Do we need yet another weight loss pill?
Researchers have recently found a connection between the ‘fat’ gene and increased body weight. But how will this improve our health?
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Drugs
US health watchdog refuses to OK new diet pill
The US’s Food & Drug Administration has refused permission for the manufacturers of Lorcaserin, a new diet pill, to put it on the market.
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US diet pill ban over heart attack and stroke risk?
The US watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration, has yet to decide whether diet pill, Meridia, should stay on the market after a report revealed that it may cause heart attack and strokes in some individuals.
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Hollywood legend Nick Nolte finally bins his tobacco habit
Hollywood actor Nick Nolte has binned his bad smoking habit with the help of an “electronic” cigarette. Nick who has had more than his fair share of negative publicity over the years.Who can forget his mad haired police mug-shot … Continue reading
MS sufferer campaigns to increase awareness of addiction drug
MS sufferer Linda Elsegood (pictured right) could not see or hear properly and had to use a wheelchair before she discovered Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Now she has launched her own campaign to increase awareness of the possible use of … Continue reading
Over 60s warned to check drug cocktail with pharmacist – new survey
Older people may be taking a potentially dangerous cocktail of drugs, according to new research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The Society said is urging older people to review the medication they are taking. Millions of over … Continue reading
Botox must carry highest health warning
New York: Allergan Inc.s wrinkle smoother Botox must carry the strictest warning about the risk of potentially deadly botulism, US regulators have ordered. The new caution applies to all botulinum toxins used to relax the muscles that cause forehead lines … Continue reading
Aspirin does reduce heart and stroke attack risks, say US experts
New York: Aspirin should be recommended to reduce the risk of heart attack in men aged 45 – 79 and to reduce the risk of stroke in women aged 55 – 79 who do not have heart disease, the US … Continue reading
Metoclopramide – FDA packet warning – February 2009
February 26, 2009 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced today that manufacturers of metoclopramide must add a boxed warning to their drug labels about the risk of its long-term or high-dose use. Chronic use of metoclopramide, … Continue reading
Flu spreads the commuter transport system
London: One sneeze from a rush-hour commuter can end up giving up to 150 fellow passengers a cold in just five minutes, researchers have found. Unless they are contained in a tissue or handkerchief, the germs spread so quickly that … Continue reading
UK health warning over Barbie tan drug
London: UK health watchdogs have joined the US in warning the public about the health dangers of an unlicensed injectable tanning drug, knicknamed the “Barbie Drug.” The drug, which is known by the names Melanotan and Melanotan II is a … Continue reading
Diet pill Acomplia banned in EU
London: The controversial diet pill Acomplia has been banned by European safety chiefs, over concerns that it may be linked to suicide in vulnerable individuals. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has ordered doctors to stop prescribing Acomplia now following several … Continue reading
Boots opens UK’s first drive-through pharmacy
London: The UK’s first drive-through pharmacy has opened for business in the Essex town of Colchesher. The pharmacy, operated by Boots, says it will fill prescriptions in two minutes while customers wait in their cars. Boots says it is aiming … Continue reading
Brittle bone risk with stomach drugs
Manitoba: Long-term use of medication for indigestion and heartburn may increase the risk of the bone disease osteoporosis, new research has found. The drugs, prescribed by doctors or bought over-the-counter, are used by millions around the world. The research, carried … Continue reading
Drug-related deaths increase in UK
London: Prescription drugs kill nearly 20 people a week in the UK. And deaths linked to reactions to medication given by the country’s National Health Service have nearly doubled in the last five years to more than 1,000. In total, … Continue reading
Quitting smoking advice to mark National No Smoking Day
London: While the smoking ban has caused many Brits to quit or at least cut down, almost half (42%) of British smokers admit their cigarette cravings are out of control and despite wanting to quit they regularly give in and … Continue reading
Chantix anti-smoking drug gets mental health warning
New York: Pfizer, the manufacturer of anti-smoking drug Chantix, has updated its label to include a warning on mental health symptoms. CHANTIX® was approved in the US in May of 2006 as an aid to smoking cessation. Since then there … Continue reading
Arthritis drug banned from sale in UK and Germany
London: The drug Prexige (lumiracoxib), used to treat osteoarthritic pain has been suspended from sale by health regulators in the UK and Germany over liver damage fears. Manufacturer, Novartis, is informing regulatory agencies around the world of these changes, which … Continue reading
Anti-obesity drugs fail to deliver long-term weightloss
London: Patients taking anti-obesity drugs will only see modest weight loss and many will remain significantly obese or overweight, according to a study published on www.bmj.com today. In a new study from Canada, which looked at the long-term effectiveness of … Continue reading
FDA posts heart attack warning on anti-diabetes drug Avandia
Washington: The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that the manufacturer of Avandia (rosiglitazone), a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, has agreed to add new information to the existing boxed warning in the drug’s labeling about potential … Continue reading
Sylvester Stallone arrest promotes interest in growth hormone
Sydney: Cosmetic interest in the controversial anti-ageing growth hormone has swelled by 20 per cent since Rocky star Sylvester Stallone was allegedly caught with the chemical at Sydney airport. The Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia says its members have fielded … Continue reading
Music therapy improves schizophrenia
London: Music therapy for psychiatric in-patients with schizophrenia can improve some of the symptoms of the disorder, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial College London and therapists at the Central and North West London Mental Health Trust. … Continue reading
Arthritis impotence warning highlights natural alternatives to drugs
Men who take painkillers, known as NSAID’s. for arthritis are twice as likely to suffer impotence, according to new research from the University of Finland. The research, published in the Journal of Urology, is the first to make a link … Continue reading
Regular medicine takers have lower death risk, says new research
Edmonton: People who take their medicine regularly, even dummy (placebo) medicine, have a lower risk of death than those who don’t, finds a study in this weeks British Medical Journal. This intriguing finding supports the concept of the healthy adherer … Continue reading
Ibuprofen – May 05
Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs known as “nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDs) that are used to treat arthritis, fever and pain and also to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. They work by reducing hormones that cause … Continue reading