Does depression contribute to the aging process?

A new study in Biological Psychiatry answers

Philadelphia, PA, USA (February 21, 2012) – Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go 'unseen', one of which is shortening of telomere length.

Study says overweight Americans may risk kidney damage when attempting weight loss

Analysis adds to concerns about weight-loss methods and dietary protein intake

Cleveland, Ohio, USA (February 21, 2012) - With 1 in 5 overweight Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease, Cleveland Clinic researchers analyzed the nutritional and lifestyle habits of overweight adults, finding that their methods included diets and diet pills that may cause further kidney damage.

NICE recommends earlier use of tocilizumab in treating rheumatoid arthritis

London, UK (February 21, 2012) - The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today (Wednesday 22 February 2012) recommended that the NHS can offer tocilizumab (RoActemra, Roche) at an additional stage in treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Alcohol in movies influences young teens' drinking habits

Comparing media and family predictors of alcohol use: A cohort study of US adolescents

London, UK (February 20, 2012) - Young teens who watch a lot of movies featuring alcohol are twice as likely to start drinking compared to peers who watch relatively few such films, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

Cranky today?

Even mild dehydration can alter our moods

Storrs, CT, USA (February 17, 2012) - Most people only think about drinking water when they are thirsty; but by then it may already be too late. Even mild dehydration can alter a person's mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly, according to two studies recently conducted at the University of Connecticut's Human Performance Laboratory.

Switching antiepileptic drugs could increase risk of seizures

Storrs, CT, USA (February 17, 2012) - The substitution of brand-name antiepileptic drugs with cheaper generic equivalents has been an ongoing point of contention among doctors, federal officials and people with epilepsy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims generic antiepileptic drugs have the same dosage, purity and strength as their brand-name counterparts and the two are interchangeable. But doctors and people with epilepsy remain concerned, citing widespread reports of individuals suffering seizures after switching medication.

European Medicines Agency recommends conditional approval of Pixuvri (pixantrone) for relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma

Company to supply additional data on patients pretreated with rituximab

London, UK (February 17, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended that Pixuvri be granted conditional approval for the cancer non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma. The new medicine, which contains the active substance pixantrone, is to be used on its own in patients whose cancer is aggressive and has come back after multiple rounds of previous chemotherapy or is not responding to other treatments.

Meeting highlights from the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) 13-16 February 2012

London, UK (February 17, 2012) - This page lists the opinions adopted at the February 2012 meeting of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) and other important outcomes.

European Medicines Agency concludes review of dose recommendations for anti-tuberculosis medicines used in children

Agrees with WHO recommendations for ethambutol, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and rifampicin

London, UK (February 17, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded its review of dosing recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) for first-line anti-tuberculosis medicines in children.

European Medicines Agency recommends lifting suspension of aprotinin

Review finds that benefits of all antifibrinolytic medicines outweigh risks in restricted range of indications

London, UK (February 17, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency has recommended that the suspension of the marketing authorisations for aprotinin-containing medicines in the European Union (EU) be lifted. This follows a full review of the benefits and risks of all antifibrinolytic medicines, which found that the results of the BART study on which the suspension was based are unreliable.

European Medicines Agency recommends new contraindications and warnings for aliskiren-containing medicines

Combination of aliskiren with ‘ACE’ inhibitors and ‘ARBs’ no longer recommended for patients; contraindications in patients with diabetes or kidney problems

London, UK, (February 17, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency finalised a review of aliskiren-containing medicines, recommending that these medicines should be contraindicated in patients with diabetes or moderate to severe renal impairment who take angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). In addition, the Agency recommended the inclusion of a warning that the combination of aliskiren and ACE inhibitor or ARB is not recommended in all other patients because adverse outcomes cannot be excluded.

Researchers warn nanoparticles in food, vitamins could harm human health

Itaca, NY, USA (February 17, 2012) – Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new Cornell research warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought.

Fever control using external cooling reduces early mortality in septic shock patients

New York, NY, USA (February 17, 2012) - Fever control using external cooling in sedated patients with septic shock is safe and decreases vasopressor requirements and early mortality, according to a new study from researchers in France. "The benefits and risks of fever control in patients with severe sepsis remains a matter of controversy," said lead author Frédérique Schortgen, MD, PhD, of the Henri Mondor Hospital in Créteil, France. "In our study, external cooling to achieve normothermia in patients with septic shock was safe, accelerated hemodynamic stabilization, decreased vasopressor requirements, increased the rate of shock reversal, and decreased early mortality."

Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l. withdraws its application for paediatric use marketing authorisation for Fluad Paediatric (influenza vaccine)

London, UK (February 16, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l. of its decision to withdraw its application for a paediatric-use marketing authorisation (PUMA) for the medicine Fluad Paediatric (influenza vaccine, surface antigen, inactivated, adjuvanted with MF59C.1).

GlaxoSmithKline withdraws its application for an extension of the indication for Tyverb (lapatinib)

London, UK (February 16, 2012) - The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development of its decision to withdraw its application for an extension of the therapeutic indication for the centrally authorised medicine Tyverb (lapatinib), 250 mg film-coated tablets.

Eating problems persist 3 months after stroke and 56 percent still face malnutrition risk

Stockholm, Sweden (February 16, 2012) - People who suffered a stroke continued to experience eating problems and more than half still risked malnutrition after three months, even though there had been a marked improvement in most of their physical functions. That is one of the key findings of a study in the March issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

ECDC publishes reports on healthcare-associated infections in Europe

Stockholm, Sweden (February 15,2012) - Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are infections that occur after exposure to healthcare. Each year 4 million patients acquire a healthcare-associated infection in the European Union and about 37 000 of them die as the direct consequence of the infection. The most frequent types of HAI are surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections and gastrointestinal infections.

Oral nutritional interventions improve nutritional intake and QOL in malnourished cancer patients

Oxford, UK (February 15, 2012) - Oral nutritional interventions help increase nutritional intake and improve some aspects of quality of life (QOL) in malnourished cancer patients or those who are at nutritional risk, but do not effect mortality, according to a study published February 15 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Immunization for MRSA on the horizon

New hope for total joint replacement patients

Rosemont, IL, USA (February 14, 2012) - Methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA) infections are resistant to antibiotics and can cause a myriad of problems -- bone erosion, or osteomyelitis, which shorten the effective life of an implant and greatly hinder replacement of that implant. MRSA can result in prolonged disability, amputation and even death.

New guidelines suggest DVT prophylaxis not appropriate for all patients

Northbrook, IL, USA (February 7, 2012) - New evidence-based guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) recommend considering individual patients' risk of thrombosis when deciding for or against the use of preventive therapies for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Specifically, the Antithrombotic Therapy and Prevention of Thrombosis, 9th ed: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines, published in the February issue of the journal CHEST, focus on risk stratification of patients, suggesting clinicians should consider a patient's risk for DVT/VTE and risk for bleeding before administering or prescribing a prevention therapy.