ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), sometimes called ADD
(attention deficit disorder), is linked with hyperactivity, impulsive
behavior, and attention problems in both children and adults. It’s
estimated that up to 12 percent of school-aged children and 6 percent of
adults have ADHD, making it harder for them to focus on tasks, manage
their time, control their behavior, or even sit still. There is no
single test to diagnose ADD/ADHD. To reach a diagnosis, a doctor or
specialist may do a physical exam to rule out any physical problems, as
well as ask questions about behavior in certain situations. Treatment is
often a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. The goals of
treatment are to help the person control impulsive behaviors, do better
in school or work, and improve social relationships. Thanks so much.
About ADHD
NIH study finds stroke risk factors may lead to cognitive problems
High blood pressure and other known risk factors for stroke also increase the risk of developing cognitive problems, even among people who have never had a stroke, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found.
“Our results emphasize the importance of early intervention to treat high blood pressure and preserve cognitive health prior to a stroke or other cerebral event,” said first author Frederick Unverzagt, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The study appears in the Nov. 8, 2011 issue of Neurology.
The new findings come from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, an effort to track stroke risk and cognitive health in an ethnically and demographically diverse sample of the U.S. population 45 and older. Since 2003, the study has followed more than 30,000 people. The study is funded by NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and is led by George Howard, Ph.D., chair of the biostatistics department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Strokes, which affect some 795,000 Americans each year, occur when blood vessels that supply the brain rupture or become blocked. A stroke can cause a host of cognitive disabilities, including effects on memory, speech and language, and everyday problem solving. But even without suffering a stroke, individuals at risk for stroke may experience cognitive problems as their blood vessels deteriorate.
News about Stem Cell Research
What if Internet Goes Down
Medicaid Benefits Will not Be Cut
Induction of labor does not increase the risk of emergency cesarean section
Induction of labor does not increase the risk of emergency cesarean section (CS), when comparing gestational weeks 39, 40, or 41 with a later induced or spontaneous labor, according to a study published online June 16 in the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.
Ole Bredahl Rasmussen, M.D., from the Hospital Unit Vest in Herning, and Steen Rasmussen, Ph.D., from the National Board of Health in Copenhagen — both in Denmark, compared, by gestational week, nulliparous and parous women who were either induced or had expectant management, with regard to the need for CS in labor. Data for 230,528 deliveries, from 2004 until mid-2009, were collected from the Danish Birth Registry.
The investigators found that, from gestational week 39 and on, the CS rates in labor were similar for nulliparous and parous women when comparing women with induced labor and those who waited for a later induced or spontaneous labor.
“We found no added risk for CS in labor when comparing induction of labor in a specific gestational week from week 39 with a later labor,” the authors write.
Dexamethasone therapy may reduce hospital stay in patients with community-acquired pneumonia
Non-immunocompromised patients with community-acquired pneumonia treated with intravenous dexamethasone in addition to antibiotic therapy may have a shorter hospital stay, according to a study published online June 1 in The Lancet.
Sabine C.A. Meijvis, M.D., from St. Antonius Hospital in Nieuwegein, Netherlands, and colleagues investigated the benefits of adding corticosteroids to antibiotic therapy for early resolution of pneumonia in 304 patients, aged 18 years and older, with confirmed community-acquired pneumonia between 2007 and 2010. Patients who were immunocompromised, required immediate transfer to an intensive care unit, or who were already receiving corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs were not included in the analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 5 mg intravenous dexamethasone once a day (151 patients) or placebo (153 patients) for four days from admission. Length of hospital stay was the primary outcome measured.
The investigators identified 143 patients with pneumonia of pneumonia severity index class 4 to 5 (52 percent of the dexamethasone group and 42 percent of the placebo group). The average hospital stay was 6.5 days in the dexamethasone group and 7.5 days in the placebo group (P = 0.048). The two groups had infrequent serious adverse events and in-hospital mortality with no difference in rates between the groups. However, significantly more patients in the dexamethasone group had hyperglycemia compared to the placebo group (44 versus 23 percent).
“Dexamethasone can reduce length of hospital stay when added to antibiotic treatment in non-immunocompromised patients with community-acquired pneumonia,” the authors write.
European Commission Review on Amalgam Mercury Dental Filling
BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Commission has decided to examine the risks of using mercury in amalgam fillings. As some member states have already restricted the use of dental amalgam substantially, the Commission wants to assess this issue in detail with due consideration of all relevant aspects of its life cycle. The study is to be concluded in June 2012.