Author: Marilynn Marchione
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A first: Drug lowers heart risks by curbing inflammation
For the first time, a drug has helped prevent heart attacks by curbing inflammation, a new and very different approach than lowering cholesterol, the focus for many years. People on the drug also had surprisingly lower cancer death rates, especially from lung cancer. An anti-tumor effect is an exciting possibility, but it needs much more…
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Painful words: How a 1980 letter fueled the opioid epidemic
Nearly 40 years ago, a respected doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine with some very good news: Out of nearly 40,000 patients given powerful pain drugs in a Boston hospital, only four addictions were documented. Doctors had been wary of opioids, fearing patients would get hooked. Reassured by the letter,…
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Cholesterol drug cuts heart risks, spurs new debate on cost
A long-acting cholesterol medicine cut the risk of having a heart attack or some other serious problems by 15 to 20 percent in a big study that’s likely to spur fresh debate about what drugs should cost. Statins such as Lipitor and Crestor are cheap and lower LDL or bad cholesterol, but some people can’t…
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Risk & reward: Stopping a cancer drug to see if you’re cured
Imagine you had a life-threatening cancer that a wonder drug had kept in remission for years. Would you risk quitting? Thousands of people with a blood cancer called chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, now have that choice. New treatment guidelines in the U.S. say certain patients can consider stopping Gleevec or similar drugs which were…
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Gene therapy to fight a blood cancer succeeds in major study
An experimental gene therapy that turns a patient’s own blood cells into cancer killers worked in a major study, with more than one-third of very sick lymphoma patients showing no sign of disease six months after a single treatment, its maker said Tuesday. In all, 82 percent of patients had their cancer shrink at least…
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Beware extremes: Exercise, anger may trigger heart attack
If you’re angry or upset, you might want to simmer down before heading out for an intense run or gym workout. A large, international study ties heavy exertion while stressed or mad to a tripled risk of having a heart attack within an hour. Regular exercise is a healthy antidote to stress and can help…
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Can all US hospitals safely treat Ebola?
The idea that all U.S. hospitals may not be able to safely treat Ebola patients seemed to find more acceptance Monday as a second federal official suggested it was worth rethinking whether to send patients to one of the specialized units set up to deal with dangerous germs. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National…
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No kidding? Southern diet, fried foods, may raise stroke risk
Deep-fried foods may be causing trouble in the Deep South. A study finds that people who consume a lot of fried foods and drinks like sweet tea and soda were 41 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than people who ate that way about once a month. Researchers say the study might help explain…
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Last drugs standing: Key Alzheimer results coming
We’re about to find out if there will be a way anytime soon to slow the course of Alzheimer’s disease. Results are due within a month or so from key studies of two drugs that aim to clear the sticky plaque gumming up patients’ brains. A pivotal study of a third drug will end later…
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SPECIAL REPORT: Almost half of new vets seek disability
America’s newest veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate, claiming to be the most medically and mentally troubled generation of former troops the nation has ever seen. A staggering 45 percent of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now seeking compensation for injuries they say are…