Archive for September, 2012:

September 30th, 2012

Xanax and Valium Boost Dementia Risk by 50 Percent

British Medical Journal Thursday, September 27, 2012 6:30 PM Benzodiazepines, the generic name for a family of prescription drugs that include Xanax and Valium used to treat anxiety and insomnia, raise the risk of developing dementia within 15 years by 50 percent. An alarming study found that the drugs, which […]

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September 23rd, 2012

FDA Reviews Possible Mirapex Heart Risk

Epidemiological data suggest that pramipexole (Mirapex), used to treat Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome, is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, the FDA said. Pooled data from randomized trials with the dopamine agonist, as well as two epidemiological studies involving some 1,300 patients with heart failure and […]

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September 23rd, 2012

2 Beta-Blockers Similar for CV Event Risk

Published: August 27, 2012 Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner Action Points -- Two commonly prescribed beta-blockers had a similar effect on the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with hypertension. -- […]

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September 22nd, 2012

Thalidomide Relieves Cough in Pulmonary Fibrosis

Published: September 18, 2012 Action Points -- A small, randomized, double-blind crossover study found that thalidomide significantly reduced cough and improved cough-related quality of life in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. -- Note that the investigators stated that these results should be replicated in a larger randomized trial. The once-banned […]

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September 21st, 2012

Elderly With Low Vitamin B12 Risk Brain Shrinkage And Cognitive Decline

Articles in: Neurology / Neuroscience; Alzheimer's / Dementia Article Date: 26 Sep 2011 Elderly individuals with low blood vitamin B12 levels have a greater risk of brain shrinkage and losing their cognitive skills, researchers from Rush University Medical Center, Chicago reported in the journal Neurology. Foods rich in vitamin B12 […]

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