New Evidence Links Calcium Channel Blockers to Increased Risk of Glaucoma
Use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs), particularly cardioselective agents, had a modest but statistically significant association with glaucoma, a large meta-analysis showed. Overall, patients with a history of CCB treatment had a 23% higher likelihood of developing glaucoma as compared with individuals who never used the antihypertensives. The likelihood almost doubled among patients who received […]
CDC: Children’s Brain Infections Rose Last Winter, But Remained Rare
Pediatric intracranial infections spiked recently and were associated with significant morbidity but remained rare, according to CDC researchers monitoring cases across the country. Hospitalization data through March 2023 from 37 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia showed a “higher-than-expected number” of pediatric intracranial infections, particularly those caused by Streptococcus bacteria, beginning in […]
Women With Hypertension During Pregnancy Face Higher CVD Risks
Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) were at a significant risk for developing new cardiovascular disease (CVD) within a couple of years of giving birth, a researcher reported. Within 2 years postpartum, patients with HDP had almost two times the risk for cerebrovascular disease, nearly three times the risk for cardiomyopathy and heart failure […]
JAK Inhibitor Improves Symptoms, Anemia in Myelofibrosis
Myelofibrosis treatment with the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor momelotinib resulted in clinically significant improvements in symptoms and spleen response compared with danazol for symptomatic, JAK inhibitor-exposed patients with anemia and intermediate- or high-risk disease, the phase III MOMENTUM trial showed. A significantly greater proportion of patients in the momelotinib group reported a ≥50% reduction in […]
Pre-Op Axitinib Helps for Partial Nephrectomy of Complex Renal Tumors
SAN DIEGO — Use of neoadjuvant axitinib (Inlyta) resulted in significant reductions in tumor size and complexity, enabling partial nephrectomy in a cohort of patients with highly complex renal masses in whom the procedure would ordinarily not be feasible, according to an interim analysis from a small phase II trial. A course of the tyrosine […]
Overactive Bladder Linked to Multiple Unmet Socioeconomic Needs
Unmet socioeconomic needs had a significant association with overactive bladder (OAB), adding to evidence of a complex interaction between social determinants of health and OAB, researchers said. Stressors such as housing and food insecurity and concerns about personal health as much as tripled the odds of reported OAB symptoms. The stressors remained significant predictors for […]
No evidence that physical activity calorie-equivalent labelling changes food purchasing
An experiment carried out across ten workplace cafeterias found no significant change in the overall number of calories purchased when food and drink labels showed the amount of physical activity required to burn off their calories. More than three in five UK adults are overweight or obese, increasing their risk of diseases such as type […]
More Evidence of Monkeypox Spread Before Symptoms Appear
There could be significant monkeypox transmission before symptoms appear, making it tougher to get infected people into timely quarantine, according to an observational study. An analysis of contact-tracing data from the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that transmission was spotted up to a maximum of 4 days before symptom onset, and that 53% of […]
Early Promise With Fluoxetine for Refractory Nocturnal Enuresis in Children
Children with refractory primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE) obtained significant short-term symptom relief with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine, a small placebo-controlled trial showed. Two-thirds of patients in the fluoxetine arm had more than a 50% reduction in wet nights by 4 weeks, as compared with 16.7% of the placebo group. By 12 […]
Recent Developments in Allergic Asthma
Forty-two weeks into 2022, the year has seen significant progress in bringing relief to patients with allergic asthma. Among them: research identifying novel types of precipitating factors (literally, in one recent study), better understanding of air pollution’s contributions to asthma exacerbations, and insights into how climate change may affect asthma patients. And drug developers in […]