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Researchers identify how marijuana accelerates growth of HPV-related head and neck cancer

University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have identified the molecular mechanism activated by the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the ingredient that causes people to feel the euphoria or "high" associated with cannabis - in the bloodstream that accelerates cancer growth in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

13 Jan 2020

Using caffeine to study how the brain processes information

Researchers are using caffeine to study how the brain processes information, and a new study shows the effectiveness of this approach.

13 Jan 2020

Medicaid expansion linked to reduction in opioid overdose mortality across the U.S.

The expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income adults permitted by the Affordable Care Act was associated with a six percent reduction in total opioid overdose deaths nationally, according to new research from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of California, Davis.

11 Jan 2020

University of Kentucky receives $3 million for opioid-related research in criminal justice setting

The University of Kentucky recently received $3 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on General Medical Sciences to fund new opioid-related research in the criminal justice system.

9 Jan 2020

Intervention for hospitalized HIV patients reduces infection rates and increases engagement in care

Providing multidisciplinary team consults for HIV patients while they are hospitalized to help address social and medical barriers reduces future infection rates and boosts participation in follow-up care, results from a study on how to reengage patients show.

7 Jan 2020

Study finds high levels of compliance with ID rules by recreational marijuana stores in two U.S. states

A new study by collaborators at Klein Buendel, Inc. and the Prevention Research Center finds that recreational cannabis stores in Colorado and Washington state, both of which legalized adult recreational use in 2012, show high levels of compliance with rules preventing underage purchase of cannabis.

23 Dec 2019

Behavioral intervention and risk education can improve parents' prompt disposal of leftover opioids

Leftover prescription opioids pose big risks to kids, yet most parents keep their own and their child's unused painkillers even after they're no longer medically necessary for pain.

23 Dec 2019

Study: Number of e-cigarette users who began vaping at age 14 or younger has tripled

The number of e-cigarette users who began vaping at age 14 or younger has more than tripled in the last five years, say University of Michigan researchers.

20 Dec 2019

Antiretroviral regimens prescribed to many pregnant women with HIV do not meet federal guidelines

More than 20% of pregnant women beginning anti-HIV treatment were prescribed an antiretroviral treatment that did not meet federal guidelines for use during pregnancy, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.

19 Dec 2019

New set of recommendations for clinicians to address youth vaping

In response to the pressing public health issue of vaping, clinicians of all disciplines are being asked to address this issue with youth, families and community members, despite minimal youth-focused screening or treatment guidelines.

19 Dec 2019

Vaping among teens doubles in a year says MTF report

The 45th Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey 2019 has revealed that teenagers are preferring e cigarettes more and more and there is an increased propensity of using nicotine and marijuana in their e cigarettes. The latest report titled, “Trends in Reported Marijuana Vaping among U.S. Adolescents, 2017-2019”, was released in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Dec 2019

Study finds increased prevalence of marijuana and nicotine vaping among teens

Findings from the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey demonstrate the appeal of vaping to teens, as seen in the increased prevalence of marijuana use as well as nicotine vaping.

18 Dec 2019

Scientists reveal brain mechanisms and functional regions that underlie confirmation bias

An international research team comprising neuroscientists at Virginia Tech, University College London and the University of London revealed brain mechanisms and functional regions that underlie confirmation bias -- a phenomenon where people strongly favor information that reinforces their existing opinions over contradictory ones.

17 Dec 2019

Contribution of suicide to opioid-related deaths may be overstated, study suggests

The study is the first to use national data on opioid overdose deaths between 2000 and 2017 to find out what share of these deaths in individuals age 15 and older were unintentional, due to suicide, or of undetermined intent.

17 Dec 2019

E-cigarettes have long-term adverse effects on health

A new study has revealed that use of electronic cigarettes is associated with a raised risk of developing chronic lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) or emphysema.

16 Dec 2019

E-cigarette use linked to increased risk of chronic lung diseases

E-cigarette use significantly increases a person's risk of developing chronic lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to new UC San Francisco research, the first longitudinal study linking e-cigarettes to respiratory illness in a sample representative of the entire U.S. adult population.

16 Dec 2019

San Francisco hopes to improve care for people with mental illness living on streets

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has promised to tackle her city's homelessness crisis, a vexing situation involving drug abuse and mental illness that is compounded by the city's high housing costs.

13 Dec 2019

Precision epigenome editing can repair genetic syndrome of intellectual disability

Using a targeted gene epigenome editing approach in the developing mouse brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reversed one gene mutation that leads to the genetic disorder WAGR syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and obesity in people.

13 Dec 2019

Non-drug therapies may reduce adverse outcomes in service members with chronic pain

A new study based on Veterans Affairs health records finds that non-drug therapies given to military service members with chronic pain may reduce the risk of long-term adverse outcomes, such as alcohol and drug disorder and self-induced injuries, including suicide attempts.

11 Dec 2019

Cannabis use in the U.S. increases rapidly among persons with depression

Results of a new study suggest that over the past decade (2005-2017), the prevalence of cannabis use in the United States has increased among persons with and without depression, though the increase is significantly more rapid among those with depression.