What Is Tianeptine and Why Is It in Demand?
An uptick in adverse events connected to unregulated tianeptine products — often referred to as “gas station heroin” — along with the voluntary recall of a popular product have brought renewed attention to the atypical tricyclic antidepressant. Earlier this week, the company that makes a product called Neptune’s Fix issued a voluntary recall of several […]
Testosterone for Hypogonadism Cleared So Far of Prostate Cancer Risk
Men treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for hypogonadism didn’t have an increase in adverse prostate events, the TRAVERSE trial found. Over a mean follow-up of 33 months, those who used topical 1.62% testosterone gel had a 0.19% incidence of high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥4 + 3), similar to the 0.12% among placebo-treated men […]
Rare Syndrome After COVID Vaccines Described
People who experienced rare long-term adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination often had neurologic symptoms, survey data showed. Among 241 people who self-reported a post-vaccination syndrome (PVS), the five most common symptoms were exercise intolerance (71%), excessive fatigue (69%), numbness (63%), brain fog (63%), and neuropathy (63%), reported Harlan Krumholz, MD, of Yale School of Medicine […]
Methotrexate Tied to Greater Risks for Older Patients With CKD
Older patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had greater risks for serious adverse events when starting on low-dose methotrexate rather than hydroxychloroquine, a propensity score-matched analysis found. About 60% of the cohort’s new prescription came from a rheumatologist. Within 90 days of starting either treatment, the risk for the composite outcome — a hospital visit […]
No Increase in Major Cardiac Events With Testosterone-Replacement Therapy
CHICAGO — Testosterone-replacement therapy was noninferior to placebo in the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events among men with hypogonadism and established or high risk for cardiovascular disease, the randomized TRAVERSE trial showed. At a mean follow-up of 33 months, the primary cardiovascular endpoint — first occurrence of any component of a composite of death […]
Mediterranean diet linked to lower preeclampsia risk
In a new study evaluating the Mediterranean diet and adverse pregnancy outcomes, investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai found that women who conceived while adhering to the anti-inflammatory diet had a significantly lower risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. The study, published today in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Network Open, also evaluated the […]
Surgery Bests Endovascular Therapy for Most Limb-Threatening Ischemia Patients
CHICAGO — Surgical revascularization led to fewer major adverse limb events and deaths compared with endovascular therapy in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia, according to the prospective randomized BEST-CLI trial. After a median follow-up of 2.7 years, the primary composite outcome of major adverse limb events and death from any cause occurred in 42.6% of […]
How Safe Are Migraine Drugs for People With Cardiovascular Conditions?
Triptans were associated with fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in acute migraine patients with a history of cardiovascular conditions compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids/butalbital, patient registry data showed. Among people with acute migraine and at least one baseline cardiovascular condition, MACE occurred with 0.90% of triptan prescriptions, 4.52% of opioid/butalbital prescriptions, […]
ED Meds Linked to Higher Risk of Ocular Adverse Events
Regular users of common medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) are at a higher risk for ocular adverse events, according to a large cohort study. Among over 200,000 men using phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), the adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for the composite endpoint of serous retinal detachment (SRD), retinal vascular occlusion (RVO), and ischemic […]
6 Months of U.S. Data Support Safety of mRNA COVID Vaccines
Nearly all local and systemic adverse events (AEs) reported after Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines were mild and transient, and only a fraction of individuals reported seeking medical care, according to data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and CDC’s v-safe tracker. Out of almost 300 million mRNA vaccine doses administered in the […]