Medications

Scientists have taken an important step toward the development of a potential new treatment for treating Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), the notorious bug associated with severe food poisoning.

Certain widely used drug combinations may either slow down or worsen the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but their effects differ between sexes. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, highlights these important findings.

A new study from Queen Mary University of London found that 9% of all reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported to the UK medicines regulator are associated with medications where side effect risk is partly dependent on the patient’s genes. Of this subset of ADRs, 75% were associated with only three genes that impact how the body processes medication. Genetic testing before prescribing could therefore help avoid ADRs in these cases.

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), and long-term hepatitis B infections that last longer than six months are considered “chronic.” Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) poses a huge health care burden as it is a common cause of chronic liver disease and is also associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

A recent study from National Taiwan University Hospital shows that apixaban, a blood-thinning medication, can help prevent blood clots in dialysis patients after a procedure to clear blocked vascular access. Dialysis patients rely on vascular access—like fistulas or grafts—to filter their blood, but clots can form and block these pathways, making dialysis impossible.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for a serious heart condition that affects thousands of people.

Long associated with youthful weightlifters and athletes, creatine supplements are increasingly being used by older adults to maintain muscle and even improve cognition.

As the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues, scientists are working to better understand the virus’s threat to human health. The virus has been found in dairy cows’ milk and has infected farm workers, prompting scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to study potential treatments.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are an important treatment option for people with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Since their approval, the indications for these medical drugs have steadily increased, but recently safety concerns have also been raised.

Why do medications that are supposed to help patients with chronic inflammatory diseases sometimes lead to blood clots?