contributed by LLS
Report on current perspectives in drug anti-counterfeiting strategies
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091031/Report-on-current-perspectives-in-drug-anti-counterfeiting-strategies.aspx
.....Parallel trade is a legitimate method of pharmaceutical import and export within the EU zone..and..into the US from Canada.
* Parallel trade is an expanding global sector of industry now that reimportation is permitted in the USA. European parallel trade is set to grow ..
* Counterfeiting is prevalent in higher priced drug markets of developed nations and also in lower priced markets of essential drugs in developing countries.
* The drug distribution routes are the market access points for counterfeits. Parallel traded and non-parallel traded routes are vulnerable to counterfeiting.
* Anti-counterfeiting technologies are being deployed in westernised countries but there are issues that need to be resolved before widespread implementation such as standardization of protocols, technology reliability and validity, and stakeholder funding.
Revised standards for four ingredients widely used in prescription and over-the-counter drugs announced
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091031/Revised-standards-for-four-ingredients-widely-used-in-prescription-and-over-the-counter-drugs-announced.aspx
.....revise the USP Propylene Glycol and Sorbitol Solution standards to include limits for diethylene glycol (DEG).. updated its standard for Glycerin..ensure the absence of DEG and ethylene glycol (EG).. not more than 0.10 percent. ..new standards for USP Sorbitol Sorbitan Solution and Noncrystallizing Sorbitol Solution.
Women may need smaller dose of H1N1 vaccine
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091031/Women-may-need-smaller-dose-of-H1N1-vaccine.aspx
..... women's bodies generate a stronger antibody response than men's do,..so less vaccine may be needed to immunize them. If we could give women a smaller dose, there would be more vaccine to go around. ..women produce as many antibodies in response to a half dose of the seasonal flu vaccine as men make in response to a full dose. Other studies have revealed similar sex differences in response to vaccines for yellow fever virus, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis A and B viruses and herpes simplex virus
Anabolic steroids may cause severe kidney dysfunction
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091030/Anabolic-steroids-may-cause-severe-kidney-dysfunction.aspx
.....Athletes who use anabolic steroids may gain muscle mass and strength, but they can also destroy their kidney function..nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears to be even more severe..When the bodybuilders discontinued steroid use their kidney abnormalities improved,..propose that extreme increases in muscle mass require the kidneys to increase their filtration rate, placing harmful levels of stress on these organs. It's also likely that steroids have direct toxic effects on the kidneys.
Researchers show Simvastatin prevents Parkinson's disease from progressing further
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091030/Researchers-show-Simvastatin-prevents-Parkinsons-disease-from-progressing-further.aspx
......Simvastatin..may prevent Parkinson's disease from progressing further..in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease..shown that the activity of one protein called p21Ras is increased very early in the midbrain of mice with Parkinson's pathology. Simvastatin enters into the brain and blocks the activity of the p21Ras protein and other associated toxic molecules, and goes on to protect the neurons, normalize neurotransmitter levels, and improves the motor functions in the mice with Parkinson's.
High Fructose Intake May Raise Blood Pressure
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20091030/high-fructose-intake-may-raise-blood-pressure?ecd=wnl_day_110709
.....''High fructose intake is linked to high blood pressure..About 2.5 sugary soft drinks a day is enough to elevate the pressure.. several mechanisms could explain the association. ''We know that fructose has the potential to reduce nitric oxide production within the blood vessels,'' .. "Nitric oxide relaxes the vessel and is supposed to lower blood pressure. Fructose reduces the production of nitric oxide and makes it difficult for the vessels to relax and dilate."..Fructose also raises uric acid in the blood, she says, and that could raise blood pressure. "Fructose can tell the kidneys to 'hold onto' more salt, and that can contribute to high blood pressure,"
Diet Sodas May Be Hard on the Kidneys
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20091102/diet-sodas-hard-on-the-kidneys?page=2
.....Women Who Drink 2 or More Diet Sodas Daily Double Their Risk of Kidney Function Decline, ..Women who drank two or more diet sodas a day had a 30% drop in a measure of kidney function.. less than two sodas a day didn't seem to hurt.
Satins May Boost Effects of Prostate Radiation
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASTRO/16824?userid=171072&impressionId=1257489496329&utm_source=mSpoke&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_content=Group1
.....Prostate cancer patients had a reduced risk of biochemical failure if they were taking a statin during radiation therapy in a retrospective cohort study, but LDL levels may have been a key factor in that effect..Statin users had a 49% reduction in the risk of biochemical failure, although the benefit proved not to be statistically significant after controlling for LDL level.. an LDL level below the median value reduced the risk of biochemical failure by 62%, independent of statin use..."Lower cholesterol levels may interrupt cell signaling pathways to cause apoptosis and prevent tumor growth."
Retracted Mask Study Adds to H1N1 Confusion
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/IDSA/16745?userid=171072&impressionId=1257230650430&utm_source=mSpoke&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_content=Group1
.....The retracted study -- conducted in China by Australian researchers -- originally suggested that the expensive N95 respirators were effective and offered better protection than standard surgical masks....original analysis was in error...no evidence of a benefit" for N95 respirators
New Clues to How Fish Oils Help Arthritis Patients
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=107004
.....converts .. DHA into .. Resolvin D2, which reduces the inflammation ..Unlike current anti-inflammatory drugs, Resolvin D2 doesn't appear to suppress the immune system,
Low-Dose Naproxen Increases Ulcer Risk
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ACG/16621?userid=171072&impressionId=1256621517282&utm_source=mSpoke&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_content=Group1
.....Even at low doses, naproxen ..may increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal complications, .. Patients taking a 500-mg/day dose had a 2.5-fold increased risk of hospitalization from complicated gastric or duodenal ulcer, while those on the 750-mg/day dose had almost a threefold increased risk,..The 1,000-mg/day dose carried more than a threefold increased risk of hospitalization.
Heart failure may worsen with statins
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/05/statins.heart.failure/index.html
.....no guidelines on whether patients with heart failure should take statins. Some studies have shown that they can be helpful, while others have found no benefit...Since statins can cause muscle damage, they could theoretically also harm the heart--which is, essentially, a big muscle--although there is no evidence that this is the case..analyzed patients with the two different types of heart failure--systolic and diastolic--..the drugs seemed to help those with the systolic version, and hurt those with diastolic heart failure..speculated that the anti-inflammatory effect of the statins could be helping systolic heart failure patients, while their muscle-weakening effects might impair breathing in those with diastolic heart failure
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