Discontinuing Statins Better for Terminally Ill Patients

Patients at the end of life already take a lot of drugs, so researchers questioned whether they still needed to be on preventive therapy, such as statins, for conditions they probably would never have time to develop. In a surprising result, their study found some benefits when terminally ill patients discontinued cholesterol-lowering drugs. What were those?

Azithromycin Saves Lives of Older Pneumonia Patients Despite Cardiac Risks

Recent studies have raised concerns about a link between azithromycin and increased incidence of heart attacks for older patients. The higher risk was borne out in a study of veterans hospitalized with pneumonia, but that was only part of the story. Find out how much a treatment regimen including azithromycin lowered the patients’ risk of dying.

Drug Helps Avoid Early Menopause Caused By Breast Cancer Chemotherapy

Early menopause can be a tragic side effect of chemotherapy for breast cancer in younger women. A new drug is showing success in helping patients avoid early menopause and prolong childbearing ability, however, according to a recent clinical trial. Here are the details of what the senior author called a practice-changing medication.

Some Blood Pressure Therapies Associated With Serious Eye Conditions

A population-based cohort study raises the possibility that blood pressure–lowering medications could increase the risk of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, and the authors are calling for clinical trials to see if their results are replicated. What common drugs were implicated in increasing incidence of serious eye diseases?