Herbal rheumatoid arthritis treatment has long been used to combat the damaging effects of this autoimmune disease. Natural herbs for rheumatoid arthritis relief should focus on key areas of treatment, and aim to specifically work in an anti-inflammatory manner, while stimulating healthy immune function.
Obesity Drug Orlistat (Xenical) May Aid in Cancer Treatments
Five years ago, scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine were surprised to find the drug orlistat (Xenical or Alli) could kill cancer cells. Now, they report on how it works. The drug binds and interacts with a protein found in tumor cells, blocking its function and causing the cells to die.
Researches point out that Orlistat alone can not treat cancer, as it can act only in the digestive tract in humans. However, a greater understanding of how Orlistat functions with cancer cells may help in the development of a drug like orlistat that can go through the bloodstream to the site of the tumor.
Obesity Caused by “Food Addiction?”
Obesity has long been blamed on weak willpower, overeating, genetics and lack of exercise. Now scientists increasingly are seeing signs that suggest there may be an additional contributor: food addiction.
Poor Diet May Affect Teen Asthma
New research on asthma and diet shows that teens with poor diets may be more likely than their peers to have asthma symptoms and worse lung function.
The findings come from a study of some 2,100 teens in 12 U.S. and Canadian communities. In a nutshell, the teens with less than ideal diets were the most likely to have poorer lung function — including asthma symptoms — than their peers.
Abbott Drops Price of HIV/AIDS Drug Kaletra in Brazil
The Brazilian Ministry of Health signed an agreement last week (4 July) with the pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories to reduce the price of its HIV/AIDS drug Kaletra by 29.5 per cent.
Fish Oil May Protect Premature Babies’ Eyesight
Perhaps nowhere in the body is the adage “you are what you eat” so true as in your eyes, a link scientists are banking on in a novel bid to save premature babies’ vision.
Doctors are about to begin testing whether fish oils could prevent a disease that can silently attack behind preemies’ tiny eyelids, one that strikes about 16,000 U.S. infants a year and blinds hundreds.
It’s part of research into a trio of apparently eye-healthy compounds that babies born too early miss absorbing from their mothers — research gaining increasing attention as more and babies are born premature and at risk.
Novartis Receives FDA Approval for Exelon Skin Patch to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
Swiss drug maker Novartis AG Monday said it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Exelon skin patch for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Novartis, based in Basel, said this was the first approval world-wide for the patch, which delivers the medicine for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients through a skin patch instead of an oral capsule.
Cats Can Hamper Breathing Even in Non-Allergic
Adults plagued by allergies can be affected by cat dander even if they aren’t specifically allergic to felines, a new European study shows.
“Exposure to cats is more of a problem than was thought,” said study author, Susan Chinn, a professor of medical statistics at the Imperial College, London.
Sanofi Pulls FDA Application for Anti-Obesity Drug, Acomplia
French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis said Friday it had withdrawn an application for regulatory approval for its anti-obesity drug Acomplia in the United States.
A panel of experts from the US Food and Drug Administration concluded earlier this month that the dieting treatment, referred to as rimonabant by the company, was unsafe and should not be sold in the United States.
How the NIH Mis-Read 2002 Menopause Hormone Study
On July 9, 2002, federal government health officials announced that they had halted a major study of menopause hormones, saying the drugs increased a woman’s risk of heart attack by 29%.
But in the five years since, it’s become clear that some aspects of what was initially reported from the $725 million Women’s Health Initiative study were either misleading or just wrong.