A report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) presents some startling new statistics about the prevalence of various mental disorders among American youth. Overall, researchers from the CDC found that anywhere from 13 to 20 percent of children living in the US experience some type of mental disorder in a year. This new report [...]

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Watching your waistline? A new report suggests that smoking weed might be for you. Despite munchie myths, it was found that the BMI of the pot smoking community reflects a reduced prevalence of obesity. The study reported in  the American Journal of Medicine sought to better understand the effects of marijuana on insulin levels in [...]

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A new report from a branch of the CDC shows that the rate of hypertension (HT) in the U.S. rose slightly but significantly over the course of the years 2005 through 2009. The data were obtained from most states’ health departments as well as the federal health center. It has been estimated that hypertension affects one-third of [...]

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The post High blood pressure: the toll keeps rising appeared first on ACSH.

Most adults will suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives. It is the fifth most common reason for primary care office visits and medical expenditures for low back pain have been increasing since 1997. Spinal injection therapy is one treatment option for low back pain, but recent studies indicate that there [...]

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Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University have successfully created human embryonic cells using cloning technology. The goal of this development is to one day use these cells to produce replacement tissues or organs to treat disease due to the fact that embryonic stem cells can be developed into any type of cell in the [...]

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Fans of cheap generic drugs might want to pay attention. Because if there’s a better example of “you get what you pay for,” it is not obvious. Indian generic drug giant Ranbaxy was just slapped with a $500 million penalty for selling four contaminated, sub-standard drugs, and also lying about it by falsifying records. And [...]

The post Generic Roulette appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

The post Generic Roulette appeared first on ACSH.

Local NYC news outlets are abuzz with the news that there has been an outbreak of measles among ultra-orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn this year. It’s thought that a family visiting from London that had not been vaccinated against the disease initiated the current outbreak.  The infants and toddlers who acquired the disease in Brooklyn [...]

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The post Seeing spots? They may be measles! appeared first on ACSH.

Despite multiple problems associated with long-term use of narcotics for pain control—addiction, abuse, nausea, and constipation— they remain the best (and sometimes only) option for the millions of Americans that suffer from moderate-to-severe chronic pain. Now, a study adds another problem to the list of liabilities associated with the use of opiate narcotics—erectile dysfunction (ED). [...]

The post Opiates: Bad to the bone appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

The post Opiates: Bad to the bone appeared first on ACSH.

When dining out at a restaurant, you might be getting more than you’re paying for — in terms of calories, fat and cholesterol that is. According to two new studies published in JAMA, even though fast food often gets a bad reputation, smaller chain restaurants may actually be more harmful to your health. And it [...]

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The post Nutritional content of smaller-chain restaurants may be worse than fast-food appeared first on ACSH.

Seeing the handwriting on the wall —  historically unprecedented declines in cigarette sales matched with accelerated sales for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) – old-line “Big Tobacco” companies are now selling, or getting ready to sell, their own versions of the new devices. First in line was Lorillard, which purchased Blu e-cigarettes last April 2012. Now, RJReynolds [...]

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