Chronic News and Research

RSS

NICE guideline advises GPs to stop prescribing opioids for chronic pain

Published today, the first ever NICE guideline on the treatment of chronic pain has said that GPs should not prescribe opioids and other medicines like paracetamol to patients because they could be ‘harmful’ and cause addiction.

5 Aug 2020

Neutrolis announces development of first-in-class therapy to target NETs in COVID-19 patients

Neutrolis, a biotechnology company developing therapeutics that target neutrophils, the most abundant immune cells in the body, today announced the development of NTR-441, a first-in-class DNASE1L3 enzyme analog that has the potential to rapidly and systemically clear neutrophil extracellular traps for severe cases of COVID-19.

5 Aug 2020

Pharmacists look at deprescribing to reduce the risk of medicine-related harm

In an article published today in Australian Prescriber, pharmacist Michelle Liacos from Alfred Health in Melbourne, and her co-authors, look at stopping medicines when they are no longer needed to reduce the risk of medicine-related harm.

5 Aug 2020

Study shows link between selenium-deficient diet and paracetamol toxicity

A lack of the mineral selenium in the diet puts people at risk of paracetamol overdose, even when the painkiller is taken at levels claimed to be safe on the packaging, according to collaborative research emerging from the University of Bath and Southwest University in China.

5 Aug 2020

ACTG initiates novel clinical trial to evaluate multiple therapeutics for COVID-19

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the world's largest and longest established HIV research network, today announced the initiation of the ACTIV-2 Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies Trial, which will be conducted by the ACTG.

4 Aug 2020

Self-measurements using fitness watches generate insecurity and anxiousness

How does measuring our sleep, exercise and heart rates using various apps and fitness watches affect us? Self-quantifying may better the understanding of our individual health, but according to a new study, it also gives rise to anxiety.

4 Aug 2020

Researchers identify two dozen pesticides linked with mammary gland tumors

In an analysis of how regulators review pesticides for their potential to cause cancer, researchers at Silent Spring Institute identified more than two dozen registered pesticides that were linked with mammary gland tumors in animal studies.

4 Aug 2020

A quarter of arthritis cases in the U.S. are attributable to excess weight, shows study

A new Boston University School of Public Health study shows that weight loss between early adulthood and midlife lowers arthritis risk, and found no evidence of any persistent risk of arthritis for people who were heavier earlier in life and then lost weight.

4 Aug 2020

Trial to examine if new psychological therapy can help tackle problem drinking

A psychological therapy found to be effective in helping people achieve and maintain weight loss is being trialled to see if it can support patients with chronic liver disease to stop drinking.

4 Aug 2020

University of Warwick pain management expert wins 2020 Hero of Hope Award

An expert in pain management from the University of Warwick has been recognized for her commitment and research in supporting patients with chronic pain diseases with an international award.

4 Aug 2020

Dietary choices improve health and immunity amid the global pandemic

In the midst of a global pandemic, eating well in a sustainable way is more important now than ever, Flinders University experts say.

4 Aug 2020

Severe vitamin D deficiency in UK South Asian population can lead to health problems

20 percent of the middle-aged UK South Asian population may have a very severe vitamin D deficiency, a new study in the British Journal of Nutrition reports. Such deficiency can lead to health problems such as osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and other chronic diseases.

4 Aug 2020

Estrogen modestly protective against COVID-19?

Almost from the beginning, scientists have been struck by the disproportionately higher numbers of men and older adults who have developed severe COVID-19 disease compared to younger individuals and women. Prior research has shown that in 37 of the 38 countries from which sex-stratified data was available, males were at a higher risk of death. Also, post-menopausal women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. However, the biological underpinnings of this have been less visible.

4 Aug 2020

Despite COVID-19 pressures, hospitals are maintaining emergency cardiac services in majority of cases

The death rate for patients who experienced what is normally a lower-risk heart attack rose sharply during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in England, according to an analysis of NHS data.

4 Aug 2020

Non-adherence to prescription medicines is more common in younger U.S women

For patients, especially those living with chronic conditions, nonadherence to prescription medicines due to cost is a common problem.

4 Aug 2020

Insights into prevalence, incidence, and impact of COPD in older adults

"Recognizing and Treating COPD in Older Adults," the latest issue of the What's Hot newsletter from The Gerontological Society of America, addresses what is known about the prevalence, incidence, and impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older adults.

3 Aug 2020

Chlamydiae need a lot of glutamine to multiply in human cells

If chlamydiae want to multiply in a human cell, the first thing they need is a lot of glutamine. Würzburg researchers have clarified how the pathogenic bacteria obtain this substance.

3 Aug 2020

Research explains recognized sex differences in COVID-19 outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic has notably taken a more significant toll on men compared to women, in terms of both disease severity and death. Now, a new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 confirms the increased risk that males have for death following COVID-19 while also highlighting worse outcomes in women with coronary artery disease, obesity, and hypoxia compared to men.

3 Aug 2020

Asthma drugs improve performance in healthy non-asthmatic subjects

Popular asthma control drugs β2-agonists such as Albuterol, Formoterol, Terbutaline, etc. that are used as inhalers by millions of asthmatics around the world could have power and stamina enhancing properties in sportspersons, finds a new study.

3 Aug 2020

Scientists identify robust set of biomarkers to help guide treatment for brain injuries

A scientific team led by the University of Arizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, identified a robust set of biomarkers through proteomics and metabolomic analysis that could help guide treatment for tens of millions of patients who each year sustain brain injuries, potentially preventing severe long-term disabilities.

3 Aug 2020