Aspirin, a drug commonly available, may help prevent HIV

An affordable, globally available drug – low-dose aspirin – could help prevent HIV transmission, scientists say. HIV infection rates remain unacceptably high, especially among young African women. Researchers including those from University of Manitoba in Canada tested the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or aspirin) and other anti-inflammatory drugs on HIV target cells in a group of Kenyan women who were at low risk for HIV. The pilot study, published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, built on existing knowledge about the role of inflammation in HIV transmission.…

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This new drug can reduce post-childbirth bleeding and save lives, says WHO

Excessive bleeding following childbirth is one of the major causes of death in several countries. Approximately 70,000 women die every year because of post-partum haemorrhage, which also increases the risk of babies dying within a month. “Despite substantial reductions in maternal mortality, hemorrhage continues to be the largest direct cause of maternal death, accounting for 6,61,000 deaths worldwide between 2003 and 2009. More than 70% of hemorrhagic deaths occur post partum, and most are due to uterine atony, which results from poor contraction of the uterus after childbirth,” mentions the…

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This anti-clot drug could reduce stroke risk too

A drug to treat bleeding may benefit some stroke patients as well, according to a study. The research, led by experts at The University of Nottingham, found that giving tranexamic acid (TXA) to people who had experienced intracerebral haemorrhage reduced the number of deaths in the early days following the stroke. It also found that both the amount of bleeding in the brain and number of associated serious complications were lower in the patients who had received the TXA treatment. However, the trial found no difference in the number of…

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Moms-to-be, take note. European experts advise against epilepsy drug in pregnancy

An expert committee of Europe’s medicines watchdog recommended Friday that a drug used to treat epilepsy and linked to malformations in children not be used in pregnancy. The compound, valproate, is also used for migraine and bipolar disorder, and doctors already advised against prescribing the medicine for pregnant women in France. France’s medicines regulator, known by the acronym ANSM, asked the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) to conduct a risk review. The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) said in a statement Friday it was recommending that valproate not be…

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Now, a common asthma drug promises to help delay rare heart complications

A common asthma drug has the potential to help delay development of a rare heart complication that lacks effective drug treatment, according to researchers. Aortic aneurysm — the dilation of the aorta — is a serious condition that occurs when the wall of the aorta, the body’s largest artery, weakens and swells. The condition is largely symptom-free and is normally therefore not discovered until late in its development when it threatens to rupture and cause life-threatening haemorrhaging. The findings showed that the asthma drug montelukast blocks leukotrienes — inflammatory signal…

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This Antibiotic Drug May Disrupt the Formation of Fears and Negative Thoughts

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder surfaces in people who have had experienced a traumatic, shocking event. Trauma triggers a host of changes in human body. Fear, when coupled with trauma can lead to a difficulty in dealing with the initial symptoms of stress. Those who take longer to get over the event – and continue to feel threatened, panicky or fearsome even after considerable time – can be diagnosed with PTSD. The symptoms and intensity of people with PTSD range from person to person. “Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or…

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