Combo of Paxil, Pravachol may raise the sugar in the blood

 taken in combination, two drugs commonly prescribed antidepressant Paxil and the cholesterol-lowering Pravachol drugs seem increases significantly the blood glucose, a new study concludes.

The increase is more apparent - and for - in the diabetic whose blood sugar is already too high, the researchers noted.

"This interaction may affect up to 1 million Americans who would be on these two drugs and who get a bump in their blood glucose may be unnecessary," said researcher principal Dr. Russ Altman, Professor of biological, genetic engineering and medicine at Stanford University.

It is possible that the blood sugar spike triggered a diagnosis of diabetes type 2 patients, Altman said, "and we could avoid this diagnosis if they had not been on these drugs", he said. "This is speculative, but it is possible."

No single drug raises sugar in the blood and the researchers said they cannot yet explain the effect of the combination. Also, combinations of other antidepressants and cholesterol not stimulate glucose levels. "This is not what we would call a"class"effect", Altman explained.

Paxil (paroxetine) is in a class of drugs known as inhibitors of the reuptake of serotonin (SSRIS) and Pravachol (Pravastatin) belongs to a group of drugs called statins. "We looked at all the other pairs of SSRIS and Statins and there were a couple who has shown a small bump in glucose, but there is nothing to do with the humpback seen Paxil and Pravachol," Altman said.

For the study, published online may 25 in clinical and therapeutic Pharmacology, researchers have used a technique called data mining, analysis of large databases in the hope of finding information which, although not immediately obviousis gleaned by combining the data in a new way.

In this case, team Altman used the data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, more data from the universities of Harvard, Stanford and Vanderbilt to identify the associations would not apparent doctors dealing with individual patients.

Using this method, researchers have identified 135 non-diabetic patients taking both drugs whose blood sugar increased of 19 milligrams per deciliter after the start of treatment. They have also identified 104 diabetic whose blood sugar increased an average of 48 mg/dl while taking the two drugs.

With levels of sugar in the blood of 126 mg/dl or two tests are considered diabetic. Levels of 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl are considered prédiabétiques.

By extrapolating these results to the whole of the population of the United States, the Altman team believes that of 33 million people taking Paxil or Pravachol, 500 000 to 1 million hold together.

To verify whether their conclusions were simply associations which could be explained by other factors, researchers have experimented with drugs in mice.

The mice were exposed to two drugs after receiving a diet rich in fat, high calorie to pre-diabetic. No single drug has increased sugar in the blood, together they have increased sugar in the blood of about 128 mg/dl to 193 mg/dl, the researchers found.

"It was just like humans in our data base, said Altman." So, this seems to be a real biological effect. "This could give us an overview of the mechanisms of diabetes."

Altman warns that people taking this drug combination should not respond.

He has said "people on an antidepressant should not mess with because depression is a very serious illness". It would be reasonable to see a doctor and see if your blood glucose have been difficult to control, he said. He said "if it was, then I think the thing to change would be the Statin,".

Dr. Ronald b. Goldberg, Professor of medicine at the Institute for research of diabetes at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said that it was "" an interesting conclusion and could be clinically important. ""

"People with diabetes have an increased risk of depression." they are all recommended to be on Statins, "said Goldberg. "Then, it can worsen glycemic control in diabetic people."

But Goldberg thinks that it is too early to change clinical practice based on this study only. "This must be confirmed in a clinical trial," he said.

Combo of Paxil, Pravachol may raise the sugar in the blood (HealthDay)

 taken in combination, two drugs commonly prescribed antidepressant Paxil and the cholesterol-lowering Pravachol drugs seem increases significantly the blood glucose, a new study concludes.

The increase is more apparent - and for - in the diabetic whose blood sugar is already too high, the researchers noted.

"This interaction may affect up to 1 million Americans who would be on these two drugs and who get a bump in their blood glucose may be unnecessary," said researcher principal Dr. Russ Altman, Professor of biological, genetic engineering and medicine at Stanford University.

It is possible that the blood sugar spike triggered a diagnosis of diabetes type 2 patients, Altman said, "and we could avoid this diagnosis if they had not been on these drugs", he said. "This is speculative, but it is possible."

No single drug raises sugar in the blood and the researchers said they cannot yet explain the effect of the combination. Also, combinations of other antidepressants and cholesterol not stimulate glucose levels. "This is not what we would call a"class"effect", Altman explained.

Paxil (paroxetine) is in a class of drugs known as inhibitors of the reuptake of serotonin (SSRIS) and Pravachol (Pravastatin) belongs to a group of drugs called statins. "We looked at all the other pairs of SSRIS and Statins and there were a couple who has shown a small bump in glucose, but there is nothing to do with the humpback seen Paxil and Pravachol," Altman said.

For the study, published online may 25 in clinical and therapeutic Pharmacology, researchers have used a technique called data mining, analysis of large databases in the hope of finding information which, although not immediately obviousis gleaned by combining the data in a new way.

In this case, team Altman used the data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, more data from the universities of Harvard, Stanford and Vanderbilt to identify the associations would not apparent doctors dealing with individual patients.

Using this method, researchers have identified 135 non-diabetic patients taking both drugs whose blood sugar increased of 19 milligrams per deciliter after the start of treatment. They have also identified 104 diabetic whose blood sugar increased an average of 48 mg/dl while taking the two drugs.

With levels of sugar in the blood of 126 mg/dl or two tests are considered diabetic. Levels of 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl are considered prédiabétiques.

By extrapolating these results to the whole of the population of the United States, the Altman team believes that of 33 million people taking Paxil or Pravachol, 500 000 to 1 million hold together.

To verify whether their conclusions were simply associations which could be explained by other factors, researchers have experimented with drugs in mice.

The mice were exposed to two drugs after receiving a diet rich in fat, high calorie to pre-diabetic. No single drug has increased sugar in the blood, together they have increased sugar in the blood of about 128 mg/dl to 193 mg/dl, the researchers found.

"It was just like humans in our data base, said Altman." So, this seems to be a real biological effect. "This could give us an overview of the mechanisms of diabetes."

Altman warns that people taking this drug combination should not respond.

He has said "people on an antidepressant should not mess with because depression is a very serious illness". It would be reasonable to see a doctor and see if your blood glucose have been difficult to control, he said. He said "if it was, then I think the thing to change would be the Statin,".

Dr. Ronald b. Goldberg, Professor of medicine at the Institute for research of diabetes at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said that it was "" an interesting conclusion and could be clinically important. ""

"People with diabetes have an increased risk of depression." they are all recommended to be on Statins, "said Goldberg. "Then, it can worsen glycemic control in diabetic people."

But Goldberg thinks that it is too early to change clinical practice based on this study only. "This must be confirmed in a clinical trial," he said.

Chronic use of Tylenol may be linked to cancer of the blood, the study suggests

those who take acetaminophen - best known as Tylenol - regularly for some time could bring themselves to an increased risk of developing certain cancers of the blood, researchers from the University of Washington report.

The results of previous studies looking at the association between over-the-counter analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cancers of the blood were mixed, but this study suggests a risk associated with acetaminophen, scientists noted.

"We found that the heavy use of acetaminophen, one of the most frequently used drugs in the world, was associated with a malignant hematological incidents increased nearly double risk," said lead researcher Dr. Roland Walter, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of Hematology.

The report was published in the online edition may 9 of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

While research has revealed a possible association between acetaminophen use cancers and blood, he has failed to prove a cause and effect. And several experts called for follow-up studies.

The study, Walter team collected data on men and women aged 50 to 76, 64,839 who participated in the vitamins and to study the habits of life (VITAL). Among these people, the researchers identified 577 cases of cancer of the blood.

The researchers found that those who used acetaminophen at least four days a week for four years had almost a double risk increased for cancers of the blood. These cancers included: myeloid neoplasms, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and plasma cell disorders.

However, acetaminophen use was not associated with an increased risk to the chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Walter Group noted.

This risk was not seen with the mass use of other pain relievers such as aspirin, other NSAIDs or ibuprofen, researchers said. However, it there was also no association between other analgesics and risk reduction, which implies that these drugs are likely to be useful for the prevention of cancers of the blood, said Walter.

"Acetaminophen used on most of the day for many years seems to be associated with this new adverse effect," said Walter. "However, the study does not find a causal link," he added.

According to researchers, animal studies have linked acetaminophen to the toxic effects on the bone marrow, what could be the reason for which there is a higher risk for cancers of the blood with a long-term drug use.

Bonnie Jacobs, a spokesman for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., maker of Tylenol, stressed that "Tylenol has a clinical record in support of the safety and efficacy of more than 50 years".

She added, "We appreciate the evaluation of the authors that more studies are needed before, it is possible to draw conclusions about the use of acetaminophen, and we welcome additional research in this area."

Walter noted that the risk of cancers of the blood is relatively low. a total combined estimated of 137,260 the United States people were diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2010. "New cases of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma should represent 9 per cent of new cases of cancer diagnosed, so even a doubling of that risk is still relatively low,", he said.

Deborah banker, Senior Vice President, communications research at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, stated that "it is unknown why chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small Lymphocytic Lymphoma should be associations of different risk with use of acetaminophen.".

Eric Jacobs, strategic Director of Pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said that "there is no evidence of this study that the less frequent use or more short term may raise risk of these cancers." Replication of this finding in additional studies of quality is necessary. ?

Chronic use of Tylenol may be linked to cancer of the blood, the study suggests

those who take acetaminophen - best known as Tylenol - regularly for some time could bring themselves to an increased risk of developing certain cancers of the blood, researchers from the University of Washington report.

The results of previous studies looking at the association between over-the-counter analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cancers of the blood were mixed, but this study suggests a risk associated with acetaminophen, scientists noted.

"We found that the heavy use of acetaminophen, one of the most frequently used drugs in the world, was associated with a malignant hematological incidents increased nearly double risk," said lead researcher Dr. Roland Walter, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of Hematology.

The report was published in the online edition may 9 of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

While research has revealed a possible association between acetaminophen use cancers and blood, he has failed to prove a cause and effect. And several experts called for follow-up studies.

The study, Walter team collected data on men and women aged 50 to 76, 64,839 who participated in the vitamins and to study the habits of life (VITAL). Among these people, the researchers identified 577 cases of cancer of the blood.

The researchers found that those who used acetaminophen at least four days a week for four years had almost a double risk increased for cancers of the blood. These cancers included: myeloid neoplasms, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and plasma cell disorders.

However, acetaminophen use was not associated with an increased risk to the chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Walter Group noted.

This risk was not seen with the mass use of other pain relievers such as aspirin, other NSAIDs or ibuprofen, researchers said. However, it there was also no association between other analgesics and risk reduction, which implies that these drugs are likely to be useful for the prevention of cancers of the blood, said Walter.

"Acetaminophen used on most of the day for many years seems to be associated with this new adverse effect," said Walter. "However, the study does not find a causal link," he added.

According to researchers, animal studies have linked acetaminophen to the toxic effects on the bone marrow, what could be the reason for which there is a higher risk for cancers of the blood with a long-term drug use.

Bonnie Jacobs, a spokesman for McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., maker of Tylenol, stressed that "Tylenol has a clinical record in support of the safety and efficacy of more than 50 years".

She added, "We appreciate the evaluation of the authors that more studies are needed before, it is possible to draw conclusions about the use of acetaminophen, and we welcome additional research in this area."

Walter noted that the risk of cancers of the blood is relatively low. a total combined estimated of 137,260 the United States people were diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2010. "New cases of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma should represent 9 per cent of new cases of cancer diagnosed, so even a doubling of that risk is still relatively low,", he said.

Deborah banker, Senior Vice President, communications research at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, stated that "it is unknown why chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small Lymphocytic Lymphoma should be associations of different risk with use of acetaminophen.".

Eric Jacobs, strategic Director of Pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said that "there is no evidence of this study that the less frequent use or more short term may raise risk of these cancers." Replication of this finding in additional studies of quality is necessary. ?

Chronic use of acetaminophen related blood cancers: study

NEW YORK  - chronic users of acetaminophen painkiller risk slightly increased for cancers of the blood, according to a US study.

But the risk remains low and it is still uncertain, what role plays the drugs, the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, added.

Previous work has shown that the consumption of aspirin could reduce the likelihood of dying from colon cancer but increase the risk of bleeding ulcers, although the image has been less clearly blood or blood, cancer.

"A person who is age 50 or plu has a risk of 1% in ten years to get one of these cancers," said Emily White at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, who worked on the study.

"Our study suggests that if you use acetaminophen at least four times a week for at least four years, which would increase the risk of about 2 %".

Noting that the present study was the first great foresight on the issue, as opposed to individual case reports, it added that there is still no evidence that acetaminophen can cause cancer.

New tests must also be confirmed before it is used in any decision regarding treatment.

White and his team followed 65 000 older men and women in the State of Washington, all free to the history of cancer, with the exception of cancers of the skin, at the beginning. First, they asked the participants on their use of pain relievers in the past decade.

Over six years on average, 577 people, or less than 1%, has developed a hematologic cancer.

More than 9% of those who, however, used large amounts of acetaminophen, compared to only 5 per cent of those who did not get sick.

After accounting for things like age, arthritis and family history of certain cancers of the blood, chronic users acetaminophen had almost twice the risk of developing disease.

No other pain relievers, including aspirin and ibuprofen, were tired at the risk of cancers of the blood.

White says that it is still too early to make recommendations based on the study, adding that they do pain relievers are free of side effects.

"Use long term of prescription drugs could have negative effects." "You have to weigh the benefits against the risk of all drugs", she added.

Acetaminophen linked to cancers of the blood

NEW YORK- new research shows chronic users of acetaminophen, a pain reliever best selling called Tylenol for the United States and paracetamol in Europe, a risk slightly increased for cancers of the blood.

But the risk remains low, and it is still uncertain what role the parts of the drug.

The finding adds another key to the complicated evidence linking cancer and pain, and acetaminophen hints may be different from the rest.

Previous work has shown that the consumption of aspirin could reduce the likelihood of dying from cancer of the colon but increase the risk of bleeding ulcers. The image has been less clear for blood, or hematological, cancers, however.

"Prior to this study, there was very little evidence that aspirin reduces your risk of hematologic cancers," said Emily White of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, who worked on the new research.

On the other hand, there were some suggestions that acetaminophen may increase the risk of cancers, but those which were based on individual cases of cancer of the blood.

Studies of individual patients are not considered as as strong as the new, which followed a significant population of people in good health over time.

"We have the first prospective study," White told Reuters Health.

Yet, she warned, there is no evidence that acetaminophen causes cancer, and new results must be confirmed prior to use in any decision about the treatment.

Previous work linked acetaminophen to asthma and eczema as well, but scientists still disagree on the question of whether the drug is the real culprit or just a mere spectator.

The new study suffers same limitations, in that people who use many analgesics may be dealing with medical problems, which places cancer on the road.

Scientists tracked nearly 65 000 older men and women in the State of Washington. Initially, they asked participants on their use of pain relievers during the last ten years and ensured that nobody had cancer (except skin cancer).

Approximately six years on average, 577 people, or less than one percent, have developed a cancer involving blood cells. Lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome MDS of the examples of these cancers.

More than nine percent of people who have developed one of these cancers used lots of acetaminophen, compared to only five per cent of those who did not get sick.

After accounting for such things as age, family history of certain cancers of the blood, chronic users and arthritis acetaminophen had almost twice the risk of developing the disease.

"A person who is age 50 or plu has a risk of one hundred ten years to get one of these cancers, said White." "" "Our study suggests that if you use acetaminophen at least four times a week for at least four years, which would increase the risk of about 2 %".

No other pain relievers, including aspirin and ibuprofen, were related to the risk of cancers of the blood.

Dr. Raymond DuBois, a specialist in cancer prevention at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said acetaminophen works very differently from other painkillers and therefore could have different effects on cancer.

Still, cancers of the blood "it was quite surprising to see that acetaminophen use increases the risk of", DuBois, who did not participate in the study, told Reuters Health by email.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson sells Tylenol, has not responded to requests for comments.

White said it is too early to make any recommendations based on the new study, and that they do pain relievers are free of side effects.

"Long term use all or part of the counter drug could have adverse effects," she said. "You have to weigh the benefits against the risk of all drugs".

In result of kidney cancer, blood pressure can reference

people with advanced kidney cancer, blood pressure appears to indicate how their medication works well, with a high blood pressure linked to longer survival, new research shows.

The conclusion comes from a study of 544 people being treated with the drug sunitinib (Sutent) for advanced kidney cancer. The researchers found that those with systolic blood pressure maximum reached 140 mmHg or more survived nearly four times longer than those who had a lower maximum arterial systolic - 30, 5 months against 7.8 months.

Systolic is high number and diastolic blood pressure reading less number.

Those who had a maximum diastolic blood pressure 90 mmHg or more survived two times longer than those with maximum lower diastolic blood pressure - 32, 2 months vs 14.9 months.

Also, the researchers found that progression-free survival, which refers to the amount of time when a tumour to be reduced or not, growing was 2.5 to 5 times longer in people with high blood pressure - 12, 5 months for persons suffering from hypertension systolic vs. 2.5 months for those who did ontet 13.4 months for persons with arterial hypertension diastolic vs 5.3 months for those without.

"These observations confirm the hypothesis that high blood pressure can act as a biomarker of antitumor efficacy of the drug," study leader Dr. Brian Rini, personal physician to Taussig Cancer Institute the Cleveland Clinic, said in a press release of clinic. "What this means is that doctors may be able to monitor the blood pressure of the patient to measure the degree of effectiveness sunitinib is to treat advanced kidney cancer.".

The study was published online on April 28 in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In result of kidney cancer, blood pressure can reference

people with advanced kidney cancer, blood pressure appears to indicate how their medication works well, with a high blood pressure linked to longer survival, new research shows.

The conclusion comes from a study of 544 people being treated with the drug sunitinib (Sutent) for advanced kidney cancer. The researchers found that those with systolic blood pressure maximum reached 140 mmHg or more survived nearly four times longer than those who had a lower maximum arterial systolic - 30, 5 months against 7.8 months.

Systolic is high number and diastolic blood pressure reading less number.

Those who had a maximum diastolic blood pressure 90 mmHg or more survived two times longer that those with a diastolic blood pressure of maximum bottom - 32, 2 months vs 14.9 months.

Also, the researchers found that progression-free survival, which refers to the amount of time when a tumour to be reduced or not, growing was 2.5 to 5 times longer in people with high blood pressure - 12, 5 months for persons suffering from hypertension systolic vs. 2.5 months for those who did ontet 13.4 months for persons with arterial hypertension diastolic vs 5.3 months for those without.

"These observations confirm the hypothesis that high blood pressure can act as a biomarker of antitumor efficacy of the drug," study leader Dr. Brian Rini, personal physician to Taussig Cancer Institute the Cleveland Clinic, said in a press release of clinic. "What this means is that doctors may be able to monitor the blood pressure of the patient to measure the degree of effectiveness sunitinib is to treat advanced kidney cancer.".

The study was published online on April 28 in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Structured exercise programs help lower blood sugar, study finds (HealthDay)

 A structured exercise program helped people with diabetes type 2 lower their levels of sugar in the blood more efficiently that just to receive advice on doing more physical activity, according to a new review of the data.

Having analysed the results of 47 randomized clinical trials, researchers also found that exercise for long periods of time was better spilled blood glucose that exercising more intensely.

"People with diabetes type 2 must engage in training regular physics, exercise preferentially supervised," says senior study author, Dr. Beatriz Schaan, a Professor of school of medicine at the Clinicas de Porto Alegre at the Brazil hospital. "If these patients can perform training for more than 150 minutes per week, that would be more advantageous regarding their glycemic control." However, if they cannot reach this amount weekly exercise, plus small amounts of exercise are also beneficial. ?

Results of the study are published in the issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association on May 4.

The clinical trials included in the current analysis included more than 8,500 participants. The studies used a measure called Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) to assess the effectiveness of a particular treatment. A1C rates, sometimes simply called A1C, is a measure of long-term glycemic control. It provides an average levels of sugar in the blood more a month two to three - period of time. The results of this test are expressed in percentage terms. In General, less than 6% is considered normal. Diabetics usually have more levels than that. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes trying to reduce their rate of A1C less than 7%.

Currently, exercise guidelines recommend that people with type 2 diabetes make at least 150 minutes per week of resistance and moderate intensity aerobic training such as weight lifting, three times a week, according to the study.

"We always tell patients, even those without diabetes, it is important to exercise, but we tell them how." "We do not provide a good structure on what to do," said Dr. Joel Zonszein, Director of the Centre of clinical diabetes Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "It would be good if we are able to prescribe a program of exercises for our patients to follow."

The current analysis from a group of people with type 2 diabetes, who participated in exercise structured with a control group received advice on exercise. A structured exercise program was that persons have planned, individualized. All structured programmes were monitored.

People in the exercise of the advice groups only have been informed that they need to exercise and gave advice on how to do so, but they were not engaged in a supervised program, or they have participated in a partially supervised program, according to the study of.

People in classes of structured training which included both aerobic and weight reduced their HbA1c levels of 0.67% more than control participants. And programs of structured exercises that lasted more than 150 minutes per week resulted in an average decrease of 0.89 per cent more participants for review.

Activity programs physics boards, however, had an average A1c reduction of 0.43% compared to controls. When combined with nutritional advice, advice of lowered physical activity of HbA1c of 0.58% on controls.

"Exercise improves insulin sensitivity". "Making insulin work better,", explained the Zonszein.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Marco Pahor of the University of Florida, Gainesville, suggested that insurance companies should consider the cost of structured exercise programs or fitness center memberships. He noted that in one study, when older adults went to a gym twice or more a week for two years, they incurred $1,252 less fresh health care than their less active counterparts.

"Given the benefits of physical exercise on the prevention of diabetes, management of type 2 diabetes patients and to improve the health of the adult population and more general, it is perhaps time to consider refunds for insurance for structured physical exercise programs" written Pahor.

Zonszein agreed that the refund of insurance for structured physical activity is a good idea. "It is important, but it is not something that our current system gives much attention to the." "We pay for dialysis related to diabetes and surgeries heart, but not for exercise to prevent complications", he said.