Reuters Health News Summary

08/25/2016 0:57

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Why it's bad to skip prescribed drugs after a heart attack

Many patients who have clogged arteries or survive a heart attack don't consistently take medications prescribed to prevent life-threatening complications, a study confirms. Taking drugs at least every four out of five days lowered the odds death, heart attack, stroke or surgery to restore blood flow, the study found. But less than half of patients took their meds that often.

Costa Rica registers first microcephaly birth linked to Zika

Costa Rica has registered its first case of a baby born with microcephaly linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the country's health ministry said on Wednesday. The health ministry described the case as "imported" in a statement, as the mother of the child is Nicaraguan and was thought to have contracted the virus in the neighboring Central American country.

Middle East, North Africa conflicts threaten two decades of health gains: research

The Arab Spring uprising and subsequent conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa have lowered life expectancy in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt, jeopardizing two decades of health gains, experts said on Wednesday. Between 2010 and 2013, Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt lost some 3 months of the average person's life expectancy, while the war in Syria has erased 6 years off average life expectancy, they said in a research published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

Regular nibbling on nuts linked to low inflammation

Eating a handful of nuts five times per week may reduce inflammation, a condition that contributes to heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic illnesses, say the authors of a recent U.S. study. This inflammation-dampening effect might be the secret to the health benefits of nuts, the study team writes in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Drug price hikes can damage company reputations: White House

The White House on Wednesday said pharmaceutical firms risked damaging their reputations with big price hikes, but it sidestepped commenting directly on Mylan NV's decision to raise the price of its severe allergy treatment drug EpiPen. "I'm obviously not going to make specific comments to specifically second guess the pricing strategy ... of one private enterprise," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing.

Getting enough omega-3 may cut risk of diabetic retinopathy

For adults with type 2 diabetes, following a Mediterranean diet including at least two servings of fatty fish per week may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy, according to an observational study from Spain. The researchers analyzed data on people participating in a larger randomized trial known as PREDIMED, which ran from 2003 to 2009 in Spain and tested a Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or nuts against a usual comparison diet for preventing heart problems over time.

Over 14,000 women took Sanofi epilepsy drug despite fetus risk: ministry

More than 14,000 pregnant women in France took Sanofi's anti-epilepsy drug Depakine between 2007 and 2014 even though the risk of fetus malformation was known, according to a study released by France on Wednesday. Health Minister Marisol Touraine said in a statement that a second part of the study, yet to be released, would focus on the impact on children whose mothers took the drug.

Florida governor complains U.S. not doing enough to fight Zika

Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Wednesday the federal government had so far not delivered all the Zika antibody tests and laboratory support he had requested as the state battles the spread of the virus. The complaint came as Zika cases mounted in some of the state's most popular tourist destinations and some residents pushed for more information.

Pfizer to buy antibiotics business from AstraZeneca

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to sell its small molecule antibiotics business to Pfizer Inc in a deal that could be valued at more than $1.5 billion. AstraZeneca, which saw off a $120 billion takeover attempt by Pfizer in 2014, said the sale would allow it to focus on developing new medicines in its main areas of cancer, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Clinton calls for lower price on allergy drug EpiPen

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called on pharmaceutical company Mylan NV to voluntarily drop the price of its severe allergy treatment drug EpiPen, which has increased in price by more than 400 percent in the past decade. "That's outrageous - and it's just the latest troubling example of a company taking advantage of its consumers," Clinton said in a statement. "It's wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them."

08/25/2016 0:57