Millions of older people with poor vision are at risk of being misdiagnosed with mild cognitive impairments, according to a new study by the University of South Australia. Cognitive tests that rely on vision-dependent tasks could be skewing results in up to a quarter of people aged over 50 who have undiagnosed visual problems such as cataracts or age-related macular […]
Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new study shows. Depression is a common mental health condition that affects approximately 1 million Australians each year. It is a significant risk factor for suicide, the leading cause of death in young adults. The 12-week […]
Leicester researchers are working with NHS partners in the East of England to lead the way in delivering the NHS’ goal of halving the amount of opioids prescribed for non-cancer pain by 2024. Opioids, like morphine and fentanyl, can be effective for short-term management of severe pain. However, they are highly addictive which makes stopping difficult, yet long-term use is […]
More than half of people diagnosed with one psychiatric disorder will be diagnosed with a second or third in their lifetime. About a third have four or more. This can make treatment challenging and leave patients feeling unlucky and discouraged. But a sweeping new analysis of 11 major psychiatric disorders offers new insight into why comorbidities are the norm, rather […]
When a person nearing the end of their life enters hospice care, their hospice agency’s doctors may prescribe a “comfort kit” of small amounts of medications that their caregivers can give them in case of urgent, distressing symptoms such as severe anxiety, agitation, delirium, nausea and more. They may also get other prescriptions as their hospice care goes on. But […]
While most of us were baking sourdough bread and watching “Tiger King” to stay sane during the pandemic shutdown, UC Riverside bioengineering professor William Grover kept busy counting the colorful candy sprinkles perched on top of chocolate drops. In the process, he discovered a simple way to prevent pharmaceutical fraud. The technique, which he calls CandyCode and uses tiny multicolored […]
Anyone who is taking a diuretic and a renin-angiotensin system (RSA) inhibitor for high blood pressure should be cautious about also taking ibuprofen, according to new research. Diuretics and RSA inhibitors are commonly prescribed together for people with hypertension and are available under various pharmaceutical brand names. Painkillers such as ibuprofen are available over-the-counter in most pharmacies and stores in […]
Effective clinical care for patients with psychosis means understanding the ‘lived experience’ of their delusions, say researchers at the Universities of Birmingham, York and Melbourne. By understanding the intricacies of feelings, attitudes, and experiences which are interlinked with delusions, clinicians will be better able to build trust and genuine engagement with patients. In a new study, published today (4 May […]
In a questionnaire-based study published in Pharmacology Research & Perspectives that included 485 fully trained nurses of 107 home care services, nearly half of all nursing staff made at least one error within the last year when administering medications. In the study, 41.6% of nurses reported medication errors within a 12-month period, and 14.8% did not provide an answer. Medication errors experienced […]
Medicines are the most common treatments used in healthcare, especially for older people. But when they’re not used correctly, they can cause serious and sometimes fatal outcomes. Now, new research from the University of South Australia shows that regular visits from pharmacists to aged-care residents can reduce problems due to medicines and improve health outcomes. Working with 248 aged-care residents across 39 aged-care facilities […]
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