Health Problems

Overprescribing of antidepressant medications may be common in elderly patients

In a Pharmacology Research & Perspectives study of individuals living in Olmsted County, Minnesota from 2005-2012, potential overprescribing of antidepressant medications occurred in nearly one-quarter of elderly residents. Potential antidepressant overprescribing was most likely in individuals residing in nursing homes; patients having a higher number of comorbid medical conditions; individuals who were outpatients; those taking […]

Health Problems

Cigarette smoking associated with increased risk of peripheral artery disease in African-Americans

African Americans who smoke cigarettes are more likely than those who don’t smoke to develop peripheral artery disease, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a narrowing of arteries other then those directly serving the […]

Health News

CDC: Slight Hike in Prevalence of Gastroschisis Since 2006-2010

TUESDAY, Jan. 22, 2019 — Over time, the prevalence of gastroschisis has increased, with more babies born with gastroschisis in areas with high and medium versus low opioid prescription rates, according to research published in the Jan. 18 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Tyiesha D. […]

Health News

Wait Times Have Improved in VA Health Care System

FRIDAY, Jan. 18, 2019 — From 2014 to 2017, there were improvements in wait times in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, resulting in reduced wait times versus the private sector (PS) in 2017, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Network Open. Madeline Penn, from the Department of […]

Health Problems

Common food additives may promote anxiety-related behavior and reduce social behavior in mice, research shows

Food additives known as dietary emulsifiers, commonly found in processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life, may adversely affect anxiety-related and social behaviors in mice, Georgia State researchers have found. The scientists also observed sex differences in the mice’s behavioral patterns, suggesting that emulsifiers affect the brain via distinct mechanisms in males and […]