Blood pressure drugs tied to breast cancer risk: A new study suggests that women taking calcium channel blockers, a common type blood pressure medication, for a decade or more “are over twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as those not on the medication.” However researchers recommended that women taking calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine or nicardipene continue taking the medication for now. “Researchers said the findings are not definitive enough to drive changes in how so-called calcium channel blockers are prescribed, and would first have to be replicated in other groups of women.” Fortunately, “no other hypertension drugs, including diuretics and beta blockers, were tied to breast cancer
FDA warns of serious rash risk with acetaminophen pills: “Tylenol and other painkillers containing the ingredient acetaminophen can cause potentially deadly rashes and blistering of the skin, U.S. health regulators warned on Thursday.” The FDA will now require companies selling prescription acetaminophen to add a warning to prescribing information. “Two of the skin conditions, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, can be fatal. They typically begin with flu-like symptoms, followed by rash, blistering, and the detachment of the upper surface of the skin.” The FDA reported that while it did not know how frequently these reactions occurred from acetaminophen use, they were likely rare
