The most recent Cochrane Review concluded antidepressants bupropion (Zyban) and nortriptyline double a person?s chances of giving up smoking and have few side-effects, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac) are not effective.
The new anti-smoking drug varenicline was first licensed for use in the UK on 5th_December_2006. An early Cochrane Review’ of its effectiveness shows that it can give a three-fold increase in the odds of a person quitting smoking.
After sustaining an initial low-trauma fracture, older men and women have a similar and substantial risk of subsequent fracture, according to a study in the January 24/31 issue of JAMA.
Tackling health inequalities in Britain needs closer coordination between all major policy areas including health, education, housing, employment and taxation, according to the authors of a new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) publication.
Psychosocial factors, such as cynical distrust, chronic stress and depression, may be associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers measured in the blood, which in turn are related to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
A team of researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found that bioterrorism alert messages measurably raise anxiety levels, which could pose adverse health effects.
In an historic move, new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Jan_10 that, effective immediately, there will be a new smokefree policy for the Speaker?s Lobby, a key meeting area for Members of Congress.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with leading professional societies, health, and advocacy organizations today launches COPD Learn More Breathe Better, a national campaign designed to improve awareness among those at greatest risk for the disease.
The University of Pittsburgh has been awarded nearly $13 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to increase our understanding of and improve outcomes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a degenerative breathing disorder that is the fourth leading cause of death and the second leading cause of disability annually in the United States. The five-year grant establishes Pitt as a Specialized Center of Clinically Oriented Research.
A reanalysis of nicotine yield from major brand name cigarettes sold in MA from 1997 to 2005 has confirmed that manufacturers steadily increased the levels of this addictive agent. Increases in smoke nicotine yield per cigarette averaged 1.6 percent each year or about 11 percent over a seven-year period (1998-2005). Harvard School of Public Health researchers found manufacturers accomplished the increase not only by intensifying nicotine concentration but also by modifying design features to increase the number of puffs per cigarette.