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BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

A series of new reports from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs (BBD) caution that the benefits of statin use by children and some women may not outweigh the risks. Drugs to lower cholesterol - including statins - are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. and garnered more than $14 billion in sales last year.

29 Jun 2010

Chelsea initiates NORTHERA Phase III trial for symptomatic NOH associated with PD

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced the initiation of Study 306, a pivotal Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of NORTHERA™, an oral synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH) associated with Parkinson's disease.

29 Jun 2010

Vitae earns $14M milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim

Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an integrated discovery and development company, today announced that it has earned a $14 million clinical milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Vitae's 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD)-1 is targeted for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome-related diseases in a strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim. The payment recognizes Boehringer Ingelheim's recent advancement of a small molecule inhibitor of 11beta-HSD-1 into Phase I clinical trials.

29 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 29, 2010

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Sarah Rose Nordgren works 25 to 30 hours a week as a waitress at an upscale restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also tutors high- schoolers on their college entrance essays and has an editorial internship at a book publisher. But if something were to go seriously wrong with her health, she'd be in trouble because none of her three jobs offers health insurance" (Kaiser Health News).

29 Jun 2010

Rosiglitazone therapy associated with increased risk for heart attack: Study

Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, data from available clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July 26 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Jun 2010

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

A meta-analysis of previously published studies finds no evidence that statins are associated with a reduced risk of death among individuals at risk for but with no history of cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals

29 Jun 2010

Phytonutrient-based medical food and heart-healthy diet reduce CVD risk factors: Study

New research presented at the American Diabetes Association's 70th Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida on June 27, 2010 suggests that a medical food developed by Metagenics, Inc. called UltraMeal® PLUS 360° enhances the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk-lowering benefits of a Mediterranean-style low-glycemic-load diet.

29 Jun 2010

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear appeals in civil racketeering lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear appeals in the federal government's civil racketeering lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers. Today's decision upholds the trial court's historic verdict that the cigarette manufacturers are racketeers and have engaged in a decades-long conspiracy to deceive the American public and target children with their deadly and addictive products. That verdict is now final and undeniable: The cigarette manufacturers have been found guilty of engaging in a deadly fraud that is unprecedented in our nation's history.

29 Jun 2010

Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly respond to ACCF/AHA clinical alert on FDA's clopidogrel boxed warning

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company appreciate the availability of a "Clinical Alert" from the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and American Heart Association (AHA) in response to the FDA's Boxed Warning about Plavix® (clopidogrel), and commend the leading cardiovascular medical societies for providing perspective on the importance of genetic make-up and the variability in response of certain oral anti-platelet (OAP) therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are managed with angioplasty and stenting (known as PCI).

29 Jun 2010

Aggressive pursuit of low blood pressure, cholesterol levels may not benefit patients with diabetes

A mathematical model suggests that aggressively pursuing low blood pressure and cholesterol levels may not benefit, and could even harm, some patients with diabetes, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Jun 2010

Family members who undergo gastric bypass surgery together experience better clinical outcomes

If you and a family member have gastric bypass together, chances are you'll both do much better than if you have surgery alone, according to a new study presented today at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

29 Jun 2010

School-based program lowers obesity and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in high risk youth

An intervention in middle schools lowered the obesity rate in students at highest risk for type 2 diabetes, those who started out overweight or obese in sixth grade, an NIH-funded study has found. However, schools that implemented the program did not differ from comparison schools in the study's primary outcome-the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined-which had declined 4 percent in both groups of schools by the end of the three-year study.

29 Jun 2010

Study finds high sugar content in toddler and baby food products

Fifty three percent of food products specifically targeted to babies and toddlers in Canadian grocery stores have an excessive proportion-more than 20 per cent-of calories coming from sugar, according to a new study by University of Calgary professor Charlene Elliott.

29 Jun 2010

New research project to develop reliable and cost-effective virtual autopsies

A new research project at the University of Leicester is set to play a vital role in continuing research into viable alternatives to invasive autopsies, which many families find to be unpleasant.

29 Jun 2010

New equation offers accurate estimation of peak heart rate for women

Women who measure their peak heart rates for exercise will need to do some new math as will physicians giving stress tests to patients.

29 Jun 2010

High-phenolic-content olive oil modifies genes that promote inflammation

Health conscious consumers have long known that virgin olive oil is a good choice when it comes to preparing meals and dipping breads. Now, a team of researchers, including one with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), has found that phenolic components in olive oil actually modify genes that are involved in the inflammatory response.

29 Jun 2010

Rubella epidemic played a major role in shifting public attitudes toward abortion laws

Ten years before the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion - which likely will be a focus of Senate confirmation questions for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan next week - German measles probably played the biggest part in starting to shift public attitudes about the criminal abortion laws, University of Illinois historian Leslie J. Reagan says in a new book.

29 Jun 2010

Rosiglitazone associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with pioglitazone

A new study published online today by JAMA shows that among patients age 65 years and older, rosiglitazone (a medication for treating Type 2 diabetes) is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality (death) when compared with pioglitazone (another medication for diabetes). The study was published online today in advance of an upcoming Food and Drug Administration meeting that will review the safety of rosiglitazone. The paper will appear in the July 28 print issue of JAMA.

29 Jun 2010

New brain-to-computer chip technology revolutionizes neurological therapy

By stimulating certain areas of the brain, scientists can alleviate the effects of disorders such as depression or Parkinson's disease. That's the good news. But because controlling that stimulation currently lacks precision, over-stimulation is a serious concern - losing some of its therapeutic benefits for the patient over time.

29 Jun 2010

'Beeglue' may help deliver new treatments for fatal infections

Bees could have a key role to play in urgently-needed new treatments to fight the virulent MRSA bug, according to research led at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

29 Jun 2010

Heart News and Research

BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

Chelsea initiates NORTHERA Phase III trial for symptomatic NOH associated with PD

Vitae earns $14M milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim

First Edition: June 29, 2010

Rosiglitazone therapy associated with increased risk for heart attack: Study

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

Phytonutrient-based medical food and heart-healthy diet reduce CVD risk factors: Study

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear appeals in civil racketeering lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers

Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly respond to ACCF/AHA clinical alert on FDA's clopidogrel boxed warning

Aggressive pursuit of low blood pressure, cholesterol levels may not benefit patients with diabetes

Family members who undergo gastric bypass surgery together experience better clinical outcomes

School-based program lowers obesity and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in high risk youth

Study finds high sugar content in toddler and baby food products

New research project to develop reliable and cost-effective virtual autopsies

New equation offers accurate estimation of peak heart rate for women

High-phenolic-content olive oil modifies genes that promote inflammation

Rubella epidemic played a major role in shifting public attitudes toward abortion laws

Rosiglitazone associated with increased risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with pioglitazone

New brain-to-computer chip technology revolutionizes neurological therapy

'Beeglue' may help deliver new treatments for fatal infections

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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