabolic health in SURMOUNT-4 trial

Synbiotic formula shows promise in reducing long COVID symptoms

Targeted therapy reduces markers of disease burden, improves symptoms for patients with nonadvanced system mastocytosis

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

Latest News