ADHD Medication Not Linked to Drug, Alcohol Abuse Later in Life

ADHD Medication Not Linked to Drug, Alcohol Abuse Later in Life

Children who are prescribed and taking medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not more susceptible to developing an alcohol or drug abuse issue later on in life, a new study said Wednesday. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry, the study looked at 15 previous studies, dating from 1980 to 2012, that included 2,600 children, and young adults with ADHD. The participants in the study, led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were from California, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Germany and Canada. ADHD is believed to occur in five to 10 per cent of US children. Share This Story 0 inShare "Previously, there was evidence for both increased risk and decreased risk for substance problems related to stimulant medication in the treatment of ADHD," said study author Kathryn Humphreys, a doctoral student in psychology at University of California, Los Angeles. "The present study suggests that, on average, children who received stimulant medication treatment for ADHD are at no differential risk for these substance outcomes than their counterparts who did not receive medication treatment," she said. The researchers analyzed data related to substance use or abuse of each drug separately. For every category they looked at - alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, cocaine and other drugs - Ritalin and similar stimulants weren't tied to a clear increase or decrease in future use or abuse. "The scientific evidence suggests that the risk for alcohol and substance problems later in development, in adolescence or adulthood, doesn't seem to be strongly tied to whether or not children were previously... treated with stimulant medication," said Steve Lee, a UCLA associate professor of psychology, according to a press release. "These results provide an important update and suggest that treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with stimulant medication neither protects nor increases the risk of later substance use disorders," the UCLA researchers said. The findings oppose a widely cited decade-old study that claimed ADHD medications reduce a person's risk of developing drug dependency. That study, which UCLA researchers called "highly influential as evidenced by its high citation rate," incorporated data from only six studies. 

News Source :  www.hngn.com

Woozy wheezy and queasy Most common in flight illnesses

When your flight crew asks if there’s a physician onboard, chances are your fellow passenger-in need is severely woozy, wheezy or queasy: the three most common in-flight medical emergencies, according to a first-of-its-kind study on airplane illnesses released Wednesday. Fainting flyers account for 37 percent of cases in which flight crews must radio doctors on the ground to seek advice, while cardiac problems most often prompt pilots to land at the nearest airport, reports an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. But sit back and relax: Researchers found that aside from the need for anti-nausea pills to be stocked in every commercial airliner, the current pre-flight health coaching for airline employees – and the medical tools at their disposal – are usually more than enough to coax ill flyers through bumpy medical moments. Advertise | AdChoices “For the vast majority of emergencies, there is sufficient assistance onboard both in terms of flight attendants who receive training on the use of a defibrillator or performing CPR, as well as the contents of onboard medical kits,” said Dr. Christian Martin-Gill, a co-author of the study.

Global insurance outlooks 2013 Latin America

Global insurance outlooks 2013 Latin America

Latin America (LatAm) markets offer substantial growth opportunities for insurers if they understand the various cultures and business dynamics in the region. Tapping the emerging middle classes here is also crucial, with Brazil and Chile showing particular promise. With more than 550 million people in the region, and nearly US$130 billion in annual insurance sales, compound growth is the central attraction of Latin American insurance markets. Insurers must consider the diverse economic, competitive and regulatory forces in the region. Local businesses there are exposed to supply chain and reputational risks that traditional insurance products do not address. In 2013 successful LatAm insurers will: Grow business through innovation and local market expertise Achieve technology competence to gain market advantages Integrate risk/capital management and transparency with regulatory reforms Understand and expand catastrophe risk-related markets Expansion through innovation Market penetration is relatively low in LatAm, and new market entrants in LatAm face challenges from strongly entrenched insurer-distribution partnerships. Understanding consumer behavior and educating customers is crucial. Fortunately consumers do appear to be embracing new distribution channels, such as social media, and growth opportunities are substantial. Technology competence Lower investment returns are squeezing margins; this affects insurers’ business models and product development strategies. Technology competence and strategic investment is one way to break this vicious circle. High-growth LatAm markets require smart, sophisticated operations. Leaders in the region are investing in technology to achieve efficiencies, improve underwriting/claims analytics and target profitable market segments. Analytics is particularly important. Deep data analysis can produce results, but only if insurers make sufficient investments in technology and talent. Transparent risk management As solvency regulation develops, demand for improved enterprise risk management (ERM) is increasing. This is driving industry consolidation and sharper competition. Sophisticated risk and capital management applications might be the best long-term strategy to achieve a competitive edge in traditional markets and expand into new ones. As companies increase risk transparency, stakeholder confidence in their operational and financial capabilities will grow. Catastrophe risk-related markets LatAm is highly exposed to substantial catastrophe-related losses, including those from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and flooding. This exposure requires sophisticated risk-management tools and corporate governance tuned to the unique risks of the region.

News Source :  www.ey.com