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...
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Heart disease, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries - conditions that are usually associated with the senior population - are creeping into young adulthood. According to new research conducted by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS - News), prescription drug use by younger adults for heart disease- related conditions is increasing at a rapid rate, far outpacing older adults and offering a glimpse into the forthcoming clinical and financial challenges facing the nation’s health care system.
The analysis shows that between 2001 and 2006, the number of 20-44 year olds taking prescription medications to treat high cholesterol increased 68 percent, and use of antihypertensives jumped 21 percent. continue reading...