Medscape Pharmacists Headlines

FDA Safety Changes: Advair Diskus and Vfend

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The FDA has approved revisions to the safety labeling for fluticasone propionate plus salmeterol xinafoate inhalation powder and voriconazole tablets, injection, and oral suspension.
Medscape Medical News

Smoking in Young Women Linked to Higher Stroke Risk

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Researchers have identified a dose-response relationship between cigarette smoking and ischemic stroke risk.
Medscape Medical News

Fenofibrate Combo May Curb Heart Problems in Diabetics

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:16:00 EDT

Fenofibrate in combination with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) appears to have a number of beneficial hemodynamic effects in type 2 diabetic subjects with mild left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, researchers report in the August issue of Diabetes Care.
Reuters Health Information

Fruits Inhibit Absorption of Some Orally Administered Drugs

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:17:06 EDT

Juice from grapefruit, oranges, and apples, as well as the whole fruits, substantially decrease oral absorption of some drugs by blocking an intestinal uptake transporter, according to a report at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, underway in Philadelphia.
Reuters Health Information

Effectiveness and Safety of Generic Fixed-Dose Combination of Tenofovir/Emtricitabine/Efavirenz in HIV-1-Infected Patients in Western India

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:02:24 EDT

The investigators studied the effectiveness and safety of a generic fixed-dose combination of tenofovir/emtricitabine/efavirenz among HIV-1-infected patients in Western India.
The Medscape Journal of Medicine

The Role of Inhibitors of the Epidermal Growth Factor in Management of Head and Neck Cancer

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

This CME offering reviews emerging data about EGFR inhibitors alone and in combination with standard modalities for the treatment of patients with head and neck cancers.
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Many US Adults, Especially High-Risk Individuals, Not at Recommended Lipid Targets

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:45:05 EDT

There remains a significant gap in overall lipid control, especially among individuals with cardiovascular comorbidities, say authors of a new study. Less than one in five high-risk individuals are meeting the recommended targets for all lipids, including LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Heartwire

Anastrozole Associated With Joint Symptoms in Patients With Breast Cancer

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

In women with breast cancer, the risk factors for joint symptoms include past hormone replacement therapy, hormone receptor positivity, past chemotherapy treatment, obesity, and anastrozole treatment.
Medscape Medical News

HAART Improves Syphilis Serologic Response Rates in HIV Patients

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:53:58 EDT

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces syphilis serological failure rates in patients co-infected with HIV, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Reuters Health Information

Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension May Respond to Sildenafil Over Long Term

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:06:16 EDT

Long-term use of sildenafil may have beneficial effects in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), results of a pilot study indicate.
Reuters Health Information

Value of Chemoradiotherapy in Nonresectable Rectal Cancer Confirmed

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:49:13 EDT

In nonresectable rectal cancer, the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy, compared with radiotherapy alone, improves local control and prolongs time to treatment failure and cancer-specific survival, results of a randomized phase III study confirm.
Reuters Health Information

Monitoring and Managing Cardiotoxicities Associated with Cancer Therapies: An Expert Interview with Dr. Pamela S. Douglas

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:36:06 EDT

In this interview, Dr. Douglas discusses some of the key challenges facing oncologists today in monitoring and managing cardiotoxicities associated with cancer therapeutics.
NCCN Clinical Practice Oncology Forum

Earlier and More Aggressive LDL Lowering, or Better Approaches for Targeting High-Risk Individuals?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:02:00 EDT

A review by three renowned experts in cardiology suggests that efforts to treat elevated cholesterol levels are not exploiting the full potential of cholesterol-lowering strategies and current approaches to treatment are simply doing "too little, too late." Two experts, however, say the review ignores practical issues and other markers that are better able to identify high-risk individuals.
Heartwire

Online Community Displays the "Intimacy" of Diabetes

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:35:16 EDT

Patients with diabetes and their loved ones form special bonds while sharing stories and experiences at the blog, Six Until Me.
Medscape Med Students

Chronic Constipation: Understanding Issues in Gut Physiology and Implications for Therapy

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Brooks Cash, MD, provides an overview of our current understanding of the physiology of the GI tract with a view toward how that understanding may be applied to the treatment of chronic constipation.
Medscape Gastroenterology

Complications in Oncology Practice: Venous Thromboembolism and Tumor Lysis Syndrome

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

These interactive patient case simulations explore the management of VTE and TLS in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Medscape Hematology-Oncology

The Multidisciplinary Team in Multiple Sclerosis: Harnessing the Array of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tools to Improve Quality of Life

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Review the latest advances in multiple sclerosis diagnosis and treatment.

Safety Issues With TNF Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis: What Does Evidence-Based Data Tell Us About Infection, Tuberculosis, and Cancer?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Using evidence-based medicine, interpret the safety data on TNF antagonists to help guide decision-making in the use of these agents for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

UK Drugs Watchdog Chief Attacks Drug Firm on Prices

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:49:42 EDT

Incentive schemes linking drug industry executives' pay to their firms' share price and profits help drive up the price of new drugs, the head of Britain's health cost-effectiveness watchdog was quoted as saying.
Reuters Health Information

Byetta Linked to Acute Pancreatitis

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:45:00 EDT

Exenatide therapy has been linked to 6 new cases of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis.
Medscape Medical News