Pharmacoepidemiology News and Research

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The science of pharmacoepidemiology can answer a range of questions regarding how, why, when, where, and by whom a medicine is being used. It is a way of finding out the impact of a medicine as well as the usage results in a large, well-defined population. Also, it can help provide some indication as to how a particular drug is benefitting society and how it may be having a negative impact. Pharmacoepidemiology can be carried out both before and after a medicine is taken to market.

Gallstones, statins increase risk of acute pancreatitis, shows study

Idiopathic pancreatitis is often caused by small gallstones that are difficult to observe prior to surgery, shows a study from the University of Eastern Finland. Small gallstones were found in surgery from two out of three idiopathic pancreatitis patients.

8 Dec 2015

Antibiotics have no adverse outcome on child's physical development, shows study

The four out of ten women who use antibiotics during pregnancy can breathe easy, as a comprehensive new study shows that the two most often prescribed drugs have no adverse outcome on the child's physical development.

30 Oct 2015

New Kaiser Permanente study finds small decline in obesity rates among young people in Southern California

A new study from Kaiser Permanente found a small but significant decline in the percentage of young people who are overweight and obese in Southern California. The decline was seen across all ages, races and ethnicities, but was less pronounced in girls, adolescents, Hispanic and black children, according to the results published today in The Journal of Pediatrics.

26 Sep 2015

ABC TV's science program impacts use of statins among Australians

More than 60,000 Australians are estimated to have reduced or discontinued their use of prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin medications following the airing of a two-part series critical of statins by ABC TV's science program, Catalyst, a University of Sydney study reveals in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

15 Jun 2015

Researchers explore association between SSRI exposure in late pregnancy and risk of PPHN

Use of antidepressants late in pregnancy has been controversial since the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory in 2006 warning that the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy may increase risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a condition that typically occurs in term or near-term infants and presents within hours of birth with severe respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation.

2 Jun 2015

Study sheds new light on nighttime leg cramps

Nighttime leg cramps commonly affect adults over the age of 50, but are also known to occur in younger adults and children. While their cause is unknown, a study from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is shedding new light on the painful condition.

28 Jan 2015

Kaiser Permanente study: Self-reported exercise lowers blood pressure, blood glucose levels

Self-reported moderate to vigorous exercise was associated with lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels in a Kaiser Permanente study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

18 Dec 2014

New report explores pros and cons of working with real world medical data

A new report by researchers at RTI Health Solutions and parent company RTI International, found that although healthcare databases have allowed for greater access to real world medical data, using databases to evaluate the safety of medical products is complex and requires careful research consideration.

11 Dec 2014

Diabetes treatment with low-cost generic drug can have positive implications for patient's quality of life

New research from CVS Health finds starting a new diabetes patient on metformin, a generic oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels, reduced the need to add on additional treatments to control the condition over time. Although there are many classes of oral diabetes medications, there has historically been little evidence available on the comparative effectiveness of treatments to help patients and providers select an initial diabetes therapy.

31 Oct 2014

Rates of type 1 diabetes increase significantly among non-Hispanic white youth

The rate of non-Hispanic white youth diagnosed with type 1 diabetes increased significantly from 2002 to 2009 in all but the youngest age group of children, according to a new study published today in the journal Diabetes.

25 Oct 2014

Short-term use of DPP-4 inhibitors does not increase risk for pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the UNC School of Medicine have found that a popular class of diabetes medications called DPP-4 inhibitors does not increase the short-term risk of pancreatic cancer, as was previously reported by other researchers.

5 Sep 2014

Herpes zoster vaccine effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after chemotherapy

The herpes zoster vaccine continues to be effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after they undergo chemotherapy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

5 Aug 2014

OSNP program addresses potential gaps in outpatient settings

An innovative framework for identifying and addressing potential gaps in health care in outpatient settings using electronic clinical surveillance tools has been used to target patient safety across a variety of conditions, according to a study published today in the journal eGEMs.

26 Jun 2014

Antidepressant medications during pregnancy linked with increased rates of preterm birth

Antidepressant medications taken by pregnant women are associated with increased rates of preterm birth. This finding reinforces the notion that antidepressants should not be used by pregnant women in the absence of a clear need that cannot be met through alternative approaches, say researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Vanderbilt University, MetroWest Medical Center, and Tufts Medical Center.

28 Mar 2014

New AAA screening program reduces number of undiagnosed at-risk men by more than 50%

A screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysms, integrated into an electronic health record, dramatically reduced the number of unscreened at-risk men by more than 50 percent within 15 months, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the aorta, which - if ruptured - can result in death.

10 Feb 2014

Use of insulin to treat type 2 diabetes has trebled in the UK, shows study

The use of insulin to treat type 2 diabetes has trebled in the UK over the last 20 years, a new study has revealed. In a study published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, a team of academics from Cardiff University and the University of Bristol reviewed Clinical Practice Research Data (CPRD) to estimate the prevalence of insulin use in the UK population.

6 Feb 2014

Study: CIEDs used by physicians today were approved as supplements to premarket approved models

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures that high-risk medical devices, such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and pacemakers, are safe and effective through its premarket approval (PMA) pathway, during which manufacturers must collect preclinical and clinical data before the device is approved.

From Medtronic 22 Jan 2014

Overweight men diagnosed with prostate cancer more likely to die from the disease

Men who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer are more likely to die from the disease than men who are of healthy weight, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. In patients with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, the researchers also found an even stronger correlation between obesity and mortality.

30 Oct 2013

DPP-4 inhibitors may reduce risk of autoimmune diseases

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors commonly used to control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases in these patients, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

28 Oct 2013

Study shows low uptake of HPV vaccination among patients with autoimmune diseases

The number of children and young adults with autoimmune diseases receiving the HPV vaccination is profoundly low despite studies showing the vaccine to be safe and effective, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego. Given the increased incidence of HPV in people with autoimmune diseases, this research suggests that increased public health efforts are needed.