Inhaling a lower dose of statins rather than taking them as a pill could end side-effects

Eight million people in the UK take statins every day. But could inhaling them rather than taking them in pill form prevent common side-effects? Statins, one of the most widely prescribed drugs, are taken to reduce levels of ‘bad’ LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the body. When it builds up in the blood, LDL cholesterol … Read more

Are the crippling side-effects of new cancer ‘wonder drugs’ worth the risk? 

Surviving cancer against the odds can give patients a new lease of life. But what if the very drugs that save them then leave them with another painful, incurable disease? That’s a reality cancer specialists and patients around the world are facing, as more and more people benefit from immunotherapy — groundbreaking new drugs that … Read more

Some doctors are still prescribing antibiotics that can leave patients with crippling side-effects

After being prescribed antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI), Adam Sawczuk was expecting to bounce back to health within days. He’d had stabbing pain and a dull ache in his groin for more than a week. ‘My GP decided to prescribe stronger fluoroquinolone antibiotics [called ofloxacin] after a seven-day course of a milder … Read more

CIA ‘warns its workforce of potentially dangerous side-effects’ of Malaria drug

CIA employees have been privately warned against taking an anti-malaria drug hailed by Donald Trump as a ‘game changer’ in the war on coronavirus. Sudden death is one of the suspected side effects of hydroxychloroquine, according to the intelligence agency in a memo to its workforce posted online. Despite a lack of medical evidence, the President … Read more