Archive for August, 2010
By jasonmaddox On August 31st, 2010
There is a growing body of research that links chemical exposure to ADHD in children. Adding to this body of literature, a study published online in Environmental Health Perspectives links prenatal exposure to “bug spray” with increased risk for ADHD. According to Brenda Eskenazi, PhD, of the University of California in Berkeley, maternal exposure to organophosphate…
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By jasonmaddox On August 26th, 2010
A child’s age at school entry may be a factor in determining rates of ADHD diagnosis. According to a study published online in the Journal of Health Economics, children who entered kindergarten just before the entry cut-off date had higher rates of diagnosis and drug treatment than those who were born just after the cut-off date.…
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By jasonmaddox On August 24th, 2010
Binge drinking and high blood presser are not a good combination. According to a study published in the October issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, individuals with severe hypertension that had six or more drinks in one sitting increased their risk of cardiovascular death more than fourfold compared to nondrinkers who had normal…
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By jasonmaddox On August 19th, 2010
A group of researchers is now advocating the expansion of diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder to include subthreshold mania in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases. Kathleen R. Merikangas, PhD, of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues, found that of the study’s sample of…
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By jasonmaddox On August 17th, 2010
A Japanese study has found that teenage boys, not girls, have reduced odds of depressive symptoms when regularly consuming fish containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); the fatty acid, which is one of two omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish, reduced the odds of depressive symptoms among males (P for trend=0.04) in a sample of 6,500…
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By jasonmaddox On August 12th, 2010
Cocaine dependency, like ADHD, is associated with a lack of cognitive control. Therefore, ADHD drugs have long been suspected to aid individuals with cocaine dependency; now one study supports this theory. The study, reported online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a mixture of ADHD drugs (Concerta, Ritalin, and others) greatly…
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By jasonmaddox On August 10th, 2010
Social rejection could be bad for your health according to a study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to the study, social rejection is associated with increased inflammatory markers that are linked to depression, cardiovascular disease, asthma and arthritis. The study, which was conducted in a lab with 124…
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By jasonmaddox On August 5th, 2010
Interventions may be more successful in the short-term when teenagers have a chance to actually see the effects of risky behaviors. According to Maureen A. Walton, MPH, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues, visiting an emergency department (ED) provides just such a teachable moment. According their study’s findings, which were…
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By jasonmaddox On August 3rd, 2010
According to findings from a study published in a recent addition of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine online, excessive internet use by teenagers can more than double the risk for depression over time. According to Lawrence Lam, PhD, of the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Australia, and a colleague, the adjusted incidence rate ratio…
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