Another analgesic worry

Women looking for relief from pain (physical, not existential) have a new risk to consider: tinnitus. Looking at the records of almost 70,000 women, researchers in Boston teased out the fact that low-dose aspirin was safe, but there was an elevated tinnitus risk — we’re talking in the 20 percent range — for …

1. Younger women who took “moderate-dose aspirin” regularly, and
2. Any women who took NSAIDs or acetaminophen frequently (the more often, the greater the risk)

Why? Don’t know. Is there a causal relation? Probably. Does it make good headlines? You bet.

While we’re talking about analgesics…

Long-term regular use of acetaminophen (“paracetamol” in the Metric system) increases blood pressure — at least in people who already have hypertension. And, since you asked, by regular use the Scottish researchers mean at least 4 grams (8 extra-strength tablets) a day.

Don’t follow. Don’t get out of the way. Lead.

GPhA is looking to add to the team that will shape the future of pharmacy in Georgia. We’re now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 GPhA Board of Directors. Serving on the board is the opportunity to make a difference in — and a lasting contribution to — the pharmacy profession in Georgia.

We have two open positions:

1. One board member at large
2. One Academy of Independent Pharmacy (AIP) member

We encourage you to apply. Click here to see the details and the requirements, and drop a note to Governance Manager Lia Andros at landros@gpha.org if you have any questions.

The deadline for application is 11:59 pm EST on Saturday, March 3, 2022.

Low T in older women

For younger women, too much testosterone might be a bad thing for their hearts. A new study, though, finds that for women over 70, too little testosterone is “associated with double the risk of cardiac events.”

Testosterone can lower blood pressure (that’s not news), so Aussie researchers decided to see if the reduced levels in older women might put them at risk.

“We have shown in past studies that testosterone therapy lowers blood pressure and increases blood flow in arteries. So our hypothesis was that having higher testosterone may protect older women from cardiovascular disease, which is contrary to the conventional belief that testosterone is bad for the cardiovascular system.”

Does this mean older women should take testosterone supplements? No no no — they didn’t say that. “Further research,” they said, “is needed.”

And now for something completely different?

Thinking about starting (or moving to) a different kind of pharmacy career — something beyond retail or hospital work?

If you thought “Yes” (and especially if you said, “Wait, there are other options?”) have we got a webinar for you!

It’s Getting Hot in Here… Hot Pharmacy Jobs That is! features the incomparable Johnathan Hamrick, PharmD, and a panel of pharmacists who are currently practicing in these hot, trendy settings. They’ll explain the job requirements, responsibilities, and a typical day in their life. And, of course, take your questions.

The webinar is Thursday, February 24 from 7:30 – 9:00 am via Zoom. Click here for the details!

Oh, and check this out: It’s only $20 for GPhA members ($49 for non-members) and you get 1.5 hours of CE, too.

Hair on you, dog

There are some men who, for reasons I cannot fathom, are upset about being bald. Whatever. If you know such men, and they’re wondering which drug works best, Canadian researchers actually took the time to find out (and publish their findings in JAMA Dermatology.

Spoiler — in order of effectiveness:

1. Dutasteride (aka Avodart), 0.5 mg orally
2. Finasteride (aka Propecia), 5.0 mg orally
3. Minoxidil, 1.0 mg, 5% topical ointment
4. Minoxidil 0.25 mg orally

sGAG me with a cancer drug

Triplatin is a 30-year-old drug that never quite got FDA approval for fighting ovarian, lung, or pancreatic cancer; it just didn’t do enough. But now its time may have come: It helps fight triple negative breast cancer.

It’s all about the sugars — in this case, ones called sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) that are common in about 40 percent of triple-neg tumors. It turns out that triplatin just loves that sGAG, and binds to it enough to damage the tumor. Bad news for that 40 percent.

And the other 60 percent? An existing treatment, carboplatin, attacks tumors with low sGAG levels, meaning between the two, there are solid weapons against just about every case of triple-neg breast cancer.

A Covid-fighting synergistic weapon

Remdesivir (the injection) can fight Covid-19. So can molnupiravir (the pill). But combine either with brequniar and you’ve got a weapon that doesn’t just destroy the virus, it “super destroys” it. Really. That’s a quote from the UPenn researcher who led the study that discovered this tidbit.

Here comes the science:

Remdesivir and molnupiravir are nucleoside analogues. Brequinar can reduce the body’s nucleoside building blocks. Together they “work ‘synergistically’ to create a more potent effect against the virus.”

“We thought that using these nucleoside analogues while also reducing the levels of the host’s nucleoside building blocks might work together to super destroy the virus. It is really amazing that when you combine them, the virus is completely dead.”

The Long Read: Hospital Penalty edition

Georgia had 21 hospitals penalized by Medicare in 2022 for high rates of infections and complications. But the story, it seems, isn’t so simple because of the way the law is written. Georgia Health News explains.