The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication Vioxx may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack one year after patients stop taking the drug, according to a recent follow-up study by a group of researchers that includes Dartmouth Medical School professor John Baron. The original study determined that the drug was an effective anti-inflammatory agent that also reduced the risk of colon cancer, but had cardiovascular side effects. According to the follow-up study, which was recently published online by The Lancet medical journal, the drug doubled the risk of heart attack and increased the risk of death by 31 percent for one year after the trial ended. These results suggest that even for patients with no known risks of cardiac issues, the prolonged use of any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication increases the risk of heart attack. Rofecoxib, marketed as Vioxx by Merck & Co., was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999, but was recalled after a major study discovered that taking the drug for three years doubled the risk of cardiovascular side effects.
Princeton University professor Paul Krugman won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday for his theories on world trade, according to Bloomberg News. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which selects Nobel winners, said Krugman was honored for his "analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity." Krugman's research explained patterns of trade among countries, including why some goods are produced in certain areas. His work also focused on how trade came to be dominated by countries that import and export similar products. According to his research, companies sell similar goods with slight variations because consumers like variety. They pick and choose among goods from these producers in different countries, which enables countries to continue exchanging similar products. Krugman is widely known for his New York Times opinion columns, which criticize the Bush administration's foreign and domestic policies.
Research!America presented Dartmouth economics professor Douglas Staiger and visiting economics professor Amitabh Chandra with the 2008 Eugene Garfield Economic Impact of Medical and Health Research Award on Monday. Staiger and Chandra won the award for their study revealing that medical treatments that work in clinical trials do not always improve outcomes in patients, according to a Research!America press release. The study claimed that doctors' specialization in new treatments can decrease the efficient utilization of existing treatments., a discovery that may help medical experts better utilize research findings for patient care. Their study was originally published in the Journal of Political Economy. Research!America has presented the Garfield award annually since 2002.
