Medications news

'All-natural' sex pill contains Viagra chemical: FDA

Nov 05, 2009 | 2.5 / 5 (4) | 4

The US food and drug safety watchdog warned Thursday that an over-the-counter men's sex aid, labeled as all-natural, contains a chemical similar to the active ingredient in Viagra and could be dangerous.

Carvedilol shown to have unique characteristics among beta blockers

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 20, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 1

In a new study, researchers report that a class of heart medications called beta-blockers can have a helpful, or harmful, effect on the heart, depending on their molecular activity.

Gripes about swine flu vaccine abound

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 20, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(AP) -- When the nation's swine flu vaccination program began in early October, health officials predicted it was going to be "messy." They were right.

Miracle Aussie baby beats rare condition in world first

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (7) | 3

A "miracle" Australian baby has become the first person cured of a rare and deadly brain-melting condition after doctors gambled on an experimental drug tested only on mice, they said Thursday.

New Anti-Clotting Medication Not More Effective than Standard Care; Hint of Other Clinical Benefits

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 17, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two large studies confirmed that an investigational, reversible anti-clotting medication failed to show greater effectiveness than clopidogrel or a placebo for patients undergoing a procedure to open blocked ...

Some prescription meds can harm fetus

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 17, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

More than six percent of expectant mothers in Quebec consume prescription drugs that are known to be harmful to their fetuses, according to a Université de Montréal investigation published in the British Jo ...

FDA reviews update to Pfizer vaccine for kids

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 16, 2009 | not rated yet | 1

(AP) -- Federal health officials on Monday questioned whether to approve an updated version of Pfizer's best-selling anti-infection vaccine for children, despite company studies that failed to meet certain goals.

Study raises new questions about Merck pill Zetia

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 16, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 1

(AP) -- A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin - drugs still taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol, despite questions raised last year about how well they work.

Adverse heart effects of rofecoxib may have been identified years earlier

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 23, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Clinical trial data indicated an association between the anti-inflammatory medication rofecoxib and cardiovascular risk as early as December 2000, before the product was taken off the market in September 2004, according to ...

Sedatives, mood-altering drugs related to falls among elderly

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 23, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Falls among elderly people are significantly associated with several classes of drugs, including sedatives often prescribed as sleep aids and medications used to treat mood disorders, according to a study led by a University ...

High Blood Pressure Medicines Show Promise for Treating Heart Disease

Medicine & Health / Medications

Oct 29, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure appear to be effective in treating one of the most common and potentially deadly forms of heart disease, according to a report by ...

Use of antipsychotic medications by children and adolescents associated with significant weight gain

Medicine & Health / Medications

Oct 27, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Many pediatric and adolescent patients who received second-generation antipsychotic medications experienced significant weight gain, along with varied adverse effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels and other metabolic ...

Increased stroke risk from birth control pills

Medicine & Health / Medications

Oct 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

She was only 30 years old, but she was experiencing the classic symptoms of a stroke. Her speech suddenly became slurred, and her left hand became clumsy while eating.

Some blood pressure drugs may help protect against dementia, study shows

Medicine & Health / Medications

Jul 23, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 0

A particular class of medication used to treat high blood pressure could protect older adults against memory decline and other impairments in cognitive function, according to a newly published study from Wake Forest University ...

Drug industry presses FDA to allow more online ads

Medicine & Health / Medications

Nov 11, 2009 | not rated yet | 1

(AP) -- As federal regulators take their first tentative steps toward policing the wild west of medical information online, pharmaceutical companies are pressing their case to market drugs via Google, Twitter ...