According to some reports metformin poisoning, though rare, is associated with a mortality rate of 30%.
via Hemodialysis in metformin poisoning | The Poison Review.
Yikes.
pharmaceutical
Intensive Tx Fails to Slow Atherosclerosis | Medpage Today
“When we see something that surprises us and flies in the face of what is understood, it requires another look — maybe a different cohort, larger numbers, longer follow-up,”
via Intensive Tx Fails to Slow Atherosclerosis | Medpage Today.
Surprised? As long as we continue to focus on pharmaceuticals as the answer, no one should be surprised.
Should patients stop taking aspirin for primary prevention? : Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
More on the aspirin debate.
Should patients stop taking aspirin for primary prevention? : Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
Workers Seeking Productivity in a Pill Are Abusing A.D.H.D. Drugs – NYTimes.com
A 2013 report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that emergency room visits related to nonmedical use of prescription stimulants among adults 18 to 34 tripled from 2005 to 2011, to almost 23,000.
via Workers Seeking Productivity in a Pill Are Abusing A.D.H.D. Drugs – NYTimes.com.
“It is necessary — necessary for survival of the best and the smartest and highest-achieving people.”
Poisoning Deaths Involving Opioid Analgesics — New York State, 2003–2012
Comparison of opioid analgesic-related mortality between those enrolled or not enrolled in Medicaid shows considerably higher death rates and a more rapid increase in mortality among Medicaid enrollees. The consistently higher age-adjusted death rates for poisonings involving opioid analgesics among Medicaid enrollees (after stratifying data by sex) suggest that differences in age and sex distributions do not underlie these Medicaid/non-Medicaid differences. Other factors, such as the greater prevalence of mental illness and substance abuse in the Medicaid population (6), might contribute to the observed differences.
via Poisoning Deaths Involving Opioid Analgesics — New York State, 2003–2012.
Maybe the title should be Socioeconomic Status and Death.
MUST READ – 5 Takeaways – Diabetes Drugs Investigation – Medpage Today
5 Takeaways from the Diabetes Drugs Investigation | Medpage Today.
At least 3,300 deaths and 20,000 hospitalizations have been linked to new diabetes drugs in adverse event reports submitted by clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to the FDA since 2004.
Read and pay close attention to the chart of adverse events by drug. The lizard strikes back (Byetta).
Drug Interactions with Warfarin: Don’t bleed Me Out!
More Bad News for Niacin
More Bad News for Niacin: Health After 50.
Health After 50
More Bad News for Niacin
Are you currently taking niacin to improve your cholesterol levels? If so, a conversation with your doctor may be warranted to determine whether you should continue taking niacin.
The reason for reconsidering niacin is twofold: First, a new study claims that the drug doesn’t help lower heart attack or stroke risk and may instead cause serious side effects. Second, studies haven’t been able to show that raising “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol — one of the effects of niacin — has a benefit for people who already have heart disease.
For years, doctors have speculated on whether taking niacin to raise levels of HDL cholesterol could lower the risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac events. The latest results from the recent HPS2-THRIVE trial, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, have answered with a resounding “no.”
This isn’t the first time niacin has been given the thumbs-down — past trials have reached similar conclusions, most notably the AIM-HIGH study of more than 3,400 patients on statin therapy. Researchers stopped that trial early in 2011 because of the apparent lack of benefit from niacin, along with reports of adverse events.
Dr. James L. Weiss, professor of cardiology at Johns Hopkins weighs in: “Higher HDL levels are associated with better heart outcomes, but that doesn’t mean they directly cause these better outcomes — an important distinction.
“Another way to look at it: Low HDL levels may be linked to an increased heart disease risk, but raising them with niacin doesn’t seem to reduce that risk. Still, it makes sense that you’d want more HDL cholesterol in your body.
“You can naturally increase levels by eating healthier foods, exercising regularly and quitting smoking. In the end, good health outcomes stem from making good lifestyle choices. For patients who stand to benefit from drug therapy, current guidelines recommend statins alone as the most effective therapy for reducing cardiovascular risk and suggest niacin for only selected high-risk patients for whom benefits outweigh risks.”
Posted in Heart Health on March 6, 2015
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Health After 50 Disclaimer
How to Choose Best Opoid Addiction Treatment – Medpage Today
How to Choose Best Opoid Addiction Treatment | Medpage Today.
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