Distorted self image the result of visual brain glitch, UCLA study

Body dysmorphic disorder tends to run in families and is especially common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Thirty percent of people with BDD suffer from eating disorders, which are also linked to a distorted self-image.
– Although they look normal, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, perceive themselves as ugly and disfigured. New imaging research reveals that the brains of these people look normal but function abnormally when processing visual details.

Utilizing health information technology

Utilizing health information technology

Utilizing health information technology for keeping electronic health records and other purposes will produce a higher quality of care, while reducing medical costs and errors.
– Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, USA, highlighted benefits of utilizing health information technology in his statement regarding Medicare Physician Payment Legislation and Health Information Technology.

Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Uganda

Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, in Bundibugyo District, western Uganda. 51 suspected cases might be infected with Ebola virus.
– The Ministry of Health (MoH), Uganda, has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever, in Bundibugyo District, western Uganda. As of 28 November, 51 suspected cases, including 16 deaths have been reported. Among the reported cases, 3 health care workers were also infected, including one fatality. Cases are being hospitalized at Kikyo and Bundibugyo.

Why some young women are at greater risk of developing anorexia nervosa

Young women with past anorexia nervosa show vastly different patterns of brain activity compared to similar women without the eating disorder.
– Even after more than a year of maintaining a normalized body weight, young women who recovered from anorexia nervosa show vastly different patterns of brain activity compared to similar women without the eating disorder, Walter H. Kaye, M.D., professor of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues report in the December issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Hazards of CT scans overstated in NEJM

A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested that the radiation dose from CT scans is a cause for concern, and CT scans should only be used judiciously and when medically necessary.
– A recent article by Drs. David Brenner and Eric Hall in the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested that the radiation dose from CT scans is a cause for concern, and may be responsible for a small percentage of cancer deaths in the United States. While the conclusions of the Brenner article have been portrayed by some as conclusive, in reality the scientific community remains divided in regards to the radiation dose effects of CT.

Folic acid reduces alcohol-related damage in alcoholics

A new study with groundbreaking public health implications for treating alcoholism and preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has shown that a byproduct of methanol, a contaminant found in many alcoholic beverages, causes neurotoxicity that can be mitigated by folic acid.
– Folic acid found helpful for treating alcoholism and preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, revealed by researchers in a recent study.

HIV AIDS drug cost trends in Brazil

Brazil facing significant challenges with the rising cost of providing universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment. – AIDS continues to be a staggering global public health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that two million people in developing countries (or 25% of those in need in developing countries) receive treatment known as HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), more commonly known as “AIDS cocktails.”

Zyrtec for nonprescription use in adults and children

Nonprescription drug Zyrtec, cetirizine HCl, is approved for the temporary relief of symptoms due to hay fever or other respiratory allergies. – Different formulations of the nonprescription drug Zyrtec (cetirizine HCl) is approved for the temporary relief of symptoms due to hay fever or other respiratory allergies (sneezing; runny nose; itchy, watery eyes; itchy throat or nose) in adults and children 2 years of age and older.

$2 million of potentially harmful cosmetic eye product seized in US

Harmful cosmetic eye products may increase the risk of optic nerve damage, macular edema, uveitis leading to decreased vision and blindness. – At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals seized 12,682 applicator tubes of Age Intervention Eyelash, a product that may, in some users, lead to decreased vision. Authorities said the sales value of the seized tubes is approximately $2 million.

Nexavar approved for patients with inoperable liver cancer

Anticancer drug Nexavar raised survival period in inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma patients suffering from this kind of liver cancer. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable. Nexavar was originally approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.