An intensive three-year intervention to lower the top blood pressure number to less than 120 mm Hg was more effective at preventing death, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular events in adults at high risk for cardiovascular disease, compared to the standard treatment target of under 140 mm Hg, according to new research.
Read more …Reducing systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg reduced cardiovascular event risk
Intratumoral therapy -- in which cancer drugs are injected directly into tumors -- is a promising treatment option for solid cancers but has shown limited success in clinical trials due to an inability to precisely deliver the drug and because most immunotherapies quickly dissipate from the site of injection. A team of researchers has developed a gel delivery system that overcomes these challenges. The gel is injectable but solidifies upon delivery; contains an imaging agent for visualization under CT scan; and can hold a high concentration of drug for slow, controlled release.
Read more …Researchers develop gel to deliver cancer drugs for solid tumors
The odds of prescribing the appropriate dose of statins -- a medicine used to lower 'bad' cholesterol levels -- increased sixfold when automated referrals were made to pharmacy services, instead of relying on traditional prescribing methods. More than 90 million people in the U.S. use statins, making it one of the most prescribed medications in the country. Despite their effectiveness in lowering cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, previous studies have highlighted suboptimal prescribing trends.
Read more …Appropriate statin prescriptions increase sixfold with automated referrals