http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A study from Rhode Island Hospital is the first to systematically review and analyze the literature on the association between HIV infection and overdose risk. The findings show a 74 percent greater risk of overdose among drug users if they are HIV-infected. The researchers found that reasons for the increased risk are biological and behavioral, but may also include environmental and structural factors. The study is now available online in advance of print in the journal AIDS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-link-hiv-infection-overdose.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:30:02 EST news242911192 (Medical Xpress) -- University of Sydney researchers have debunked the widespread belief that technological devices such as computers and mobile phones are increasingly eating into our sleep. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-adult-shortages-debunked.html Health Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:04:45 EST news242892237 While all obese women are less satisfied with the weight-related quality of their lives than women of 'normal' weight, black women report a higher quality of life than white women of the same weight. In addition, black women appear to be more concerned about the physical limitations resulting from their obesity, than by the potential psychological consequences of being overweight or obese. These findings by Dr. Tiffany L. Cox, and her team from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, ND, and Obesity and Quality of Life Consulting in Durham, NC, are published online in Springer's journal Applied Research in Quality of Life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-overweight-stigma-african-american-women.html Overweight and Obesity Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:23:34 EST news242483006 People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-gene-impedes-recovery-alcoholism.html Genetics Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:40:39 EST news240586824 One in 15 women of childbearing age is diagnosed with a disorder commonly referred to as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The condition is one of the most common causes of women not ovulating and thus causes difficulty in conceiving. Fertility is not the only health consequence these women face, however. PCOS has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading killer of women and men alike. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-cardiovascular-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:31:30 EST news237828674 Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide, and its economic burden grows year by year. In 2008, the worldwide cost of cancer due to premature death and disability, excluding direct medical costs, was estimated to be US$895 billion. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-unequal-access-cancer-longer-tolerated.html Cancer Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:12:01 EST news236239905 Researchers from the Heart Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, have demonstrated the benefits of the 8-week 'Beating Heart Problems' group programme in a randomised controlled trial. According to Principal Research Fellow at the Centre, Dr Barbara Murphy, depressed participants appear to have benefited from the contact with their non-depressed peers: "In groups for depressed patients, progress can be slow. With our programme, which involved depressed and non-depressed patients in a group together, we saw that the depressed patients improved dramatically. We believe that the 'well' patients were positive role models for the depressed patients, helping them to embrace healthy behaviours and a more positive mood." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-heart-problems-combined-group-therapy.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:47:44 EST news233837246 Metabolic syndrome comprises a group of medical disorders that increase people's risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death when they occur together. A patient is diagnosed with the syndrome when he or she exhibits three or more of the following characteristics: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat in the waist/abdomen, low good cholesterol, and higher levels of fatty acids (the building blocks of fat). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-metabolic-syndrome-kidney-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:47:28 EST news232944427 Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix: People with current drinking problems and poor impulse control are more likely to die in the next 15 years, a new study suggests. However, they could get by with a little help from their friends: The study also found that a strong social support network buffers the toxic effects of impulsivity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-impulsive-alcoholics-die-sooner.html Health Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:43:40 EST news232616612 Obesity is an important contributor to premature death in women who have never smoked, especially among women in low income groups, finds research published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-obesity-killer-nonsmoking-women.html Health Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:56:13 EST news228538562 Watching television is the most common daily activity apart from work and sleep in many parts of the world, but it is time for people to change their viewing habits. According to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers, prolonged TV viewing was associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-prolonged-tv-viewing-linked-diabetes.html Health Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:05:36 EST news227289909 Sufferers of the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnoea could benefit from following a low energy diet to lose weight, finds research published in the British Medical Journal today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-low-energy-diet-disorder.html Health Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:39:52 EST news226215528 As the use of oral chemotherapy continues to rise, researchers from Michigan State University have discovered many patients fail to properly take the cancer-fighting medication, a significant clinical problem that can result in complications and premature death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-patients-properly-oral-chemo-complications.html Cancer Wed, 25 May 2011 14:52:23 EST news225553924