Cuban scientists discover new drugs for fighting heart diseases, parasites
Cuban researchers have discovered substances that can reverse the side effects of drugs used to fight heart diseases and parasites, the country's Juventud Rebelde newspaper reported Tuesday.
The chemicals were derived from tiadiazines, based on their potential anti-parasite properties and the diversification of heterocyclical systems with pharmaceutical properties, the newspaper quoted Hortensia Rodriguez, head of Havana University's Organic Synthesis Laboratory, as saying.
After studying new agents which could be more effective against dangerous parasites, the researchers then sought compounds with novel molecular structures, using methods with a minimal environmental impact, the newspaper said.
Heart diseases and acute parasitic infections are among the world's most serious diseases.
Showing posts with label Heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heart. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
More Americans suffer heart problems due to terror stress
More Americans suffer heart problems due to terror stress
More Americans suffer heart problems because of stress and fear about terrorism after 9/11, according to a new study.
Heart problems are common even among those who have no personal connection to the attacks, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of California in Irvine (UCI).
UCI researchers linked psychological stress responses to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to a 53 percent increase in heart problems -- including high blood pressure and stroke -- in the three years after Sept. 11, 2001, said the study published on Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.
It was the first study to show the effect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on cardiac health.
Most of those surveyed watched the attacks on live television, and one-third had no personal connection to them. Most of them had no preexisting heart problems, and the results persisted even when risk factors such as high cholesterol, smoking and obesity were taken into account, according to the study.
"It seems that the 9/11 attacks were so potent that media exposure helped to convey enough stress that people responded in away that contributed to their cardiovascular problems," Alison Holman, an assistant professor of nursing science at UCI and the study's lead researcher, said.
The three-year study took a random nationwide survey of more than 1,500 adults whose health information had been recorded before the terror attacks.
Researchers then asked participants about their stress responses in the weeks after the attacks and issued yearly follow-up questions ending in late 2004, said the study.
Chronic worriers -- those who continued to fear terrorism for several years after the attacks -- were the most at risk of heart problems, said the study.
More Americans suffer heart problems because of stress and fear about terrorism after 9/11, according to a new study.
Heart problems are common even among those who have no personal connection to the attacks, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of California in Irvine (UCI).
UCI researchers linked psychological stress responses to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to a 53 percent increase in heart problems -- including high blood pressure and stroke -- in the three years after Sept. 11, 2001, said the study published on Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.
It was the first study to show the effect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on cardiac health.
Most of those surveyed watched the attacks on live television, and one-third had no personal connection to them. Most of them had no preexisting heart problems, and the results persisted even when risk factors such as high cholesterol, smoking and obesity were taken into account, according to the study.
"It seems that the 9/11 attacks were so potent that media exposure helped to convey enough stress that people responded in away that contributed to their cardiovascular problems," Alison Holman, an assistant professor of nursing science at UCI and the study's lead researcher, said.
The three-year study took a random nationwide survey of more than 1,500 adults whose health information had been recorded before the terror attacks.
Researchers then asked participants about their stress responses in the weeks after the attacks and issued yearly follow-up questions ending in late 2004, said the study.
Chronic worriers -- those who continued to fear terrorism for several years after the attacks -- were the most at risk of heart problems, said the study.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Obesity paradox seen in people with heart disease
Obesity paradox seen in people with heart disease
Subway riders walk through the turnstiles while leaving the U.S. Open in New York September 4, 2007. The 'obesity paradox' -- an unexpected decrease in illness and death with increasing body weight or BMI, which has been described in people with heart failure and in patients having angioplasty -- exists in people with high blood pressure and diseased heart arteries as well, new study findings show. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The "obesity paradox" -- anunexpected decrease in illness and death with increasing bodyweight or BMI, which has been described in people with heartfailure and in patients having angioplasty -- exists in peoplewith high blood pressure and diseased heart arteries as well,new study findings show.
In the study, researchers found that overweight and obeseadults with high blood pressure and coronary artery disease hada lower risk of heart attack, stroke or death, compared withtheir normal-weight counterparts.
The reasons for the apparent protective effect of increasedBMI in these populations "are unclear," note Dr. Seth Uretskyfrom St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City andcolleagues in the American Journal of Medicine.
They investigated the effect of overweight and obesity onheart-related outcomes in 22,576 people with treated high bloodpressure and coronary artery disease who participated in alarge study.
Compared to normal-weight subjects with a BMI between 20and 25, the risk of death, heart attack, or stroke was lower insubjects who were overweight (BMI 25 to 30), and in those withclass I obesity (BMI 30 to 35) and class II-III obesity (BMI 35or greater).
"This 'obesity paradox' occurred in men and women acrossall age groups, even though blood pressure was bettercontrolled in normal-weight patients," the investigators note.
In a commentary, Dr. Carl J. Lavie and colleagues of theOchsner Medical Center, New Orleans caution that while improvedoutcomes appear to be consistently associated with increasedBMI, "one should not conclude that weight reduction isdetrimental in overweight populations."
Results of numerous studies, they point out, clearlysupport the benefits of "purposeful weight reduction" in obesepatients with heart disease, despite the obesity paradox.
"As we continue to investigate the obesity paradox incardiovascular disease ... we should remember the old proverb,"Only one thing is certain - that is nothing is certain," Lavieand colleagues advise.
SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, October 2007.
Subway riders walk through the turnstiles while leaving the U.S. Open in New York September 4, 2007. The 'obesity paradox' -- an unexpected decrease in illness and death with increasing body weight or BMI, which has been described in people with heart failure and in patients having angioplasty -- exists in people with high blood pressure and diseased heart arteries as well, new study findings show. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The "obesity paradox" -- anunexpected decrease in illness and death with increasing bodyweight or BMI, which has been described in people with heartfailure and in patients having angioplasty -- exists in peoplewith high blood pressure and diseased heart arteries as well,new study findings show.
In the study, researchers found that overweight and obeseadults with high blood pressure and coronary artery disease hada lower risk of heart attack, stroke or death, compared withtheir normal-weight counterparts.
The reasons for the apparent protective effect of increasedBMI in these populations "are unclear," note Dr. Seth Uretskyfrom St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City andcolleagues in the American Journal of Medicine.
They investigated the effect of overweight and obesity onheart-related outcomes in 22,576 people with treated high bloodpressure and coronary artery disease who participated in alarge study.
Compared to normal-weight subjects with a BMI between 20and 25, the risk of death, heart attack, or stroke was lower insubjects who were overweight (BMI 25 to 30), and in those withclass I obesity (BMI 30 to 35) and class II-III obesity (BMI 35or greater).
"This 'obesity paradox' occurred in men and women acrossall age groups, even though blood pressure was bettercontrolled in normal-weight patients," the investigators note.
In a commentary, Dr. Carl J. Lavie and colleagues of theOchsner Medical Center, New Orleans caution that while improvedoutcomes appear to be consistently associated with increasedBMI, "one should not conclude that weight reduction isdetrimental in overweight populations."
Results of numerous studies, they point out, clearlysupport the benefits of "purposeful weight reduction" in obesepatients with heart disease, despite the obesity paradox.
"As we continue to investigate the obesity paradox incardiovascular disease ... we should remember the old proverb,"Only one thing is certain - that is nothing is certain," Lavieand colleagues advise.
SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, October 2007.
Inflammation Can't Explain Depression's Link to HeartDisease
Inflammation Can't Explain Depression's Link to HeartDisease
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Depression is known to hikethe risk of cardiovascular disease, but don't put all the blame on anyconcurrent rise in inflammation.
So concludes a study led by Dr. Viola Vaccarino, a professor ofmedicine at Emory University, in Atlanta.
That means that it's back to the drawing board in terms of unravelingthe depression-heart disease link, according to Vaccarino.
"That depression is a factor in cardiovascular disease is clear. Whatis not clear is what kind of mechanism is involved," she said.
The Emory group, as well as researchers from five other medicalinstitutions, studied the possible role of inflammation in a group of 559women who were referred for heart tests because of blockage in a coronaryartery. All the women had a standard test for depression at the start ofthe study and were followed for an average of about six years.
They were divided into three groups on the basis of those tests: thosewho clearly were depressed by diagnosis and previous treatment; those whomight be depressed because of either a diagnosis or treatment; and thosewho had no indicator of depression.
The researchers made frequent measurements of two molecules linked tothe inflammatory response -- C-reactive protein (CRP) andinterleukin-6.
There were 79 major events of cardiovascular disease during the study,23 of them fatal.
As expected, the incidence of such events was 2.5 times higher in womenwith depression. There was no comparable increase in women classified aspossibly depressed.
The team found that women diagnosed as depressed had a 70 percenthigher level of C-reactive protein and a 25 percent higher level ofinterleukin-6 compared to women who were not depressed. Women classifiedas possibly depressed had elevated levels of both markers, but to a lesserextent.
The bottom line, according to the researchers, was that whileinflammation was tied to heart risk, it failed to explain most of thecardiovascular danger posed by depression.
"Despite being associated with each other, depression and inflammationpredicted future events for the large part independently," the researcherswrote. "Thus, despite a clear relationship between depression andinflammation, the latter plays only a minor role in the higher risk ofadverse outcomes for women with depression."
The finding is something of as surprise, said Dr. David S. Sheps,professor of medicine at the University of Florida at Gainesville, amember of the research team.
"We know from other studies that there is a relationship betweendepression and elevation of certain inflammatory molecules, but no oneknows for sure what the mechanism is," Sheps said.
"What is clear is that inflammation does not play a substantial role,"Vaccarino said. "We need to look at other things. Perhaps there is achange in the ability of platelets to aggregate." Platelets are bloodcells that can form clots to block arteries. "And there could be otherpathways," she said.
THURSDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Depression is known to hikethe risk of cardiovascular disease, but don't put all the blame on anyconcurrent rise in inflammation.
So concludes a study led by Dr. Viola Vaccarino, a professor ofmedicine at Emory University, in Atlanta.
That means that it's back to the drawing board in terms of unravelingthe depression-heart disease link, according to Vaccarino.
"That depression is a factor in cardiovascular disease is clear. Whatis not clear is what kind of mechanism is involved," she said.
The Emory group, as well as researchers from five other medicalinstitutions, studied the possible role of inflammation in a group of 559women who were referred for heart tests because of blockage in a coronaryartery. All the women had a standard test for depression at the start ofthe study and were followed for an average of about six years.
They were divided into three groups on the basis of those tests: thosewho clearly were depressed by diagnosis and previous treatment; those whomight be depressed because of either a diagnosis or treatment; and thosewho had no indicator of depression.
The researchers made frequent measurements of two molecules linked tothe inflammatory response -- C-reactive protein (CRP) andinterleukin-6.
There were 79 major events of cardiovascular disease during the study,23 of them fatal.
As expected, the incidence of such events was 2.5 times higher in womenwith depression. There was no comparable increase in women classified aspossibly depressed.
The team found that women diagnosed as depressed had a 70 percenthigher level of C-reactive protein and a 25 percent higher level ofinterleukin-6 compared to women who were not depressed. Women classifiedas possibly depressed had elevated levels of both markers, but to a lesserextent.
The bottom line, according to the researchers, was that whileinflammation was tied to heart risk, it failed to explain most of thecardiovascular danger posed by depression.
"Despite being associated with each other, depression and inflammationpredicted future events for the large part independently," the researcherswrote. "Thus, despite a clear relationship between depression andinflammation, the latter plays only a minor role in the higher risk ofadverse outcomes for women with depression."
The finding is something of as surprise, said Dr. David S. Sheps,professor of medicine at the University of Florida at Gainesville, amember of the research team.
"We know from other studies that there is a relationship betweendepression and elevation of certain inflammatory molecules, but no oneknows for sure what the mechanism is," Sheps said.
"What is clear is that inflammation does not play a substantial role,"Vaccarino said. "We need to look at other things. Perhaps there is achange in the ability of platelets to aggregate." Platelets are bloodcells that can form clots to block arteries. "And there could be otherpathways," she said.
Few overweight people trim down after heart attack
Few overweight people trim down after heart attack
Two audience members watch the 2007 'Farm Aid' concert in New York September 9, 2007. Overweight people lose virtually no weight after suffering a heart attack, according to the first study to evaluate factors associated with post-heart attack weight changes. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight people losevirtually no weight after suffering a heart attack, accordingto the first study to evaluate factors associated withpost-heart attack weight changes.
"On average less than a half of a percent change in bodyweight occurred, and that's really small," Dr. John A. Spertusof the Mid America Heart Institute of Saint Luke's Hospital inKansas City, Missouri, one of the study's authors, told ReutersHealth. People need to lose at least 5 percent of their bodyweight to significantly improve their heart health, he added.
Spertus and his team followed up with 1,253 overweight orobese individuals one year after they had experienced a heartattack. On average, they had lost 0.2 percent of their bodyweight. Overweight people actually gained an average of 0.4percent of their body weight, while obese people lost 0.5percent and morbidly obese individuals lost nearly 4 percent.
People who were depressed put on more weight, as did peoplewho quit smoking after their heart attack. Individuals withouthealth insurance were also more likely to put on pounds.
"People who stopped smoking tended to increase their weightby about 2.5 to 3 percent," Spertus noted. "That's a challengebecause you want people to both stop smoking and lose weight."
Just 18 percent to 25 percent of the study patientsparticipated in a certified cardiac rehabilitation program inthe first month after their heart attack, Spertus noted in aninterview. These programs, which focus on helping peopleincrease activity, eat better, quit smoking and make otherlifestyle changes to improve cardiovascular health, areconsidered the gold standard of post-heart attack care, headded, but not everyone has access to them.
When this is the case, Spertus said, "doctors and officestaff need to fill the role" of encouraging patients to loseweight and quit smoking. When certified cardiac rehabilitationprograms are available, he added, they're often underused. "Wearen't doing as well as we need to be doing."
SOURCE: American Heart Journal, October 2007.
Two audience members watch the 2007 'Farm Aid' concert in New York September 9, 2007. Overweight people lose virtually no weight after suffering a heart attack, according to the first study to evaluate factors associated with post-heart attack weight changes. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight people losevirtually no weight after suffering a heart attack, accordingto the first study to evaluate factors associated withpost-heart attack weight changes.
"On average less than a half of a percent change in bodyweight occurred, and that's really small," Dr. John A. Spertusof the Mid America Heart Institute of Saint Luke's Hospital inKansas City, Missouri, one of the study's authors, told ReutersHealth. People need to lose at least 5 percent of their bodyweight to significantly improve their heart health, he added.
Spertus and his team followed up with 1,253 overweight orobese individuals one year after they had experienced a heartattack. On average, they had lost 0.2 percent of their bodyweight. Overweight people actually gained an average of 0.4percent of their body weight, while obese people lost 0.5percent and morbidly obese individuals lost nearly 4 percent.
People who were depressed put on more weight, as did peoplewho quit smoking after their heart attack. Individuals withouthealth insurance were also more likely to put on pounds.
"People who stopped smoking tended to increase their weightby about 2.5 to 3 percent," Spertus noted. "That's a challengebecause you want people to both stop smoking and lose weight."
Just 18 percent to 25 percent of the study patientsparticipated in a certified cardiac rehabilitation program inthe first month after their heart attack, Spertus noted in aninterview. These programs, which focus on helping peopleincrease activity, eat better, quit smoking and make otherlifestyle changes to improve cardiovascular health, areconsidered the gold standard of post-heart attack care, headded, but not everyone has access to them.
When this is the case, Spertus said, "doctors and officestaff need to fill the role" of encouraging patients to loseweight and quit smoking. When certified cardiac rehabilitationprograms are available, he added, they're often underused. "Wearen't doing as well as we need to be doing."
SOURCE: American Heart Journal, October 2007.
Fetal Heart Rate Points to Later Child Development
Fetal Heart Rate Points to Later Child Development
FRIDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Checking on fetal heart-ratepatterns can offer insight into how a child's nervous system will developthrough its toddler years, a U.S. study finds.
Johns Hopkins and U.S. National Institutes of Health researcherschecked fetal heart rate and variability -- the degree to which heart rateincreases and decreases within a specific time period -- six times from 20weeks through 38 weeks of gestation in 137 women with normalpregnancies.
When the children born to the women were between 24 months and 36months old, the researchers assessed their mental, motor and languageabilities.
Greater variation in fetal heart rate at about 28 weeks gestationpredicted better performance on a standardized developmental exam at agetwo, and better language skills at 30 months, said the study, which ispublished in the November/December issue of the journal ChildDevelopment.
Fetuses that had more rapid gains in heart rate variation beginning at20 weeks gestation had quicker progression through childhood mental, motorand language milestones than children who had slower fetal gains inheart-rate variations.
According to the researchers, the findings suggest that the basis ofindividual differences in children's development begins duringgestation.
"Further demonstration that these and other indicators of fetalfunctioning supply important information about the developing nervoussystem will enrich our understanding of the importance of the prenatalperiod of life," study lead author Janet DiPietro, a professor in thedepartment of population, family and reproductive health, and associatedean for research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, saidin a prepared statement.
"In turn, such knowledge can contribute to the formation of strategiesfocused on improving prenatal functioning in these arenas by facilitatingpregnancy well-being. However, since current obstetric care alreadyroutinely evaluates heart rate patterning as an indicator of fetaldistress, pregnant women do not need to seek out additional informationabout their baby's heart rate from their providers," DiPietro said.
FRIDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Checking on fetal heart-ratepatterns can offer insight into how a child's nervous system will developthrough its toddler years, a U.S. study finds.
Johns Hopkins and U.S. National Institutes of Health researcherschecked fetal heart rate and variability -- the degree to which heart rateincreases and decreases within a specific time period -- six times from 20weeks through 38 weeks of gestation in 137 women with normalpregnancies.
When the children born to the women were between 24 months and 36months old, the researchers assessed their mental, motor and languageabilities.
Greater variation in fetal heart rate at about 28 weeks gestationpredicted better performance on a standardized developmental exam at agetwo, and better language skills at 30 months, said the study, which ispublished in the November/December issue of the journal ChildDevelopment.
Fetuses that had more rapid gains in heart rate variation beginning at20 weeks gestation had quicker progression through childhood mental, motorand language milestones than children who had slower fetal gains inheart-rate variations.
According to the researchers, the findings suggest that the basis ofindividual differences in children's development begins duringgestation.
"Further demonstration that these and other indicators of fetalfunctioning supply important information about the developing nervoussystem will enrich our understanding of the importance of the prenatalperiod of life," study lead author Janet DiPietro, a professor in thedepartment of population, family and reproductive health, and associatedean for research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, saidin a prepared statement.
"In turn, such knowledge can contribute to the formation of strategiesfocused on improving prenatal functioning in these arenas by facilitatingpregnancy well-being. However, since current obstetric care alreadyroutinely evaluates heart rate patterning as an indicator of fetaldistress, pregnant women do not need to seek out additional informationabout their baby's heart rate from their providers," DiPietro said.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Elderly to benefit from newer heart stents
Elderly to benefit from newer heart stents
A veteran walks through the lobby at the last reunion for World War Two veterans of the 10th Mountain Division in Denver, Colorado August 2, 2007. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stents coated with the drugsirolimus are safe and effective for treating elderly heartpatients with blocked coronary arteries, according to a newreport.
For elderly patients undergoing angioplasty with insertionof stents to prop open their coronary arteries, the risks are2- to 4-fold higher than for younger patients, the authorsexplain in the American Heart Journal.
The so-call sirolimus-eluting stents, which go by the brandname Cypher, have been shown to reduce the chance of arteriesbecoming blocked again, and therefore the need for anotheroperation. However, so far, there has been limited experienceusing the stents in patients older than 75 years.
Dr. Marcus Wiemer from University Bochum, in BadOeynhausen, Germany and colleagues compared outcomes in 954patients older than 75 years with 5801 younger patientsenrolled in the German Cypher Registry.
The team found that the mortality rate in the hospital washigher in the older patients (1.0 percent) than in the youngerpatients (0.3 percent), but there was no significant differencein heart attacks or the need for repeat procedures.
After 6 months, the overall mortality was 3-fold higher inthe elderly group, but both groups showed significantimprovement in symptoms, the report indicates.
The investigators say even between octogenarians andpatients younger than 80 years old, there were no differencesin hospital deaths or major adverse coronary events after 6months.
These results provide "strong evidence thatsirolimus-eluting stent implantation in the elderly and in veryold patients is feasible and ... should be recommended," theauthors conclude.
"A common concern of doctors and patients that the elderlywill have more problems or side effects during or afterinterventions" was not seen in this study, Wiemer told ReutersHealth.
He explained that even these newer stents don't improve theprognosis for people with coronary artery disease, "but we canimprove the symptoms significantly."
Angina caused by coronary disease is not only painful, "itcauses fear of death," he continued. To deny elderly patientstreatment that eases these symptoms is "unethical."
SOURCE: American Heart Journal, October 2007.
A veteran walks through the lobby at the last reunion for World War Two veterans of the 10th Mountain Division in Denver, Colorado August 2, 2007. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Stents coated with the drugsirolimus are safe and effective for treating elderly heartpatients with blocked coronary arteries, according to a newreport.
For elderly patients undergoing angioplasty with insertionof stents to prop open their coronary arteries, the risks are2- to 4-fold higher than for younger patients, the authorsexplain in the American Heart Journal.
The so-call sirolimus-eluting stents, which go by the brandname Cypher, have been shown to reduce the chance of arteriesbecoming blocked again, and therefore the need for anotheroperation. However, so far, there has been limited experienceusing the stents in patients older than 75 years.
Dr. Marcus Wiemer from University Bochum, in BadOeynhausen, Germany and colleagues compared outcomes in 954patients older than 75 years with 5801 younger patientsenrolled in the German Cypher Registry.
The team found that the mortality rate in the hospital washigher in the older patients (1.0 percent) than in the youngerpatients (0.3 percent), but there was no significant differencein heart attacks or the need for repeat procedures.
After 6 months, the overall mortality was 3-fold higher inthe elderly group, but both groups showed significantimprovement in symptoms, the report indicates.
The investigators say even between octogenarians andpatients younger than 80 years old, there were no differencesin hospital deaths or major adverse coronary events after 6months.
These results provide "strong evidence thatsirolimus-eluting stent implantation in the elderly and in veryold patients is feasible and ... should be recommended," theauthors conclude.
"A common concern of doctors and patients that the elderlywill have more problems or side effects during or afterinterventions" was not seen in this study, Wiemer told ReutersHealth.
He explained that even these newer stents don't improve theprognosis for people with coronary artery disease, "but we canimprove the symptoms significantly."
Angina caused by coronary disease is not only painful, "itcauses fear of death," he continued. To deny elderly patientstreatment that eases these symptoms is "unethical."
SOURCE: American Heart Journal, October 2007.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Heart disease looming threat for US obese teens: study
Heart disease looming threat for US obese teens: study
An overweight teenager. The epidemic of obesity among US teenagers could lead to double digit increases in cases of heart disease and heart-disease related deaths by 2035, according to a new study.(AFP/File/Ronaldo Schemidt)CHICAGO (AFP) - The epidemic of obesity among US teenagers could lead to double digit increases in cases of heart disease and heart-disease related deaths by 2035, according to a new study.
In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers said today's epidemic was setting the scene for tomorrow's public health crisis, one that doctors will not be able to head off with traditional blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
"Today's adolescents are the young adults of tomorrow, young adults who would ordinarily be working, raising their families, and not worried about heart disease until they are much older," said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, assistant professor in medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics at University of California at San Francisco.
"Our study suggests that more of these young adults will have heart disease when they are 30-35 years old, resulting in more hospitalizations, medical procedures, need for chronic medications, missed work days and shortened life expectancy."
Using computer modeling, the researchers projected that up to 37 percent of men and 44 percent of women who will be 35 in the year 2020 will be obese, based on the numbers of teenagers who were overweight in 2000.
These young adults are expected to have more heart attacks, more chronic chest pain and more premature deaths before they reach age 50 than previous generations.
The researchers said the lifestyle-driven disaster could increase the number of people with heart disease 16 percent over today's levels by 2035. That's an additional 100,000 cases.
The increase in obesity-related heart disease deaths could shoot up by as much as 19 percent, according to the projections in the study published Wednesday.
"We must recall that we all tend to gain weight as we age, so overweight in adolescents means even higher weights later on," said Lee Goldman, senior author of the paper and dean of Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
"Although the general findings of our analysis are not surprising, we were struck by the sheer magnitude of the impact of adolescent obesity and, as a result, how important it is as a public health priority."
Some nine million US adolescents are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Childhood obesity rates have tripled since the 1970s, and studies show that 80 percent of overweight adolescents become obese adults.
The findings also suggested that aggressive drug treatment would reduce but not eliminate the projected cardiac complications.
An overweight teenager. The epidemic of obesity among US teenagers could lead to double digit increases in cases of heart disease and heart-disease related deaths by 2035, according to a new study.(AFP/File/Ronaldo Schemidt)CHICAGO (AFP) - The epidemic of obesity among US teenagers could lead to double digit increases in cases of heart disease and heart-disease related deaths by 2035, according to a new study.
In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers said today's epidemic was setting the scene for tomorrow's public health crisis, one that doctors will not be able to head off with traditional blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
"Today's adolescents are the young adults of tomorrow, young adults who would ordinarily be working, raising their families, and not worried about heart disease until they are much older," said Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, assistant professor in medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics at University of California at San Francisco.
"Our study suggests that more of these young adults will have heart disease when they are 30-35 years old, resulting in more hospitalizations, medical procedures, need for chronic medications, missed work days and shortened life expectancy."
Using computer modeling, the researchers projected that up to 37 percent of men and 44 percent of women who will be 35 in the year 2020 will be obese, based on the numbers of teenagers who were overweight in 2000.
These young adults are expected to have more heart attacks, more chronic chest pain and more premature deaths before they reach age 50 than previous generations.
The researchers said the lifestyle-driven disaster could increase the number of people with heart disease 16 percent over today's levels by 2035. That's an additional 100,000 cases.
The increase in obesity-related heart disease deaths could shoot up by as much as 19 percent, according to the projections in the study published Wednesday.
"We must recall that we all tend to gain weight as we age, so overweight in adolescents means even higher weights later on," said Lee Goldman, senior author of the paper and dean of Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
"Although the general findings of our analysis are not surprising, we were struck by the sheer magnitude of the impact of adolescent obesity and, as a result, how important it is as a public health priority."
Some nine million US adolescents are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Childhood obesity rates have tripled since the 1970s, and studies show that 80 percent of overweight adolescents become obese adults.
The findings also suggested that aggressive drug treatment would reduce but not eliminate the projected cardiac complications.
Obese kids may face heart risks later
Obese kids may face heart risks later
NEW YORK - The chicken nuggets are coming home to roost. By the time today's teens are middle age, the rate of heart disease could be 16 percent higher because of the extra pounds they are carrying around today, a U.S. study suggests.
A second study, by Danish researchers, documents a connection between excess weight in even younger kids and heart disease in adults — especially boys.
The two reports in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine may well be underestimating the future health effects of childhood obesity, said Dr. David Ludwig, director of an obesity program at Children's Hospital Boston.
"We've simply never had a generation that's been this heavy from so early in life. The consequences of that are unprecedented and unknown," said Ludwig, who was not involved in the research.
While the U.S. projections were based on a computer model, the Danish study is a large, decades-long look at what happened in real life to 277,000 children as they grew up. Some 14,500 of them — twice as many men as women — had heart disease or died from it before age 60.
The researchers found that the more overweight a child was between ages 7 and 13, the greater the risk of heart disease was in adulthood. The relationship was strongest in boys and increased with age.
For example, an average-size 13-year-old boy had a 12 percent risk. But for a boy of the same age and height who weighed about 25 pounds more, the risk went up by one-third, to 16 percent.
"Our findings suggest that as children are becoming heavier worldwide, greater numbers of them are at risk of having a (coronary heart disease) event in adulthood," said the researchers from the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen.
Today, about a third of U.S. youngsters are either overweight or obese. Increasing numbers of obese children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and other obesity complications that were seldom seen in children before.
Some of those complications are risk factors for heart disease, which could explain the link between childhood weight and a higher risk of heart disease, the Danish researchers suggest. Or it could be because many heavy children — although not all — become heavy adults, they said.
Their study used detailed health records kept for every schoolchild in Denmark. They calculated the body mass index, which is based on height and weight, for children born between 1930 and 1976. Using hospital discharge records and a death registry, they tracked the children from age 25 to find out who had heart disease by age 60.
One of the researchers, Jennifer Baker, said previous studies that have looked at the issue have been inconsistent, and this is the "first to convincingly demonstrate that excess weight in childhood is associated with heart disease in adulthood."
The U.S. researchers used obesity figures for U.S. teens in 2000 to estimate that as many as 37 percent of men would be obese when they reached 35, compared to 25 percent now. For women, as many as 44 percent would be obese; now the rate is 32 percent.
Using a computer model, they estimated that by the time the teens are 50, the rate of heart disease will rise 5 percent to 16 percent — as many as 100,000 extra cases. They also projected heart disease deaths could rise by as much as 19 percent.
"If we do nothing, the health consequences are really going to be quite dramatic," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, of the University of California, San Francisco, lead author of the study.
Projections of increasing rates of heart disease and deaths between ages 35 and 50 were particularly striking, she said.
"This is an age when people are normally working, they're raising their families. They're not worried about going to the doctor or worried about dying or having a heart attack," said Bibbins-Domingo.
The researchers noted that their predictions are based on current treatments and trends for obesity and heart disease, and changes in prevention and treatment could make a difference.____On the Net:New England Journal: http://www.nejm.org
NEW YORK - The chicken nuggets are coming home to roost. By the time today's teens are middle age, the rate of heart disease could be 16 percent higher because of the extra pounds they are carrying around today, a U.S. study suggests.
A second study, by Danish researchers, documents a connection between excess weight in even younger kids and heart disease in adults — especially boys.
The two reports in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine may well be underestimating the future health effects of childhood obesity, said Dr. David Ludwig, director of an obesity program at Children's Hospital Boston.
"We've simply never had a generation that's been this heavy from so early in life. The consequences of that are unprecedented and unknown," said Ludwig, who was not involved in the research.
While the U.S. projections were based on a computer model, the Danish study is a large, decades-long look at what happened in real life to 277,000 children as they grew up. Some 14,500 of them — twice as many men as women — had heart disease or died from it before age 60.
The researchers found that the more overweight a child was between ages 7 and 13, the greater the risk of heart disease was in adulthood. The relationship was strongest in boys and increased with age.
For example, an average-size 13-year-old boy had a 12 percent risk. But for a boy of the same age and height who weighed about 25 pounds more, the risk went up by one-third, to 16 percent.
"Our findings suggest that as children are becoming heavier worldwide, greater numbers of them are at risk of having a (coronary heart disease) event in adulthood," said the researchers from the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen.
Today, about a third of U.S. youngsters are either overweight or obese. Increasing numbers of obese children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and other obesity complications that were seldom seen in children before.
Some of those complications are risk factors for heart disease, which could explain the link between childhood weight and a higher risk of heart disease, the Danish researchers suggest. Or it could be because many heavy children — although not all — become heavy adults, they said.
Their study used detailed health records kept for every schoolchild in Denmark. They calculated the body mass index, which is based on height and weight, for children born between 1930 and 1976. Using hospital discharge records and a death registry, they tracked the children from age 25 to find out who had heart disease by age 60.
One of the researchers, Jennifer Baker, said previous studies that have looked at the issue have been inconsistent, and this is the "first to convincingly demonstrate that excess weight in childhood is associated with heart disease in adulthood."
The U.S. researchers used obesity figures for U.S. teens in 2000 to estimate that as many as 37 percent of men would be obese when they reached 35, compared to 25 percent now. For women, as many as 44 percent would be obese; now the rate is 32 percent.
Using a computer model, they estimated that by the time the teens are 50, the rate of heart disease will rise 5 percent to 16 percent — as many as 100,000 extra cases. They also projected heart disease deaths could rise by as much as 19 percent.
"If we do nothing, the health consequences are really going to be quite dramatic," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, of the University of California, San Francisco, lead author of the study.
Projections of increasing rates of heart disease and deaths between ages 35 and 50 were particularly striking, she said.
"This is an age when people are normally working, they're raising their families. They're not worried about going to the doctor or worried about dying or having a heart attack," said Bibbins-Domingo.
The researchers noted that their predictions are based on current treatments and trends for obesity and heart disease, and changes in prevention and treatment could make a difference.____On the Net:New England Journal: http://www.nejm.org
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Stimulants for ADHD may cause mild heart symptoms
Stimulants for ADHD may cause mild heart symptoms
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of stimulants bychildren and teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) may be to blame for an increased number ofvisits to the emergency room or doctor's office because ofheart-related symptoms, but deaths or serious heartcomplications are rare, according to a study from Florida.
ADHD drugs, like Adderall and Ritalin, are known to raiseblood pressure and heart rate.
In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration's Drug SafetyAdvisory Committee recommended "black-box" warnings -- thestrongest given by the FDA -- about cardiovascular risksassociated with stimulants used to treat ADHD. However, theFDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee disagreed, suggesting thatsuch a warning is not warranted, based on the drugs'effectiveness and the weak evidence of harm.
Formal studies looking at the risks "are overdue in lightof the scarce long-term safety data, the growing prevalence ofstimulant use, and the anecdotal evidence of serious adverseevents," Dr. Almut G. Winterstein and colleagues write in thejournal Pediatrics this month.
They analyzed data on 55,383 Florida children ages 3 to 20years who had ADHD. About 59 percent were taking a stimulantmedication during the study period (1994 to 2004).
Children who used central nervous system stimulants were 20percent more likely to visit an emergency clinic or doctor'soffice with heart-related symptoms, such as a racing heartbeat,than children who had never used or discontinued treatment, theteam found.
However, rates of death or hospital admission for seriousheart conditions were no different than the national ratesamong the general population.
Given that 3 to 4 million youngsters take stimulantmedications to control symptoms of ADHD, Winterstein's groupthinks large "forward-looking" studies with long-term follow-upare needed to determine the consequences of chronic stimulantuse during childhood on heart disease in adulthood.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, December 2007.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The use of stimulants bychildren and teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) may be to blame for an increased number ofvisits to the emergency room or doctor's office because ofheart-related symptoms, but deaths or serious heartcomplications are rare, according to a study from Florida.
ADHD drugs, like Adderall and Ritalin, are known to raiseblood pressure and heart rate.
In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration's Drug SafetyAdvisory Committee recommended "black-box" warnings -- thestrongest given by the FDA -- about cardiovascular risksassociated with stimulants used to treat ADHD. However, theFDA's Pediatric Advisory Committee disagreed, suggesting thatsuch a warning is not warranted, based on the drugs'effectiveness and the weak evidence of harm.
Formal studies looking at the risks "are overdue in lightof the scarce long-term safety data, the growing prevalence ofstimulant use, and the anecdotal evidence of serious adverseevents," Dr. Almut G. Winterstein and colleagues write in thejournal Pediatrics this month.
They analyzed data on 55,383 Florida children ages 3 to 20years who had ADHD. About 59 percent were taking a stimulantmedication during the study period (1994 to 2004).
Children who used central nervous system stimulants were 20percent more likely to visit an emergency clinic or doctor'soffice with heart-related symptoms, such as a racing heartbeat,than children who had never used or discontinued treatment, theteam found.
However, rates of death or hospital admission for seriousheart conditions were no different than the national ratesamong the general population.
Given that 3 to 4 million youngsters take stimulantmedications to control symptoms of ADHD, Winterstein's groupthinks large "forward-looking" studies with long-term follow-upare needed to determine the consequences of chronic stimulantuse during childhood on heart disease in adulthood.
SOURCE: Pediatrics, December 2007.
Avandia heart risks seen at the population level
Avandia heart risks seen at the population level
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The findings of clinical trialshave linked the use of thiazolidinediones, a class of diabetesdrugs, with congestive heart failure and possibly heartattacks. Now, new research indicates that these associations,at least with Avandia, also apply to individuals in thecommunity, and not just clinical trials.
Dr. Lorraine L. Lipscombe, from the Institute for ClinicalEvaluative Sciences in Toronto, and colleagues analyzed datafor 159,026 older adults who were treated with at least oneoral diabetes drug between 2002 and 2005 and were entered in anOntario healthcare database. The subjects were followed throughMarch 2006.
During an average follow-up period of 3.8 years, 7.9percent of the patients were hospitalized for congestive heartfailure, 7.9 percent were hospitalized for a heart attack, and19 percent died, according to the researchers' report inJournal of the American Medical Association.
Current thiazolidinediones use increased the risks of heartfailure, heart attack and death by 60 percent, 40 percent, and29 percent, respectively, compared with the use of other typesof oral diabetes drugs.
Further analysis revealed that the risks were largelyconfined to patients who were using Avandia, known genericallyas rosiglitazone.
"These findings provide evidence from a real-world settingand support data from clinical trials that the harms ofthiazolidinediones may outweigh their benefits, even inpatients without obvious...cardiovascular disease," the authorswrite.
More studies are needed to better define the risk-benefitratio and the trade-offs associated with thiazolidinedionetherapy and to explore if the treatment risks are confinedspecifically to rosiglitazone.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association,December 12, 2007.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The findings of clinical trialshave linked the use of thiazolidinediones, a class of diabetesdrugs, with congestive heart failure and possibly heartattacks. Now, new research indicates that these associations,at least with Avandia, also apply to individuals in thecommunity, and not just clinical trials.
Dr. Lorraine L. Lipscombe, from the Institute for ClinicalEvaluative Sciences in Toronto, and colleagues analyzed datafor 159,026 older adults who were treated with at least oneoral diabetes drug between 2002 and 2005 and were entered in anOntario healthcare database. The subjects were followed throughMarch 2006.
During an average follow-up period of 3.8 years, 7.9percent of the patients were hospitalized for congestive heartfailure, 7.9 percent were hospitalized for a heart attack, and19 percent died, according to the researchers' report inJournal of the American Medical Association.
Current thiazolidinediones use increased the risks of heartfailure, heart attack and death by 60 percent, 40 percent, and29 percent, respectively, compared with the use of other typesof oral diabetes drugs.
Further analysis revealed that the risks were largelyconfined to patients who were using Avandia, known genericallyas rosiglitazone.
"These findings provide evidence from a real-world settingand support data from clinical trials that the harms ofthiazolidinediones may outweigh their benefits, even inpatients without obvious...cardiovascular disease," the authorswrite.
More studies are needed to better define the risk-benefitratio and the trade-offs associated with thiazolidinedionetherapy and to explore if the treatment risks are confinedspecifically to rosiglitazone.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association,December 12, 2007.
New Cancer Drug Tied to Heart Problems
THURSDAY, Dec. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The new and powerful cancer drugsunitinib (Sutent), which fights stomach tumors, can also create heartproblems for some patients, a new study finds.
All patients taking sunitinib, but especially those who have risks forheart disease, need careful monitoring and treatment for high bloodpressure and other signs of heart problems, researchers say.
"All drugs have risks and benefits," noted lead researcher Dr. Ming HuiChen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and acardiologist at Children's Hospital Boston. "This drug is lifesaving forpeople with metastatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors," she added.
But it is important for both doctors and patients to be aware thatsunitinib can have cardiac effects, Chen noted.
"The people at greatest risk are the people who have a history ofcoronary artery disease," Chen said. "Aggressive control of bloodpressure in these patients is very important."
In a statement released Thursday, sunitinib's maker, Pfizer Inc.,agreed that these heart risks do exist. However, they added that thecardiovascular events "were medically manageable in most patients andunderscore the importance of having a collaborative team of healthcareprofessionals working together to appropriately manage patients, who havelimited available options" in treating their cancer.
The new, collaborative study was supported by Children's HospitalBoston; the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Thomas Jefferson University; theU.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Finnish HeartFoundation; and the American Heart Association.
Sunitinib is one of a family of new and powerful anti-cancer drugscalled tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, which target key molecular pathwaysthought to encourage tumor growth. Other drugs in this family includeimatinib, better known as Gleevec, and dasatinib (Sprycel).
In the study, which is published in the Dec. 15 issue of TheLancet, Chen's team looked at 75 patients with metastatic,gastrointestinal stromal tumors that had not responded to standard therapywith Gleevec. The patients had taken part in a phase I/II trial studyingthe efficacy of sunitinib.
The researchers looked back at the medical records of these patients,noting those who died from heart disease or had suffered heart attacks orcongestive heart failure. They also looked at the effect of sunitinib onthe heart's ability to pump blood and on blood pressure.
Chen's group found that eight patients given repeated cycles ofsunitinib had cardiovascular events. Two had heart attacks, and six hadheart failure. Of 36 patients given the approved dose of sunitinib, 10 hada 10 percent or more reduction in the ability of their heart to pumpblood, and seven had a 15 percent or more reduction in heart function.
In addition, sunitinib was associated with increases in blood pressure,with a total of 35 (47 percent) of the patients developing hypertension.However, these effects were not permanent: When sunitinib treatment wasstopped and patients began therapy to ease heart problems, levels of heartfailure and heart functioning improved, the researchers found.
"Most of the patients who had heart problems were able to resume takingsunitinib with either a modification in their dose or initiation of heartfailure medication," Chen said.
In addition, in experiments with mice and rat heart cells, Chen's teamfound that sunitinib triggered heart cells damage and death.
However, in their statement, Pfizer noted that, "Lower incidences ofcardiovascular effects have been observed in subsequent randomized Phase 3prospective Sutent studies in both renal cell carcinoma andgastrointestinal stromal tumor[s]." That includes a lower incidence ofevents such as congestive heart failure, impaired heart function, and highblood pressure that were noted in Chen's retrospective analysis, thecompany said.
Chen stressed that patients taking sunitinib who develop shortness ofbreath and fatigue and swelling of the arms or legs should be checked forheart problems. "These symptoms can be ascribed to cancer, but since thisdrug may have a cardiovascular effect, these may be signs of heartproblems," she said.
One expert said the findings must be approached with caution.
"The findings are intriguing, but one has to be careful aboutgeneralizing them," said Dr. James Brugarolas, an assistant professor inthe division of oncology at Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "It's a smallgroup of patients, many of whom were taking other drugs that can havecardiac effects," he said.
However, patients who have coronary artery disease who are going to begiven sunitinib should be very carefully monitored for the development ofheart failure, Brugarolas said. "There should be a proactive attitude onthe part of the physician to manage hypertension," he added.
Brugarolas also noted that sunitinib has been shown to slow theprogression of gastrointestinal stromal tumors but not to extend patients'overall survival. "These side effects may be affecting survival," he said."If survival is compromised by adverse effects of the drug, then it maynot be beneficial to patients."
More information
For more on sunitinib, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
All patients taking sunitinib, but especially those who have risks forheart disease, need careful monitoring and treatment for high bloodpressure and other signs of heart problems, researchers say.
"All drugs have risks and benefits," noted lead researcher Dr. Ming HuiChen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and acardiologist at Children's Hospital Boston. "This drug is lifesaving forpeople with metastatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors," she added.
But it is important for both doctors and patients to be aware thatsunitinib can have cardiac effects, Chen noted.
"The people at greatest risk are the people who have a history ofcoronary artery disease," Chen said. "Aggressive control of bloodpressure in these patients is very important."
In a statement released Thursday, sunitinib's maker, Pfizer Inc.,agreed that these heart risks do exist. However, they added that thecardiovascular events "were medically manageable in most patients andunderscore the importance of having a collaborative team of healthcareprofessionals working together to appropriately manage patients, who havelimited available options" in treating their cancer.
The new, collaborative study was supported by Children's HospitalBoston; the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Thomas Jefferson University; theU.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Finnish HeartFoundation; and the American Heart Association.
Sunitinib is one of a family of new and powerful anti-cancer drugscalled tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, which target key molecular pathwaysthought to encourage tumor growth. Other drugs in this family includeimatinib, better known as Gleevec, and dasatinib (Sprycel).
In the study, which is published in the Dec. 15 issue of TheLancet, Chen's team looked at 75 patients with metastatic,gastrointestinal stromal tumors that had not responded to standard therapywith Gleevec. The patients had taken part in a phase I/II trial studyingthe efficacy of sunitinib.
The researchers looked back at the medical records of these patients,noting those who died from heart disease or had suffered heart attacks orcongestive heart failure. They also looked at the effect of sunitinib onthe heart's ability to pump blood and on blood pressure.
Chen's group found that eight patients given repeated cycles ofsunitinib had cardiovascular events. Two had heart attacks, and six hadheart failure. Of 36 patients given the approved dose of sunitinib, 10 hada 10 percent or more reduction in the ability of their heart to pumpblood, and seven had a 15 percent or more reduction in heart function.
In addition, sunitinib was associated with increases in blood pressure,with a total of 35 (47 percent) of the patients developing hypertension.However, these effects were not permanent: When sunitinib treatment wasstopped and patients began therapy to ease heart problems, levels of heartfailure and heart functioning improved, the researchers found.
"Most of the patients who had heart problems were able to resume takingsunitinib with either a modification in their dose or initiation of heartfailure medication," Chen said.
In addition, in experiments with mice and rat heart cells, Chen's teamfound that sunitinib triggered heart cells damage and death.
However, in their statement, Pfizer noted that, "Lower incidences ofcardiovascular effects have been observed in subsequent randomized Phase 3prospective Sutent studies in both renal cell carcinoma andgastrointestinal stromal tumor[s]." That includes a lower incidence ofevents such as congestive heart failure, impaired heart function, and highblood pressure that were noted in Chen's retrospective analysis, thecompany said.
Chen stressed that patients taking sunitinib who develop shortness ofbreath and fatigue and swelling of the arms or legs should be checked forheart problems. "These symptoms can be ascribed to cancer, but since thisdrug may have a cardiovascular effect, these may be signs of heartproblems," she said.
One expert said the findings must be approached with caution.
"The findings are intriguing, but one has to be careful aboutgeneralizing them," said Dr. James Brugarolas, an assistant professor inthe division of oncology at Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "It's a smallgroup of patients, many of whom were taking other drugs that can havecardiac effects," he said.
However, patients who have coronary artery disease who are going to begiven sunitinib should be very carefully monitored for the development ofheart failure, Brugarolas said. "There should be a proactive attitude onthe part of the physician to manage hypertension," he added.
Brugarolas also noted that sunitinib has been shown to slow theprogression of gastrointestinal stromal tumors but not to extend patients'overall survival. "These side effects may be affecting survival," he said."If survival is compromised by adverse effects of the drug, then it maynot be beneficial to patients."
More information
For more on sunitinib, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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