Behavioral Medicine News and Research

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Behavioral medicine (BM) is a newly developing field of study which integrates behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical concepts and practices to prevent, diagnose, and treat patients with psychosomatic disorders. The practice of BM targets the relation between how both thought and behavior can affect mental and physical health.

EBV reactivation can increase risk of heart disease

A new study could provide the link that scientists have been looking for to confirm that reactivation of a latent herpes virus is a cause of some heart problems.

23 Jan 2013

New study: Loneliness can harm overall health

New research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that being lonely has the potential to harm overall health.

20 Jan 2013

Stroke patients with PTSD less likely to adhere to treatment regimens

A new survey of stroke survivors has shown that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are less likely to adhere to treatment regimens that reduce the risk of an additional stroke. Researchers found that 65 percent of stroke survivors with PTSD failed to adhere to treatment, compared with 33 percent of those without PTSD.

18 Jan 2013

Twitter use can help achieve a healthy weight

A study by researchers at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health has found that using Twitter, the popular information network joining people throughout the world, is a valuable support system for helping people lose weight.

16 Jan 2013

Pfizer’s Quillivant XR now available in the U.S. for treatment of ADHD

Pfizer Inc. today announced that Quillivant XR (methylphenidate hydrochloride) CII for extended-release oral suspension is now available in the U.S. for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

16 Jan 2013

Study highlights the risk that female teenagers face when they go online

A new study highlights the risk that female teenagers face when they go online - a risk heightened for teen girls who have been victims of abuse or neglect.

15 Jan 2013

Marriage could reduce risk of premature death during midlife

Could marriage, and associated companionship, be one key to a longer life? According to new research, not having a permanent partner, or spouse, during midlife is linked to a higher risk of premature death during those midlife years.

11 Jan 2013

First meta-analytic review of association of perceived stress and incident CHD

Are you stressed? Results of a new meta-analysis of six studies involving nearly 120,000 people indicate that the answer to that question may help predict one's risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) or death from CHD.

17 Dec 2012

Potential diagnostic method to identify subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

For the first time, researchers have landed on a potential diagnostic method to identify at least a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complex disorder with no known definitive cause or cure.

15 Nov 2012

Study indicates that impact of early-life abuse extend well into older age

The psychological scars of childhood abuse can last well into adulthood. New research from Concordia University shows the harm can have longterm negative physical effects, as well as emotional ones.

14 Nov 2012

Positive results from Palatin’s bremelanotide Phase 2B trial on female sexual dysfunction

Palatin Technologies, Inc. today reported positive top-line results, including the successful achievement of statistical significance for the primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints in its Phase 2B clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of bremelanotide for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD).

9 Nov 2012

People's reactions to stressors determine health consequences, say Penn State researchers

Contrary to popular perception, stressors don't cause health problems -- it's people's reactions to the stressors that determine whether they will suffer health consequences, according to researchers at Penn State.

3 Nov 2012

Healthy lungs can retain age-related cognitive functions

Keeping the lungs healthy could be an important way to retain thinking functions that relate to problem-solving and processing speed in one's later years, new research suggests.

9 Oct 2012

Gender-specific group therapy effective in treating depressed women with Type 2 diabetes

Gender-specific group therapy is effective for treating depressed women with Type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the latest issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine and funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.

4 Oct 2012

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could slow key biological process linked to aging

Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological process linked to aging, new research suggests.

2 Oct 2012

Stress may play a major role in obesity epidemic and contribute to racial disparities

Could the impact of chronic stress explain why American black girls are more likely to be overweight than white girls? According to Dr. Tomiyama of the University of California, Los Angeles in the U.S., and her colleagues, higher levels of stress over 10 years predict greater increases in body weight over time in both black and white girls.

20 Sep 2012

Greater adherence to DASH diet can lead to significant reductions in blood pressure

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which promotes consumption of more fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grain, and less meats and sweets, is a proven effective treatment for hypertension. For some individuals, adherence to the diet can be just as effective in lowering blood pressure as taking antihypertensive medication.

20 Sep 2012

William LifeSkills program could reduce anger, blood pressure among school students

A 10-week program that fits easily into the high school curriculum could give students a lifetime of less anger and lower blood pressure, researchers report.

11 Sep 2012

Young women with indoor tanning habits frequently experience sunburn

Controversy remains over the risks involved with indoor tanning, especially in children and young adults. Since sunburn serves as a marker for excessive and skin-cell damaging ultraviolet (UV) exposure -- which can eventually lead to the development of skin cancer -- investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) took a closer look at a college-aged sample of females and their indoor tanning habits.

31 Jul 2012

Tumor necrosis factor may play a key role in how light at night leads to depression

Chronic exposure to dim light at night can lead to depressive symptoms in rodents -- but these negative effects can be reversed simply by returning to a standard light-dark cycle, a new study suggests.

24 Jul 2012