A novel contraceptive patch without the unpleasant side effects of traditional contraceptive pills, such as mood swings, weight gain, and cancer risk, is currently being developed by a team of U.S scientists working at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

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Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is one of the most serious adverse effects of oral radiation therapy, but its etiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis has been hazy. Now, in a recent study, Goldwaser BR and colleagues at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, published in the upcoming issue of Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, have assessed the various risk factors associated with osteoradionecrosis.

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In two independent studies conducted at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) and the McGill University, Montreal, Canada, researchers have demonstrated that moderate doses of Cannabis helps in reducing neuropathic pain and also acts as an antidepressant.

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Influenza is a significant contributor to the morbidity and mortality in the elderly population, and over 44,000 deaths are attributed to the disease each year. Administration of annual influenza vaccines to the elderly has been a public health strategy since several years. Surprisingly, the rate of winter hospitalizations and deaths went up as the rates of vaccination increased in the US (Simonsen et al; Archives of Internal Medicine, 2005), which cast a shadow of doubt on the efficacy of the influenza vaccine. Now, a team led by Kristin L Nichol from the Medicine Service and Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, (The New England Journal of Medicine, October 2007), based on the results of a large 10-year long trial, have reiterated the importance and benefits of the influenza vaccine in the elderly.

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Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and an important cause of mortality and morbidity in women. Infection with oncogenic HPV strains is known to precede cytological changes that culminate in cervical cancer. The Papanicolaou test (Pap Smear) is a commonly used screening test which has helped in reducing the incidence of invasive cervical cancer. However, the sensitivity of the smear test mandates repeated testing. In a recent study, published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists have shown that testing for the HPV-DNA is superior to Pap smear for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

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A recent phase 1 trial, funded by ZymoGenetics Inc, using Interleukin-21 and Sorafenib (Nexavar® | Onyx – Bayer) combination therapy has demonstrated promising results in the treatment of renal cell cancer. In this study, the combination of IL-21 with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Sorafenib, showed superior antitumor activity and safety.

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Bell’s palsy is an idiopathic unilateral facial nerve paralysis that affects 11-40 per 100000 individuals every year. Although the treatment of this condition remains controversial, acyclovir and oral steroids are commonly used despite lack of definitive data regarding their benefit. In the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Frank Sullivan from the Scottish School of Primary Care, Dundee, UK, and colleagues have published their study results which indicate that early treatment with prednisolone significantly improves the chances of complete recovery in Bell’s Palsy.

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Medications that show 24-hour efficacy in the treatment of hypertension not only improve compliance, but they also minimize blood pressure variability and provide consistent BP control. International guidelines recommend such once-daily medications for the treatment of hypertension. In a recent issue of Hypertension, Hermida and colleagues have shown that telmisartan (Micardis | Boehringer Ingelheim) administered at bedtime, as opposed to morning doses, offers better nocturnal BP regulation without any loss in the 24-hour efficacy.

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SonoSite has launched a new ultrasound device from its S series stable, specifically for use in the Intensive Care Units, called the S-ICUâ„¢. Specially designed for the critical-care physicians, the S-ICUâ„¢ was showcased at the American College of Chest Physicians annual conference at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, from October 22-25, 2007.

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Antihypertensive medications play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke. The protective effect is primarily attributed to their effect of lowering the systolic blood pressure. Several trials have compared the efficacy of the available antihypertensive drugs in the prevention of cardiovascular events. Recently, a team of researchers from the Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, led by Ji-Guang Wang, have reported (Hypertension; October, 2007) that amlodipine provides superior protection against stroke, when compared to diuretics, ß-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

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