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A new study adds to evidence that there is a link between antidepressants and abnormal electrical activity of the heart.

Two SSRIs (citalopram and escitalopram) and one tricyclic antidepressant (amitriptyline) were associated with a prolonged QT interval, a risk factor for rare heart rhythm problems.

NHS Choices has provided an analysis of the research and explanation of the QT interval, which is electrical activity of the heart measured by an electrocardiogram (ECG).

PharmaKure, a company spun out from the University of Manchester, is looking for investment to fund drug library screening, pre-clinical and early phase human trials.

The company’s first drug, PK-048, was discovered in the 1980s as a drug candidate for Parkinson’s disease, but PharmaKure hopes to reposition it for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

British researchers found they could improve children’s asthma control by using drugs suited to their specific genome.

Long-acting β2 agonists are used as an alternative to increasing the dose of inhaled corticosteroids if a standard dose provides inadequate asthma control. However, LABAs are less effective in people with the Arg16 β2 receptor genotype, approximately 15% of the population.

The research found that children with the different gene who were given a LTRA instead of a LABA showed improved asthma control and missed fewer days of school.

Researchers at King’s College London found that people who stop smoking are less anxious than those who remain addicted, contradicting the belief that smoking is a stress reliever.

The research did not address anxiety levels in people who want to continue smoking or those who do not smoke, as the study’s primary aim was customizing nicotine replacement therapy based on patients’ genetics.

NHS Choices published a useful analysis of the research.

If you smoke, stop.