A promising schizophrenia drug showed mixed results. What does that mean for patients?

Some people who took a new schizophrenia drug for a year improved with only a few side effects, but many dropped out of the research, the company announced Thursday. The results underscore the difficulties in treating schizophrenia, a severe mental illness that can cause people to hear voices, feel paranoid and withdraw from others. High […]

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A promising schizophrenia drug showed mixed results. What does that mean for patients?

Some people who took a new schizophrenia drug for a year improved with only a few side effects, but many dropped out of the research, the company announced Thursday. The results underscore the difficulties in treating schizophrenia, a severe mental illness that can cause people to hear voices, feel paranoid and withdraw from others. High […]

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Winter depression is real and there are many ways to fight back

As winter approaches and daylight hours grow shorter, people prone to seasonal depression can feel it in their bodies and brains. “It’s a feeling of panic, fear, anxiety and dread all in one,” said Germaine Pataki, 63, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She’s among the millions of people estimated to have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Her […]

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US will let more people take methadone at home

The first big update to U.S. methadone regulations in 20 years is poised to expand access to the life-saving drug starting next month, but experts say the addiction treatment changes could fall flat if state governments and methadone clinics fail to act. For decades, strict rules required most methadone patients to line up at special […]

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US health authorities need to play a larger role in cannabis policy, a new report says

With more Americans using ever-stronger marijuana, a federal advisory panel is calling for a public health approach that’s a big departure from “Just Say No.” Thursday’s report proposes a health-focused strategy with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention taking a larger role in cannabis policy than ever before. “We’d like the federal government to […]

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Dense breasts can make it harder to spot cancer on a mammogram

When a woman has a mammogram, the most important finding is whether there’s any sign of breast cancer. The second most important finding is whether her breasts are dense. Since early September, a new U.S. rule requires mammography centers to inform women about their breast density — information that isn’t entirely new for some women […]

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Kidney transplants are safe between people with HIV, new US study shows

People with HIV can safely receive donated kidneys from deceased donors with the virus, according to a large study that comes as the U.S. government moves to expand the practice. That could shorten the wait for organs for all, regardless of HIV status. The new study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, […]

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What is the recreational drug ‘pink cocaine’?

A recreational drug called “pink cocaine” is getting attention and causing confusion since it doesn’t typically contain cocaine. The pink powder — really a grab bag of different drugs dyed pink — has turned up in drug seizures, prompting warnings from law enforcement. Pink cocaine is also known as “tusi,” but both nicknames for the […]

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What is the recreational drug ‘pink cocaine’?

A recreational drug called “pink cocaine” is getting attention and causing confusion since it doesn’t typically contain cocaine. The pink powder — really a grab bag of different drugs dyed pink — has turned up in drug seizures, prompting warnings from law enforcement. Pink cocaine is also known as “tusi,” but both nicknames for the […]

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