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NIA-funded study to examine overall benefits and risks of statins in older adults

The National Institute on Aging has funded a major study to examine the overall benefits and risks of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins in adults age 75 or older without cardiovascular disease.

23 Oct 2019

UAB researchers awarded grant to study a vaccine for gonorrhea

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have been awarded a three-year contract with a total potential amount of $10 million to study the efficacy of the vaccine Bexsero - already licensed to prevent meningitis - in protecting vulnerable populations from infection with the bacteria that causes gonorrhea.

23 Oct 2019

Therapy for common vision disorder fails to improve children's reading test scores

Results from a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) show that while vision therapy can successfully treat convergence insufficiency (CI) in children, it fails to improve their reading test scores.

23 Oct 2019

Study finds little evidence on effectiveness of common antidepressant in autism spectrum disorders

A new study has found there is little evidence that a widely used antidepressant is effective at reducing obsessive compulsive behaviours in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

23 Oct 2019

Study dispels the hypothesis that metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

A clinical trial initiated by University of Kentucky researchers argues against the hypothesis that the diabetes drug metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass. The double-blind trial, conducted at the University of Kentucky and University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that older adults who took metformin while performing rigorous resistance exercise training had smaller gains in muscle mass than the placebo group.

22 Oct 2019

Study blunts hopes that diabetes drug could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

A new clinical trial dispels the hypothesis that the diabetes drug metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass.

22 Oct 2019

New findings demonstrate how subtle social interactions can impact clinical outcomes

If a doctor expects a treatment to be successful, a patient may experience less pain and have better outcomes, according to a new Dartmouth study published in Nature Human Behaviour.

21 Oct 2019

Systematic review: Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use

Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use and potential abuse, suggests a systematic review of published studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2019

Widely available drug could reduce deaths in traumatic brain injury patients, major study shows

A low cost and widely available drug could reduce deaths in traumatic brain injury patients by as much as 20%, depending on the severity of injury, according to a major study published in The Lancet.

15 Oct 2019

Novel clinical trial to examine use of cannabidiol in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis

A pioneering clinical trial will investigate the use of cannabidiol (CBD) - a compound found in the cannabis plant - in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis.

14 Oct 2019

Pittcon 2020 Plenary Lecture announced

Pittcon is pleased to announce Dr. Ziva Cooper as the 2020 Plenary Lecturer. Dr. Cooper’s lecture is entitled Cannabis Constituents as Novel Strategies to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic.

From Pittcon 11 Oct 2019

UC San Diego's CMCR announces research grants to explore cannabis for medical applications

The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, the nation's oldest research center for scientific inquiry into the safety and efficacy of cannabis, has announced $3 million in research grants to explore new applications of cannabis for a number of novel medical applications.

11 Oct 2019

‘Sticky’ gene may boost the nerve calming effects of Valium

Between 1999 and 2017, the United States experienced a 10-fold increase in the number of people who died from overdoses of Valium and other benzodiazepines.

10 Oct 2019

Suppressing brain immune cells might prevent or delay the onset of dementia

Messy tangles of a protein called tau can be found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and some other neurodegenerative diseases. In Alzheimer's, the tangles coalesce just before tissue damage becomes visible in brain scans and people start to become forgetful and confused.

10 Oct 2019

Melatonin may not help prevent delirium following major cardiac surgery

Delirium is observed in approximately 15% of hospitalized older adults, and it is more common in the critically ill and in those undergoing major surgery, such as heart surgery.

9 Oct 2019

Simple diet supplement from tomatoes can improve sperm quality

Sperm quality can be improved with a simple diet supplement containing a compound found in cooked tomatoes, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.

8 Oct 2019

Study explores psychological aspects of pain management

An article in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics explores the psychological aspects of pain management with particular reference to placebo infusions in back pain.

8 Oct 2019

New experimental growth factor drug appears to prevent worsening of osteoarthritis

More than 10 percent of Americans over age 60 experience knee pain related to osteoarthritis, the most common disease of the knee joint. Osteoarthritis of the knee causes pain, activity limitation, physical disability, reduced health-related quality of life and excess mortality compared with the general population.

8 Oct 2019

Vaginal fluid transplant could help treat recurring bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is a common and irksome problem for many women. Now researchers have found the transplanting vaginal fluids of a healthy woman to women with troublesome bacterial vaginosis could restore the bacterial microbiome in the latter’s vaginas and thus help treat them.

8 Oct 2019

Long-term study data shows DBS is effective for patients with treatment-resistant depression

A study published online on Friday, October 4, in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of an area in the brain called the subcallosal cingulate (SCC) provides a robust antidepressant effect that is sustained over a long period of time in patients with treatment-resistant depression--the most severely depressed patients who have not responded to other treatments.

4 Oct 2019

Placebo News and Research

NIA-funded study to examine overall benefits and risks of statins in older adults

UAB researchers awarded grant to study a vaccine for gonorrhea

Therapy for common vision disorder fails to improve children's reading test scores

Study finds little evidence on effectiveness of common antidepressant in autism spectrum disorders

Study dispels the hypothesis that metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

Study blunts hopes that diabetes drug could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

New findings demonstrate how subtle social interactions can impact clinical outcomes

Systematic review: Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use

Widely available drug could reduce deaths in traumatic brain injury patients, major study shows

Novel clinical trial to examine use of cannabidiol in people with Parkinson's-related psychosis

Pittcon 2020 Plenary Lecture announced

UC San Diego's CMCR announces research grants to explore cannabis for medical applications

‘Sticky’ gene may boost the nerve calming effects of Valium

Suppressing brain immune cells might prevent or delay the onset of dementia

Melatonin may not help prevent delirium following major cardiac surgery

Simple diet supplement from tomatoes can improve sperm quality

Study explores psychological aspects of pain management

New experimental growth factor drug appears to prevent worsening of osteoarthritis

Vaginal fluid transplant could help treat recurring bacterial vaginosis

Long-term study data shows DBS is effective for patients with treatment-resistant depression

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