The eating disorder bulimia nervosa is characterized by a period of binge eating followed by a compensating action. Recommended treatment combines psychotherapy with nutritional counseling.
Stress from work and the poor economy are wrecking diet and exercise routines across the country, the Associated Press reported April 24. People who give up healthy habits say stress is the main reason. They may skip exercise or reach for sugar and “comfort” foods. But experts said that sticking to healthy routines could make people feel more in control.
A study has failed to show whether super-low blood pressure and cholesterol levels are good for health. The study included 499 American Indians. All had diabetes and therefore a high risk of heart disease. All were given medicine to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Half aimed to reach levels recommended by current guidelines. The others were given more medicine to reach even lower levels. After three years, people who got more treatment had thinner artery walls in the neck than the other group. But rates of heart attacks and other events were similar in both groups. The study was published April 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A study of antipsychotic medications in the treatment of young patients found more evidence that first- and second-generation drugs are not particularly effective.
Mild cognitive impairment is considered to be the state between normal mental function and dementia. Researchers are seeking a way to diagnose the condition sooner, so that medication can be used to treat or at least manage it, to keep it from worsening.
Most instances of infertility have a physiological cause, but the emotional and mental toll is significant, and fertility treatments can add to the stress.
A long-term trial of schizophrenia drugs has found that newer medications are not any more effective than a first-generation drug, but questions have been raised about the parameters of the study.
The World Health Organization found that many people worldwide are not receiving needed mental health care and services.
In experiments on mice, suppressing a chemical linked to stress and appetite prevented the formation of abdominal fat cells, which could lead to new possibilities for weight loss drugs.