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High praise: Pot churches proliferate as states ease access to marijuana

Services at the Coachella Valley Church begin and end with the Lord's Prayer. In between, there is the sacrament. "Breathe deep and blow harder," intoned Pastor Grant Atwell after distributing small marijuana joints to 20 worshipers on a recent Sunday afternoon. "Nail the insight down, whether you get it from marijuana or prayer. Consider what in your own life you are thankful for."

4 Jan 2018

Testing blood for caffeine levels may aid diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

Testing the level of caffeine in the blood may provide a simple way to aid the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the January 3, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Jan 2018

Pharmacists slow to dispense lifesaving overdose drug

Gale Dunham, a pharmacist in Calistoga, Calif., knows the devastation the opioid epidemic has wrought, and she is glad the anti-overdose drug naloxone is becoming more accessible.

3 Jan 2018

Terrifying brush with death drives doctor to fight for patients

The searing abdominal pain came on suddenly while Dr. Rana Awdish was having dinner with a friend. Soon she was lying in the back seat of the car racing to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where Awdish was completing a fellowship in critical care.

2 Jan 2018

Researchers propose different approach to beat antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Got a sore throat? The doctor may write a quick prescription for penicillin or amoxicillin, and with the stroke of a pen help diminish public health and your own future health by helping bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics.

30 Dec 2017

Quitting smoking found to be one of the toughest New Year's resolutions

Most New Year's resolutions fail. A study, from the United Kingdom's Royal Society of Public Health, found that that "quitting smoking is the most difficult resolution to keep.

30 Dec 2017

Study: Higher dose of anti-seizure drug during pregnancy may increase baby's risk of cleft lip, palate

Taking a higher dose of topiramate during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a baby's risk of cleft lip or cleft palate more than when taking a lower dose, according to a study published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Dec 2017

New AAN guideline: Exercising twice a week may improve memory in people with MCI

Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Dec 2017

Regular skiing and running at low altitudes can delay aging

Most biologists and medical professionals would agree that skiing and running can delay aging. This is essentially because of the direct positive impact on the body due to good exercise and physical fitness.

27 Dec 2017

Researchers design electronic nose to sniff out colon diseases

In much the same way as dogs can be trained to detect some diseases through their keen sense of smell, technology can help create electronic devices capable of performing this same task.

27 Dec 2017

Probiotics may offer protection against depression linked to unhealthy lifestyle

New research suggests that the micro-organisms known as probiotics, which are normally providing health benefits in the intestines, also have an affect on the brain, or as an actual study at Aarhus University has shown; protect against depression.

22 Dec 2017

Daily serving of green, leafy vegetables may be linked to slower brain aging

Eating about one serving per day of green, leafy vegetables may be linked to a slower rate of brain aging, according to a study published in the December 20, 2017, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Dec 2017

Unregulated herpes experiments expose ‘black hole’ of accountability

Recent revelations that a U.S. researcher injected Americans with his experimental herpes vaccine without routine safety oversight raised an uproar among scientists and ethicists.

21 Dec 2017

High out-of-pocket costs act as barrier to potentially life-saving cancer treatments

Sticker shock may be leading many insured Americans with cancer to forego treatment with a wide range of oral cancer drugs, suggests a study published online this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

20 Dec 2017

Learning through drama helps nurses to prepare for future professional role

Learning through drama has unique potential for preparing future nurses and specialist nursing staff for their future professional role, as shown by research from Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden.

20 Dec 2017

Doing more harm than good? Epidemic of screening burdens nation’s older patients

Elena Altemus is 89 and has dementia. She often forgets her children's names, and sometimes can't recall whether she lives in Maryland or Italy.

20 Dec 2017

Study reveals impact of underactive thyroid within normal range on woman's ability to conceive

A new study published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), an online journal from the Endocrine Society, suggests that a slightly underactive thyroid may affect the ability of a woman to conceive, even if the gland is functioning at the lower end of the normal range.

20 Dec 2017

When nursing homes push out poor and disabled patients

Anita Willis says the social worker offered her a painful choice: She could either leave the San Jose, Calif., nursing home where she'd spent a month recovering from a stroke — or come up with $336 a day to stay on.

20 Dec 2017

Slightly underactive thyroid may affect women's ability to become pregnant, study suggests

New research suggests that a slightly underactive thyroid may affect a women's ability to become pregnant- even when the gland is functioning at the low end of the normal range, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

20 Dec 2017

Child life services serve as major component of pediatric hospital-based care

Being in the hospital is no bed of roses. Especially for kids. "For many children, the hospital can be a scary place," said Linda Nicolotti, Ph.D., director of pediatric psychology at Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

20 Dec 2017