Kidney Health May Suffer In Older Patients Taking A Common Cholesterol Medication
Older patients taking a common cholesterol medication should be cautious of the impact on their kidney health. In a new study by Dr. Amit Garg, Scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), and colleagues, one in 10 new older fibrate users experienced a 50 per cent increase in their serum creatinine. Fibrates are a group of medications commonly used to treat high cholesterol. Recent evidence from clinical trials and case reports suggests fibrates can cause an increase to serum creatinine, an indicator of kidney health measured by a blood test, which indicates a loss of kidney health.
Cancer Prevention Efforts Outlined In Report
An annual report from the American Cancer Society says much of the suffering and death from cancer could be prevented by more systematic efforts to reduce tobacco use, improve diet and physical activity, reduce obesity, and expand the use of established screening tests. The report, Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Facts and Figures (CPED), outlines gaps and opportunities that contribute to cancer mortality, and says social, economic, and legislative factors profoundly influence individual health behaviors.
Possible New Cancer Treatment Identified
New research findings show how it may be possible to render cancer tumours harmless without affecting the other cells and tissues in the body. The findings apply to cancers including breast, lung and bowel cancer. The study was carried out at Lund University in Sweden. Many of the most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer have serious side effects because they not only affect the cells in the cancer tumour, but also the cells in the rest of the body. Researchers at Lund University have now found a connection between two proteins that in different ways control cell division and the possibilities for a cancer tumour to develop.