One in 3 high blood pressure patients failing to take medication
One in three people who suffer from high blood pressure are failing to take medication as prescribed by their healthcare professionals, a new study led by the University of Leicester has suggested. A study on 1,400 hypertensive patients, conducted in collaboration between the Universities of Leicester (lead authors Dr Pankaj Gupta, Dr Prashanth Patel from the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester), Manchester (Prof M Tomazweski) and Czech Republic (Prof J Widimsky) has used a novel urine test to find that non-adherence to prescribed medications is around 30-40%.
Read more ...
Diabetes drug may help symptoms of autism-associated condition
Metformin, the most widely used drug to treat type 2 diabetes, could potentially be used to treat symptoms of Fragile X syndrome, an inherited form of intellectual disability and a cause of some forms of autism. A new study led by researchers at McGill University, the University of Edinburgh and Université de Montréal has found that metformin improves social, behavioural and morphological defects in Fragile X mice.
Read more ...
Antibiotic doxycycline may offer hope for treatment of Parkinson's disease
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that doxycycline, an antibiotic used for over half a century against bacterial infections, can be prescribed at lower doses for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. According to the authors, the substance reduces the toxicity of α-synuclein, a protein that, under certain conditions, forms abnormal accumulations of aggregates in central nervous system cells, which are damaged as a result.
Read more ...
Landmark clinical trial to help juvenile idiopathic arthritis sufferers
A clinical trial funded by Arthritis Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) led by professors from the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol has discovered a drug combination that could help thousands of children with arthritis. Over 5,000 children and adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in the UK are likely to develop uveitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the middle layer of the eye.
Read more ...
Research moves closer to unraveling mystery cause of multiple sclerosis
A new study has made a major new discovery towards finding the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for research to investigate new treatments. Ahead of MS Awareness Week, which starts today, an international team involving the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Alberta has discovered a new cellular mechanism - an underlying defect in brain cells - that may cause the disease, and a potential hallmark that may be a target for future treatment of the autoimmune disorder.
Read more ...
Research uncovers life-saving benefits in the battle against viruses
At-risk patients, such as those with HIV or transplant recipients, could benefit from potentially life-saving study carried out by a University of Surrey led group of international researchers. The research, led by Professor Vince Emery, Senior Vice-President (Global Strategy and Engagement) and Professor of Translational Virology at the University of Surrey, has developed a model that will provide vital insight into how best to help patients with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, particularly those who have undergone organ transplantation.
Read more ...
Fungi have enormous potential for new antibiotics
Fungi are a potential goldmine for the production of pharmaceuticals. This is shown by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, who have developed a method for finding new antibiotics from nature's own resources. The findings - which could prove very useful in the battle against antibiotic resistance - were recently published in the journal, Nature Microbiology.
Read more ...