Heparin promotes food intake and body weight gain in animal models

In continuation of my update on Heparin............................................

Heparin is a medication widely used to prevent blood clotting; it is named after and mimics the naturally occurring anticoagulant in the body. However, research published today in Cell Reports shows a novel role of heparin as a promoter of food intake and body weight increase in animal models. These results suggest that heparin could be a potential target for drugs regulating appetite and weight control.

"In addition to its role as an anticoagulant, heparin, which is normally produced by the body, has been known to affect other biological functions. In this study, we are among the first groups to investigate heparin's potential role in regulating the body's energy balance," said co-corresponding author Dr. Yong Xu, associate professor of pediatrics, and of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dabigatran, New Blood Thinner Linked To Higher Heart Attack Risk

In continuation of my update on Dabigatran...

Researchers lead by Dr.Ken Uchino from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio looked at seven trials involving Pradaxa (Dabigatran) that included more than 30,000 patients. This process, called a meta-analysis, uses data from published clinical trials to tease out a pattern that might not show up in a single study. Researchers found Pradaxa was associated with an increased risk of heart attack or acute coronary syndrome (heart attack or angina), compared with two other commonly used blood thinners, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and enoxaparin (Lovenox).

As per the claim by the researchers,  those taking Pradaxa, 1.19 percent had a heart attack or suffered from acute coronary syndrome compared with 0.79 percent of those taking either of the other drugs, they noted. Although there was a 33 percent increase in relative risk for a heart attack among those taking Pradaxa, the absolute increased risk -- that is, the added risk for any one individual of having a heart attack if on Pradaxa -- was 0.27 percent, researchers said.

Pradaxa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2010 for people with a common heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation. People with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk for stroke and are often prescribed medication to prevent clotting....

Ref : http://my.clevelandclinic.org/cerebrovascular_center/medical_professionals/clinical_trials.aspx

In continuation of my updates on Rivaroxaban...

FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development Regarding New Drug Application for Tapentadol Extended Release....