The largest randomised study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment. Results from the HPS2-THRIVE study (Heart Protection Study 2 – Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events), including the […]
Exposure to air pollution is associated with increased deaths after heart attacks
Air pollution contributes to an increased number of deaths among patients who have been admitted to hospital with heart attacks, according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The largest study yet to investigate the links between fine air-borne particulate matter (PM) and patient survival after hospital admission for acute coronary […]
Lung cancer set to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths among European women
Lung cancer is likely to overtake breast cancer as the main cause of cancer death among European women by the middle of this decade, according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the UK and Poland it has already overtaken breast cancer as the main cause of cancer deaths […]
Spin and bias in published studies of breast cancer trials
Spin and bias exist in a high proportion of published studies of the outcomes and adverse side-effects of phase III clinical trials of breast cancer treatments, according to new research published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. In the first study to investigate how accurately outcomes and side-effects are reported in breast cancer […]
Lung cancer patients live longer if they use beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy
Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer survive longer if they are taking beta-blockers while receiving radiotherapy, according to a study of 722 patients published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1]. Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, USA) reviewed the progress and outcomes of patients who had received radiotherapy as […]
Children born after infertility treatment are more likely to suffer from asthma
Asthma is more common among children born after infertility treatment than among children who have been planned and conceived naturally, according to findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. The study found that at the age of five, children born to sub-fertile parents – […]
Semen concentration and quality fell in French men between 1989 and 2005
New research shows that the concentration of sperm in men’s semen has been in steady decline between 1989 and 2005 in France. In addition, there has been a decrease in the number of normally formed sperm. The study is published online in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction [1]. The study is important because, […]
Digoxin increases deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation
Digoxin, a drug that has been used worldwide for centuries to treat heart disease, is associated with a significant increase in deaths in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to results from a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. Digoxin is extracted from the foxglove plant (digitalis) and it helps the heart […]
Relatives of people who die suddenly from heart problems have greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Relatives of young people who have died suddenly from a heart-related problem are at greatly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease according to a study published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The authors of the study say these findings have two major implications; firstly, they strongly support the fact that autopsies should always […]
First trial in humans of “minicells”: a completely new way of delivering anti-cancer drugs
A completely new way of delivering anti-cancer drugs to tumours, using “minicells” derived from bacteria, has been tested for the first time in humans and found to be safe, well-tolerated and even induced stable disease in patients with advanced, incurable cancers with no treatment options remaining. The research, which was presented at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR […]