Glaxo failed to warn of diabetes drug risk
The widow and son of a Texas man who was taking a GlaxoSmithKline Plc diabetes drug at the time of his fatal heart attack claims the drugmaker failed to warn about the drug’s risks, according to a lawsuit.
The claim involves rosiglitazone, which is sold under the brand names Avandia and Advandamet. Investors have been bracing for a flood of litigation against Glaxo after a widely publicized medical report suggested Avandia increases the risk of heart attack.
Low vitamin D may be a heart disease risk factor
A new study shows an association between low vitamin D levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease “in a nationally representative sample.”
Dr. Keith Norris, at Drew University School of Medicine in Los Angeles, and colleagues analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted between 1988 and 1994.
Women Aged 50-59 Taking Oral Estrogen Therapy Had Reduced Levels of Coronary Artery Calcification
Newswise — Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE:WYE), provides comment on the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Coronary Artery Calcium Study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The study found that younger menopausal women (aged 50-59) who received a standard dose of oral conjugated estrogens had significantly less coronary artery calcification at the end of the study period compared with those taking placebo. Coronary artery calcification is a marker of plaque in the arteries and a predictor of future cardiovascular events.
“In the five years since the WHI study ended, new data have emerged that help put the initial findings into perspective. These results showed that in these younger menopausal women, estrogen therapy reduced calcified plaque buildup in the arteries,” says Howard Hodis, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine; Director, Artherosclerosis Research Unit, University of Southern California. “These data support initiation of estrogen therapy, where indicated when a woman first enters menopause and begins experiencing symptoms and bone loss.”
High Blood Levels of Urate Linked to Lower Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
In a new, large-scale, prospective study exploring the link between levels of urate in the blood and risk of Parkinson’s disease, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that high levels of urate are strongly associated with a reduced risk of the disease. The findings were published online on June 20, 2007 in The American Journal of Epidemiology and will appear in an upcoming print issue of the journal.
Urate is a normal component of blood, and although high levels can lead to gout, urate might also have beneficial effects because it is a potent antioxidant. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive nerve disorder associated with destruction of brain cells producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to the normal functioning of the central nervous system.
Fitness level predicts heart problems
Cardiovascular fitness may predict the odds of a future heart attack in men and women with no apparent signs of heart disease, a large study suggests.
Researchers found that of more than 26,000 adults with no symptoms of heart disease, those who showed the greatest endurance on exercise tests had the lowest risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years.
Antipsychotic drugs may impair or aid cognition
Antipsychotic medications used to relieve distress in people with chronic schizophrenia have variable effects on mental functioning and cognitive capability, according to a report sponsored by the National Institute of Medical Health.
“Some patients improve and some get worse, so their doctors need to attend to how an antipsychotic is affecting cognition,” Dr. Richard S. E. Keefe from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina told Reuters Health.
