A study published last week in the British Medical Journal has found that people who take benzodiazepines are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive cognitive impairment and memory loss. People who used benzodiazepines for 3 months or longer had up to a 51% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s comparedContinue reading “Sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs linked to Alzheimer’s disease”
Tag Archives: anxiety
Autism (and other health conditions) linked to the gut?
New research published in December 2013’s Cell has revealed a possible link between the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the gut. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition often marked by decreased social interaction or impaired social skills. Researchers have found that changes in gut bacteria affected autism-like behaviour in mice. Many of the behavioural abnormalities, including anxiety-likeContinue reading “Autism (and other health conditions) linked to the gut?”
How’s your sleep? (part one)
Insufficient sleep can pose a problem to your health and safety. Studies have linked sleep deprivation to relationship problems, poor job performance, memory problems, mood disorders and car accidents. Some even suggest that sleep disorders may contribute to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Are you getting a good night’s rest? Or do you suffer fromContinue reading “How’s your sleep? (part one)”
Divorce: the impact on grown-up children
Adult children of divorce, otherwise known as ACODs, are becoming a wide-spread phenomenon as couples choose to split later on in life. Though most current studies concerning the effects of divorce discuss the responses of younger children to divorce, those that look at the impact on adult children indicate that the event may still produce some negativeContinue reading “Divorce: the impact on grown-up children”
Case of the disappearing eyebrows
I once saw a 5 or 6-year-old patient whose eyebrows were “falling out”. Her mother told me that she had brought her daughter to see a variety of doctors- GPs, endocrinologists, etc.- but none of them could figure out why the hair on her eyebrows were disappearing. After talking to the young patient, asking her mother about family history, life atContinue reading “Case of the disappearing eyebrows”