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UrduWhen you pick up a prescription or get a vaccination, it’s paramount that you trust the medication is safe. In the U.S., a system of laws, procedures, and personal responsibility combine to ensure drug safety, or pharmacovigilance.
Tag: Medications
Uncontrolled Hypertension: The Old ‘Silent Killer’ is Alive and Well
High blood pressure affects about 45% of U.S. adults. In the 1970s, only about 50% of patients were aware of their hypertension. Today, 54% are aware of their high blood pressure, 40% are actively treated and 21% are actively controlled. As such, researchers alert health care providers that the old “silent killer” is alive and well.
Amy Tsou, MD, MSc, Selected to Speak at the 2024 AANEM Annual Meeting
The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), is excited to announce Amy Tsou, MD, MSc, as a plenary speaker at the 2024 AANEM Annual Meeting Oct. 15-18, in Savannah, Georgia.
Data analysis of electronic medical records can predict adverse outcomes and suggest medications
Electronic medical records (EMRs) are digital versions of the paper charts typically found in clinician offices, clinics, and hospitals and are mostly used by healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment. New research has leveraged EMR data analysis to predict the risk of developing adverse outcomes in the near future based on an individual’s medical history, and also pinpoint which medications may have beneficial effects.
Chilling discovery: Cold-sensing protein may pave the way for safer pain relief
Research published in Science Advances traced the history of human’s ability to feel cold back to the molecular underpinnings of the cold and menthol sensor TRPM8 over hundreds of millions of years. The findings could lead to non-addictive pain medications, a crucial development given the opioid crisis.
U.S. Drug-related Infant Deaths More than Doubled from 2018 to 2022
Drug-involved infant deaths more than doubled (120% increase) from 2018 to 2022, with the greatest proportion of deaths in 2021 (25.8%). The most prevalent underlying causes of death included assault (homicide) by drugs, medicaments and biological substances (35.6%).
How Scientists Are Accelerating Chemistry Discoveries With Automation
Researchers have developed an automated workflow that could accelerate the discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs and other useful products. The new approach could enable real-time reaction analysis and identify new chemical-reaction products much faster than current laboratory methods.
Endometriosis Awareness Month: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
It is one of the most common and painful disorders, affecting more than 6 million women in the United States. Endometriosis is often difficult to diagnose and effectively treat. But Cedars-Sinai experts find patients can now benefit from minimally invasive procedures, medications and integrative medicine.
Good News—MS Drugs Taken While Breastfeeding May Not Affect Child Development
Certain medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) called monoclonal antibodies, taken while breastfeeding, may not affect the development of a child during the first three years of life, according to a preliminary study released today, March 4, 2024. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study examined four monoclonal antibodies for MS: natalizumab, ocrelizumab, rituximab and ofatumumab.
SMART Recovery Meetings for Alcohol Recovery Appeal to People with More Social and Economic Stability and Lower Spiritual Leanings, Compared to Alcoholics Anonymous
Certain characteristics of people seeking remission from alcohol use disorder (AUD) are linked to their choice of recovery meeting, a new study suggests. Informal peer recovery groups—mutual-help organizations—play a crucial role for many individuals with AUD or other drug disorders. Such groups are proliferating and differ substantially in approach.
New tool reveals how drugs affect men, women differently — and will make for safer medications
UVA Health researchers have developed a powerful new tool to understand how medications affect men and women differently, and that will help lead to safer, more effective drugs in the future.
As “deprescribing” medicines for older adults catches on, poll shows need for patient-provider dialogue
As the movement toward “deprescribing” medications among older adults grows, a new poll shows strong interest in this idea, with 80% of adults aged 50 to 80 open to stopping one or more of the prescription medicines they’ve been taking for more than a year, if a health care provider said it was possible. Already, 26% said they have done so in the past two years – though some had done it without talking to a health provider.
Bad medical news causes patients to choose brand name drugs over generics, costing billions
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines how receiving negative medical results might affect how people choose between generic and brand name drugs.
Black People Less Likely to Receive Dementia-Related Medications
Black people are receiving medications for dementia less often than white people, according to a preliminary study released today, February 26, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.
Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health
University of South Australia researchers are calling for exercise to be a mainstay approach for managing depression as a new study shows that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counselling or the leading medications.
New neurology medication usage low due to high costs, similar effectiveness
While many new medications designed to treat neurologic diseases have hit the market, utilization by patients remains low due to high costs and similar effectiveness to existing drugs, a new study funded by the American Academy of Neurology finds.
Lupus pill shows promise in mice; clinical trial underway
There’s no cure for lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks organs. But today, scientists report they have begun phase 2 clinical trials with a pill containing a compound that, in mice, reverses organ damage and prevents death. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2022.
Study examines adverse effects of obesity medications
An essential part of obesity care is making sure treatments are safe for patients.
New App Helps Prevent Medication Harm and Improve Safety in Patients with Kidney Disease
• A one-year trial found that the eKidneyCare smartphone app helped patients with chronic kidney disease take their prescribed medications properly.
• The app may help to prevent adverse drug reactions and other medication errors that can endanger patients.
Older people often incorrectly assume medicines don’t have potential side effects
When physicians failed to verbally provide information about potential side effects, older people incorrectly assumed that about 55% of their prescribed medications had none. When they did provide the information, patients incorrectly assumed there were no side effects for 22% of the medications.
Landmark Study Suggests Malaria-Preventive Drugs Dramatically Reduce Infections and Improve Health of School Children
Use of preventive antimalarial treatments reduces by half the number of malaria infections among schoolchildren, according to a new analysis published today in The Lancet Global Health.
Immune from Chronic Stress? Limit Inflammatory Signaling to Specific Brain Circuits
Chronic stress is associated with the pathogenesis of psychological disorders such as depression. A study is the first to identify the role of a neuronal receptor that straddles the intersection between social stress, inflammation, and anxiety in rodent models of stress. Findings suggest the possibility of developing better medications to treat the consequences of chronic stress by limiting inflammatory signaling not just generally, which may not be beneficial in the long run, but to specific brain circuits.