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Healthcare online Keeping you up-to-date
VOL.  13     ISSUE:  2  February 2015 Medical Services Department

SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

EDITORIAL

Dear Doctor:

Welcome to online bulletin 'e-SQUARE' .

Our current issue focused on some interesting features like

"Coffee & Cancer !", "Creatine & Parkinson's !", "Methamphetamine Alert !", "Preterm Delivery Risk !", "Sleep Alert !", "Vit-D Linked DM !".

In our regular feature, we have some new products information of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as well.

We will appreciate your feedback !

Click on to reply mode.

Yours sincerely,

 

Editorial Team

Reply Mode      : e-square@squaregroup.com

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editor or SQUARE PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.

 Coffee & Cancer !

Coffee Linked To Possible Lower Endometrial Cancer Risk

Ladies, a heavy coffee habit might do more than perk up. New research suggests it may also reduce risk of endometrial cancer. Using data on more than 456,000 women from two large ongoing studies, researchers evaluated the dietary habits of more than 2,800 women diagnosed with cancer of the endometrium. Compared to women who drank less than a cup a day, those who drank about four cups daily had an 18 percent lower risk of getting this cancer, they found. "We were not surprised by the results that a high versus low intake of coffee was associated with a reduced risk for endometrial cancer, because they were consistent with what has been observed in previous studies,"study leader said. "We used similar methods to investigate the association between coffee intake and endometrial cancer as previous studies," she said. "This is important so we can compare results across different studies." One trial concluded 37 ounces of coffee daily reduced endometrial cancer risk by 18 percent. The other found a similar reduction associated with 26 ounces a day. Research team evaluated 84 foods and nutrients. "For most other dietary factors, there was no consistent association with endometrial cancer risk," she said. The researchers found a link, but not a cause-and-effect relationship, between coffee drinking and lower risk of endometrial cancer. And the study did not differentiate between decaf or regular, so researchers said they can't comment on whether one is better than the other. The researchers also can't say for sure why coffee may lower the cancer risk. However, one possibility is that coffee reduces estrogen levels in the body, changing the balance of hormones, she added. If the balance between estrogen and progesterone shifts and leans more toward estrogen, the risk of endometrial cancer rises, according to the American Cancer Society. Other risk factors for endometrial cancer include being overweight and having an early start to periods (before age 12) and a late menopause. About 55,000 new cases of endometrial cancer are expected this year in the United States, the cancer society estimates, and about 10,000 women will die from it.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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 Creatine & Parkinson’s !

                                                                 Creatine Doesn't Treat Parkinson's Disease, Study Says

Creatine doesn't appear to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease, a new study finds. Creatine monohydrate is an amino acid believed to play an important role in energy production in cells, a process that may be impaired in people with Parkinson's disease. Previous research in mice suggested that creatine supplements might potentially protect nerve cells. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that causes tremors and affects movement. The new study included more than 1,700 people in the United States and Canada who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease within the previous five years. All were receiving treatment for Parkinson's disease. As part of the study, they were randomly assigned to take creatine or a placebo in addition to their usual treatment. The patients were enrolled from March 2007 to May 2010 and followed up until September 2013. The study was halted early because those taking creatine showed no differences in disease progression compared to those taking the placebo. "These findings do not support the use of creatine monohydrate in patients with Parkinson's disease," study author wrote. The study was published Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Parkinson's disease affects about 6 million people worldwide, including more than 500,000 Americans, according to the researchers.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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 Methamphetamine Alert !

                                                              Methamphetamine May Be More Harmful To Teen Brains

Long-term use of methamphetamine causes more brain damage in teens than adults, a new study finds. Researchers conducted MRI brain scans of 51 teen and 54 adult chronic methamphetamine abusers. They compared those scans to those of 60 teens and 60 adults who didn't use the drug. The study participants were all from South Korea. Compared to the adult methamphetamine users, the teen methamphetamine users had greater and more widespread changes in their brains. The damage was especially evident in the frontal cortex, an area believed to be involved in people's ability to organize, reason and remember things (cognitive ability). "It's particularly unfortunate that meth appears to damage that part of the brain, which is still developing in young people and is critical for cognitive ability," study author said. "Damage to that part of the brain is especially problematic because adolescents' ability to control risky behavior is less mature than that of adults. The findings may help explain the severe behavioral issues and relapses that are common in adolescent drug addiction," author added. "There is a critical period of brain development for specific functions, and it appears that adolescents who abuse methamphetamine are at great risk for derailing that process," study senior author said. Teens typically use smaller amounts of methamphetamine than adults, so these findings suggest that it takes much less methamphetamine to cause greater damage in teens' brains than it would in adults, according to the authors of the study. Results were published recently in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. "I think the results show it is hugely important to keep kids off drugs," study author said.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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 Preterm Delivery  Risk !

                                                 Preterm Delivery Linked To Heart Disease, Stroke Risk In Mothers

Women who have a preterm baby may face an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a preliminary study suggests. Researchers analyzed data from 10 large studies conducted in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden to examine the possible link between spontaneous preterm delivery and heart disease risk. The smallest study had more than 3,700 women. The largest study had more than 923,000, according to the researchers. Preterm delivery is a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to the researchers. Spontaneous preterm delivery occurs naturally. There are also medically induced preterm deliveries, which may be done due to health problems that threaten the mother or baby. Women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery had a 38 percent increased risk for fatal and nonfatal heart disease that involved blocked vessels. The risk of stroke -- fatal and nonfatal -- was 71 percent, according to the study. The study only revealed an association between preterm delivery and risk of heart disease and stroke. A cause-and-effect link wasn't proven. The study was published Feb. 10 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Many women who experience spontaneous preterm delivery already have heart disease risk factors, study lead investigator said. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. This means that the factors that underlie heart disease may also play a role in preterm delivery, he added. There isn't yet enough evidence to include spontaneous preterm delivery on accepted heart disease risk charts or in prevention guidelines, according to the researchers. But this finding could be used to identify women at increased risk for heart disease. The information could be used to advise them to make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of heart disease, lead investigator added.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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 Sleep Alert !

                                                                                               Long Sleep Time, Higher Stroke Risk

Adults who sleep more than eight hours a night may face a higher risk of stroke, a new analysis suggests. These so-called "long sleepers" were 46 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who got only six to eight hours of sleep a night, the researchers found. However, the researchers don't know if the long sleep is a cause, consequence or early warning sign of declining brain health. After reviewing previous research on the possible link between sleep and stroke risk, they said they only found an association that they can't explain. "Previous studies have already suggested a possible association between sleep and risk of stroke," lead researcher said. But the new analysis also looked at the relationship between a change in sleeping duration over time and how that affected stroke risk. While the possible link needs more research, lead author said the message is definitely not to cut sleep to reduce stroke risk. Adequate sleep is crucial for good health. In the study, the researchers followed nearly 9,700 people participating in a European study, tracking their sleep patterns and any incidence of stroke for nearly 10 years. The men and women, average age 62 when the study started, reported their sleep duration once between 1998 and 2000, and again four years later. They told how many hours they slept a night and how well they slept. About 70 percent said they slept six to eight hours a night. One in 10 said they slept more than eight hours. Those who slept less than six hours or more than eight were likely to be older, female and not physically active. Over the follow-up period, 346 people had strokes. Those who slept longer than eight hours had a 46 percent increased stroke risk, and those who slept less than six hours had an 18 percent higher risk. But the number in the group reporting less than six hours of sleep a night was too small to call that link statistically solid, researcher said. Those who reported being long sleepers in both of the two surveys faced double the risk of stroke when compared to those who reported average sleep times, according to the study. And people whose sleep pattern changed -- from sleeping less than six hours a night to more than eight hours a night -- had about four times the risk of stroke as those who consistently got an average amount of sleep, researcher found. Lack of sleep can lead to higher stress hormone levels, in turn raising blood pressure and stroke risk. But after lead researcher took factors such as high blood pressure into account, the relationship between long sleep and stroke risk persisted.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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 Vit-D Linked DM !

                                                               Low Levels Of Vitamin D Linked To Type 2 Diabetes Risk

People with low levels of vitamin D appear to have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, even if they aren't overweight or obese, a new study suggests. The study included almost 150 people in Spain. Their vitamin D levels were checked, as was their body mass index. They also had tests for diabetes, prediabetes or other blood sugar metabolism disorders. Obese people who didn't have diabetes or related disorders had higher vitamin D levels than those with diabetes. Lean people with diabetes or related disorders were more likely to have low vitamin D levels than those without such disorders. The results show that vitamin D levels were more closely linked to blood sugar levels than BMI, according to the study. What the study wasn't able to tease out, however, was whether or not vitamin D played a role in causing diabetes or other disorders that affect the metabolism of glucose. The study was only designed to find an association between these factors. The findings were published recently in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. "Our findings indicate that vitamin D is associated more closely with glucose metabolism than obesity," study author said. He said the study suggests that vitamin D deficiency and obesity may work together to heighten the risk of diabetes. "The average person may be able to reduce their risk by maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough outdoor activity," he said. Previous research has found that people with low vitamin D levels are more likely to be obese and to have diabetes, prediabetes and related disorders. Exposure to sunlight triggers the body to produce vitamin D, which is also found in certain foods. The researchers say more than 1 billion people worldwide have low vitamin D levels due to limited exposure to sunlight.

SOURCE: HealthDay News, February 2015

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New Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

  Product ResQ®
  Generic Name Coenzyme Q10
Strength 30 mg, 60 mg
  Dosage form Liquid Filled Hard Gelatin Capsule
Therapeutic Category Cardiac Vitamin
  Product Clopirox®  
Generic Name

Ciclopirox Olamine

Strength

1%

Dosage form Cream
Therapeutic Category Topical Antifungal
  Product Dyvon® Plus
  Generic Name Betamethasone+Calcipotriol
  Strength 0.5 mg+0.05 mg
  Dosage form Topical suspension
  Therapeutic Category Corticosteroid Combination

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