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Unexpected mechanism of action found with sertraline

A new study on sertraline, which is one of the most popular drugs for depression and anxiety, shows that its efficacy is undoubted, but it operates primarily by reducing anxiety rather than depression.

23 Sep 2019

Fluoride varnish: is there any benefit?

Though hugely popular for preventing dental decay in children, fluoride varnish may not be anything but an expensive placebo, it turns out, from the results of a new study by University of Washington researchers.

20 Sep 2019

Diabetes drug can also be used to treat heart failure

Dapagliflozin, a drug that is already used to successfully treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prevent development of heart failure, can also be used to treat pre-existing heart failure, even in patients without T2D.

19 Sep 2019

Early combination therapy provides long-term benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes

A new study, VERIFY (Vildagliptin Efficacy in combination with metfoRmIn For earlY treatment of type 2 diabetes) presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 Sept, 2019), and published simultaneously in The Lancet, is the first to show that early combination therapy using vildagliptin and metformin in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) leads to better long-term blood sugar control and a reduced rate of treatment failure than metformin alone.

19 Sep 2019

New results revealed from pilot stem cell study for stroke

Researchers led by Sean I. Savitz, MD, reported today in the journal Stem Cells that bone marrow cells used to treat ischemic stroke in an expanded Phase I trial were not only safe and feasible, but also resulted in enhanced recovery compared to a matched historical control group.

17 Sep 2019

Pre-SRT PSA could serve as prognostic and predictive biomarker of benefit from hormone therapy

Initial results of NRG Oncology Clinical Trial RTOG 9601 in men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer receiving salvage radiotherapy demonstrated improvement in OS from the addition of long-term hormone therapy to SRT.

17 Sep 2019

Deep brain magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms of OCD

Researchers have found that focusing powerful non-invasive magnet stimulation on a specific brain area can improve the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

8 Sep 2019

FDA approves first drug to treat patients with rare lung condition

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Ofev (nintedanib) capsules to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults with interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis or scleroderma, called SSc-ILD. It is the first FDA-approved treatment for this rare lung condition.

7 Sep 2019

Mouthwash impacts the effects of exercise

Scientists have long known that the blood pressure drops after exercise but the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. A new study shows that bacteria in the mouth, which produce nitrite, is key to the whole process. The use of mouthwash to reduce the number of these bacteria prevents the expected benefit of exercise on the blood pressure.

4 Sep 2019

Ticagrelor reduces heart attacks and strokes for patients with diabetes

In late-breaking clinical trial results presented in a Hot Line Session today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2019, investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Greater Paris University Hospitals - AP-HP/Université de Paris presented the results from The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in Diabetes Mellitus Patients Intervention Study, a clinical trial sponsored by AstraZeneca that evaluated whether adding ticagrelor to aspirin improves outcomes for patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus but without a history of heart attack or stroke.

3 Sep 2019

Beta-blockers reduce mortality in patients with heart failure and moderate kidney dysfunction

Beta-blockers remain effective for preventing death in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and sinus rhythm, even in patients with moderate or moderately-severe kidney dysfunction, according to late breaking research presented in a Hot Line Session today at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology.

3 Sep 2019

White matter influences how people respond to non-invasive electrical brain stimulation

Tiny changes in the microscopic structure of the human brain may affect how patients respond to an emerging therapy for neurological problems.

29 Aug 2019

New drug shows promise to improve effects of psychological treatment for PTSD

A medication that boosts the body's own cannabis-like substances, endocannabinoids, shows promise to help the brain un-learn fear memories when these are no longer meaningful.

29 Aug 2019

Investigational drug reduces stuttering symptoms in open-label pilot study

A team led by a psychiatrist at the University of California, Riverside, has tested the orally administered investigational medication ecopipam on adults who stutter in an open-label, uncontrolled clinical trial and found that it reduced their stuttering symptoms from the start of therapy after eight weeks of dosing.

28 Aug 2019

High-protein bedtime snacks do not disturb overnight fat metabolism for active women

Physically active women who have foresworn bedtime snacks should feel no fear cracking open the cupboards after sundown for a protein-rich treat, according to new Florida State University-led research.

28 Aug 2019

Promising vaccine may protect against the Klebsiella superbug

A powerful superbug, a hypervirulent form of the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae, is a very difficult to curb infection. It causes a variety of infections including rare but life-threatening liver, respiratory tract, bloodstream and other infections.

28 Aug 2019

Excess body fat linked to greater risk of developing depression

Carrying ten kilograms of excess body fat increases the risk of depression by seventeen per cent. The more fat, the greater the probability of developing depression. This is the main conclusion of a new study carried out by researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

27 Aug 2019

Placebo News and Research

Unexpected mechanism of action found with sertraline

Fluoride varnish: is there any benefit?

Diabetes drug can also be used to treat heart failure

Early combination therapy provides long-term benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes

New results revealed from pilot stem cell study for stroke

Pre-SRT PSA could serve as prognostic and predictive biomarker of benefit from hormone therapy

Deep brain magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms of OCD

FDA approves first drug to treat patients with rare lung condition

Mouthwash impacts the effects of exercise

Ticagrelor reduces heart attacks and strokes for patients with diabetes

Beta-blockers reduce mortality in patients with heart failure and moderate kidney dysfunction

White matter influences how people respond to non-invasive electrical brain stimulation

New drug shows promise to improve effects of psychological treatment for PTSD

Investigational drug reduces stuttering symptoms in open-label pilot study

High-protein bedtime snacks do not disturb overnight fat metabolism for active women

Promising vaccine may protect against the Klebsiella superbug

Excess body fat linked to greater risk of developing depression

Addiction clinics market pricey, unproven treatments to desperate patients

Yale study shows rt-fMRI-NF has potential to treat adolescents with Tourette Syndrome

FDA approves new drug to treat patients with myelofibrosis

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