Year: 2018

Hispanic heart disease deaths highest in mostly-Latino communities

Reuters Health, October 19, 2018. (Reuters Health) – Hispanics in the U.S. have lower rates of death from heart disease overall than non-Hispanic whites, except in communities where Hispanics make up most of the population, a recent study finds. “Given the residential racial/ethnic segregation across communities in the U.S. and the fact that localities with…Continue Reading Hispanic heart disease deaths highest in mostly-Latino communities

Supplements May Contain More Than What’s on the Label

National Geographic, September 19, 2018. A new study shows that some popular dietary supplements may underestimate the amounts of vitamins and other ingredients being delivered. Dima Qato, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, thinks that Americans should be concerned about potential overages in their supplements. Her team’s research,…Continue Reading Supplements May Contain More Than What’s on the Label

Study: 1 in 12 Kids Taking Multiple Meds at Risk of Harmful Interactions

WTTW News, August 30, 2018. Nearly one in 12 children taking multiple prescription medications are at risk of experiencing harmful side effects caused by drug-drug interactions, including sudden death, according to a new study. Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who is the lead author of the study, said…Continue Reading Study: 1 in 12 Kids Taking Multiple Meds at Risk of Harmful Interactions

Children taking multiple medications at risk for severe reactions

Reuters Health, August 28, 2018. (Reuters Health) – Nearly one in five American children use at least one prescription medication, and roughly one in 13 kids takes more than one prescription drug, according to a new study. “Currently, adverse drug events are the leading cause of injuries and death among children and adolescents,” said the…Continue Reading Children taking multiple medications at risk for severe reactions

Do Dietary Supplements Help or Hurt Children?

The Wall Street Journal, July 2, 2018. A growing number of children are taking alternative supplements with no demonstrated health benefits. The rate of kids taking herbal and other supplements in the U.S. has nearly doubled, to 6.3%, a new analysis found. Some experts say supplements like omega-3 and melatonin aren’t harmful but have no…Continue Reading Do Dietary Supplements Help or Hurt Children?

Common Drugs May Be Contributing to Depression

The New York Times, June 26, 2018. Could common prescription medications be contributing to depression and rising suicide rates? Over one-third of Americans take at least one prescription drug that lists depression as a potential side effect, a new study reports, and users of such drugs have higher rates of depression than those who don’t…Continue Reading Common Drugs May Be Contributing to Depression

A Third of Children Use Alternative Medicines

The New York Times, June 19, 2018. A third of children under 19 are regular users of dietary supplements or alternative medicines. Using data from a large national health survey, researchers found that multivitamins were the most common supplements, followed by vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and melatonin. The lead author, Dima M….Continue Reading A Third of Children Use Alternative Medicines

Are prescription medications making Americans depressed?

LA Times, June 12, 2018. The incidence of depression has been rising in the U.S. for more than a decade. So has Americans’ reliance on prescription medications that list depression as a possible side effect. The researchers, led by Dr. Dima Mazen Qato of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago,…Continue Reading Are prescription medications making Americans depressed?

More than a third of American adults take prescription drugs linked to depression, study says

The Washington Post, June 12, 2018. More than a third of American adults are taking prescription drugs, including hormones for contraception, blood pressure medications and medicines for heartburn, that carry a potential risk of depression, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dima Qato, an assistant professor at the…Continue Reading More than a third of American adults take prescription drugs linked to depression, study says

Many U.S. adults take medicines that can cause depression

Reuters, June 2018. (Reuters Health) – More than one-third of American adults take medications that have the potential to cause depression, a U.S. study suggests. As of 2015, about 38 percent of adults took one medicine with depression as a known side effect, up from about 35 percent a decade earlier, researchers report in JAMA….Continue Reading Many U.S. adults take medicines that can cause depression