Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
Perspective: The Problem with Probiotics
26 Oct, 2018 | 02:08h | UTCThe Problem With Probiotics – The New York Times (free)
Related: Probiotic Safety—No Guarantees (free perspective)
“There are potential harms as well as benefits, and a lot of wishful thinking and imprecision in the marketing of products containing them.”
Cohort Study: Aspirin vs. Other Anticoagulants for Prevention of VTE After Total Knee Arthroplasty
19 Oct, 2018 | 00:06h | UTCAssociation of Aspirin With Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty Compared With Other Anticoagulants: A Noninferiority Analysis – JAMA Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: More Research Supports Use of Aspirin Alone to Prevent VTE After Knee Replacement Surgery – TCTMD (free) AND Aspirin Noninferior to Other Anticoagulants in Knee Arthroplasty – Journal Watch (free)
Related Randomized Trial: Aspirin Starting Five Days After Hip or Knee Arthroplasty for VTE Prophylaxis (link to abstract, video summary and commentary)
Review: Demystifying Serotonin Syndrome
16 Oct, 2018 | 23:23h | UTCDemystifying serotonin syndrome (or serotonin toxicity) – Canadian Family Physician (free)
Cohort Study: β-Blocker Use in Pregnancy and the Risk for Congenital Malformations
16 Oct, 2018 | 23:21h | UTCβ-Blocker Use in Pregnancy and the Risk for Congenital Malformations: An International Cohort Study – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Beta-Blocker Use in First Trimester Seems Safe – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Beta-blocker Use in Pregnancy Doesn’t Up Birth Defect Risk, Study Suggests – TCTMD (free)
Study: Unapproved Pharmaceutical Ingredients Included in Dietary Supplements
16 Oct, 2018 | 23:07h | UTCEditorial: The FDA and Adulterated Supplements—Dereliction of Duty – JAMA Network Open (free)
Commentaries: Nearly 800 dietary supplements contained unapproved drug ingredients, study finds – CNN (free) AND No Wonder It Works So Well – NPR (free) AND Hundreds of Dietary Supplements Are Tainted with Prescription Drugs – Scientific American (free) AND Hundreds of health, weight loss products contain unapproved ingredients: Study – UPI (free) AND Some dietary supplements contain potentially harmful drugs – Reuters (free)
Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews: Incidence, Causes, and Consequences of Preventable Adverse Drug Reactions Occurring in Inpatients
16 Oct, 2018 | 21:31h | UTC
Antibiotics May Soon Become Useless. Now What?
16 Oct, 2018 | 21:27h | UTCAntibiotics May Soon Become Useless. Now What? – WIRED (a few articles per month are free)
Review: What Treatments are Effective for Common Cold in Adults and Children?
12 Oct, 2018 | 01:51h | UTCWhat treatments are effective for common cold in adults and children? – The BMJ (free review and infographic)
Commentaries: What works for treating children’s colds? – BBC (free) AND Doctors should steer young children away from decongestants – OnMedica (free)
Review: A New Vaccine for Shingles
12 Oct, 2018 | 01:44h | UTCShingrix: A New Vaccine for Shingles – Therapeutics Initiative (free)
“Need to vaccinate 31 people to prevent one instance of HZ; Need to vaccinate 358 people to prevent one instance on post herpetic neuralgia” (via @amtejani)
Consensus Statement: Management of Cutaneous Adverse Events in Patients on Targeted Anticancer Therapies and Immunotherapies
12 Oct, 2018 | 01:42h | UTC
Perspective: Ghost Authorship Haunts Industry-funded Clinical Trials
11 Oct, 2018 | 21:53h | UTCGhost authorship haunts industry-funded clinical trials – Nature (free)
Original Article: Collaboration Between Academics and Industry in Clinical Trials (free study and commentaries)
Committee Recommends New Restrictions on the use of Fluoroquinolones
11 Oct, 2018 | 21:47h | UTCCommentaries: EMA committee recommends restrictions on fluoroquinolone, quinolone antibiotics – Reuters (free) AND PRAC Recommends Restrictions on Fluoroquinolone, Quinolones – Medscape (free registration required)
Related FDA Safety Alert: Warnings for Fluoroquinolones on Risks of Mental Health and Low Blood Sugar Adverse Reactions (free statement and commentaries)
Meta-Analysis: Statins Not Benefitial for Noncardiovascular Outcomes
11 Oct, 2018 | 21:31h | UTCStatins and Multiple Noncardiovascular Outcomes: Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses of Observational Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Statin Benefits: Yes for CVD but No for Everything Else, Says New Review – TCTMD (free) AND Statins’ benefits beyond heart health aren’t clear-cut, analysis says – CNN (free)
Study: Outpatient Antibiotics Widely Prescribed Without an Infection Diagnosis
11 Oct, 2018 | 20:10h | UTCOutpatient antibiotics widely prescribed without an infection diagnosis – CIDRAP (free)
Related Commentary: Study Finds Almost Half of Antibiotic Prescriptions Written Without a Diagnosis – Pharmacy Times (free)
Perspective: Given Their Potential for Harm, It’s Time to Focus on the Safety of Supplements
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:41h | UTCGiven Their Potential for Harm, It’s Time to Focus on the Safety of Supplements – JAMA (free for a limited period) (via @NUNESDOC)
“About 23 000 visits to emergency departments each year can be attributed to adverse events from dietary supplements.”
Meta-Analysis: Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Musculoskeletal Health
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:44h | UTCEffects of vitamin D supplementation on musculoskeletal health: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology: Vitamin D supplementation in adults does not prevent fractures, falls or improve bone mineral density – The Lancet (free) AND Vitamin D supplements don’t help bone health, major study concludes – The Guardian (free) AND Millions of Americans take vitamin D. Most should just stop – VOX (free)
Related: Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind It (free commentaries and NICE Guideline) AND Vitamin D Not Linked to Fracture Risk (free study and commentaries)
Study: Effect of Lorcaserin on Prevention and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight and Obese Patients
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:38h | UTCEffect of lorcaserin on prevention and remission of type 2 diabetes in overweight and obese patients (CAMELLIA-TIMI 61): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Weight loss drug shows positive effect on diabetes – Brigham and Women’s Hospital (free) AND Weight Loss Drug Helped Prevent Diabetes in Overweight People – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related Article: Cardiovascular Safety of Lorcaserin in Overweight or Obese Patients (link to abstract and commentaries)
Clinical Update: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Toxicity in 2018
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:42h | UTCImmune Checkpoint Inhibitor Toxicity in 2018 – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Related Guidelines: Management of Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline (free) AND Managing toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: consensus recommendations from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Toxicity Management Working Group (free)
Related Review: New drugs, new toxicities: severe side effects of modern targeted and immunotherapy of cancer and their management – Critical Care (free)
Sytematic Review: Antidepressant Withdrawal Effects
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:06h | UTCA systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects: Are guidelines evidence-based? – Addictive Behaviours (free PDF)
Commentaries: Antidepressant withdrawal ‘hits millions’ – BBC (free) AND Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms severe, says new report – The Guardian (free)
Related: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome (free review and NYT article)
Study: Fracture Prevention in Older Women with Osteopenia
5 Oct, 2018 | 02:03h | UTCEditorial: A Not-So-New Treatment for Old Bones (free)
Commentary: Study Suggests More Older Women May Benefit From Bone Drugs – The Associated Press (free)
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018
5 Oct, 2018 | 01:58h | UTCPress Release: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018 – The Nobel Prize (free)
Commentaries: Cancer immunologists scoop medicine Nobel prize – Nature (free) AND Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to two cancer researchers for immune system breakthrough – STAT (free) AND 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to 2 Cancer Immunotherapy Researchers – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Perspective: Failing the Public Health — Rofecoxib, Merck, and the FDA
5 Oct, 2018 | 01:45h | UTCFailing the Public Health — Rofecoxib, Merck, and the FDA – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Meta-Analysis: Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Statin‐Induced Myopathy
5 Oct, 2018 | 01:27h | UTCCommentary: Coenzyme Q10 reduces statin-induced myopathy symptoms – Univadis (free registration required)
Deprescribing Recommendations: An Essential Consideration for Clinical Guideline Developers
28 Sep, 2018 | 01:11h | UTCRelated: Position Statement: Reducing Inappropriate Medication Use & Polypharmacy (several articles and commentaries on the subject)
““Clinical guidelines often do not accommodate frailty or patients with multiple comorbid conditions. This can give rise to complex medication regimens and risk of medication harm.” Paper discusses the need to include deprescribing in clinical guidelines” (via @Deprescribing see Tweet)
Randomized Trial: Vaccine Against TB May Help Individuals with Latent Infection
28 Sep, 2018 | 01:04h | UTCEditorial: New Promise for Vaccines against Tuberculosis (free)
Commentaries: New TB vaccine protects half of people with latent infection – NBC Health News (free) AND Experimental vaccine shows promise in preventing TB – MedicalXpress (free)