London, Apr 8 (ANI): Cholesterol-reducing tablets statins have positive benefits despite some side effects like headaches, nosebleeds and digestive problems, an extensive study has concluded. The drug has already led to a marked reduction in people suffering heart attacks. But thousands of patients give up on the pills after suffering minor side effects. Now, however, research scientists have come to the conclusion that, in most cases, users should continue to take statins, the Daily Express reports. Cardiologist Dr Dennis Ko said for people who would benefit from these drugs significantly, particularly for people with a history of heart problems, you should persist. The majority of the time, the side effects could get better, he added. The advice of Dr Ko comes after research based on the medical records of over 100,000 people, which found that stopping taking the drugs can lead to increased cardiac risks and that often the benefits of statins will outweigh mild side effects, the report said. Experts said the discovery had crucial implications because quitting statins for good increases the chance of serious heart problems in the future, it added. Statins are extremely effective at reducing cholesterol, the fatty substance, which clogs arteries, triggering heart attack … Continue reading →

In this "ribbon diagram," the HIV/AIDS drug abacavir (orange, blue and red spheres) interacts with a protein (grey) made by a particular gene that causes a hypersensitivity to the drug. The protein "shows" the body's immune system a peptide (light blue) it has never seen, causing an allergic reaction. (Phys.org) From a patient's point of view, one of the unsettling things about taking a new drug is the possibility of unwelcome side effects or worse, dangerous allergic reactions. As drugs are being developed and then enter clinical trials, these issues play a huge role in the process, increasing costs and sometimes determining whether a drug will get to market at all. One type of severe reaction is "hypersensitivity," in which the immune system over-reacts to a substance that is foreign but not infectious, producing symptoms that can be mild (such as rashes) to severe (organ failure, even death). In this study, researchers studied an antiviral drug known to cause hypersensitivity in patients who carry a particular gene. Using x-rays at Brookhaven Lab's National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), they were able to "see" how at the molecular level, the drug binds to the protein created from the gene, triggering the immune … Continue reading →