If you’ve noticed that there are more hairs on your pillow or hairbrush, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says that you may just be shedding more hair than normal. And that is not the same as hair loss, the AAD says. There is a difference. Hair shedding often stops on its own, the AAD… Continue reading Is It Hair Loss or Something Else?
Tag: drugs
Getting Rid of Soapy Stuff Improves Injectable Medicine
Researchers have developed a drug-making technique designed to reduce serious allergic reactions and other side effects from anti-cancer medicine, testosterone and other drugs that are administered with a needle. Developed by University at Buffalo researchers, the breakthrough removes potentially harmful additives – primarily soapy substances known as surfactants – from common injectable drugs. “We’re excited… Continue reading Getting Rid of Soapy Stuff Improves Injectable Medicine
A Change in Heart-Resuscitation Procedure?
Administering heart resuscitation drugs to patients whose cardiac arrest is witnessed at the time of the attack can improve survival, but needs to be done through an IV line rather than directly into bone marrow as is more commonly done by paramedics, a new study involving UT Southwestern Medical Center emergency physicians and Dallas-Fort Worth… Continue reading A Change in Heart-Resuscitation Procedure?
Doctors Offer Solutions to Rising Drug Costs
The American College of Physicians (ACP) today released a new policy paper calling for changes that could slow the rising cost of prescription drugs. The paper, Stemming the Escalating Cost of Prescription Drugs, was published in Annals of Internal Medicine. “In the United States we pay comparatively much more for prescription drugs than other countries,… Continue reading Doctors Offer Solutions to Rising Drug Costs
Prevent Heartworm in Pets Year Round
If you’ve been to a veterinarian’s office, chances are you’ve seen the photos on the wall of worms growing from the heart of a dog or cat. Although these images may be unsettling, the message is clear: Heartworm disease is fatal to pets. The good news: You can protect your pet from this disease. “It’s… Continue reading Prevent Heartworm in Pets Year Round
5 Ways to Be Smart About Prescription Drugs
With 4 in 10 Americans regularly taking a prescription medication and nearly $260 billion spent by consumers on prescriptions in 2014, expert pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein, a spokesperson for FamilyWize, a price-comparison tool for prescription drugs, is offering the following tips to help consumers get healthier with their medications this year: Know what medicine you… Continue reading 5 Ways to Be Smart About Prescription Drugs
Breast Cancer Drugs’ Side Effects May Depend on Patient’s Age
Two leading breast cancer drugs cause different symptoms depending on the age of the woman who is taking the drug, researchers say. The findings could be an important step toward personalized medicine for women with breast cancer, said Dr. Patricia Ganz, director of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Prevention and Control Research program and… Continue reading Breast Cancer Drugs’ Side Effects May Depend on Patient’s Age
This is Your Brain on Marijuana
Several studies have demonstrated that the primary active constituent of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC), induces transient psychosis-like effects in healthy subjects similar to those observed in schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. A new study, published in December 2015 in the journal Biological Psychiatry, reports that ?9-THC increases random neural activity, termed… Continue reading This is Your Brain on Marijuana
A Frightening Epidemic among Middle-Class Americans
There’s a new epidemic among white, middle-aged Americans, according to a recent study from Princeton University. The number of deaths from drugs and alcohol; suicide; chronic liver disease; and cirrhosis have increased to the point where the number of deaths are comparable to the number of Americans who have died of AIDS, according to the… Continue reading A Frightening Epidemic among Middle-Class Americans
Placebo Drugs Can Predict Successful Depression Treatment
If a depressed patient responds well to a placebo, that may determine how well they’ll respond to a real medicine, according to new research. People who can marshal their brain’s own chemical forces against depression, it appears, have a head start in overcoming its symptoms with help from a medication. But those whose brain chemistry… Continue reading Placebo Drugs Can Predict Successful Depression Treatment
Some Diabetes Drugs May Be Bad for Patients
Although a group of treatments for diabetes is in common use, it may help worsen the problem it was designed to solve, according to a new study. The researchers, from St. John’s College of the University of Cambridge, UK, say that while their results are not conclusive, they point to a lack of complete information… Continue reading Some Diabetes Drugs May Be Bad for Patients
Drug-Like “Compounds” May Improve Prostate-Cancer Treatment
Researchers from Southern Methodist University have discovered three new compounds that could, ultimately, offer better survival odds to prostate cancer patients. The drug-like compounds can be modified and developed into medicines that target a protein in the human body that is responsible for chemotherapy resistance in cancers, said biochemist Pia D. Vogel, lead author on… Continue reading Drug-Like “Compounds” May Improve Prostate-Cancer Treatment
This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs
Patients over 50 who have ulcerative colitis live longer if they undergo surgery rather than taking drugs This according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the finding was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Most physicians opt to treat [ulcerative colitis] with medications, as opposed… Continue reading This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs
Misuse of Painkillers Tied to Illegal Drug Use
People who use recreational drugs like cocaine, heroin and marijuana have a higher likelihood of misusing prescription pain relievers as well, according to new research from the University of Georgia School of Social Work. The investigators’ conclusions were buttressed by a study just released by the federal Centers for Disease Control, which found that heroin… Continue reading Misuse of Painkillers Tied to Illegal Drug Use
Why You Should Be Concerned About OTC Painkillers
Next time you reach into the medicine cabinet seeking relief for a headache, backache or arthritis, be aware of important safety information for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. FDA is strengthening an existing warning in prescription drug labels and over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts labels to indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase the chance of a… Continue reading Why You Should Be Concerned About OTC Painkillers
Do Cosmetics Promise More Than They Can Deliver?
Americans spend a lot of money on creams, lotions and other cosmetics that promise to improve their skin, hair, and even eyelashes. But sometimes those promises go too far. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns cosmetics companies when they make claims about their products that classify them as drugs, not cosmetics. FDA has issued… Continue reading Do Cosmetics Promise More Than They Can Deliver?
If Your Pet Is Diagnosed with Cancer: What You Need to Know
Any pet owner who has been told their animal has cancer knows the two emotions: anxiety for the beloved pet’s life, and hope for an effective treatment. “Many people consider their dogs and cats members of the family,” says Food and Drug Administration veterinarian Lisa Troutman. “Just as FDA reviews drugs for humans for safety… Continue reading If Your Pet Is Diagnosed with Cancer: What You Need to Know
Myths and Facts About Mental Illness
Although most of us are perfectly fine with discussing physical health, mental health is another matter. The truth about mental health is often lost in a fog of fear, anger and ignorance. Here, the experts at www.mentalhealth.gov , a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, separate mental-health facts from myths: Myth:… Continue reading Myths and Facts About Mental Illness