News by Subject Medicine & Health

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that's often associated with a variety of health problems, including chronic muscle pain and insomnia. Psychoactive drug classes, like cannabinoids, are often prescribed to help reduce pain, promote sleep and decrease breathlessness. A study published today in Drugs & Aging found that older adults with COPD were twice as likely to use prescription synthetic oral cannabinoids compared to older adults without COPD, raising safety concerns.

People with persistent back pain or persistent headaches are twice as likely to suffer from both disorders, a new study from the University of Warwick has revealed.

Uterine prolapse happens when weakened muscles and ligaments no longer provide enough support for the uterus, which then protrudes into or out of the vagina. This randomized clinical trial compared the effectiveness of two surgical methods to treat women: a vaginal hysterectomy to remove the uterus with ligament suspension to support remaining tissue or uterus-sparing suspension techniques, known as hysteropexy.

This study examined whether postpartum women with headache from anesthesia after neuraxial anesthesia (such as epidural) during childbirth had increased risk of being diagnosed with bleeding around the brain (intracranial subdural hematoma).

A new study by the University of Bristol adds to evidence that links potential adverse effects of taking paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) during pregnancy.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a painful skin condition where lumps form under the skin. This observational study examined the risk of new long-term opioid use among patients with the condition who hadn't previously used opioids.

Although the effectiveness of medications to treat adults with opioid use disorder has been well established, there has been little research about how -- or even if -- such treatment works in adolescents. Now, a new review of the literature suggests that, in addition to adults, adolescents with severe opioid use disorder can be treated with one of three medications: methadone, buprenorphine (Subutex/Suboxone) or extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol).

Until now, there's never been a tool that could determine how long it will take a patient to heal from a tibial fracture. But researchers at Lehigh University's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science have found that a virtual mechanical test can do just that. Mechanical engineering professor Hannah Dailey is lead author of the paper, which appeared in the July 3, 2019 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.