Trending News Today: Olaparib Slowed Pancreatic Cancer Progression in Late-Stage Trial

Olaparib (Lynparza, AstraZeneca and Merck) slowed pancreatic cancer disease worsening in patients carrying BRCA gene mutation, according to data from a late-stage study presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on Sunday. According to the study, olaparib was evaluated against a placebo as a maintenance therapy in 154 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose tumors had not progressed after chemotherapy. Overall, the data showed that those treated with olaparib on average had a progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.4 months compared with a median PFS of 3.8 months with a placebo.

A recent study showed that individuals with bipolar disorder were more likely to develop Parkinson disease (PD) compared with those who do not have the disorder, The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the researchers evaluated a Taiwanese health database for statistics on individuals who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder between 2001 and 2009 with no history of PD. Over the course of the study, .7% of individuals with bipolar disorder developed PD, compared with 0.1% who did not have bipolar disorder, the article reported.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming blueberries may reduce the risk of any cardiovascular event, The New York Times reported. According to the article, the study included 115 overweight and obese adults aged 50 to 75 years old who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Overall, the study authors estimated that eating a cup of blueberries per day reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 13% and the risk of coronary heart disease by 11.4% to 14.5%, the article reported.