�The data link between cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe (marketed as Vytorin) and cancer is still non clear, wrote the editors of the leading aesculapian
journal New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). More time is needed to assess the drug, they said, and in the meantime patients and
doctors will take to live with the uncertainty.
The editorial appears in the online first 2nd September exit of NEJM, along with a report of the SEAS clinical trial of lipid-lowering therapy
which tried the combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe compared with placebo on the incidence of cardiovascular events in older hoi polloi with
aortic valve stenosis (abnormal narrowing of the marrow valve that lets blood into the aorta).
While the trial establish that the treatment did not halt aortic stenosis or show impact on cardiovascular events in general (apart from one or two
exceptions), it showed an unexpected result in adverse events, where there appeared to be a rise in cancer incidence and cancer deaths in the
treatment group compared to the placebo group.
This would make sense, since the way ezetimibe works is to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the gut, which could also interfere with the
absorption of other substances that pretend cancer growth.
However, the SEAS researchers suggested that the higher incidence of cancer in the treatment group could be due to chance, just agreed further studies
should look into it. A group of epidemiologists from Oxford University did look into it by victimisation the SEAS data and supplementing it with information from deuce
other ongoing studies on ezetimibe, SHARP and IMPROVE-IT, which although had shorter follow ups than the four years in the SEAS trial, were
much larger and gave more than cancer information. They then examined the three sets of data to see if the imbalance in incident cancers and cancer deaths
from the SEAS trial was replicated in the other two trials.
The Oxford group's analysis failed to confirm the increment in incident cancer plant in the SEAS trial, but it did affirm the nonsignificant increase in
cancer deaths. Their study is as well reported in the 2nd September publication of NEJM.
The editors pointed out that it was authoritative to banker's bill that patch cancer mortality is an end point that 1 would require to be reliable, none of the trials
was designed to assess this as a primary consequence.
When the Oxford group combined the data on cancer deaths from the three trials (SEAS, SHARP, and IMPROVE-IT), they found an increase in danger
of malignant neoplastic disease death in the combined ezetimibe groups (134 versus 92 deaths in controls, showing a risk ratio of 1.45 and an uncorrected P=0.007).
But the Oxford group aforesaid it believed this finding was strictly due to chance and could not be a real rise in crab death peril because if that were the
case then in that respect should experience been a corresponding rise in crab incidence.
Again, the editors cautioned that because the test of statistical import, P, comes from an analysis that combines data from studies with different
objectives, it should be interpreted carefully. They wrote that although the Oxford researchers crataegus oxycantha ultimately be proved correct, patients and doctors
should be cautious because it is not clear whether the increased risk of death is due to chance or not. Because of the way it affects preoccupancy of
chemicals in the gut, ezetimibe may well affect the balance of cancer neutering substances too.
"The fact that the combined data from all trey trials showed an increase in cancer mortality with ezetimibe should not be assumed to be a chance
finding until farther data are in," wrote the editors.
The editors aforesaid the SHARP and IMPROVE-IT trials must go on and on that point should be careful follow up of the patients. These and other trials yielding
information on ezetimibe treatments should be analyzed for cancer-related results, they wrote, and mentioned that the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) had plans to carry out its possess analysis.
"Ezetimibe and Cancer -- An Uncertain Association."
Drazen, Jeffrey M., D'Agostino, Ralph B., Ware, James H., Morrissey, Stephen, Curfman, Gregory D.
N Engl J Med 2008 0: NEJMe0807200; published online number one 2 September 2008.
Click here for the full Editorial.
Sources: NEJM.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
More information
Monday, 8 September 2008
Sunday, 10 August 2008
BIG BROTHER: Will Rex & Nicole Last?
...more Big Brother 9 �
Nicole and Rex have been contestation. Again. From the first moment Rex woke up in the morning until Nicole went off to bed crying, the Big Brother �love birds� were arguing just about one thing or some other.
It all started when Rex asked Nicole for a hug while she was wash up. When the starter said non at the moment the arguments began! The shut quarters of the Big Brother house seems to be overly much for a relationship to cope with.
With Nicole distressed anyway about not having her suitcase, staying up all night doing the task and then having to clear, it seemed Rex�s �princess� could non add dealing with Rex to this list and her tight boyfriend didn�t understand this!
Rex seemed to pass most of the daylight following his girlfriend around trying to make up with her! The day of arguments concluded with the pair having a massive argumentation because Rex said �you shouldn�t receive come on here if you were just leaving to be negative.� Nicole took this as Rex saying he would rather she hadn�t come on the show - which is what he actually said to Big Brother!
In the style of any honorable drama queen, Nicole stormed to the diary room saying she was departure, and wish the honest obedient pup dog that he is Rex followed her saying �I want you to be here.�
The drama terminated with Nicole crying in the infernal region bedroom on her possess and Rex sat in the garden talking to the other housemates about his problems. Will the volatile pair even make it to the end of the week? It doesn�t face like it at the moment!
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Thad Jones with the Pepper Adams Quintet
Artist: Thad Jones with the Pepper Adams Quintet
Genre(s):
Jazz
Discography:
Mean What You Say
Year: 1991
Tracks: 8
'Smart' or Stale? Movies Raid TV Archives
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
The Album Leaf
Artist: The Album Leaf
Genre(s):
Other
Experimental
Rock
Discography:
The Enchanted Hill - The Green Tour EP
Year: 2007
Tracks: 6
Into The Blue Again
Year: 2006
Tracks: 10
In a Safe Place
Year: 2004
Tracks: 10
An Orchestrated Rise To Fall-Vinyl
Year: 2004
Tracks: 10
Seal Beach
Year: 2003
Tracks: 5
One Day I'll Be on Time
Year: 2001
Tracks: 12
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Bruce Springsteen - Springsteen Defends Obama
Rocker BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has defended U.S. presidential hopeful BARACK OBAMA, insisting the Democrat's comments about "bitter" small town Americans has been taken out of context.
Last week (12Apr08), Obama tried to explain to an audience in San Francisco, California, why he was struggling to win over white working class voters.
He told the crowd, "You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.
"And it's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
The Illinois senator's comments have stirred a lot of controversy since, but the Born To Run singer insists Obama's words have been twisted to paint him in a bad light.
And he is adamant Obama is the best candidate for the U.S. presidency to repair the "terrible damage" the current leader, George W. Bush, has caused since 2000.
In a message to fans on his website, he writes, "Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
"He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems.
"At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision... often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment."
See Also
Monday, 2 June 2008
Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart Not Engaged
Reports that 'Indiana Jones' star Harrison Ford and girlfriend Calista Flockhart are engaged are "fabricated", according to a representative for the couple, following numerous gossip sites and tabloids running stories to the contrary.
A story appearing in the The London Paper states that "twice-divorced Ford popped the question on April Fools Day leaving Calista, 43, in some doubt as to its seriousness."
It goes onto say that the pair "will get hitched as soon as the promotional work for the fourth installment of the 'Indiana Jones' series is complete."
However, a spokesperson for the couple informed Ok! magazine that, "This is completely fabricated and the result of a British tabloid report."
NEXT: Fatherhood For American Idol's Clay Aiken
Photo courtesy of LucasFilm.
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