Irish Medical News

Probiotics: Evidence-based guidelines   The term “probiotics” was first introduced in 1965 by Lilly and Stillwell; in contrast to antibiotics, probiotics were defined as... Read more...

New global strategy for COPD   Early stage COPD carries a significant healthcare burden that is currently underrecognised, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Furthermore, patients... Read more...

Diagnosing lung cancer: Guideline update The long-awaited updated guidance on diagnosing lung cancer was released last week by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the... Read more...

Advances in treatment of chronic total occlusion Marie Feely learns of the unique advances in the Mater Private Hospital’s Heart Centre that are improving patients’ lives Read more...

An overview of atopic dermatitis Eczema, or  atopic dermatitis, is a common inflammatory disease of the skin. The condition often has its start in childhood and follows a variable... Read more...

Silver bullet treatments in lung cancer In lung cancer, even patients presenting with early, more manageable disease have a low five-year survival rate. A Scottish analysis reported that 50... Read more...

Ask the specialist: Depression Consultant psychiatrist and author Dr Conor Farren answers questions on managing depression in the community Read more...

Complications of chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes any conditions that affect the kidney with the potential to cause either progressive loss of kidney function or... Read more...

Barrett’s oesophagus: Diagnosis and management Barrett’s oesophagus is a benign condition where the normal (stratified squamous) lining of the oesophagus is replaced by abnormal cells... Read more...

NICE guidance on generalised anxiety disorder management   GPs should not offer benzodiazepines or antipsychotics to patients presenting with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), according to updated... Read more...

Men twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes   The incidence of diabetes or pre-diabetes was found to double for men compared to women, according to figures released by Vhi Healthcare to mark... Read more...

Rebif now available in Ireland to treat early MS   Merck Serono, a division of Merck, has announced that Rebif (interferon beta-1a) is now available in Ireland to treat people who have experienced... Read more...

Roche announces positive results for pertuzumab   Roche has announced results from CLEOPATRA, the first randomised phase III study of the investigational HER2-targeted medicine pertuzumab. Read more...

Pfizer extends commitment to help prevent pneumococcal disease   Pfizer has announced it has entered into a second supply agreement which will broaden and extend the duration of the company’s commitment to... Read more...

Abbott Longford manufacture one billionth diagnostic test Abbott’s Diagnostic facility in Longford has reached a major manufacturing milestone, shipping its one billionth medical diagnostic test.   Read more...

First-line treatment benefits multiple sclerosis sufferers   Bayer HealthCare announced recently that researchers have presented data from two international long-term follow-up studies in multiple sclerosis:... Read more...

Humira approved for expanded age group for polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the EU   Abbott has announced that the European Commission approved Humira (adalimumab) in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for the treatment of active... Read more...

Abbott to host meetings for World Aids Day Global healthcare company Abbott will host a series of meetings for GPs for World Aids Day on December 1st entitled ‘Let’s talk HIV! 30 years on... Read more...

Data affirms safety of Nexavar in patients with advanced RCC New data was presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress last month in Stockholm, with results from the PREDICT (patient... Read more...

Positive opinion for Avastin in treatment of ovarian cancer Roche has announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for the use of bevacizumab... Read more...