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Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attacks for older women

Scientists in New Zealand say healthy post-menopausal women who take calcium supplements to maintain bone strength may be increasing their risk of heart attacks.

16 Jan 2008

Etanercept drug reverses early symptoms of Alzheimer's in 10 minutes

Scientists in the U.S. say a drug which can reverse some of the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease takes effect within 10 minutes.

14 Jan 2008

The drug sirolimus shrinks tumors, improves lung function

The drug sirolimus, normally used to help transplant patients fight organ rejection, may eventually be used as a less invasive treatment for a tumor called angiomyolipomata in patients with who would otherwise face surgery.

10 Jan 2008

Soybeans for hot flashes

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have found that a compound in soybeans is effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal women.

10 Jan 2008

Taranabant shows promise for weight loss in obese people

The first clinical studies of an experimental drug have revealed that obese people who take it for 12 weeks lose weight, even at very low doses.

9 Jan 2008

Drug metformin and lifestyle changes can help treat weight gain induced by antipsychotic drugs

Lifestyle intervention and the drug metformin are both effective against antipsychotic-induced weight gain, and treatment is most effective when the two therapies are combined, according to a study in the January 9/16 issue of JAMA.

9 Jan 2008

Takeda submits NDA for Alogliptin (SYR-322) in the U.S.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) has announced that Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc. submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for alogliptin (development code: SYR-322), a highly selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

7 Jan 2008

Placebo better than antipsychotic drugs for treating aggression in the intellectually disabled

Antipsychotic drugs which are commonly used to treat aggression in people who are intellectually disabled have been revealed to be ineffective.

6 Jan 2008

Surprising number of doctors prescribe placebos

The revelation that doctors in the U.S. commonly prescribe placebos has surprised many.

6 Jan 2008

Need for greater recognition of the use of placebos

In the first study examining American physicians' use of placebos in clinical practice in the 21st Century, 45 percent of Chicago internists report they have used a placebo at some time during their clinical practice researchers report in the January issue of Journal of General Internal Medicine.

4 Jan 2008

Vitamin D2 is as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

3 Jan 2008

No excess cardiovascular risk from HRT for most patients

An American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) analysis of several studies monitoring the impact of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) shows young women in early menopause may not only have no increased cardiovascular risk from the therapy, but may indeed show benefit in the future.

3 Jan 2008

AstraZeneca submits sNDAs for SEROQUEL XR for bipolar symptoms

AstraZeneca has announced that the company has submitted two separate supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for once-daily SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) Extended-Release Tablets to seek approval for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder and the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

3 Jan 2008

Testosterone supplementation in older men

Older men with low testosterone levels who received testosterone supplementation increased lean body mass and decreased body fat, but were no stronger and had no improvement in mobility or cognition compared with men who did not use the supplement, according to a study in the January 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Jan 2008