Many more Americans are turning to ketamine for kicks, a new study reports. Recreational use of the anesthetic drug among U.S. adults increased 40% between 2021 and 2022, researchers say. That follows a nearly 82% increase in ketamine use from 2015 to 2019, results show. The more recent increase occurred mainly among young adults 26…  read on >  read on >

Suffering from low back pain? Addressing your unhealthy lifestyle habits could help ease your pain better than traditional care, a new study says. Back pain sufferers who got lifestyle coaching functioned better and had improved quality of life compared to others who received standard care, researchers report in the study published Jan. 10 in the…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care workers to accelerate bird flu testing for patients hospitalized with flu symptoms, as the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues to grow in the United States and Canada. The advisory, issued Jan. 16, recommends that health care providers perform a second test for…  read on >  read on >

Women past menopause can protect themselves from future fractures through infrequent, cheap IV infusions of a bone-strengthening drug. Women 50 to 60 who got two IV infusions of zoledronate (Reclast) within five years had a 44% lower risk of spinal fractures, compared to women who received a placebo, according to results published Jan. 15 in…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Brain tissue samples are essential for scientific research, especially when it comes to brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. Not surprisingly, samples are hard to get. Despite the great need for brain tissue, donations remain rare and aren’t easily collected.  In an article published in Dec. 2024…  read on >  read on >

Tourette syndrome is not being diagnosed promptly in women with the condition. Women with Tourette syndrome are less likely to receive a diagnosis for the disorder, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 15 in the journal Neurology. They also take longer to be diagnosed with the disorder, and typically are older than boys at…  read on >  read on >

Artificial intelligence might be able to more quickly and affordably identify menopausal women who are having problems with memory or cognition. AI effectively identified women with severe subjective cognitive decline (SCD), or self-perceived confusion or memory problems, researchers report in a new study published Jan. 14 in the journal Menopause. Using AI to help menopausal…  read on >  read on >