People with a likely history of depression who take varenicline (Chantix®) do not report more severe mood symptoms, medication side effects, or less success quitting smoking compared to people with no history of depression taking this drug.
The findings by Group Health, Free & Clear, and SRI International researchers are reported in a Journal of General Internal Medicine article (more…)

For the millions of Americans with food allergies, the importance of being educated about food allergy and prepared to treat a reaction is not to be underestimated. On March 28, the first of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) 16th annual Food Allergy Conferences will be held in Baltimore, Md. The conference will help both those who have food allergies and those who care (more…)

After a bitterly cold and snowy winter, many look forward to the warmer, breezy, sunny days of this new season, but along with the arrival of spring come the dreaded itchy eyes, scratchy ears and throat and sneezing, all symptoms of allergies.
"Tree pollen blown around by the wind is the allergen people will react to first this season, sometimes before you see the buds," explained Dr. Catherine Monteleone, an associate professor of medicine (more…)

A study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) found that men who took a daily folic acid supplement of 1 mg daily had more than twice the risk of prostate cancer compared with men who took a placebo.
The finding came from a secondary analysis of the Aspirin/Folate Polyp Prevention Study (AFPP), a placebo-controlled randomized trial to determine the (more…)

Many immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. have post-traumatic stress disorder and those with severe cases "can be in denial about what happened to them" in their home countries, "avoid overwhelming memories, or refuse treatment because of lingering fears of past dealings with powerful institutions," according to advocates, the Boston Globe reports. As of December 2007, about 151,200 (more…)

Researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have linked higher levels of the hormone aldosterone to high blood pressure and blood vessel disease in African Americans. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal glands and causes salt retention by the kidneys.
The study appeared in the December 18, 2008, American Journal of Hypertension.
"The prevalence (more…)

Newborns whose first few months of life coincide with high pollen and mold seasons are at increased risk of developing early symptoms of asthma, suggests a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Researchers found that children born in the high mold season, which generally encompasses the fall and winter months, have three times the odds of developing wheezing - often an early sign of (more…)

The toxic gas formaldehyde is contained in building materials including carpeting, curtains, plywood, and adhesives. As it is emitted from these sources, it deteriorates the air quality, which can lead to "multiple chemical sensitivity" and "sick building syndrome", medical conditions with symptoms such as allergies, asthma, and headaches. The prevalence of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (more…)

New research published today in Nature Neuroscience suggests that beta blockers could be the answer to weakening or erasing painful or emotional memories for patients who experience phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Commenting on these new findings, Mind’s Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:
"This is fascinating (more…)

VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products, today announced it has initiated a second pivotal Phase 3 study of avanafil, its investigational new drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Avanafil is a next-generation, fast-acting, selective, investigational oral phosphodiesterase (more…)