There has been yet more suggestion that even commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Nurofen) and diclofenac (Difene) are dangerous for heart failure patients.

A study has shown that patients suffering from heart-failure are four times more likely to develop cognitive impairment than those who are not heart failure patients.

Dr Mary Sauvé, from the University of California Davis Medical Centre, led the research which compared 50 heart failure patients to 50 community controls. Age, gender and intelligence were taken into consideration when comparing patients.

Image 1: Bonjela and Teejel.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK has issued new advice regarding the use of oral pain relief gels containing salicylate salts, such as Bonjela and Teejel. Since April 2009 MHRA no longer recommends the use of such products in children under 16 years of age.

This is in line with its policy on aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) use, which has been associated with a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. In most Reye’s syndrome cases children had a previous viral infection, such as influenza (flu) or chickenpox in addition to being exposed to Aspirin. Reye's syndrome is characterized by acute encephalopathy and fatty liver.

Image 1: A Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica).

For anybody taking fish oil supplements, this is a must read article, as the latest research is suggesting that krill oil has a number of benefits over fish oil.

Krill oil is made from shrimp-like small crustaceans, which are an important part of zooplankton, inhabiting cold Antarctic and North Pacific oceans.

It becomes more difficult to use erectile dysfunction (ED) as an indicator of cardiovascular (CV) disease as age increases, according to a report in the February 2009 issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Analysis has shown that the prognostic value of ED for risk of cardiovascular disease is much higher for men who have suffered erectile dysfunction in their 40s, but significantly lower for men who experience erectile dysfunction in their 70s.

Latest evidence suggests that internal fat, although invisible to the naked eye, is potently more harmful than external fat.

"Being thin doesn't automatically mean you're not fat," says Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London. Thin people can actually be fat at the same time, having a lot of internal fat stored around vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas, possibly contributing to heart disease or diabetes.

A study published in the May 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry once again confirmed that breastfeeding has many advantages over bottle-feeding for infants, including a boost in IQ.

Image 1: alli 84s.

Next week will see the biggest European consumer healthcare launch of 2009. On Tuesday 21^st of April alli, the new weight loss drug, will be launched in the EU markets. As a lower dose version of the prescription only medicine Xenical, alli contains the same active ingredient orlistat, but at 60 mg it’s only half of its strength. alli will be made available from pharmacies for overweight adults (18 years and over) with a BMI of at least 28.

The results of the first successful U.K. study into oral tolerance involving severe peanut allergies have been announced by the Department of Allergy, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

In a small study led by Dr. Andrew T. Clark, peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) was investigated as to whether it could induce clinical tolerance to peanut protein in four peanut allergic children.

Immunotherapy is a treatment strategy that aims to desensitise the immune system by gradually increasing dose of the substance to which a person is allergic to.

Following a move in March 2008 to restrict the sales of certain cough and cold medicines for children under the age of two, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have now introduced further restrictions up to the age of six. These changes highlight the unproven benefits and certain risks associated with improper use of some of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. The changes are only effective in the UK.