New Migraine Drug Might Help When Other Meds Don't

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 -- A new migraine drug might offer an alternative to people who do not get relief from current medications, a new trial suggests.

The drug, called rimegepant, hasn't yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But it belongs to a new class of drugs that has come to the market within the past year -- known as CGRP inhibitors.

Widely Prescribed Class of Meds Might Raise Dementia Risk

MONDAY, June 24, 2019 -- Doctors often prescribe anticholinergic drugs for a variety of ills. But a new study suggests they may increase the risk of dementia in older patients.

These medicines include everything from Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to certain antipsychotics and Parkinson's meds. They're used to treat a wide range of other conditions, including depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, overactive bladder, allergies, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Could Heavier Folks Be at Lower Risk for ALS?

WEDNESDAY, June 26, 2019 -- It's not often that anything good is associated with obesity. Yet heavy folks and those who bulk up as they age may have less risk for the deadly disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study finds.

The Norwegian study found that over several decades, people who packed on the most weight had a 37% lower risk of ALS compared to those who maintained their figure or got thinner.

Sudden Death Can Occur Even in Well-Controlled Epilepsy

WEDNESDAY, June 19, 2019 -- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is rare and thought to mainly affect people with hard-to-treat seizures, but a new study suggests that even people with well-controlled epilepsy may be at risk.

That was especially true if someone had missed their last dose of medication or was sleep-deprived, the researchers found. Drinking too much alcohol was also implicated in some of the sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) cases they studied.

Do You Have the 'Fainting Gene'?

TUESDAY, May 28, 2019 -- Some folks are more prone to fainting than others, and the reason might lie in their DNA.

Danish researchers who analyzed millions of gene variants in DNA of 400,000 people have zeroed in on a gene that increases a person's risk for fainting.

FDA Approves First Drug to Help Tame Cluster Headaches

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2019 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday gave the nod to Emgality, an injected medication that's the first to cut the frequency of cluster headaches.

Episodic cluster headaches are "an extremely painful and often debilitating condition," the FDA's Dr. Eric Bastings noted in an agency news release. He's deputy director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.