4476 days ago
A retrospective cohort study of more than 46000 patients in a military health care system found that musculoskeletal conditions and pain are more common among statin users than among similar non-users.
The researchers warned that statins’ musculoskeletal adverse events may not be fully explored, especially in physically active individuals.
Statins are a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting an enzyme that plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver.
4554 days ago
A review of records for two million patients in Canada, the UK, and USA, found that high potency statins are associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury.
High potency statin treatment was defined as at least 10mg rosuvastatin, at least 20mg atorvastatin, or at least 40mg simvastatin; all other statin treatments were defined as having low potency.
4595 days ago
The influenza pandemic in 2009 led to the vaccination of high-risk groups with new vaccines targeting swine flu, when only limited information about the safety of the vaccines was available.
Researchers at UCL and vaccine manufacturers GSK found that Pandemrix had an acceptable safety profile in all age and risk groups studied.
The researchers analysed side effects reported within 6 months in more than 8500 people, aged 7 months to 97 years, who had received at least one dose of the adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine during the national pandemic influenza vaccination campaign in the UK.
The observed number of adverse events of special interest was below the expected number for Bell’s palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and demyelination, but above the expected number for neuritis (1 case within 31 days), and convulsions (8 cases within 181 days).
4603 days ago
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).
4606 days ago
A study that looked at Australian patients over a 15-year period found that regular use of aspirin was associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration.
However a comment piece questioned whether the study had done enough to show that the association is causal.