New BP guidelines: Forget the targets

Instead of focusing on broad targets (e.g., 120/80), each patient should be evaluated individually for CV risk. So says major new cholesterol management guidelines from the American Heart Association.

Statins are still key, but the idea is to put patients in ‘treatment categories’ depending on their risk, rather than try to get everyone to a specific blood pressure target.

JD Power rates pharmacy chains

Wegman’s tops the list.

Sing out loud, sing out strong

Singing in a group can reduce the effects of Parkinson’s.

[M]otor symptoms significantly improved, which was driven mostly by improvements in upper extremity bradykinesia, tremor, and walking. These results suggest that singing may have benefits beyond improving respiratory control and swallow in persons with PD, improving mood and motor symptoms as well as reducing physiological indicators of stress.

Fish oil, vitamin D: a whole lotta maybe

Two new studies were just released about two popular supplements. Despite the coverage in some mainstream press, the actual results were, well, nothing new.

Fish oil: This research found that it doesn’t seem to do much to protect against heart attack or cancer… but then other researchers found some notable flaws with the study — the placebo wasn’t really a placebo. (Highly concentrated doses of omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in Amarin’s prescription Vascepa, do seem to show a significant risk reduction.)

Vitamin D: A new study finds that it might help reduce cancer rates, but — because cancer can take a long time to develop — it needs more study. Previous studies have shown that Vitamin D “decreases all-cause mortality in adults and older people.”

Bottom line: Nothing has changed.

More power from ya

How about an implanted blood-glucose monitor that uses the glucose itself as a power source? Science*, baby!

Do patients dream of electric pharmacists?

Like so many other industries, there are parts of pharmacy that can be automated. The idea isn’t to put anyone out of a job, but to free humans to do what humans do best. (Hint: Patient interaction.) Prepare to meet your new electronic partners.

Cook the bird

As Thanksgiving approaches, the CDC would like to remind you to cook your turkey — not in the least because there’s a 35-state drug-resistant salmonella outbreak still going on.

Elsewhere: Cannabis-law edition

Confused about where marijuana or any of its derivative oils are legal* in the U.S., post-midterms? Quartz has you covered.

Insert platypus headline here

Are you worried about the duck-billed platypus? Of course you are, and for good reason. Apparently just eating a normal diet (bugs, mostly) means each one ingests half a human’s dose of antidepressants each day. And more.

The types of drugs detected included muscle relaxants, antihistamines, paracetamol, beta-blocking agents and small amounts of medication for Parkinson’s disease.

For some drug classes, such as antidepressants, researchers estimated that trout and platypus could be consuming as much as half the daily therapeutic dose for humans.