Hypertension | Page 29 of 41

Rheumatoid Arthritis :: ORENCIA, abatacept demonstrate continued efficacy in adults with rheumatoid arthritis

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) today announced that two-year data from three Phase III pivotal trials demonstrate the long-term efficacy of ORENCIA? (abatacept) in adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate and TNF antagonists. The data also demonstrate that ORENCIA provided clinically meaningful improvements in multiple aspects of health-related quality of life and physical function, sustained improvements in pain and had a consistent safety and tolerability profile through two years of treatment. These data will be presented at the upcoming 2006 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

Heart Disease :: Systolic Blood Pressure Predicts Mortality in Heart Failure Patients

Systolic blood pressure, a readily available vital sign taken at hospital admission, has been found to be a key factor in predicting mortality risk and revealing important disease characteristics for heart failure patients, according to a team of academic researchers.

Pregnancy :: New Studies on Antidepressants in Pregnancy

In a recent Public Health Advisory, FDA summarized two new studies that practitioners should consider when making decisions about prescribing SSRIs and other antidepressant medications for pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy.

Osteosarcoma :: IDM Pharma’s Mepact, mifamurtide – Junovan in the Treatment of Osteosarcoma

IDM Pharma (NASDAQ:IDMI) announced today that the company has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) in eCTD format (electronic common technical document) to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for Mepact (mifamurtide for injection), requesting approval for its use in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed resectable high-grade osteosarcoma following surgical resection in combination with post-operative multi-agent chemotherapy. This announcement follows the October 25, 2006 submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for Junovan (mifamurtide for injection) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

Diabetes :: Enzyme may hold key to new treatment of diabetic kidney disease

Northwestern University researchers have found an enzyme, called “ACE2,” may hold the potential to treat diabetic kidney disease, the most common form of kidney disease.The researchers have found low levels of the ACE2 enzyme in kidneys of diabetic mice. When ACE2 was further decreased with an inhibitor drug, kidney disease worsened. Studies are now needed using compounds that increase the level of ACE2 in the kidneys of diabetic mice to see if it reverses or prevents kidney disease.

Erectile Dysfunction :: Levitra, vardenafil treated erectile dysfunction effectively

Clinical data demonstrated continued efficacy and tolerability of LEVITRA in men with ED and high blood pressure, diabetes and/or dyslipidemia, including high cholesterol. LEVITRA(R) (vardenafil HCl), is effective at first dose with continued success in treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with associated medical conditions that affect the cardiovascular system. These conditions included high blood pressure, diabetes and/or dyslipidemia, which includes high cholesterol and other lipid abnormalities. These data were presented today at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) Fall meeting and published in the November issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

Hypertension :: Strong link between uric acid and hypertension in blacks

New research shows that higher levels of uric acid are strongly associated with high blood pressure in blacks, suggesting that a simple blood test could predict risk and that treatments to lower uric acid may be a novel way to reduce hypertension-related complications in this population.

Lung Transplant :: Proteins may predict lung transplant rejection

Researchers have identified three proteins that appear to be highly predictive of chronic lung rejection up to 20 months before the rejection occurred. Lung transplants are a common therapy for many end-stage lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. If doctors can predict which patients are beginning to reject the transplanted organ, they could try to head it off.

Dental Health :: Study Finds Periodontal Treatment Does Not Lower Preterm Birth Risk

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, report in this week?s New England Journal of Medicine that pregnant women who received non-surgical treatment for their periodontal, or gum, disease did not also significantly lower their risk of delivering a premature or low-birthweight baby.

Pulmonary Hypertension :: A simple, noninvasive test measures survival time in adult pulmonary hypertension

Researchers have developed a simple, noninvasive way to measure right ventricular function in the heart to predict survival of adults who suffer from pulmonary hypertension. The research appears in the first issue for November 2006 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society.