New research suggests a commonly used drug to treat yeast infections is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage if it’s used during pregnancy. About 10 percent of pregnant women experience yeast infections, and while topical treatments are often the first option, some receive an anti-fungal pill called fluconazole. Researchers looked at data on more...
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Blockbuster drugs are stacking up orphan approvals
Some of the best-selling drugs in the U.S. have stacked up extra federal protections that were initially intended to spark research into drugs that couldn’t make money on their own. Why it matters: Some experts fear that these additional protections could help shield blockbuster drugs from cheaper competitors. Show less How it works: Federal law...
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PCSK9 inhibitors to lower cholesterol in patients with statin-associated autoimmune myopathy
Beyond its toxic effect, statin use has been associated with a rare but potentially severe and disabling type of muscle disease known as statin-associated autoimmune myopathy. Its distinguishing features are the persistence after withdrawal of statins and its association with antibodies against 3-hydroxy-3methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). Management usually requires steroids and other immunosuppressive therapies....
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What causes cramps after sex?
Causes of cramps in both sexes Causes in women Causes in menTreatment and prevention When to see a doctor Both men and women can experience cramps after sex. The medical term for pain before, during, or after sex is dyspareunia.Cramps may occur after sex for many reasons, ranging from mild muscle strain to underlying conditions...
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A Drug-by-Drug Guide to Treating Insomnia
Unmanaged sleep disorders are creating a public health epidemic. So says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).[1] An estimated 30%-50% of people suffer acute or transient symptoms at some point in their lifetime, and in 5%-10% of cases, these symptoms persist and develop into a chronic...
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New open-source bioinformatics tool identifies factors responsible for diseases
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have developed and tested a new computational tool, Candidate Driver Analysis (CaDrA), which will search for combinations of factors that are likely to cause a specific disease. CaDrA recognizes that diseases are complex and likely induced by multiple causes. It is now available free to members of...
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Darolutamide slows spread of castration-resistant prostate cancer
Karim Fizazi, M.D., from the Université Paris-Sud, and colleagues randomly assigned men with nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer and a prostate-specific antigen doubling time of ≤10 months (2:1) to receive either darolutamide (955 participants; 600 mg twice daily) or placebo (554 participants) while continuing androgen-deprivation therapy. The researchers found that in the planned primary analysis, median...
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The psychiatry field is buzzing with anticipation — and hesitation — about esketamine for depression – pharmaceutical
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to approve esketamine, which would become the first major depression treatment to hit the market in decades. The psychiatry field is buzzing with excitement — and hesitation. Esketamine — developed by Johnson & Johnson and delivered as a nasal spray —...
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Combining morning exercise with short walking breaks helps control blood pressure in older overweight/obese adults, especially in women
DALLAS, February 20, 2019 — Thirty minutes of morning exercise lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day among older men and women who are overweight or obese. And women who take brief, frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can enhance the blood pressure benefits of morning exercise even more, according to new...
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Cocktail of common antibiotics can fight resistant E. coli
A group of scientists in Denmark is trying to get one step ahead in the battle against antibiotic resistance. Today, many disease-causing bacteria acquire resistance genes, which make antibiotic treatment ineffective. Especially, one gene, CTX-M-15, encoding an extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) can lead to resistance in E. coli causing urinary tract infections. The team of...