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Sleep problems may be indicator of early Alzheimer's disease

Sleep is disrupted in people who likely have early Alzheimer's disease but do not yet have the memory loss or other cognitive problems characteristic of full-blown disease, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report March 11 in JAMA Neurology.

12 Mar 2013

Aliskiren and standard therapy not associated with reduced CV death or HF rehospitalization

Among patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; a measure of how well the left ventricle of the heart pumps with each contraction), initiation of the medication aliskiren in addition to standard therapy did not reduce cardiovascular death or HF rehospitalization at 6 or 12 months after discharge, according to a study published online by JAMA.

12 Mar 2013

Anti-cancer drug conjugates: an interview with Dr Andreas Menrad, CSO Ablynx and Dr Chris Martin, CEO Spirogen

Antibodies and in the case of Ablynx, Nanobodies, can be raised and selected to bind with high affinity selectively to cancer cells in a tumour. Cancer cells are exquisitely sensitive to certain toxins such as the PBDs produced by Spirogen.

12 Mar 2013

Results from Orion Pharma’s ORM-12741 phase IIa study on AD

A new drug may improve memory problems in people with moderate Alzheimer's disease, according to a phase IIa study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013. The drug is called ORM-12741.

12 Mar 2013

Addition of niacin to statin does not improve HDL function

While two large clinical trials recently showed that adding niacin to statin therapy failed to improve clinical outcomes despite a significant increase in HDL-C levels, little is known about exactly why the increased HDL-C levels did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

12 Mar 2013

NIH-sponsored comparative trial evaluates benefits of combination therapy and monotherapy in MS

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were treated with combination therapy did not see significant clinical benefit over those treated with single drug therapy, but combination therapy did reduce the development of new lesions, according to an international research team led by The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

12 Mar 2013

Darapladib can significantly reduce leaks in the blood brain barrier

A research team led by Robert Nagele, PhD, of the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine, has demonstrated that the anti-atherosclerosis drug darapladib can significantly reduce leaks in the blood brain barrier.

12 Mar 2013

Examining importance of global health governance

In a New England Journal of Medicine review article, Julio Frenk and Suerie Moon of the Harvard School of Public Health write that the world faces "a trio of threats: first, the unfinished agenda of infections, undernutrition, and reproductive health problems; second, the rising global burden of non-communicable diseases and their associated risk factors, such as smoking and obesity; and third, the challenges arising from globalization itself, such as the health effects of climate change and trade policies, which demand engagement outside the traditional health sector."

12 Mar 2013

$Sildenafil does not improve exercise capacity in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction$

Sildenafil does not improve exercise capacity in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction

Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (a measure of heart function), administration of sildenafil for 24 weeks, compared with placebo, did not result in significant improvement in exercise capacity or clinical status, according to a study published online by JAMA.

12 Mar 2013

Study links prenatal DDT exposure to hypertension in adults

Infant girls exposed to high levels of the pesticide DDT while still inside the womb are three times more likely to develop hypertension when they become adults, according to a new study led by the University of California, Davis.

12 Mar 2013

Patients with neck injuries incur increased health and social costs

Patients with neck injuries incur increased health and social costs-which also affect their spouses and may begin years before the initial injury, reports a study in the March 1 issue of Spine.

12 Mar 2013

Combination of INF and glatiramer acetate does not reduce MS progression

A recent clinical trial found that interferonβ-1a (INF) and glatiramer acetate (GA), two of the most commonly prescribed drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS), provide no additional clinical benefit when taken together.

12 Mar 2013

Pitavastatin may reduce risk of heart attack, stroke and death in patients with high cholesterol

Heart patients who can't tolerate the side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs may have a new option, according to a new study by researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

12 Mar 2013

ECMO and mechanical CPR use can lead to unexpected survival in severe heart attack patients

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), accompanied by mechanical CPR, in patients with massive myocardial infarctions can lead to unexpected survival. These study findings are being presented March 9 at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions.

12 Mar 2013

$Sildenafil does not help heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction$

Sildenafil does not help heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

A commonly used erectile dysfunction drug, sildenafil, doesn't help patients who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a condition in which the heart's lower chambers are stiff and cannot relax and fill fully between beats.

12 Mar 2013

Buphenyl may protect memory and prevent progression of Alzheimer's

Buphenyl, an FDA-approved medication for hyperammonemia, may protect memory and prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Mar 2013

Study shows brain areas undergo measureable volume loss after concussion

A single concussion may cause lasting structural damage to the brain, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

12 Mar 2013

New Sapien XT aortic valve reduces rate of death and strokes

The new Sapien XT aortic valve showed a non-significantly lower rate of death and strokes at 30 days than the original model, and both valves demonstrated notably better short-term outcomes than seen with the Sapien system in PARTNER I, according to the first results from the PARTNER II study presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

12 Mar 2013

Researchers discover new mechanism that allows collective cell migration

Researchers at the University of Montreal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) have discovered a new mechanism that allows some cells in our body to move together, in some ways like the tortoise formation used by Roman soldiers depicted in the Asterix series.

12 Mar 2013

Study identifies why prazosin may cause lightheadedness and fainting

A new study led by a Canadian research team has identified the reason why prazosin, a drug commonly used to reduce high blood pressure, may cause lightheadedness and possible fainting upon standing in patients with normal blood pressure who take the drug for other reasons, such as the treatment of PTSD and anxiety.

12 Mar 2013