MD Magazine® Staff

Researchers in Australia recently reported that the immune signaling protein NLRP1 plays a key role in metabolism by activating fat-burning processes when the body's energy intake is too high.

Canadian researchers suggest that quality-controlled herbal cannabis, if used by cannabis-experienced patients as part of a monitored treatment program over one year, appears to be reasonably safe for the treatment of chronic pain.

Changes in mental health care are being driven by the increasingly aging United States population, new diagnostic criteria, and novel healthcare policy initiatives, among other factors.

The effects of a cognitive-behavioral prevention program for depression appear to be maintained for more than 6 years among teens who are at risk for developing depression and functional impairment.

A new diagnostic test, dubbed ViroCap, appears to detect virtually any virus that can infect humans and animals, according to the findings of a research group at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Even in the absence of coronary artery disease, patients with depression appear to experience more frequent chest pain than patients without depression.

Research shows that treatment with atypical antipsychotics appears to significantly increase the risk of mortality and severe adverse events among patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP), when compared to patients with PDP who did not receive antipsychotics.

Aristada (aripiprazole lauroxil) extended-release injectable suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia features once-monthly and six-week dosing options.

Japanese researchers have developed a novel technique using gold nanorods that could lead to therapies for pain relief in patients with intractable pain, possibly including cancer-related pain.

Researchers report high reinfection rates and attributable risk analysis suggest the existence of a subset of HIV-positive men who have sex with men with recurring sexual exposure to hepatitis C virus, which is troubling because HCV infections are more likely to become persistent and to lead to progressive liver disease in patients with HIV, including those on antiretroviral therapy.

Influenza vaccination among adults aged 18 to 64 appears to be associated with decreased rates of illness related to influenza among elderly adults living in the same area, according to Cleveland Clinic Research.

Bullied adolescents who engage in regular exercise have reduced rates of suicidal ideation and attempt compared to their sedentary peers.

A Canadian initiative that ensures pregnant women receive HIV screening and treatment (if needed) has virtually eliminated mother-to-child, or vertical, HIV transmission in that country.

There have been 14 confirmed cases of plague reported in the US in 2015, with 4 deaths.

Study results suggest that more than 80% of patients with depression in the general population appear to not be eligible for clinical trials of antidepressant medications.

According to trial results presented at ESC Congress 2015, treatment with cyclosporine was no better than placebo for patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Study results show that opioid overdoses appear to frequently occur in patients who are not chronic users with high prescribed doses of opioids, in contrast to the patient groups targeted by current opioid prescribing guidelines.

Findings from two studies presented July 22 at the International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference in Vancouver, Canada indicate that HIV treatment for illicit drug users appears to improve their social and socioeconomic wellbeing, in addition to their overall health.

Study results published in the July-August 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine suggest a potential association between maternal chemical intolerance and a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their offspring.

An 8-week online intervention targeting cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social pain determinants appears to improve pain intensity, pain interference, and pain self-efficacy among participants.

Australian research indicates that ultra-brief pulse stimulation is nearly as effective as standard electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for the treatment of severe depression, but with substantially fewer cognitive side effects.

In a recent study, researchers assessed seven groups of mice that were given various antibiotics and then exposed to C. diff spores. Using advanced genetic analysis, the team determined which bacteria survived the antibiotic challenge, as well as what factors allowed C. diff to effectively infect the mice.

Japanese research suggests that influenza vaccination using a dissolving microneedle patch made of hyaluronic acid appears to be promising for practical use as an easy and effective method to replace conventional injection systems.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Technivie (ombitasvir, paritaprevir and ritonavir) for use in combination with ribavirin for the treatment of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infections in patients without scarring and cirrhosis.

Patient-controlled analgesia appears to be statistically and clinically superior to standard pain control in emergency department patients with non-traumatic abdominal pain.

Research indicates that alcohol use disorder as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) appears to be a highly prevalent, highly comorbid, and disabling disorder that often goes untreated in the United States.

Study results indicate that a 6-month pilot antibiotic stewardship program initiated at a pediatric long-term care facility resulted in a 59% decrease in topical antibiotic use and an 83% decrease in orders for antibiotics without proper documentation.

Study results indicate that low-field magnetic stimulation synchronized to an individual's alpha frequency-dubbed "synchronized transcranial magnetic stimulation"-appears to be safe, effective, and well tolerated for treating major depressive disorder when properly administered.

Study results suggest that brain inflammation resulting from chronic nerve pain appears to alter activity in brain regions that regulate mood and motivation. The findings indicate, for the first time, a direct biophysical relationship between long-term pain and the co-morbid anxiety, depression, and substance abuse observed in more than 50% of patients with chronic nerve pain.

Supervised machine learning appears to identify 800 different variables that place patients at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to researchers at NYU.