Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for January 2013. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Conflict-of-Interest Policy Affects Prescribing Behavior
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Psychiatrists exposed to conflict-of-interest (COI) policies while completing their residency program are less likely to prescribe brand-name antidepressants after completion of their residency, according to research published in the February issue of Medical Care.
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Ranibizumab No Better Than Saline for Vitreous Hemorrhage
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with vitreous hemorrhage from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), the probability of vitrectomy within 16 weeks after intravitreal injections of ranibizumab or saline is lower than expected, with little difference seen between the two treatments, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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CDC: Non-Flu Adult Vaccination Rates Largely Unchanged
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- In 2011, non-influenza vaccination coverage among adults was similar to that of 2010, except for modest increases in human papillomavirus (HPV) among women and in tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) overall and among household contacts of children, according to a report published in the Jan. 29 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
Brain Activity Predicts Response to Scopolamine
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- The neural response in the visual cortex while processing emotional information can predict which patients with major depressive disorder will respond to scopolamine, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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Low Diuretic Use in Home Care for Blacks With Hypertension
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- A majority of black patients enrolled in an urban home health organization who have uncontrolled hypertension are not receiving diuretic antihypertensive medication, despite guideline recommendations regarding the important role diuretics play in hypertension control, according to research published in the February issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.
Peds Rotavirus Vaccine Offers Indirect Protection for Adults
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric rotavirus vaccinations also decrease the prevalence of the disease in unvaccinated adults, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Kynamro Approved for Genetic Condition Tied to Cholesterol
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Kynamro (mipomersen sodium) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), a rare inherited condition in which the body can't remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the blood, as an addition to lipid-lowering medications and diet.
Single, Fractional Dose of Polio Vaccine Induces Priming
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Priming immune responses are induced in most infants after vaccination with a single dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), according to a study published in the Jan. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Parents Not Too Concerned About Child Abuse of Pain Meds
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Parents are not that concerned about misuse of narcotic pain medicines by their children and teens, according to the University of Michigan's Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.
Study Confirms Prolongation of QT Interval With Citalopram
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including citalopram, escitalopram, and amitriptyline, are associated with prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in BMJ.
Moxifloxacin Monotherapy Equivalent to Antibiotic Combo
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Oral monotherapy with moxifloxacin is as efficacious and safe as combination therapy with ciprofloxacin plus amoxicillin/clavulanic acid for treatment of fever in adult patients with cancer and neutropenia who are at low risk of complications, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Early Palliative Care in Lung CA Focuses on Coping, Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Early palliative care (PC) clinic visits, integrated with standard oncologic care for patients with metastatic lung cancer, emphasize symptom management, coping, and psychosocial aspects of illness, according to research published online Jan. 28 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Bile Acid Sequestrant Reduces Glucose Concentration in T2DM
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with type 2 diabetes taking metformin monotherapy, the bile acid sequestrant colesevelam reduces fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations without any effects on insulin concentration, secretion, or action, according to research published online Dec. 18 in Diabetes.
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Flu Vaccine Safe in Children With Severe Egg Allergy
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Children with a history of severe egg allergy, even anaphylaxis, can safely receive a single dose of trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine (TIV), according to a study published in the December issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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Some Dietary Interventions Improve ADHD Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Under blinded conditions, non-pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show limited evidence of symptom improvement, according to a meta-analysis published online Jan. 30 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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T1DM Insulin Intensification Patterns, Outcomes Studied
TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- About half of youths with type 1 diabetes shift to a more intensive insulin regimen over time, which is associated with better glycemic control, according to research published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.
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ER Visits Up for Misuse of ADHD Stimulants by Young Adults
TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- From 2005 to 2010, there was an increase in the number of emergency department visits involving attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulant medications, with the number of visits increasing significantly among adults aged 18 years or older, according to a study published online Jan. 24 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Placebo Often Effective for Treating Headache in Children
TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Placebo is often effective in treating children with headaches, and innovative strategies are needed to reduce the placebo response rate and prove drug effects in trials, according to two studies published online Jan. 28 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Low Rate of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis After REDUCE
TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- In a two-year, observational follow-up study of the four-year REduction by DUtasteride of prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) clinical study, men demonstrated a low rate of new prostate cancer diagnoses, although those men who had been treated with the 5α-reductase inhibitor (5ARI) dutasteride exhibited twice as many prostate cancers compared with placebo-treated men, according to research published in the March issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Even Correctly-Administered NSAIDS Can Cause AKI in Kids
TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) accounts for almost 3 percent of pediatric AKI, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
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AAP Releases 2013 Child, Teen Immunization Schedule
MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The 2013 recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules have been approved, according to a policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published online Jan. 28 in Pediatrics.
Prehospital Antiplatelets Improve Graft Intervention Outcomes
MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Prehospital use of antiplatelet therapy, either aspirin/clopidogrel or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), is associated with a lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events after saphenous vein graft (SVG) intervention, according to research published in the Jan. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
FDA: Three New Treatments Approved for Type 2 Diabetes
MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Three new products have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, for use as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies and together with diet and exercise.
FDA: Gleevec's Latest Approval Is for Pediatric Cancer
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The anti-cancer drug Gleevec (imatinib) has received new U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to treat children newly diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the agency said Friday.
FDA Approves 1st OTC Drug for Women With Overactive Bladder
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Oxytrol has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first over-the-counter treatment for women 18 and older with overactive bladder.
FDA Panel Votes for Tougher Restrictions on Hydrocodone
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel met Thursday and Friday to discuss the fate of certain painkillers that contain the opioid known as hydrocodone, concluding in a vote in favor of moving hydrocodone combination products into the more restrictive Schedule II category of controlled substances.
FDA: Samsca May Cause Irreversible Liver Damage
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who take Samsca (tolvaptan) may be at elevated risk for significant liver injury, according to a Jan. 25 safety alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Tofacitinib Slows Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Tofacitinib slows the progression of joint damage and improves disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Jan. 24 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Marked Geographic Variation in Mental Health Medication Use
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable local and regional variation within the United States in the use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, and stimulants, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in Health & Place.
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Folic Acid Supplementation Has No Effect on Cancer Incidence
FRIDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Folic acid supplementation has no effect on the risk of cancer in the first five years of treatment, according to a meta-analysis published online Jan. 25 in The Lancet.
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Physician Education Ups Communication for New Meds
THURSDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A physician-targeted education session improves physician communication about newly-prescribed medications, according to a study published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Smoking Cuts Life Expectancy by More Than 10 Years
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Smokers typically die at least a decade earlier than nonsmokers, but this can be at least partially reversed by quitting smoking, according to a study published in the Jan. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Peginesatide Safe for Anemia in Patients Undergoing Dialysis
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Peginesatide, a peptide-based erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, is safe and effective in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and anemia as long as they are undergoing dialysis, according to two studies published in the Jan. 24 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA: Drug Approved for Inherited Blood Disorder
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Exjade (deferasirox) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to remove excess iron in the blood among people with the genetic blood disorder non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT).
Fetal Exposure to Valproate Linked to Lower IQ at Age 6
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Fetal exposure to valproate is associated with lower IQ compared with exposure to other antiepileptic drugs, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in The Lancet Neurology.
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FDA Approves Botox for Overactive Bladder
TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) has been expanded to include adults with overactive bladder who don't respond to anticholinergics.
FDA: First Skin Patch Approved to Treat Migraines
TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Zecuity, a sumatriptan iontophoretic single-use, battery-powered transdermal system, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults.
Aspirin Ups Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Regular aspirin use is associated with an increased risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with evidence of a dose-response effect, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Perceived Weight Gain Accurate for New Contraceptive Users
TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) -- For new contraceptive users, perceived weight gain, reported by about one-third of users, often represents actual weight gain, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Most With C. difficile Receive Unnecessary Antimicrobials
MONDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of patients with current or recent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) receive unnecessary antimicrobials, with 26 percent receiving only unnecessary antimicrobials, according to research published in the February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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CDC: Flu Activity Continues to Be High Across the United States
FRIDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Flu remains at epidemic proportions across the United States, but flu activity decreased in some areas during the second week of January, according to FluView, a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by the Influenza Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Efforts Failed to Up Primary Care, Rural Resident Training
FRIDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The 2005 redistribution of graduate medical education (GME) funds did little to train more residents in primary care and in rural areas, according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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Differences in Care for E-Visits, Office Visits for Sinusitis, UTI
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with sinusitis or urinary tract infection (UTI), follow-up is similar following office visits or e-visits, but antibiotics are more likely to be prescribed and preventive care is less likely with e-visits, according to a research letter published in the Jan. 14 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
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FDA: Flublok Approved to Prevent Seasonal Influenza
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Flublok, a new vaccine that uses recombinant DNA technology to prevent the flu, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people aged 18 to 49.
FDA: Octaplas Approved for Blood-Clotting Disorders
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Octaplas has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to augment insufficient clotting proteins that could otherwise lead to excessive bleeding or excessive clotting.
Tamoxifen Shows Pre-Clinical Potential in Muscular Dystrophy
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The breast cancer drug tamoxifen improves muscle strength and function in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a study published online Jan. 15 in The American Journal of Pathology.
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Influenza Burden Remains High in Young Children
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although the influenza vaccine is recommended for all children aged 6 months and older, less than 45 percent of young children are fully vaccinated and the health care burden of influenza is considerable, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in Pediatrics.
Short Course of ART Therapy Delays HIV Progression
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Early in the course of primary HIV-1 infection, a 48-week session of antiretroviral therapy (ART) delays disease progression versus no ART; and initiation of ART more than four months after the estimated start date of HIV infection reduces the likelihood of CD4+ T-cell count recovery, according to two studies published in the Jan. 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Donor Fecal Infusion Effective for C. difficile Infection
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Duodenal infusions of donor feces are significantly more effective than vancomycin for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infections, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Influenza Vaccine in Pregnancy May Reduce Fetal Deaths
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal death, and vaccination is associated with a non-significant reduction in the risk of fetal death, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Family Docs Are Early Adopters of Electronic Health Records
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Family practice physicians are adopting electronic health record (EHR) systems at a fast pace, with 68 percent using an EHR system by 2011, and 80 percent expected to be users by 2013, according to research published in the January/February issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Even Brief Interruptions Dramatically Increase Errors
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Even momentary interruptions of two to four seconds can significantly affect a person's ability to accurately complete a task requiring considerable thought, according to research published online Jan. 7 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
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Decision Support Reduces Antibiotic Usage for Bronchitis
TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Decision support strategies can help reduce the over-prescription of antibiotics for acute bronchitis in primary care settings, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Generic Three-Pill HIV Regimen Could Result in Big Savings
TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The use of first-line, generic-based antiretroviral (ART) HIV treatment in the United States could potentially save almost $1 billion in the first year of implementation, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Most Newly Approved Biologics Studied in Peds Population
TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of biologics approved since 1997 include pediatric information in their labeling and have been studied in pediatric trials, according to a review published online Jan. 14 in Pediatrics.
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Alkylating Agent Linked to Therapy-Related Leukemia
TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- For patients treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), cumulative doses of alkylating agent (AA) is associated with the risk of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (t-AML/MDS), according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Certain Online Behaviors of Docs Warrant Investigation
MONDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- There is high consensus among state medical boards regarding the likelihood of probable investigations for certain online behaviors, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Top Five Issues for Docs and Patients Identified for 2013
MONDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The top five issues that will impact physicians and patients in 2013 have been identified, according to a report published Dec. 10 by The Physicians Foundation.
CDC: Flu Activity Remains High in the United States
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Flu activity remains elevated, according to FluView, a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by the Influenza Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; however, the annual flu vaccine is moderately effective at preventing the disease, according to a report published in the Jan. 11 early-release issue of CDC's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
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Insulin LY2605541 Tops Glargine for Glycemic Control in T1DM
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with type 1 diabetes, the novel, long-acting basal insulin LY2605541 yields greater improvement in glycemic control compared with insulin glargine, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in Diabetes Care.
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Use of Beta-Blockers Tied to Improved Lung Cancer Survival
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), intake of beta-blockers is associated with improved survival, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Annals of Oncology.
FDA Requires Lowering Dosage for Certain Sleep Drugs
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring the manufacturers of four common prescription sleep drugs to lower their recommended doses, according to a Jan. 10 news release issued by the agency.
Malaria Drug Association With Hemolytic Anemia Unclear
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Artesunate, a drug used in the treatment of severe malaria, may or may not be associated with hemolytic anemia, so the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends close monitoring of patients treated with the drug for four weeks after administration of the agent, according to a report published in the Jan. 11 issue of the CDC's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
National U.S. Health Care Spending Relatively Stable
FRIDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The growth in national U.S. health care spending was relatively stable in 2011, but growth in personal health care spending accelerated, according to a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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Etanercept Seems Beneficial in Partial Spinal Cord Injury
THURSDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of rabbits with a partial spinal cord injury (SCI) with the intramuscularly-administered tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor etanercept is associated with improved clinical and electrophysiological recovery processes, according to research published in the December issue of the European Spine Journal.
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CDC: Rare Blood Disorder Found in Intravenous Drug Users
THURSDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In 2012, 15 intravenous drug users within a relatively small geographic area developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), possibly due to reformulating and injecting an oral pain reliever, according to a report published in the Jan. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
Rate of Non-Medical Use of Rx Pain Meds 4.6 Percent
THURSDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of non-medical use of prescription pain relievers in the past year among individuals aged 12 years and older is estimated at 4.6 percent nationally, with considerable variation between states, according to a study published online Jan. 8 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
SPIRIT 2013 Clinical Trial Protocol Guidelines Issued
THURSDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A panel of experts, including trial investigators, trial coordinators, and representatives from ethics and regulatory agencies, has developed the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2013 guidelines for the minimum content of a clinical trial, according to a statement published online Jan. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
FDA: Draft Guidance Issued on Abuse-Deterrent Opioids
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a draft guidance document to assist the pharmaceutical industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with abuse-deterrent properties.
Vitamin D Does Not Improve Knee OA Progression, Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- For adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA), vitamin D supplementation for two years does not reduce knee pain or cartilage volume loss compared to placebo, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Acetaminophen Cuts Post-Op Morphine Use in Infants
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- For infants undergoing major surgery, intermittent use of intravenous acetaminophen is associated with a significant reduction in morphine requirements over 48 hours, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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~40 Percent of Docs Acquiesce to Demand for Brand-Name Rx
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Close to 40 percent of physicians sometimes or often acquiesce to patient demands for brand-name drugs, even when generic drugs are available, according to a research letter published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Two HTN Meds Plus NSAIDs Ups Acute Kidney Injury Risk
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Use of triple therapy comprising diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers, together with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury, particularly in the first 30 days of treatment, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in BMJ.
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Failure Rate of Cefixime for N. gonorrhoeae Infection Explored
TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- For Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) infections, the rate of clinical treatment failure with cefixime is 6.77 percent, and is associated with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.12 µg/mL or more, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Methotrexate Offers Lasting Benefit in Juvenile Scleroderma
TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Oral methotrexate provides a lasting benefit for most patients with juvenile localized scleroderma (JLS), according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Number of Adults Using Walk-in Retail Clinics Increasing
TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The popularity of retail and work-based clinics is increasing, with most users satisfied with care, according to a Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll.
Health Care Use Dropped Among All During Recession
TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Health care use declined significantly among all races and ethnicities during the recession from 2007 to 2009, with the only ethnic disparity being fewer physician visits by Hispanics compared with whites, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Shared Savings May Promote Care Coordination Entity Use
MONDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Use of shared savings could encourage individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid to enroll in state-designed care coordination entities (CCEs), according to a perspective piece published online Jan. 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Low Rates of High Platelet Reactivity With Prasugrel Tx
MONDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) with percutaneous coronary intervention and a maintenance dose of prasugrel is associated with low rates of high platelet reactivity (HPR), ischemic events, and major bleeding in the first 30 days of treatment, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Metformin Cuts Cardio Events in High-Risk Type 2 Diabetes
MONDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Metformin therapy significantly reduces cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes compared to treatment with glipizide, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Diabetes Care.
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CDC: Influenza Activity Increasing Across the U.S.
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Flu season descended on the United States early and hard this winter, with significant increases in flu activity observed over the past month, according to an update issued Jan. 4 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nurse-Led Monitoring Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with advanced cancer, nurse-led monitoring and optimized treatment of physical symptoms significantly improves cancer-related fatigue, according to research published online Jan. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Patient-Doctor Communication Affects Medication Adherence
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Poor communication between patients and health care providers is linked to lower cardiometabolic medication adherence, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Distributing Naloxone to Heroin Users Likely Cost-Effective
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Distributing naloxone to heroin users for lay administration for overdose reversal would be cost-effective and likely reduce overdose deaths, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Nifedipine-Maintained Tocolysis No Benefit in Perinatal Outcomes
FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For women threatened with preterm labor, maintenance tocolysis with nifedipine is not associated with a significant reduction in adverse perinatal outcomes, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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High-Dose Flu Vaccine Better Protects HIV-Infected Adults
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- HIV-infected adults achieve higher rates of seroprotection when immunized with a high-dose of the influenza trivalent vaccine compared to the standard dose, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Eliquis Approved for People With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The anticoagulant Eliquis (apixaban) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help prevent stroke and dangerous blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation that isn't caused by a heart valve problem.
Association Between Health Care Cost, Quality Inconsistent
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The direction of the association between health care cost and quality is unclear, with inconsistent evidence indicating positive, negative, mixed, and indeterminate associations, according to a review published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Fracture Risk Down With Adherence to Bisphosphonates
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with an osteoporotic fracture, adherence to bisphosphonate treatment is associated with reduced fracture risk; and for veterans with rheumatoid arthritis, non-adherence to bisphosphonate treatment is over 50 percent, according to two studies published in the December issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Telmisartan Reverses Insulin Resistance in Mice
THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Treating mice fed a high-fat diet with telmisartan reverses insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, but only when the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPAR-δ) gene is present, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in Diabetes.
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Interferon-Free Therapies for Hep C Virus Look Promising
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- For untreated patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), treatment with an oral nucleotide inhibitor of HCV polymerase, sofosbuvir, plus ribavirin seems effective for genotypes 1, 2, and 3; and the HCV NS3 protease inhibitor ABT-450, combined with low-dose ritonavir (ABT-450/r) plus the nonnucleoside NS5B polymerase inhibitor ABT-333 and ribavirin, seems effective for genotype 1, according to two studies published in the Jan. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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No Significant Link for Stillbirth, Maternal Antidepressant Use
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, or post-neonatal deaths after taking certain maternal characteristics into account, according to a study published in the Jan. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Sirturo Approved for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Sirturo (bedaquiline) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with other drugs to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) when alternative treatments aren't available.
Fulyzaq Approved for ART-Related Diarrhea in HIV/AIDS
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The first medication to treat diarrhea in people with HIV/AIDS who take antiretroviral drugs has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
House Joins Senate to Avert Medicare Cuts
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The House of Representatives settled on an 11th-hour agreement late Tuesday night that has averted the widespread tax increases and spending cuts that would have gone into effect January 1. This agreement occurred 21 hours after the U.S. Senate did its part to steer the country clear of the "fiscal cliff."
Administering Chemo Ups Income for Non-Salaried Oncologists
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Non-salaried oncologists report the potential for increased salaries with the administration of chemotherapy or growth factors for lung or colorectal cancer patients, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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