Irritable Bowel Syndrome :: Bifantis can claim efficacy vs. placebo for IBS symptoms

A new analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has found that Bifantis®, Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, the sole ingredient in Align® (manufactured by Procter & Gamble), is the only probiotic currently able to demonstrate significant improvement in IBS symptoms based upon a properly designed research study.

Chocolate :: People are programmed to love chocolate – chocolate lover

For the first time, scientists have linked the all-too-human preference for a food — chocolate — to a specific, chemical signature that may be programmed into the metabolic system and is detectable by laboratory tests. The signature reads ‘chocolate lover’ in some people and indifference to the popular sweet in others, the researchers say.

HIV :: FDA approves Merck’s Isentress, raltegravir tablets for HIV AIDS

Merck & Co., Inc., announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted ISENTRESS TM (raltegravir) tablets accelerated approval for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced adult patients who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to multiple antiretroviral agents.

Folic Acid :: Folic Acid Lowers Blood Arsenic Levels in Bangladesh

A new study conducted in Bangladesh finds that folic acid supplements can dramatically lower blood arsenic levels in individuals chronically exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic is a toxic element that is naturally present in some soils and water. Arsenic-contaminated drinking water is currently a significant public health problem in at least 70 countries, including several developing countries and also parts of the United States.

Osteoarthritis :: Evidence of benefit lacking for many common ways of treating osteoarthritis of knee

A new scientific review released today by the Department of Health & Human Services’s (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) concludes that evidence of benefit is lacking for many common ways of treating osteoarthritis of the knee, including popular dietary supplement ingredients, a common surgical procedure, and injected preparations.

Psoriasis :: Promising Phase 3 trial results show biologic therapy ustekinumab significantly improved psoriasis

The first reported findings from an international, Phase 3 study showed that more than two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving two doses of ustekinumab (CNTO 1275) achieved at least a 75 percent reduction in psoriasis at week 12, the primary endpoint of the study, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75).