Barriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
"Lack of access to high quality care contributes to disparities in asthma care, especially for vulnerable populations," (more…)

Although the variety of substances that can cause contact dermatitis is almost limitless, it often can be effectively managed with the proper diagnosis and treatment according to investigators presenting the latest research at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
Contact dermatitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the skin resulting from interaction with a chemical, biologic or physical (more…)

One in 50 people in England were in contact with NHS specialist services for those with severe or enduring mental health problems in 2006-07, according to a new report by The NHS Information Centre.
The number accessing specialist services, which cover care by specialist psychiatric teams in hospital or in the community, has risen over the four (more…)

"Ethnic Differences in the Treatment of Depression in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease," American Heart Journal: The study examines the differences in depressive symptoms and antidepressant treatment among blacks and whites (more…)

Danes are willing to pay more for genetic testing when treating depression than the cost of the testing itself, implying that genetic testing is socially useful.
generic cialis online buy Based on a survey among Danes the study estimates the supposed (more…)

Increases in blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk occurring in women after menopause do not result from menopause itself, according to two new studies reported in the October Journal of Hypertension. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, (more…)

The herbal medicine St. John’s wort appears to work just as well as some prescribed antidepressants for treating patients with major depression, a new review finds. However, patients in German-speaking countries might experience the best benefits.
While there is public interest in the United States about whether St. John’s wort adequately treats depression, in some countries, like Germany, doctors commonly prescribe it for mild symptoms. (more…)

New research provides support for the use of St. John’s wort extracts in treating major depression. A Cochrane Systematic Review backs up previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorders.
"Overall, we found that the St. John’s wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebos and as effective as standard antidepressants, (more…)

For the first time, researchers have established a clear link between family rejection of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and negative health outcomes in early adulthood. The findings will be published in the January issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a peer-reviewed article entitled "Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino (more…)

A geneticist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston plans to scan the genomes of about 4,000 people in the hopes of finding out why blood pressure often increases as young adults age.
The two-year study by principal investigator Myriam Fornage, Ph.D., is funded with a new $1.1 million grant from the Genes, Environment and Health (more…)

Cytokinetics, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CYTK) announced today that a Late
Breaking oral presentation and a poster presentation, each relating
to one of two clinical trials for CK-1827452, were presented at the
2008 Annual Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Conference, which
is being held September 21-24, 2008 at the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These trials, conducted in
stable heart (more…)

Teenagers who are overweight or obese are more likely to have considered suicide than those who are a normal weight, according to new research presented at a meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Adolescent Faculty.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool measured (more…)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released the responses of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama to a detailed questionnaire about mental health care–along with highlights (more…)

Blood pressure in low-birth-weight children younger than 3 years of age not only can be measured but should be, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
The findings appear in the September issue of Pediatrics.
Blood pressure has not been screened routinely in children with very low birth weights because the measurements were viewed as not feasible or unreliable in infants and toddlers; however, evidence has (more…)

Two new partnerships between NHS organisations and leading
universities will receive a total of ??18 million to conduct research
and improve care in major conditions including depression, dementia,
stroke, and childhood obesity, the Department of Health announced
recently.
The new NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Collaborations
for Health Research and Care in Nottinghamshire (more…)

Western Pennsylvania has the highest rate of blacks with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Renal Data System, and as a result health care workers are targeting the group with prevention and early detection messages, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. (more…)

Patients with chronic smoker’s bronchitis often suffer from increased
pressure in the blood vessels supplying the lung (pulmonary
hypertension). The (more…)

Researchers in Canada working on an international study, discovered that the angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan, a newer type of
drug for lowering blood pressure, showed a modest reduction in cardiovascular deaths, strokes and heart attacks in patients with heart problems and
diabetes who can’t tolerate the standard and more widely used angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
The (more…)

GPs prescribe lower volumes of antidepressants in areas with more Black or South Asian people, suggesting possible disparities in the provision of care.
The study, published in the September issue of the British (more…)

Alzheimer’s Society comment on new research presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD).
High blood pressure doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and increases the risk of stroke. This study highlights that it is becoming increasingly important to investigate anti-hypertension (more…)