A study released this week showed fairly conclusive evidence that indicates that ADHD medication does not actually increase risk for heart disease in adults. Previously some doctors believed that ADD and ADHD medicines increased risk for heart disease but the good news is that this study essentially proves that to be not true.

The study was conducted using nearly 500,000 adults ranging in age from 25 to 65 so the sample size of this study is very large. The study also covered nearly all of the currently used medications to ensure that all of them were included in the study.

It is good news for millions of adults in America and around the world that are affected by ADD and ADHD as they now know that the medication they’re taking daily does not have any heart disease risk associated with it. Of course there are still other side effects but the fact that those taking ADD and ADHD medications have absolutely on higher risk for heart trouble is definitely great news for everyone. Many doctors say this will greatly impact their likeliness to prescribe certain medications to older patients as the finally know that there is no link between the medicine and heart trouble. Previous studies had shown essentially the same thing but this is the first of its kind to include so many medications and so many patients spreading such a variety of demographics and ages.

Millions of people receive flu vaccines each year and while the effectiveness of the vaccine is still up for debate many people agree that receiving a shot for the vaccine is simply not worthwhile. Immunization through injection is not new in the slightest, it has been the standard method for quite some time, but for those who fear needles or cannot handle the pain it makes it difficult or impossible to receive treatment they need.

Fortunately a recent study shows that there might actually be hope on the horizon. New oral flu vaccines have been in development for quite some time and the latest study shows that they’re actually just as effective as their injection counterparts. Oral flu vaccines remove the pain and fear associated with needles while still offering the same level of protection.

Previously doctors recommended injections because the oral vaccine was thought to be inferior to the injections but now we know that may not be true. Multiple follow up studies are being conducted right now to find out exactly how much difference there is between the two types of vaccines but for anyone that fears needles or injections this is very good news. Worldwide this also makes it significantly easier to distribute and administer the much needed flu vaccine that likely helps to save millions of lives each and every year. This is simply great news all around for so many great reasons.

Multiple companies have been making significant steps forward in the area of cancer research and it seems one specific medication is showing some serious promise according to the newest study. The study released today indicated that the trial medicine is apparently 37% more effective than any other medication on the market today for prostate cancer; this is the most effective drug trial yet to combat the cancer which makes the newest study a very promising report.

This is a big step forward simply because it indicates that the research and medication development is in fact working as planned. The company behind the project, Medivation Inc., was very happy to release the results and they say that numerous follow up studies are being conducted. Prostate cancer is a big deal so this sign of improvement will bring hope to thousands that are affected each year.

At this point it is obviously way too early to say whether or not the drug will ever be available on the market but doctors are hopeful at this point. The increased signs of survival and cancer removal is very promising according to doctors so if the drug continues to perform well throughout the future testing it is quite likely that the drug will be available at some point. For now doctors are planning to continue trial testing on multiple subjects as well as continued research to hopefully improve the function of the drug and hopefully prevent or remove more cases of prostate cancer.

For years scientists have been searching for a successful vaccine against the malaria parasite. Thousands of children and adults suffer from malaria worldwide and while there are medicines to treat the disease and reduce the affects no one has been able to come up with an effective vaccine. Fortunately that may have all changed; a group of researchers released test data this week that shows that their trial malaria vaccine may actually be successful.

The vaccine for malaria has been in development by GlaxoSmithKline for over 25 years and now that the team of researchers has done their first real world trial the results are promising. According to the study nearly half of all children given the vaccine were protected from serious attacks from malaria. This may seem like an ineffective vaccine but up until this point no trial medication has been nearly as effective as this one.

The research into a malaria vaccine will not be stopping here though. Funding is continuous and researchers say they will in fact continue developing this and other vaccines until they are able to find a nearly completely successful vaccine. It will likely be years before another significant test result like this is released but researchers are still hopeful that some sort of vaccine will be available sometime in the foreseeable future. For now medical experts are simply happy to see that a significant amount of progress has been made on the path towards a malaria vaccine.

Coffee Linked to Anti-Depressant Effects

Millions of people drink coffee consistently every single day of the year and despite the high caffeine levels in coffee it seems there may be some additional health benefits that nobody knew about before. Coffee has successfully been proven to have a significant impact on depression in women that drink between one and three cups a day which means millions of women worldwide are feeling some positive benefits from coffee.

Depression and coffee are an unlikely connection according to many health experts, especially since caffeine usually has the opposite effect. According to the researchers there is clearly some chemical found in nearly all types of coffee that help reduce stress while also reducing the risk for depression. At this time additional research is being done to determine exactly what that chemical is but for now it is simply amazing news that coffee has this effect on women.

Of course there is a limit at which the benefits wear off according to researchers. More than 3 or 4 cups of coffee per day can reduce or eliminate the anti-depressant effects of the coffee. Because of this it is suggested that women try to stay between one and three cups per day in order to minimize depression. More research is being conducted to see if the coffee has a similar affect on men but at this point it is still too early in the study for researchers to know if the results will carry over or not.

Miracle Drug Could Kill All Viruses

This week a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced that they may have successfully designed and created the world’s next miracle drug. According to initial reports the drug identify cells that have been affected by a virus and immediately kill those cells; in theory this should mean that the drug can effectively and efficiently kill any and all viruses within the human body.

The report was published this week in MIT’s medical journal and according to many experts in the medical field the results are very promising. Unlike current medication that can only treat or kill bacteria this miracle drug is reportedly able to kill viruses; that alone could make this drug the cure to the common cold and the flu.

During the initial testing of the drug the MIT research team tested the drug against a variety of viruses including the flu, polio, various strains of the common cold, and others; after extensive testing the group concluded that the drug was highly effective against each of these viruses. This is quite an accomplishment as no other drug has even been able to combat any of these viruses well let alone all of them. As always much more testing is being conducted in order to determine if this drug is safe or practical for human use; until then it will obviously not be available. Fortunately experts say there is lots of hope for this miraculous drug.

New Heart Medicine Helps Heart Heal Itself

A medical study released today by a leading health journal has shown some significant results in the area of heart health and heart treatment. A drug called thymosin beta 4 was the focus of the study and according to doctors it seems to give the human heart some preparation for repair should something go wrong.

More specifically doctors say thymosin beta 4 shows signs of aiding the heart with repairs after a major event such as a heart attack. The exact details behind how the heart is reacting to the drug are still unknown but doctors say it is a very promising result for sure.

Researchers have also confirmed that the thymosin beta 4 used in the testing has essentially proven the idea of using generic stem cells for treatment. Thymosin beta 4 was designed to attempt to make the cells in the heart begin to function more efficiently and along with that it is allegedly also helping new cells develop very rapidly in damaged areas of the heart which leads to much more rapid recovery and healthier patients.

Obviously at this time it is difficult to predict what will become of the drug though most medical analysts are very happy about the future of this drug. Numerous groundbreaking studies are being planned using this and other similar drugs and numerous leading heart research institutions hope that this could eventually develop into a significant breakthrough for heart health patients all over the world.

Study Confirms Prostate Drug Extends Lives

For men with prostate cancer the outlook on life is often quite bleak; many are given just months to live. Fortunately Johnson & Johnson has created a drug that reportedly extends the lives of patients a significant amount. That drug, Zytiga, became available in many areas just last month but long term study results have already begun to show up.

Zytiga officially became an approved medication in the United States just last month but Johnson & Johnson studies have shown that in most cases Zytiga is effective at extending the life of many advanced prostate cancer patients.

According to doctors the biggest problem with prostate cancer is that is spreads so quickly, even when compared to other cancers. Zytiga works by specifically targeting the hormones and proteins required for the prostate cancer to spread and thus Zytiga effectively slows the progression of the cancer substantially.

Unfortunately Zytiga still is not a treatment or cure for the cancer. Generally advanced prostate cancer is deadly unless caught early and as a result doctors have been focusing on any sort of medication that can slow the progression of the cancerous cells; thus far Zytiga has been the most effective though reports indicate that other possible medications are in testing as well. For now medical analysts are happy with the results from Zytiga and until a better option is researched or created there is unfortunately nothing better available; Zytiga is simply a way to prolong the lives of those who have little hope.

Medical Study Confirms Asthma Pills are Effective

For years asthma has been treated through inhalers and according to some recent research these inhalers may no longer be necessary. Numerous pharmaceutical companies have been working to develop pill based treatment for asthma symptoms and it seems they have not only done it; they have made it more effective than traditional inhalers in some bases.

The research was conducted by a group of British medical researchers and after extensive study they have found that in a direct comparison the asthma pills are in fact just as effective as traditional inhalers in all cases. Even more surprising the study found that these pills are more effective in some cases.

Unfortunately the asthma pills are rarely prescribed for a variety of reasons. Researchers are encouraging doctors to begin prescribing the pills much more frequently but many analysts say public opinion likely will not change anytime soon. In the end much of the decision comes down to the patients and doctors to determine what they want to choose.

Another side benefit discovered by the researchers is that asthma pills are much less likely to induce a variety of side effects. Inhaled asthma medications can often lead to many side effects that are often just overlooked; by switching to pill based asthma medication millions of people suffering from Asthma can essentially avoid these unnecessary side effects. No word on if any follow up study is planned though many analysts are quite interested in the results.