THURSDAY, Feb. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — More than one-third of early clinical trials exaggerate positive findings and may give patients false hope, a new study suggests. Researchers reviewed data from 930 clinical trials published in 10 leading medical journals between early 2007 and mid-2015. The investigators found that aContinue Reading
FRIDAY, Feb. 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A thin test strip — similar to a pregnancy test — can detect whether a street drug contains the dangerous opioid fentanyl, according to a new report. Fentanyl — one of strongest types of opioid painkillers — is often mixed into street drugs,Continue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Brain plaques believed to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease melt away in mice when robbed of a key enzyme, researchers report. And the rodents’ intellectual function actually improved as their amyloid plaques dissolved from lack of beta-secretase (BACE1), an enzyme critical in the formationContinue Reading
MONDAY, Feb. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Devices that send electrical pulses to the brain — in the comfort of your own home — are a treatment option for depression and certain other conditions. But a new research review finds little evidence they work. The therapy — known as cranialContinue Reading
(HealthDay News) — To prepare for a visit with your surgeon before an operation, it helps to have a list of questions and concerns ready. The U.S. National Institute on Aging suggests what to ask: What is the success rate of the operation? How many of these operations have youContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Feb. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Two cancer drugs can stall the progression of a particularly hard-to-treat form of prostate cancer, a pair of new trials shows. Both a newly developed drug called apalutamide and an already approved drug called enzalutamide (Xtandi) kept prostate cancer from spreading for twoContinue Reading
MONDAY, Feb. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A colonoscopy can save your life by detecting and removing colon cancer, but it might also trigger appendicitis, a new study suggests. Experts aren’t sure exactly why that happens, and, fortunately, it’s rare. And it shouldn’t stop you from getting a colonoscopy, accordingContinue Reading
(HealthDay News) — X-rays have led to countless improvements in diagnosing and treating broken bones and other conditions. But they’re not without risks. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says such risks are “small when compared to the benefits that [X-rays] can provide,” the agency says efforts should beContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — How long you take opioid painkillers after surgery is a much stronger risk factor for addiction and overdose than the dosage of the opioids you take, researchers report. The new study included more than 560,000 people who were prescribed opioids such as OxyContinContinue Reading
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A simple, cheap blood test to detect colon cancer — even in its early stages — appears highly effective and accurate, new research indicates. The test detects so-called “circulating tumor cells” (CTCs). Researchers tested it on 620 people in Taiwan who were scheduledContinue Reading