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FDA recommends heart drug designed for blacks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have announced that a heart-failure drug manufactured for African-Americans significantly reduced deaths and hospitalizations and its side effects were similar to those of a placebo's.

16 Jun 2005

Obese teens shed weight with combo diet, exercise, therapy and drug program

New research suggests that when combined with a low-calorie diet, exercise and behavioral therapy, treatment with the drug Xenical significantly improves weight management for obese teenagers.

16 Jun 2005

Antifungal drug could improve lives of thousands of asthmatics

Researchers in the UK say that antifungal drugs could be the key to improving the lives of thousands of asthmatics.

From The University of Manchester 16 Jun 2005

Placebos can affect emotion as well relieving pain

Just as placebos have been shown to bring relief from pain, researchers have now found that they can affect emotion, alleviating the impact of unpleasant experiences.

15 Jun 2005

Report on Hispanics and genes, culture, and medicines highlights the rise of individualized medicine

"The FDA's review today of BiDil could make it the first drug approved specifically for African Americans and marks the end of 'one-size-fits-all' medicine," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

15 Jun 2005

Fish oil not a good idea for heart defibrillator patients

For heart patients who have surgically implanted defibrillators to shock their weakened hearts back into rhythm, fish oil supplements are not a good idea and in fact appear to do more harm than good.

15 Jun 2005

Orlistat, a drug that decreases fat absorption, appears helpful for improving weight management in obese adolescents

When combined with diet, exercise and behavioral therapy, orlistat, a drug that decreases fat absorption, appears helpful for improving weight management in obese adolescents, compared with placebo, according to an article in the June 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Jun 2005

The most frequently used drugs for treating chronic insomnia have never been approved for that purpose

Vaughn McCall, M.D., M.S., professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, told a special consensus panel at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that he could find no evidence that randomized controlled clinical trials had ever been conducted for five of the 10 pharmaceuticals prescribed most often for chronic insomnia.

14 Jun 2005

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Even though previous research has shown that fatty acids from fish oil reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, patients with implantable defibrillators who took fish oil supplements did not see a reduction in serious heart rhythm abnormalities, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Jun 2005

Ruboxistaurin shows favorable effects on kidney damage and function in people with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

Eli Lilly and Company today announced encouraging results from a one-year pilot study examining the effect of ruboxistaurin mesylate in persons with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease (also known as "diabetic nephropathy").

12 Jun 2005

Rimonabant study shows significant improvements in HbA1c and cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes

The reported results of a one-year phase III study in 1045 people with type 2 diabetes treated with rimonabant, the first in a new class of therapeutic agents called selective CB1 Blockers, were that rimonabant 20 mg significantly improved HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar control), dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of fat in the blood), and systolic blood pressure with a concomitant substantial reduction in abdominal obesity in people with type 2 diabetes treated with oral anti-diabetic medications and requiring further control.

12 Jun 2005

Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should be screened for retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy has been found in nearly 8 percent of pre-diabetic participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), according to a report presented today at the American Diabetes Association's 65th Annual Scientific Sessions.

12 Jun 2005

Researchers describe emerging strategy for prevention, early treatment of Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes may be significantly delayed or prevented through medication that takes the load off of the body's delicate insulin-producing cells, according to a study released today by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

12 Jun 2005

MabThera highly effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis

Results from the DANCER study presented today revealed that MabThera significantly improves symptoms in heavily treated patients who are affected by moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a painful and debilitating disease of the joints.

9 Jun 2005

Rituximab, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is safe and effective

Professor Paul Emery from the University of Leeds in the UK led the DANCER study (Double blind placebo controlled dose ranging study), designed to confirm the efficacy of rituximab for the treatment of patients with active RA who have failed to improve on one or more disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

9 Jun 2005

Possible new treatment for chemobrain using the drug dexmethyphenidate (d-MPH)

Patients who take medication for cancer often find themselves with a new problem when their treatment ends.

8 Jun 2005

Latest research on men's health issues, treatments and lifestyle practices

Today, leading researchers are gathering at the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Diego to present the latest research on men's health issues, treatments and lifestyle practices. New findings could help doctors identify risks and treat men's conditions more effectively.

6 Jun 2005

New research shows that threatened drug treatments slow damage to the brain caused by dementia

New research suggests that currently available anti dementia drugs not only alleviate the symptoms, but also reduce the destructive processes that kill brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease.

2 Jun 2005

Novel topical treatment of psoriasis

Cytochroma Inc. today announced results from a Phase Ia clinical study for CTA018, a novel vitamin D analog developed for the treatment of psoriasis.

2 Jun 2005

Stronger version of chickenpox vaccine cuts incidence and severity of shingles in older adults

In one of the largest adult vaccine clinical trials ever, researchers have found that an experimental vaccine against shingles (zoster vaccine) prevented about half of cases of shingles--a painful nerve and skin infection--and dramatically reduced its severity and complications in vaccinated persons who got the disease. The findings appear in the June 2 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Jun 2005

Placebo News and Research

FDA recommends heart drug designed for blacks

Obese teens shed weight with combo diet, exercise, therapy and drug program

Antifungal drug could improve lives of thousands of asthmatics

Placebos can affect emotion as well relieving pain

Report on Hispanics and genes, culture, and medicines highlights the rise of individualized medicine

Fish oil not a good idea for heart defibrillator patients

Orlistat, a drug that decreases fat absorption, appears helpful for improving weight management in obese adolescents

The most frequently used drugs for treating chronic insomnia have never been approved for that purpose

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Ruboxistaurin shows favorable effects on kidney damage and function in people with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

Rimonabant study shows significant improvements in HbA1c and cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes

Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes should be screened for retinopathy

Researchers describe emerging strategy for prevention, early treatment of Type 2 diabetes

MabThera highly effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis

Rituximab, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is safe and effective

Possible new treatment for chemobrain using the drug dexmethyphenidate (d-MPH)

Latest research on men's health issues, treatments and lifestyle practices

New research shows that threatened drug treatments slow damage to the brain caused by dementia

Novel topical treatment of psoriasis

Stronger version of chickenpox vaccine cuts incidence and severity of shingles in older adults

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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