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Migraine drug Topamax tested on alcoholics

Researchers in the United States say a drug used to prevent migraines has been effective in reducing the number of days alcoholics spend binge drinking.

10 Oct 2007

Xeloda (capecitabine) better all round for cancer patients

A drug to treat colon cancer is proving much more convenient than traditional chemotherapy, has fewer side effects - and a study of almost 2,000 patients has shown it is giving them a better chance of surviving the disease.

9 Oct 2007

Current food labeling leads to under-consumption of calcium

Those who were taught how to translate the information consumed more. Researchers believe the same is true for other beneficial nutrients.

8 Oct 2007

Disabled people smoke the most

Smoking prevalence among people with disabilities is nearly 50 percent higher than among people without disabilities (29.9 percent vs. 19.8 percent), according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Preventing Chronic Disease.

4 Oct 2007

Nurses play valuable role in assessing people held in police custody

Nurses are now playing a valuable role in assessing people held in police custody, complementing the traditional role of the police doctor and improving response times, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

4 Oct 2007

A systematic review of mortality in schizophrenia

As medical advances boost lifespans across the world, one group of people has been left out.

4 Oct 2007

Remote surgery between U.S. and Argentina

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, InTouch Health, and Hospital Privado Del Sur in Argentina, announce the success of one of the world's first surgeries using the Remote Presence Robot, RP-7.

4 Oct 2007

Osteoarthritis drug Prexige withdrawn from Canadian market

Health authorities in Canada have withdrawn the osteoarthritis drug Prexige from the market amid concerns the drug increases the risk for serious liver-related damage including hepatitis.

4 Oct 2007

Individually tailored herbal concoctions possibly harmful

Scientists in Britain are warning that there is no evidence to suggest herbal medicines "tailored" to the individual do actually work; they also say such concoctions may even be harmful.

4 Oct 2007

Microvascular disease mostly a concern for women

Coronary artery disease may take a different course in men and women, which may explain why the rate of death for women has declined more slowly than for men, according to the October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

4 Oct 2007

Key to colon cancer prevention is regular screenings

More than 100,000 people will develop colon cancer in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society; the disease currently causes more than 55,000 U.S. deaths annually.

4 Oct 2007

Infant mortality rates decline in New York City

New York City's infant mortality rate - widely regarded as a barometer of a population's general health - fell slightly in 2006, the Health Department reported today.

4 Oct 2007

Large gap between physician and patient understanding of necessity of monthly periods

More than the two thirds of the women in a national survey say that they are interested in suppressing their menstrual periods but many of them aren't sure if it's safe.

4 Oct 2007

Behind-the-counter drugs could be on sale in U.S. pharmacies

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United states is considering creating a new category of drugs.

3 Oct 2007

Oseltamivir, the active substance in Tamiflu, unchanged through sewage treatment

Swedish researchers have discovered that oseltamivir (Tamiflu); an antiviral drug used to prevent and mitigate influenza infections is not removed or degraded during normal sewage treatment.

3 Oct 2007

Doctor involved in HIV infusion therapy scam sentenced to 18 months

A doctor involved in a $7 million HIV infusion therapy scheme to defraud Medicare has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, seven months home confinement, and three years supervised release, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced today.

3 Oct 2007

Colonoscopy most effective screening option for colon cancer

According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), colonoscopy remains the most effective screening option for colorectal cancer.

3 Oct 2007

Cognitive deficits lead to 'loss of self' among cancer patients

For some cancer patients, side effects impacting cognition don't end with the last dose of chemotherapy. According to a new survey, the cognitive impairment experienced by 14 to 45 percent of cancer patients can be long-lasting and severely affect their personal and professional lives.

3 Oct 2007

Supreme Court declines to consider challenge to New York contraceptive coverage law

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it will not consider a challenge to a New York law that requires employers who offer prescription drug plans to provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptives for women, the New York Times reports (Greenhouse, New York Times, 10/2).

2 Oct 2007