Vickie Moored can walk again. Her words don’t slur, her vision isn’t blurred, and she no longer collapses every day. The 65-year-old from Elkton, Va., says she has her life back, thanks to the stunning efficacy of a cheap, but unapproved, chemical called 3,4-DAP. It’s a medication she would not have but for the largesse...
Tag: <span>Drugs</span>
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Pharmacogenomics: The Science of Personalizing Drugs Based On DNA
Individuals share about 99.97 percent of their DNA and only the remaining 0.03 percent is responsible for the differences in skin, hair or eye color, height, shoe size or sunspots. Scientists discovered somewhat recently that our bodies also metabolize drugs differently so it would make sense to prescribe medications based on the knowledge hidden in...
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Are generics as good as brand-name drugs?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandates that they perform the same way and are as safe and effective as brand–name drugs. However, makers of generics don’t have to repeat the clinical trials done on the originals. To be approved by the FDA, a generic must show “bioequivalence”—there can’t be a significant difference from the brand in the rate and amount of absorption of the drug when...
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Can I still use prescription drugs after they expire?
The Harvard Medical School republished a well-worn article in August that recounted a 1985 study in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looked to pinpoint expiration dates for more than 100 drugs in an effort to unburden the U.S. military from some of the exorbitant annual costs of replacing its pharmaceuticals. Credit: CC0 Public Domain...
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Weight loss drug shows positive effect on diabetes
Lorcaserin decreased risk for diabetes, induced diabetes remission and reduced risk of diabetes complications in obese and overweight patients BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL Boston, MA — At the 2018 Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Brigham and Women’s Hospital investigators from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group presented diabetes-related...
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The truth behind 8 common misconceptions about drugs
Your spine doesn’t store LSD, and MDMA doesn’t put holes in your brain Drugs, especially illegal ones, are notorious for their misinformation. Without a reliable knowledge base, users—from recreational ones to addicts—often rely on friends, online forums, and other untrustworthy information sources. Recreational drugs, especially ones you take at parties or concerts, can be easy...
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Scientists Find New Tricks For Old Drugs
Most drugs have side effects, but sometimes they’re actually good news. Researchers are now exploring whether some cheap and common drugs have side effects that could help people fight off the flu and other lung infections. Lipitor, a best-seller as a cholesterol treatment, is being tested as a remedy for the flu. This idea has...
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Anticonvulsant drugs ineffective for low back pain and can cause harm, despite increased prescribing
CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL Anticonvulsant drugs are increasingly being used to treat low back pain, but a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) finds they are ineffective and can have adverse effects. “Clinically, the prescription of anticonvulsants for back and neck pain, including radicular pain in primary care, has increased by 535% in the last 10...
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Animal study suggests common diabetes drug may also help with nicotine withdrawal
In a mouse study, a drug that has helped millions of people around the world manage their diabetes might also help people ready to kick their nicotine habits. In a report published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), investigators say metformin, an inexpensive drug commonly...
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Many US-approved drugs pack serious side effects later, study shows
CHICAGO (AP) — Almost one-third of new drugs approved by U.S. regulators over a decade ended up years later with warnings about unexpected, sometimes life-threatening side effects or complications, a new analysis found. The results covered all 222 prescription drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2001 through 2010. The researchers looked...