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HealthDay News: Drugs

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment May Not Work As Well for Heavier Patients

TUESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obese people with rheumatoid arthritis are less likely to go into remission in the early stages of the disease and require much more drug treatment than people with normal weight, according to a new study.

Statins Plus Certain Antibiotics May Set Off Toxic Reaction: Study

MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors should avoid ordering certain antibiotics for older patients who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor, Canadian researchers say.

Many Stop Taking Rheumatoid Arthritis Meds Too Soon: Study

FRIDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- About half of rheumatoid arthritis patients stopped taking their medications within two years after they started them, a new study finds.

Baldness Drug Propecia May Put Some Men Off Alcohol: Study

THURSDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- Some men who use finasteride (Propecia) to help battle baldness may also be drinking less alcohol, a new study suggests.

Blacks With Certain Gene Need Lower Doses of Warfarin: Study

WEDNESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- The discovery of a genetic variation that affects how some black patients respond to the blood thinner warfarin could improve the safety and effectiveness of the drug, researchers report.

Alzheimer's Drugs May Benefit Heart, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease may also reduce patients' risk of heart attack and death, according to a new study.

Pace of New Drug Advances May Be Slowing, Study Finds

TUESDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs emerging from clinical trials in recent years seem less impressive than those developed in decades gone by, a new review finds.

Aspirin Equals Pricier Blood Thinner for Preventing Clots: Study

TUESDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Aspirin appears to be just as good as more expensive, more potent blood-thinning medication for preventing blood clots after hip replacement surgery, according to new research.

Skipping Meds May Raise Odds of ER Visits for Certain Medicare Patients

MONDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Disabled Medicare patients under 65 who don't take their medications as prescribed because they're too expensive are more likely to end up in the emergency room, according to a new study.

U.S. Cancer Patients Suffering From Drug Shortages

MONDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Four out of five U.S. cancer doctors encountered shortages of essential drugs between March and September of 2012, which affected the quality of care they provided and increased treatment costs, new research shows.