Content about Aging-associated diseases

PORTLAND, Ore. — It seems that boosting high-density lipoproteins levels, also known as "good" cholesterol, can help diabetes patients reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study conducted by Kaiser Permanente published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved two new uses for a drug made by Amgen, the drug maker said Monday.

Amgen announced the approval of the biotech drug Prolia (denosumab) for increasing bone mass in men and women who are at risk of fractures due to hormone ablation treatments they are receiving for prostate and breast cancer, respectively.

NEW YORK — Women who smoke are at a 25% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than the men who share that smoke break with them, according to a meta-analysis published Wednesday on The Lancet website.

This increased risk for women could be due to physiological differences between the sexes, with cigarette smoke toxins possibly having a more potent effect on women, suggested Rachel Huxley, study co-author at the Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota.


The overall weight-loss/nutritional shake category spans ready-to-drink diet aids (Slim Fast), pediatric nutrition needs (PediaSure) and adult nutrition needs (Ensure and Boost). Out of all of these, it’s adult nutrition that creates the most synergy with the backbench; seniors need protein and supplementation to ensure a healthy life free of broken hips and fractured elbows. But that isn’t the only prescription-heavy demographic checking out the latest Ensure and Boost flavors.

PITTSBURGH — Another generic drug maker has been given the green light to market its version of an Alzheimer's disease treatment.

Mylan said that its subsidiary, Matrix Labs, has received final approval from the Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market donepezil hydrochloride tablets in 5-mg and 10-mg strengths. The drug, a generic version of Pfizer and Eisai's Aricept, is used to treat dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Mylan said it will launch the product immediately.

NEW YORK — A drug originally developed by scientists in the Soviet Union to treat allergies and currently under investigation by Pfizer and Medivation did not yield significant results in a late-stage clinical trial of patients with Huntington disease, a disorder that leads to cognitive decline, the companies said Monday.

NEW YORK — In line with American Heart Month, Boehringer Ingelheim's Micardis has introduced a cardiovascular risk-reduction calculator, designed to assess patients' cardiovascular risk.

The calculator, which can be accessed at MicardisPro.com, is an interactive, useful tool for healthcare professionals to assist patients in reaching their cardiovascular risk-reduction goal, the company said.

Micardis (telmisartan) is a drug designed to treat hypertension.

NEW YORK — An investigational drug made by Bristol-Myers Squibb works better than aspirin in reducing the risk of complications in certain patients with heart rhythm problems, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Bristol said results of the phase-3 study comparing apixaban with aspirin showed that in patients with atrial fibrillation who were not suited to take the drug warfarin, apixaban was more effective than aspirin in reducing stroke and systemic embolism.

WASHINGTON — A new report developed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America revealed that nearly 300 heart disease and stroke medicines are in development.

PhRMA said that while 299 medicines are in development by the nation's biopharmaceutical companies, there is a growing need for such drugs; African-Americans have a 1.5 times greater rate of heart disease death than other Americans and a 1.8 times greater rate of fatal stroke.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Patients with one or more out of four chronic diseases studied who take their medications as prescribed may save the healthcare system as much as $7,800 per patient annually, according to findings of a new CVS Caremark study analyzing annual pharmacy and medical costs over a three-year period.

BALTIMORE — If the government paid for drug cost incentives for Medicare patients with congestive heart failure, the program could recoup those costs and more by spending less on expensive hospitalizations for patients. 


That finding was one of several to emerge from research conducted by pharmacy students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. The four students presented their findings on elderly drug adherence at the annual meeting of the Gerontology Society of America in New Orleans.

DENVER A cholesterol-lowering drug made by Merck appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiac death in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to results of a new study.

Merck said results of a 9,000-patient clinical study showed that Vytorin (ezetimibe and simvastatin) reduced the risks by 16.1% compared with placebo. Results of the study were presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology.