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Mephedrone may cause memory loss

The party drug mephedrone can cause lasting damage to the brain, according to new research led by the University of Sydney.

19 Sep 2012

Positive data from Nektar’s NKTR-192 Phase 1a study on acute pain

Nektar Therapeutics announced today that positive data from the first single-ascending dose Phase 1a clinical study of NKTR-192, the company's novel short-acting mu-opioid analgesic candidate, demonstrate that the drug candidate achieved its target pharmacokinetic profile.

19 Sep 2012

Roundup: Filipino nurses in Calif. win $1M in language discrimination lawsuit; Texas Lawmakers hear of Medicaid managed care woes; Calif. soda limits could be next

A group of Filipino nurses who claimed they were mocked for their accents and ordered to speak "English only" won a nearly $1-million settlement against a Central California hospital where bosses and co-workers were allegedly urged to eavesdrop on the immigrant workers.

19 Sep 2012

Roundup: Calif. to probe hospital/doctor consolidations; Cuccinelli warns Va. health board on abortion clinic rules

California's attorney general has launched a broad investigation into whether growing consolidation among hospitals and doctor groups is pushing up the price of medical care, reflecting increasing scrutiny by antitrust regulators of medical-provider deals.

15 Sep 2012

Cessation of drinking may reduce risk of oesophageal cancer

Cancer of the oesophagus is becoming more common in Europe and North America. Around 7,800 people in the UK are diagnosed each year. The exact causes of this cancer aren't fully understood. It appears to be more common in people who have long-term acid reflux (backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus).

14 Sep 2012

New links between ghrelin and brain cells involved in development of alcoholism

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have found new links between a protein that controls our urge to eat and brain cells involved in the development of alcoholism. The discovery points to new possibilities for designing drugs to treat alcoholism and other addictions.

14 Sep 2012

Young smokers face psychological difficulties of quitting as adults

Abstinence from smoking seems to affect teens differently than adults in a couple ways, but a new study provides evidence that most of the psychological difficulties of quitting are as strong for relatively new, young smokers as they are for adults who have been smoking much longer.

13 Sep 2012

Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking

Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes. A study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University shows that people with genetically fast nicotine metabolism have a significantly greater brain response to smoking cues than those with slow nicotine metabolism.

12 Sep 2012

Link between second-hand smoke exposure and memory problems

Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research from Northumbria University.

11 Sep 2012

Heptares uses StaR technology to solve structure of CRF-1 receptor

Heptares Therapeutics today announces that it has used its StaR technology to solve entirely in-house the first structure of a Family B sub-class G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR).

10 Sep 2012

Real-time prescription system reduces inappropriate prescribing of medications

A centralized prescription network providing real-time information to pharmacists in British Columbia, Canada, resulted in dramatic reductions in inappropriate prescriptions for opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines, widely used and potentially addictive drugs. The findings are reported in a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

5 Sep 2012

Roundup: Texas probes Xerox in Medicaid overbilling; Miss. abortion clinic fights to stay open

Texas authorities are investigating whether Xerox Corp. played a role in allowing dentists to allegedly overbill the state's Medicaid system by millions of dollars.

5 Sep 2012

Young doctors seek to alter practice of medicine; Medical schools push training in addiction

The Associated Press examines how tech-savy young doctors are changing medicine, and KHN looks at efforts to train doctors to recognize how addictions complicate other health problems.

5 Sep 2012

E-cigarettes light up battle against adverse effects of smoking

The use of electronic cigarettes has no adverse impact on cardiac function, a study suggests.

4 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 4, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including previews of the Democratic convention and a New York Times analysis of how the Obama and Romney campaigns vary on Medicaid policy.

4 Sep 2012

Incentives can help promote drug abstinence among pregnant women with heroin or cocaine addiction

A "contingency management" approach—offering incentives for negative drug tests—can help promote drug abstinence among pregnant women with heroin or cocaine addiction, reports a study in the September Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

1 Sep 2012

Non-pain-related factors predict long-term opioid use after surgery

Non-pain-related factors—including previous use of pain medications, high perceived risk of addiction, and symptoms of depression—increase the risk of continuing to use strong pain-relieving drugs several months after surgery, reports a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

31 Aug 2012

Impulsive and compulsive personality traits linked with traumatic upbringing during childhood

Previous research has shown that personality traits such as impulsivity or compulsiveness are indicators of an increased risk of addiction. Now, new research from the University of Cambridge suggests that these impulsive and compulsive personality traits are also associated with a traumatic upbringing during childhood.

31 Aug 2012

Residency cap may hamper efforts to expand number of doctors

Bloomberg examines the need for more primary care physicians and the limit on the number of slots for training doctors.

30 Aug 2012

GWSMHS professor to study correlation between genetics and susceptibility to drug abuse

Norman H. Lee, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), received a total of $405,001 in grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to continue to study the correlation between genetics and susceptibility to drug abuse.

30 Aug 2012