Observational studies

SSRIs used for menopausal symptoms may increase bone fracture risk

Middle-aged women who take antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat menopausal symptoms may “significantly” increase their risk of bone fracture.…

Acid-reducing drugs could increase risk of bacterial infection in children

Acid suppression medication is associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in infants and children aged up to 17 years in an outpatient setting, researchers found in a population-based study.…

Trauma to joints can increase risk of psoriatic arthritis

Patients with psoriasis who experience trauma to the joints or bones are up to 50% more likely to go on to develop psoriatic arthritis, finds new research.…

No strong evidence linking varenicline to depression or criminality

There is no strong evidence that use of varenicline leads to an increased risk of suicidal behaviours, criminal offending, transport accidents, traffic-related offences or psychoses, say researchers.…

Studies linking statins and memory loss may be flawed

Researchers suggest that detection bias may be the reason why statins have been associated with memory impairment.…

Asthma treatment failure linked to older age but not gender

Asthma patients aged 30 years and over are nearly twice as likely to experience treatment failure compared with younger sufferers.…

Proton pump inhibitors are associated with increased risk of heart attack

Data mining research shows common heartburn drugs are linked to cardiovascular events.…

Recovering heart attack patients fail to adhere to prescribed medications

Some patients who survive a heart attack fail to take the drugs they are prescribed after being discharged from hospital, a large US study has found.…

Liver transplant for paracetamol overdose is more common in Ireland and the UK than several other European countries

Ireland and the UK have higher rates of paracetamol overdose that results in acute liver failure leading to registration for transplantation compared with several other European countries.…

Painkiller use is more closely linked to homicide than antipsychotics or antidepressants

There is a closer association between use of painkillers and homicide than there is between the use of antipsychotics or antidepressants and killing someone, research shows.…