Updated recommendations for endometriosis released
July 20th 2010Women who suffer from endometriosis-related pain should be treated first with conservative, nonsurgical approaches and then with more invasive options if pain does not resolve, and with hysterectomy only as a last resort, according to a practice bulletin issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, reported HealthDay News.
Cardiology clinicians neglect to determine patient use of nutraceuticals and OTC agents
July 20th 2010The use of nutraceuticals and nonprescription over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may be high; however, the use of these agents may largely be ignored by cardiovascular clinicians, according to research published in the July 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Folic acid, vitamin B12 do not reduce vascular events
July 20th 2010Supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 over an extended period does not have a beneficial effect on vascular outcomes in individuals who have had a myocardial infarction, but it also poses no excess cancer risk, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, HealthDay News reported.
FDA panel votes to keep rosiglitazone on market, but wants label changes
July 20th 2010An FDA advisory panel voted 20?12 to recommend that the agency allow rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) to remain on the market. However, most panelists want to see tougher warnings on the diabetes drug?s label, according to various media reports.
Diabetes prevention: Meta-analysis finds glitazones superior to other oral antidiabetic drug classes
July 15th 2010A systematic review assessing the comparative effectiveness of oral anti-diabetic drugs for preventing patients at high risk from progressing to type 2 diabetes has found glitazones (pioglitazone, rosiglitazone), biguanides (metformin), and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs; acarbose, voglibose) reduced the relative risk of diabetes by as much as 63%, whereas insulin secretagogues (sulfonylureas and glinides) had no effect.
MTM bill seeks to help seniors manage medications, reduce healthcare costs
July 15th 2010Sens. Kay R. Hagan (D-N.C.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) have introduced The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Expanded Benefits Act, a bill that will allow seniors with one chronic illness to thoroughly review all their medications with a pharmacist in a one-on-one session.
FDA announces ongoing cardiovascular safety review of olmesartan
July 15th 2010FDA has announced that the agency is currently evaluating whether the use of the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) olmesartan (Benicar, Daiichi Sankyo; also sold in combination with hydrocholorothiazide as Benicar HCT) was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality.