Proton pump inhibitors, which suppress acid production in the stomach, are widely prescribed for heartburn. The usual advice is to take them 30 minutes before breakfast, because eating causes acid to be to produced. However, recent studies suggest that these drugs may be more effective when taken before supper at night. A 2003 U.S. study […]
Pancreatic cancer survival rates have been improving over the last few decades, but the statistics still make grim reading. According to the America Cancer Society, the one-year relative survival rate for all cases of pancreatic cancer is 20 per cent. Only seven per cent of people diagnosed with the disease survive for five years. One […]
Around 70 per cent of breast cancers are so-called ER positive, which means the cancer cells contain a receptor for the hormone oestrogen. It is this hormone that fuels the tumours. Patients with this type of cancer are offered one of two drugs after surgery to prevent the cancer coming back. One of these drugs, […]
Read More… from Why do some breast cancer drugs stop working?
Gambling addiction can have a devastating effect not just on patients, but also their families. It can result in people losing their job, and leave families and children homeless. We know the condition may have a genetic component – and that the children of gambling addicts are at higher risk of gambling addiction themselves – […]
Read More… from Gambling addiction akin to drug and alcohol cravings
Researchers at Teesside University have been examining drug interventions for the treatment of childhood obesity and found that, although drugs have been found to aid weight reduction in older children, more work is needed to determine their efficiency and safety. Latest figures show that over one fifth of reception children are overweight or obese and […]
All organisations are required to have governance arrangements in place to ensure the safe storage, management and use of controlled drugs in line with the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Controlled Drugs Regulations 2013. Assurance in adhering to the legal requirements has been a challenge to the Accountable Officers in hospitals over the years […]
Biosimilar medicines have been the hot subject of debate for a number of years. But as health systems around the world face continued budget squeezes and seek to increase the number of patients treated with biosimilars, the use of these less expensive options becomes ever more pertinent. Today (Tuesday 15th November) patient groups from across […]
There are no drugs for chronic pain that are really effective. Opioids are helpful for treating acute pain and for those suffering pain at the end stages of their life, but there is no data at all to support their use for long-term pain. Patients who take these medicines often find that the effect seems […]
Are we becoming a nation of digital technology addicts? Surely the figures speak for themselves. The average iPhone user unlocks their device 80 times per day, according to figures released by Apple earlier this year. Researchers from Nottingham Trent University in 2015 showed that young adults spend around one third of their waking hours using […]
The Olympic Games in Rio officially open later today yet already we have been embroiled in degrees of controversy. At the forefront is the controversy surrounding doping. We are playing a cat and mouse game with the doping cheat – we develop new and more sensitive tests for the latest doping agents, and in response, they try to […]