Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Use of aspirin and statins can reduce depression: Study

A study that appears in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the association between use of aspirin and statins and the risk of major depression.

25 Nov 2010

Privacy complaint targets online health sites

The New York Times: Consumer groups have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging popular health websites are collecting too much information from users, saying that "site visitors who provide personal details about themselves might not be aware that QualityHealth [among other websites] collects information about people's medical conditions, preferred medicines and treatment plans and uses it to profile its users for prescription drug marketing" (Singer, 11/23).

25 Nov 2010

Fla. GOP takes aim at health law; Hawaii considers cuts in mental health services

Florida Republican lawmakers are reviving a proposed constitutional amendment that takes aim at a major part of the federal health overhaul with Senate President Mike Haridopolos planning the unusual step of sponsoring the proposal himself.

24 Nov 2010

FDA warning leads to decrease in antidepressant prescribing for young patients

An FDA warning regarding increased suicide risk in children and teens taking antidepressant drugs has led to an overall decrease in antidepressant prescribing for young patients, reports a study in the November issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

24 Nov 2010

Ziconotide could promote suicidal tendencies in vulnerable patients: Research

24 Nov 2010

Pathological gamblers more likely to commit suicide

Pathological gamblers are risking more than their money, they are also three times more likely to commit suicide than non-betters. A new Montreal inter-university study has shown these gamblers are also plagued by personality disorders. These findings, published in a recent issue of the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, may have implications for developing improved targeted suicide prevention programs.

24 Nov 2010

Experience of ill health associated with reduction or cessation of alcohol consumption

In a cross-sectional study from the 2004 and 2007 Australian National Drug Strategy Household (NDSH) surveys, respondents were questioned about their current and past drinking, the presence of formal diagnosis for specific diseases (heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, anxiety, depression) and self-perceived general health status. The sample sizes for the 2004 and 2007 NDSH surveys were 24,109 and 23,356, respectively.

24 Nov 2010

XenoPort receives grant from Michael J. Fox Foundation to support Parkinson's disease therapies

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to support a preclinical study of the efficacy and safety of a novel, orally administered prodrug of acamprosate in reducing L-Dopa induced dyskinesias (LID) in a pre-clinical model of Parkinson's disease.

24 Nov 2010

Two surveys show 'huge variation' in health costs in U.S.

The Wall Street Journal: Two studies out Monday - one is a country-by-country survey by the International Federation of Health Plans, and the second from Change: healthcare - "attempt to bring some clarity to how costs stack up, both between different countries and among U.S. providers that might be just a few blocks apart."

24 Nov 2010

'Telehealth' devices allow patients to track illnesses from home

Thousands of seriously ill patients are relying on computerized health trackers to help keep them safe at home.

23 Nov 2010

Gilead submits Truvada/TMC278 single-tablet regimen NDA to FDA

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing approval of the single-tablet regimen of Truvada® (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor TMC278 (rilpivirine hydrochloride) for HIV-1 infection in adults. If approved, this would be the second product that contains a complete HIV treatment regimen in a single once-daily tablet.

23 Nov 2010

Ziconotide could promote suicidal tendencies: Study

The active agent ziconotide, the synthetic toxin of the cone snail (Conus magus), was acclaimed a safe alternative to morphine when it was introduced six years ago. Now it is increasingly suspected of causing patients to commit suicide. Researchers working under the auspices of Prof. Christoph Maier (Director of the Pain Clinic Bergmannsheil at the Ruhr University in Bochum) presume that ziconotide not only suppresses the transmission of pain stimuli, but also deteriorates the frame of mind and could simultaneously reduce anxiety and impulse control.

23 Nov 2010

Evotec to collaborate with Merck on neurological disease drug discovery program

Evotec AG today announced that it has signed within the "NEU²-Consortium" framework and partially funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung - BMBF), an agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to develop pre-clinical candidates for an undisclosed neurological disease. Evotec will provide drug discovery expertise covering in vitro biology, medicinal chemistry and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology.

23 Nov 2010

Most patients taking anti-depressants give up treatment: Study

Most patients who take anti-depressants give up their treatment in less than six months, the minimum period recommended for treating severe depression and other derived pathologies. This is the conclusion of a new study carried out by Catalan researchers, which reveals that only 25% continue their treatment for more than 11 months.

23 Nov 2010

Frequent hemodialysis improves left ventricular mass, physical health than conventional treatment

Frequent hemodialysis improved left ventricular mass (heart size) and self-reported physical health compared to conventional hemodialysis for kidney failure, according to the Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) Daily Trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

23 Nov 2010

AADA releases updated position statement on isotretinoin usage

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) recently updated its position statement on the use of isotretinoin. The position continues to state that patient safety is dermatologists' primary concern and that the AADA is committed to the safe and responsible use of isotretinoin, which is the most effective treatment for severe acne.

23 Nov 2010

Neurocrine announces results from elagolix Phase II Daisy PETAL study in endometriosis

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. today announced results from the open-label portion of the six month Phase II Daisy PETAL study (901 study) using its proprietary, orally-active nonpeptide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, elagolix, in patients with endometriosis.

22 Nov 2010

Cyberonics second quarter net sales increase 17% to $47.5 million

Cyberonics, Inc. today announced results for the quarter ended October 29, 2010.

22 Nov 2010

New study links high prevalence of insomnia and poor quality of life in software engineers

Insomnia is bad news for software engineers' quality of life and deserves greater recognition and attention, according to new research by Sara Sarrafi Zadeh and Khyrunnisa Begum from the University of Mysore in India. Their work shows that poor sleep has a bearing on quality of life - affecting physical and mental health in particular - in this group with high levels of job-related stress. Their paper is published online in Springer's journal Applied Research in Quality of Life.

22 Nov 2010

VYTORIN reduces major vascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease

In a new investigational study of VYTORIN, the cholesterol-lowering medicine from Merck, VYTORIN 10/20 mg reduced the incidence of first major vascular events defined as non-fatal heart attacks or cardiac death, stroke or any revascularization procedure by a highly statistically significant 16.1 percent compared to placebo, Study of Heart and Renal Protection study involved more than 9,000 patients who, on average, had advanced or end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD)

22 Nov 2010