Cancer Drugs Could Damage Heart

Powerful medicines that enlist the immune system to fight cancer can, in rare cases, cause damage to the heart, according to some doctors. So far, less than 1% of patients taking these medicines – called checkpoint inhibitors 0- have developed heart trouble. But in those who do, the damage can be severe, and the drugs have led to several deaths by provoking the immune system to attack the heart. The risk appears highest when patients take two different checkpoint inhibitors at once. This is new complication of potentially lifesaving drugs. Four checkpoint inhibitors are in the market: ipilimumab (brand name Yervou), nivolumab (Opdivo), pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and zolizumab (Tecentriq). The side effects have prompted hospitals to add extra cardiac testing for patients taking more than one drug.

Psychiatric Drugs Prevent Return To Crime

Giving psychiatric drugs to ex-prisoners can lead to a huge reduction in reoffending, according to a new study in Sweden. The treatment can help make those given to violence more pacified and allow people to adjust easily to life outside of confinement. The research looked at prisoners from across Sweden who were released between 2005 and 2010, and watched their progress until the end of 2013. The study looked at 22,275 former inmates and sound that 4,031 of them committed violent offences during the period. Treatment with antipsychotic drugs saw a 42% fall in the rate of violent reoffending. Treatment with psychostimulants led to a 36% drop and drugs used to help with addictive disorders cut to assaults by more than half.