Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Several key discoveries in palliative care

What is the best way to talk to someone about prognosis and quality of life when serious illness strikes? It turns out that no one had studied that question through direct observation, until the University of Rochester Medical Center audio-recorded 71 palliative care discussions.

2 Jun 2012

Lilly, Kowa announce results from PREVAIL U.S. study

Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company today announced results of the PREVAIL U.S. study (Pitavastatin compaREd with praVAstatin In Lowering LDL-C in the U.S.) which evaluated the efficacy of LIVALO (pitavastatin) 4 mg compared with pravastatin 40 mg in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the primary endpoint, as well as effects on other lipid parameters and lipoprotein particles in adult patients with primary hyperlipidemia or mixed dyslipidemia.

2 Jun 2012

Hip arthroplasty pseudotumors ‘cause for great concern’

Pseudotumors may be 10 times more common in patients after metal-on-metal hip resurfacing and total hip replacement than thought, suggest Dutch researchers.

1 Jun 2012

Senate field hearing probes whether Accretive Health's bill collection practices violated patient privacy

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who convened the hearing, questioned whether thousands of Minnesotans who trusted their health records to Minnesota's Fairview and North Memorial hospitals, suffered privacy breaches. The hearing follows an investigation by Minnesota's attorney general into the relationship between Accretive Health and Fairview.

1 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Bishops' request for contraception exemption may push legal precedent; Maine's experiment on health care

43 Roman Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits challenging a ... regulation that requires employers or their health insurers to offer birth control coverage to workers. The plaintiffs say that complying with the regulation would violate their religious freedom.

1 Jun 2012

Researchers develop special brassiere for breast cancer patients

In cooperation with Amoena Medizin-Orthopädie-Technik GmbH, researchers from the Hohenstein Institute have taken on a highly sensitive yet very important issue. In the framework of the publicly funded research project they developed a special brassiere for breast cancer patients.

1 Jun 2012

Omeros commences planned PK substudy in Phase 3 clinical program of OMS302

Omeros Corporation today announced the initiation of the planned pharmacokinetic (PK) substudy in its Phase 3 clinical program evaluating OMS302 in patients undergoing intraocular lens replacement (ILR) surgery.

1 Jun 2012

State roundup: Federal judge rejects Calif. request to end oversight of prison health care; States push prescription drug databases; Medicare drug benefit at issue in Utah Senate race

A federal judge rejected a request by California prison officials Wednesday to regain control of inmate health care, which has been under court-supervised receivership for six years, and said the state must first show it can provide adequate medical treatment. ... The current receiver, Clark Kelso, has reported improvements in the prisons' medical staff and facilities, and said a "turnaround plan" he proposed for the system in 2008 is about 80 percent complete.

1 Jun 2012

Common pain killers linked to decreased skin cancer risk

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with a decreased risk for skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, study findings indicate.

31 May 2012

$Vertebroplasty feasible for at least 1 year after fracture$

Vertebroplasty feasible for at least 1 year after fracture

Patients with subacute and chronic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures can be successfully treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty between 2 and 12 months after symptom onset, say researchers.

31 May 2012

First Edition: May 31, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about various health-related measures currently on the move in Congress.

31 May 2012

Risk of gout flare-ups greatly increased by purine rich foods

Foods rich in purines, particularly those found in meat and seafood, quintuple the immediate risk of a gout flare-up, finds research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

31 May 2012

Mayo Clinic offers new technology for treatment of dry eye

Mayo Clinic in Arizona is the first medical center in Arizona and the Southwest to provide a new technology that treats dry eye by targeting blocked eyelid glands. Blocked glands can inhibit production of oil that is necessary for healthy tears needed to lubricate the eyes.

31 May 2012

Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation in people with osteoarthritis

Tart cherries may help reduce chronic inflammation, especially for the millions of Americans suffering from debilitating joint pain and arthritis, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference (ACSM) in San Francisco, Calif.

31 May 2012

NYU Langone establishes unique neuromodulation center

The Department of Neurosurgery at NYU Langone Medical Center has established a unique, multidisciplinary neuromodulation center for the treatment of complex neurological conditions including movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and psychiatric condition such as obsessive compulsive disorder and severe depression.

31 May 2012

Top-line data from Flexion‘s FX005 Phase 2 trial on osteoarthritis

Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. today reported that its lead osteoarthritis drug candidate, FX005, demonstrated significant pain relief over placebo at four weeks in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial. Top-line data showed FX005, delivered intra-articularly to the knee, was well-tolerated and resulted in prolonged improvement in joint pain and function throughout the 12-week duration of the study.

31 May 2012

Study uncovers the extent of OTC acetaminophen overdose risk

A significant number of adults are at risk of unintentionally overdosing on over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, according to a new study in the US by Dr. Michael Wolf, from Northwestern University in Chicago, and his colleagues. Their work¹, looking at the prevalence and potential misuse of pain medication containing the active ingredient acetaminophen as well as the likelihood of overdosing, appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine², published by Springer.

31 May 2012