So you thought those smog days your city was suffering through were bad? Go to Spain, where their smog has been found to be filled with… Drumroll please… Cocaine, among other drugs.
A study has found that the air in both Madrid and Barcelona has trace amounts of cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, cannabinoids and lysergic acid (which is a relative of LSD). However, officials say this is no cause for alarm, and that the levels should not be considered representative of the air quality of the two cities. The country claims the test sites were close to areas that might be frequented by drug users, for example near a university or near a building thought to be used by drug dealers. Read more… continue reading...
About half of American doctors in a new survey say they regularly give patients placebo treatments — usually drugs or vitamins that won’t really help their condition. continue reading...
Children as young as 2 should be tested for high cholesterol, group says
MONDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) — In a further concession to the impact of the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States, a leading group of pediatricians is recommending that kids as young as 8 years old be given cholesterol-lowering drugs in hopes of preventing heart problems later in life.The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children as young as 2 years old start having their cholesterol levels screened if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. Screening should start no later than 10, the academy said. continue reading...
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire - May 13, 2008) - Mental health issues are on the rise in Canada, according to psychiatrist Dr. Jean Boodhoo, Chairman of the upcoming ICAM conference in Toronto, May 23 - 25, 2008. Dr. Boodhoo attributes raising financial and marital pressures, increasing drug and alcohol abuse, and steady suicide rates, as factors for why one in four Canadians suffer from a mental illness. Further contributing is the steady increase in cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, among an ageing population. Despite the prevalence of mental illness with healthcare burden of $8 billion a year, there remains a large disconnect between these illnesses and current alternative interventions.
This disconnect was a big impetus behind the creation of Canada’s premier international conference on Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ICAM) and Mental Health. The conference assembles over 20 of the some of the world’s top medical professionals in allopathic, integrative, complementary and alternative medicine with a special focus on mental health. continue reading...
DALLAS, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ — “Arthritis Without Pain” - the Miracle of TNF blockers, examines the science behind the TNF blockers Enbrel, Remicade and Humira, offers practical advice for their use and explores the real-life experience of patients who take them. Written by noted Dallas rheumatologist Scott J. Zashin, M.D. in collaboration with healthcare writer Laure Hesser, Arthritis Without Pain gives patients the knowledge to take charge of their arthritis, move past the pain, and get back to a more active life:
— Learn about TNF blockers and how they work
— Compare TNF blockers with methotrexate and others arthritis drugs
— Take a five minute self-test to see if you are a candidate for anti-TNF continue reading...
