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Heavy alcohol use associated with longer postoperative hospital stays

According to the results of a new study published in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, patients who score highest on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) experience longer postoperative hospital stays and more days in the intensive care unit (ICU); they are also more likely to return to the operating room (OR) within 30 days of a surgical procedure than patients with low AUDIT-C scores.

14 Mar 2012

MRI perfusion imaging can help determine brain tumor progression

Gliomas, the most common malignant brain tumors in adults, can be difficult to treat because of their aggressive and invasive nature. In treating patients with gliomas, it is increasingly important that doctors be able to detect tumor changes early when there's a better chance for recovery.

14 Mar 2012

FDA panel favors continued research on novel pain medicine

A panel of experts for the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) this Monday recommended that the federal government should allow continued testing of an experimental class of pain drugs for arthritis, despite links to bone decay and joint failure.

13 Mar 2012

Binge drinking linked to brain damage in teens and young adults

Every year, thousands of teens and young adults celebrate Spring Break by drinking large amounts of alcohol — binge drinking — a dangerous right-of-passage for some and one linked to possible brain damage later as adults, says an expert.

13 Mar 2012

LSD for alcohol addiction: Study

Hallucinogenic drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) could help alcoholics give up drinking, according to an analysis of studies performed in the 1960s. A study, presented in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, looked at data from six trials and more than 500 patients. It said there was a “significant beneficial effect” on alcohol abuse, which lasted several months after the drug was taken.

12 Mar 2012

Tobacco use among the youth should stop: Surgeon General’s Report

Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin has declared a war against tobacco, this time aiming to stop young people from starting to smoke, with the aim to have the next generation tobacco free. More than three million high school students are smokers, and smoking is now being called a pediatric epidemic the report said.

11 Mar 2012

Potentially dangerous repercussions if proposed changes take effect

All over the globe, the mental health community is buzzing about the upcoming publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), to be released in May 2013. GoodTherapy.org, a leading mental health directory dedicated to advocating healthy therapy practices, has announced its support of the American Psychological Association's Division 32 committee on DSM-5 reform, citing potentially dangerous repercussions if the proposed changes take effect.

10 Mar 2012

Surgeon General finds much work needed to stop teen smoking

The federal report documents an "epidemic" of tobacco use among teens, which it says can stunt lung growth and accelerate development of health problems.

9 Mar 2012

Surgeon General's report focuses on youth tobacco use

The fight against youth tobacco use was accelerated today by Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, with the release of the Surgeon General's Report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults.

9 Mar 2012

Single dose of LSD shows promise against alcoholism

Forty years ago, LSD was used in the treatment of alcoholics - with good results. Perhaps it's time to look at it again? In the 1950s, '60s and '70s, researchers in many places in the world experimented with LSD in the treatment of various disorders, including alcoholism. Not all experiments were scientifically tenable by today's standards, but some were.

9 Mar 2012

Maternal obesity may contribute to cognitive impairment in extremely premature babies

Maternal obesity may contribute to cognitive impairment in extremely premature babies, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

9 Mar 2012

Study investigates knowledge about khat among medical students in Yemen

A new study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers shows that a majority of medical students in Yemen believe that chewing the plant khat is harmful to one's health but they would not advise their patients to quit.

8 Mar 2012

Appendix cancer different from colon cancer

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have demonstrated that cancer of the appendix is different than colon cancer, a distinction that could lead to more effective treatments for both diseases.

8 Mar 2012

Smoking and lung cancer notice turns fifty but 20% Britons still smoke: Report

According to health experts, it has been five decades after doctors issued their first warning about the dangers of cigarettes. Still more than 20 percent of Britons still smoke - and unless they quit, half of them will die from the habit. Smoking has killed more than six million people in Britain since 1962, when the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) published a landmark report about the health risks of tobacco.

7 Mar 2012

Shire to commence two Vyvanse and Concerta Phase 4 comparison trials for ADHD

As part of its continued commitment to ADHD research, Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced it is initiating two Phase 4 clinical trials to compare Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) Capsules, (CII) to Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) Extended-Release Tablets.

7 Mar 2012

People with schizophrenia benefit from new evidence-based clinical program

People with schizophrenia report improved functioning after participating in a new, evidence-based clinical program, according to results announced today from a six-month pilot.

7 Mar 2012

Study: Weekend smoking linked with memory damage

People who smoke only at weekends cause as much damage to their memory as those who smoke on a daily basis, according to research from Northumbria University.

6 Mar 2012

Leading AIDS experts issue new HIV guidelines

Leading AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and other institutions around the world have issued new guidelines to promote entry into and retention in HIV care, as well as adherence to HIV treatment, drawn from the results of 325 studies conducted with tens of thousands of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

6 Mar 2012

Tips to assess when gambling could be leading to process addiction

Whether it's a March Madness office betting pool or sitting in the sports books in Las Vegas placing bets on the Masters Golf Tournament and opening week of Major League Baseball, the coming months are fraught with sporting events which lure millions of gamblers to place their bets.

5 Mar 2012

Abstinence therapy safer, preferable for opioid-addicted HCPs

Many health care professionals (HCPs) have easy access to controlled medications and the diversion and abuse of drugs among this group may be as high as 10%. Controversy surrounds the safety of allowing addicted HCPs to return to clinical practice while undergoing medical treatment with opioid substitution therapy such as buprenorphine.

3 Mar 2012