Benzodiazepine Use in Schizophrenia a High-Risk Practice Megan Brooks High cumulative exposure to benzodiazepines is common in patients with schizophrenia and is associated with a significantly increased risk for premature death, according to new data from Sweden. Treatment guidelines recommend that benzodiazepines not be used for longer than 1 month. “Therefore, it is alarming that […]

New Guideline: Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder By: Marcia Frellick A new Canadian guideline for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) updates recommendations last issued in 2005 and is specifically designed for multidisciplinary diagnostic teams. The guideline, published online December 14 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, includes a change in terminology. Previously, the […]

Antidepressants in Pregnancy Linked to Increased Autism Risk By: Nancy A. Melville “Serotonin inhibition during brain cell development is therefore likely to have an impact on cognitive function in general, and in the case of this study, it appears to affect the risk for ASD.” Although previous studies have also suggested an increased risk for […]

‘Walnuts prevent heart attack, lower cholesterol’ By Chukwuma Muanya TWO handfuls of walnuts a day could help stave off heart disease, a new study has revealed. The tree nuts lower total cholesterol levels in the body, thus reducing the chances of a person suffering a heart attack. Researchers said the snack contains important nutrients such […]

Processed meats – such as bacon, sausages and ham – do cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Its report said 50g of processed meat a day – less than two slices of bacon – increased the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%. Meanwhile, it said red meats were “probably carcinogenic” but […]

Hospital Routines May Be Making Patients Sicker NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Interrupted sleep and withholding of food can make hospitalized patients sicker, according to three U.S. physicians who say patient safety in hospitals is not just a matter of preventing falls and infections. In a Viewpoint paper online September 8 in BMJ Quality and […]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Even doctors and nurses don’t always follow the healthy lifestyle choices they recommend for patients to reduce the risk of medical problems like obesity, heart disease and diabetes, a U.S. study suggests. Although rates of these conditions appeared lower among health care workers than other people, the diseases were still […]

People with more psoriasis may also have more inflammation in their blood vessels, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

Nigeria has been declared free of transmission of polio, leaving just two countries in the world where the virus is still regularly spreading: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS Long before they have symptoms, blood tests in obese African-American teens, especially girls, reveal immune system changes linked to greater cardiovascular disease risk, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension 2015 Scientific Sessions. “Obesity in the formative years is already priming the system to […]