e-SQUARE, January 2016




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SQUARE

Healthcare online	Keeping you up-to-date
*VOL. 14 ISSUE: 1 January 2016*	Medical Services Department **SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.**

Features

Antibiotic Alert !

Gene Mutations !

Kids Obesity Alert !

New IBS Drug !

Potato Risk !

Uric Acid & Parkinson's !

New Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

EDITORIAL TEAM

OMAR AKRAMUR RAB

MBBS, FCGP, FIAGP,

P G Dip. Business Management

MAHFUZUR RAHMAN

MBBS, MBA

EDITORIAL

Dear Doctor,

Happy New Year 2016 !

Welcome to our online healthcare bulletin e- SQUARE.

In this issue, we focused on some interesting features like -
"Antibiotic Alert !", "Gene Mutations !", "Kids Obesity Alert !", "New IBS Drug !", "Potato Risk !", "Uric Acid & Parkinson's !".

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

Please send your feedback ! We always value your comments !

On behalf of the management of SQUARE, we wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous life.

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.

Antibiotic Alert !
No Antibiotics for Common Respiratory Infections: Experts
Antibiotics are not needed for adults who have the common cold, bronchitis, sore throat or sinus infections. That's the advice from the American College of Physicians and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which just issued guidelines for prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in adults. These types of infections are the most common reason for visits to the doctor and for outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for adults, the researchers said. The advice, published Jan. 18 in Annals of Internal Medicine, is designed to combat what the two organizations see as overuse of such treatments. "Inappropriate use of antibiotics for ARTIs is an important factor contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, which is a public health threat," ACP President said in the news release. "Reducing overuse of antibiotics for ARTIs in adults is a clinical priority and a High Value Care way to improve quality of care, lower health care costs, and slow and/or prevent the continued rise in antibiotic resistance," he added. According to the guidelines: • Doctors should advise patients with the common cold that symptoms can last up to two weeks and they should follow up only if the symptoms worsen or exceed the expected time of recovery. • Antibiotics should also not be prescribed for uncomplicated bronchitis unless pneumonia is suspected: "Patients may benefit from symptomatic relief with cough suppressants, expectorants, antihistamines, decongestants and beta-agonists." • In most cases, antibiotics should be prescribed for a sore throat only if a strep test confirms streptococcal pharyngitis. "Physicians should recommend analgesic therapy such as aspirin, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and throat lozenges, which can help reduce pain." • Uncomplicated sinus infections typically clear up without antibiotics. Antibiotics should be prescribed only if there are persistent symptoms for more than 10 days, or if a patient develops severe symptoms or a high fever, has nasal discharge or facial pain for at least three days in a row, or "worsening symptoms following a typical viral illness that lasted five days, which was initially improving."
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

Gene Mutations !
Gene Mutations Linked to Rare Form of Female Infertility
For a small number of women with infertility, mutations in a particular gene may be to blame, a new study finds. The results, reported in the Jan. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, apply to a rare form of female infertility. But experts said the findings could potentially allow those women to avoid fertility treatment that will not work for them. Researchers in China found that mutations in a gene known as TUBB8 were the culprit in seven of 24 families where women could not get pregnant for a specific reason: Their eggs could not mature to the stage where they are ready to be fertilized by sperm. Exactly how many women have this condition isn't known, researcher said. In China, he said, it's estimated to affect up to 0.1 percent of women who seek treatment for infertility -- based on a study from one medical center. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6 percent of married women younger than 45 are unable to get pregnant after a year of trying. The causes of female infertility can include problems with ovulation or abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes. Sometimes, there is no known explanation. For the new study, research team looked at 24 families in which women had sought infertility treatment. All were found to have eggs that stopped maturing at a critical point called meiosis I. According to the experimental data, in seven of the 24 families, affected women carried mutations in the TUBB8 gene, which regulates a protein that appears essential for normal egg development. Researcher said the mutations were inherited from the father in five of the families, and arose spontaneously in the other two. Once they identified the gene, the researchers used experiments with egg cells -- from mice and humans -- to prove that the TUBB8 mutations do halt egg maturation. "The practical implication of our discovery is that it will now be possible to screen women who seek infertility treatment using a simple DNA-based test," he added. If they carry any of the implicated TUBB8 mutations, he said, "they can spare themselves the expense and discomfort associated with an in vitro fertilization procedure that has little or no chance of success."
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

Kids Obesity Alert !
Excess Weight Linked to Blood Clot Risk in Kids
Obese children and teens may have an increased risk for blood clots in their veins, called venous thromboembolism (VTE), a new study suggests. "This is important because the incidence of pediatric VTE has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, and childhood obesity remains highly prevalent in the United States," lead study author said. While the study found a connection between obesity in youngsters and blood clots, the research wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. "Our study presents data from a single institution with a relatively small sample size," Halvorson pointed out. "But it does demonstrate an association between obesity and VTE in children, which should be explored further in larger future studies," she added. Obesity is a known risk factor for blood clots in adults, but previous research in youngsters has produced mixed findings. Untreated, blood clots can cause both immediate and long-term health problems. In the current study, researchers reviewed the medical charts of 88 children. The kids were between the ages of 2 and 18. All had been diagnosed with blood clots in their veins between 2000 and 2012. More than 37 percent of the patients were obese, the study authors found. Most of the children also had other known risk factors for blood clots, the researchers said. After adjusting for other risk factors, such as bloodstream infection and time spent in an intensive care unit, the investigators still found a small but statistically significant association between obesity and blood clots in children and teens. The study was published in the January issue of the journal Hospital Pediatrics.
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

New IBS Drug !
New IBS Drug Eases Stomach Pain and Diarrhea for Some: Study
A new drug for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea seems to reduce symptoms for some patients for at least six months, two clinical trials found. Based on these findings, the drug eluxadoline was approved recently by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the phase 3 trials, more than 30 percent of patients experienced improvement in their symptoms at least half of the time they were taking the drug. This compared to about a 20 percent improvement in those taking a placebo, the study authors said. "This drug offers another option for patients who have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) with diarrhea who have not found relief with currently available treatment," lead researcher said. This drug, taken twice daily, should only be used for IBS with diarrhea as the predominant symptom, not for those whose main symptom is constipation. The drug treats the diarrhea and reduces stomach pain, researcher said. Results from the trials were published in the Jan. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. For the new study, researchers randomly assigned nearly 2,500 adults with IBS with diarrhea to one of two doses of eluxadoline or a placebo. In one trial, patients took eluxadoline twice a day for 26 weeks, and in the other trial they took the drug for 52 weeks. The researchers found that by the 12th week of the trials, almost 30 percent of patients taking the highest dose of the drug (100 milligrams twice daily) saw improvement in their symptoms, compared with less than 20 percent of those taking the placebo. These results remained similar when assessed again at 26 weeks, the researchers said. The most common side effects of eluxadoline were nausea, constipation and abdominal pain, the study found. These side effects were mild and passed quickly, researcher added. The most serious side effect of eluxadoline was pancreatitis, the study found. Although rare, pancreatitis can develop in people with pancreatic problems, and therefore eluxadoline isn't recommended for anyone with known pancreatic problems, lead researcher said.
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

Potato Risk !
Pre-Pregnancy Potato Consumption Linked to Gestational Diabetes
Women who eat lots of potatoes before pregnancy appear more likely to develop gestational diabetes, a new study suggests. A woman's risk of gestational diabetes seemed to increase by 27 percent if she regularly consumed between two and four cups of potatoes a week before pregnancy. Five or more cups a week appeared to increase risk by 50 percent, even after researchers accounted for pre-pregnancy obesity and other potential risk factors, the study found. "The more women consumed potatoes, the greater risk they had for gestational diabetes," senior study author said. However, it's important to note that this study only showed an association between potato consumption and the risk of gestational diabetes -- a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The study wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect. Findings from the study were released online Jan. 12 in the BMJ. Potatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Unfortunately, potatoes also contain a significant amount of simple carbohydrates, which are easily broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream, she said. Elevated blood sugar levels can promote insulin resistance and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, she added. Many women also eat potatoes prepared as French fries, and the oils used for frying can increase insulin resistance when consumed, she added. To investigate the effect of potato consumption on pregnancy, senior author and her colleagues gathered data from nearly 16,000 women participating in a national health study of female nurses. During a 10-year follow-up, the research team found almost 900 cases of gestational diabetes that occurred during almost 22,000 single-birth pregnancies. Checking food questionnaires filed every other year by the nurses, the investigators found an association between eating potatoes and the risk for gestational diabetes. The researchers also estimated that women could lower their risk of gestational diabetes by 9 to 12 percent if they substituted two servings of potatoes every week with other vegetables or whole grains. "Women planning for pregnancy should reduce their consumption of potatoes," senior study author said. "What moms eat can potentially affect the health of their babies."
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

Uric Acid & Parkinson’s !
High Uric-Acid Levels, Lower Risk of Parkinson's
Men with high levels of uric acid in their blood may be less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests. Researchers compared about 400 people in ongoing studies who developed Parkinson's disease and more than 1,200 people in the same studies who did not develop the movement disorder. Men with the highest levels of uric acid were nearly 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those with the lowest levels, according to the study published online Jan. 13 in the journal Neurology. "These results suggest that urate could protect against Parkinson's or slow the progression of the disease in its very early stages before symptoms are seen," study author said. "The findings support more research on whether raising the level of urate in people with early Parkinson's may slow the disease down," researcher added. Among men who developed the disease, 45 had the highest level of urate and 58 had the lowest level. Among men without the disease, 111 had the highest level of urate and 107 had the lowest level, according to the report. There was no association between urate levels and Parkinson's disease risk in women, the study found. Urate is formed when chemicals called purines -- found in food -- are broken down in the body. Previous research has suggested that urate may help protect brain cells. It's easy and inexpensive to boost people's urate levels, but it must be done with care because extremely high levels can cause kidney stones and gout, study author said. He explained that the study does not prove that high levels of urate protect against Parkinson's disease, only that such levels are associated with a lower risk. Further research is needed to learn more about this association and why high levels of urate are not associated with lower risk of Parkinson's disease in women, researcher added.
SOURCE: HealthDay News, January 2016	Return to top

Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

	Product	Solodex^®
	Generic Name	Sodium Chloride+Dextrose
	Strength	0.9%+5%
	Dosage form	IV Infusion
	Therapeutic Category	Electrolyte
	Product	Uriset^®
	Generic Name	Potassium Citrate + Citric Acid Monohydrate
	Strength	(1500 mg+250 mg)/5ml
	Dosage form	Oral Solution
	Therapeutic Category	Urinary Alkalinizer
	Product	Calborate^®
	Generic Name	Calcium Orotate
	Strength	400 mg
	Dosage form	Tablet
	Therapeutic Category	Calcium Supplement

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