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Over-the-counter (OTC) medications Archive

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Read More about Nicotine addiction explained — and how medications can help
Nicotine addiction explained — and how medications can help

Nicotine addiction explained — and how medications can help

Addiction is now understood to be a neurological disorder that results from changes to the brain's reward center caused by addictive substances. Ideally, treatment for nicotine addiction combines medication to suppress cravings with counseling to help patients reprogram their behavior.

Read More about A new Alzheimer's drug has been approved. But should you take it?
A new Alzheimer's drug has been approved. But should you take it?

A new Alzheimer's drug has been approved. But should you take it?
The FDA has granted accelerated approval to the first new drug in nearly two decades for Alzheimer's disease. But there are potential side effects, and results of studies of this drug have been mixed. It is not yet known whether the drug truly works, or how effective it will be, so the approval is contingent on the drug's maker conducting further studies over the next several years.
Read More about Ask the doctor: Which antidepressants have anticholinergic effects?
Ask the doctor: Which antidepressants have anticholinergic effects?

Ask the doctor: Which antidepressants have anticholinergic effects?

An article in your April issue, ?Common drugs linked to dementia,? states that anticholinergics are used to treat depression. I wasn?t aware of this. Which types of anticholinergics are used for depression?

Read More about A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer improves survival in phase 3 clinical trial
A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer improves survival in phase 3 clinical trial

A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer improves survival in phase 3 clinical trial
Radiation therapy is getting more precise, making it easier to kill tumors while sparing their surrounding tissues. Some newer therapies deliver radiation particles directly to the cancer cell itself. One of these new therapies is now generating promising data for men with the most aggressive prostate cancer.
Read More about Steps to treating an enlarged prostate
Steps to treating an enlarged prostate

Steps to treating an enlarged prostate
As men age, they often experience a new kind of growth spurt, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate gland. The first line of treatment is lifestyle changes to help manage symptoms. These include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding medications like antihistamines and decongestants, adopting a healthy diet, and limiting caffeine. If these are not helpful, then medication is prescribed. However, men who don’t respond to medication or have trouble taking it, can benefit from several types of minimally invasive surgeries.
Read More about Chronic inflammation and your joints
Chronic inflammation and your joints

Chronic inflammation and your joints
The immune system sometimes launches a chronic inflammatory response in certain joints. That leads to pain, stiffness, and joint damage known as inflammatory arthritis. It’s usually unknown what triggers the conditions. Types of inflammatory arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and psoriatic arthritis. Treatments include medications, such as biologic or nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and lifestyle habits, such as exercising, avoiding processed foods, reducing stress, not smoking, and getting enough sleep. Wearing a splint or brace on affected joints and seeking physical therapy may also help ease pain.
Read More about Autoimmune conditions and heart disease
Autoimmune conditions and heart disease

Autoimmune conditions and heart disease
People with systemic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis are more likely to have heart attacks and to die of cardiovascular disease than people in the general public. The 2019 expert guidelines for preventing heart disease says these conditions should be considered "risk enhancers" when estimating heart attack risk. But this added risk may be underrecognized and undertreated.
Read More about A new way to take aspirin: Liquid-filled capsules
A new way to take aspirin: Liquid-filled capsules

A new way to take aspirin: Liquid-filled capsules
The FDA approved the first liquid-filled aspirin capsule, Vazalore, which will be marketed in standard and low-dose versions.
Read More about COVID-19 and cardiovascular concerns: An evolving story
COVID-19 and cardiovascular concerns: An evolving story

COVID-19 and cardiovascular concerns: An evolving story
Physicians’ understanding of how a COVID-19 infection affects the heart is still evolving. More definitive answers require long-term, randomized clinical trials that control for different factors (including varied medical histories and medication use) to study how COVID-19—and possible therapies—affect people who have or are at risk for heart disease. Like other infectious organisms, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can increase the risk of blood clots and may damage the heart, but the danger is less common than initial reports suggested.
Read More about Advice about daily aspirin
Advice about daily aspirin

Advice about daily aspirin
The heart-protecting benefits of a daily low-dose aspirin have to be weighed against the risk of bleeding, a common side effect that is usually minor but sometimes serious. The calculation depends on age and whether a person has cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or a condition that raises risk of bleeding.
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