High rates of sexually transmitted infections found in young drug users
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions found high rates of herpes simplex virus 2 and syphilis among young drug users in Baltimore, Md. The study found that women had significantly higher rates compared to their male counterparts, but did not find significant differences between injection drug users and non-injection drug users. Few of the infect...Meth promotes spread of virus in HIV-infected users
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have presented the first evidence that the addictive drug methamphetamine, or meth, also commonly known as "speed" or "crystal," increases production of a docking protein that promotes the spread of the HIV-1 virus in infected users. The investigators found that meth increases expression of a receptor called DC-SIGN, a "virus-attachment factor,"...Ecstasy can harm the brains of first-time users
Researchers have discovered that even a small amount of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, can be harmful to the brain, according to the first study to look at the neurotoxic effects of low doses of the recreational drug in new ecstasy users. The findings were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “We found a decrease in blood circulation in...Users help software company morph in new directions
When your user base is part of the creative class, and your product - which goes by the brand name MorphVOX - can turn a soft voice into a baritone, end-users find applications that even the proprietor hadn't considered. Ramirez, CEO of <a href="http://...Got bugs? New project lets real computer users gang up on software bugs
Ben Liblit offers a bold prediction regarding all of the complicated software programs churning away in your computer: They have bugs. All of them. Guaranteed. "Software bugs are part of the mathematical fabric of the universe," says Liblit, a University of Wisconsin-Madison computer scientist. "It is impossible with a capital 'I' to detect or anticipate all bugs." <div...Safeguarding anti-inflammatory users from ulcers
Abolishing a common stomach-dwelling bacterium makes the long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs safer. Many people would benefit from chronic usage// of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and diclofenac. Not only do these drugs relieve the symptoms of arthritis, they also protect against heart attack, stroke and maybe even Alzheimer's disease. But the NSAIDs h...Drug dilemma confronts users of painkillers
The Food and Drug Administration announced that Vioxx - Merck's blockbuster painkiller, would include new information on its label. The FDA said that Merck can claim that Vioxx has fewer gastrointestinal complications// than one older non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, naproxen. But the FDA also decided that the Vioxx label must mention that it might be linked to an increased risk of heart att...Methamphetamine Users Found To Suffer From Mood Disorders
Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain.// The drug is often used to treat obesity and is often addictive. According to the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, about 8.8 million people in the United States have tried methamphetamine at least once in their lives. Researchers from UCLA studied 17 methamphetamine users and 18 health...A Word Of Caution For Tampon Users
In the early 1980s toxic shock syndrome cases were 10 per 100,000 women, but dropped later in the decade when the highest absorbency tampons were // taken off the market. The number of cases are once again climbing putting the latest toxic shock syndrome statistics at 5 per 100,000 women. Toxic shock syndrome is often associated with improper tampon use. It is an illness brought on by St...