Content about Aging-associated diseases

WASHINGTON — More than 400 drugs are under development for the 10 most common chronic health conditions affecting elderly people, according to a new report by a drug industry trade group.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Actavis is challenging Novartis' patent on a patch used to treat Alzheimer's disease, Actavis said.

The generic drug maker said it had filed with the Food and Drug Administration an amendment to its regulatory application for rivastigmine transdermal system to include the 13.3 mg-per-24-hours dosage strength, a generic version of Novartis' Exelon. Novartis filed suit against Actavis on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware seeking to prevent commercialization of the generic version.

PHILADELPHIA — "Talk to your cardiologist." That's the advice offered Friday by Wills Eye Institute, a hospital specializing in eye care,  following a JAMA article linking aspirin therapy to macular degeneration. 

MINNETONKA, Minn. — Some of the most commonly cited health problems affecting the elderly are hypertension, stroke and osteoporosis, but a new study highlights what researchers call an even bigger problem.

Americans ages 65 years and older said that hearing impairment affects their quality of life physically and mentally more than high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, sciatica and cancer, according to the study, released Thursday by AARP Services and UnitedHealthcare.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has teamed up with the American Heart Association in a nationwide effort to improve the identification, treatment and management of high blood pressure.

According to the American Heart Association, 1-out-of-3 American adults has high blood pressure or hypertension. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure.

LEESBURG, Va. — RxAlly has created a new campaign that is designed to support the Million Hearts initiative.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club is offering free screenings for brain health at all of its stores that operate pharmacies this month, the retailer said Friday.

The company, which has performed more than 1 million health and wellness screenings at it stores since 2011, said it would offer the screenings on April 14 for members and the public, including a memory test and educational materials on Alzheimer's and dementia provided by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, as well as body mass index, blood pressure and glucose tests.

LONDON — Evidence supporting the daily use of aspirin to help prevent and possibly treat cancer was published Tuesday in a collection of three papers — two in The Lancet and one in Lancet Oncology.

NEW YORK — A late-stage clinical trial to evaluate a drug in Alzheimer's disease patients came up short, the drug's developers said Tuesday, prompting them to cease its development.

Pfizer and Medivation announced results of the phase-3 "CONCERT" trial of Dimebon (latrepirdine), a trial that had lasted 12 months and enrolled 1,003 patients worldwide. The drug, which the companies have studied since 2009, was originally developed by Soviet Union scientists in the 1980s as an antihistamine.

CHICAGO — A hike in blood pressure during middle age significantly raises the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke, according to new Northwestern Medicine research released Monday. The study offers a new understanding on the importance of maintaining low blood pressure early in middle age to prevent heart disease later in life.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A study published online earlier this month by the American Journal of Cardiology concluded that supplementation with vitamin D conferred substantial survival benefits, specifically in patients with documented deficiency.

According to the research, evidence supported an association between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease and heart failure.