Recent posts

BY WILL BOGGS MD (Reuters Health) - Older adults with low vitamin D levels – and that accounts for most of them – may lose their memories and thinking abilities faster than those with normal vitamin D levels, researchers say.   “We were not particularly surprised by our findings because there is a recent and...   read more

By Karen de Sá kdesa@mercurynews.com POSTED:   09/06/2015 04:54:40 PM PDT With less than a week left before the end of the legislative session, intensive lobbying by physicians groups and cost concerns have undermined progress on the centerpiece of a bill package designed to end the excessive use of psychotropic drugs on California's foster youth. The...   read more

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 By Christopher Cadelago and Jeremy B. White Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is crafting the framework for medical marijuana regulations in California, a session-closing play that could end nearly two decades of clashing interpretations and court battles. With the Legislature scheduled to leave town next week, Brown’s office is said to be bearing...   read more

The Opinion Pages | Op-Ed Contributor By JEFFREY A. LIEBERMAN, AUG. 28, 2015 WHEN Vester Lee Flanagan II fatally shot a television reporter and a cameraman in the midst of a live interview in Moneta, Va., it was a scene that has become all too familiar to us. In all these scenarios, we learn after...   read more

By Lauren Mascarenhas | 6 a.m. Aug. 22, 2015   While San Diego County struggles to keep up with demand for mental health services, more than $170 million has collected unspent in a special fund to help with the cause. The money comes from a 1 percent tax on the income of millionaires, collected for mental health...   read more

By Maya Rhodan   August 20, 2015 The risk factors, which include obesity, low educational attainment and depression, might be preventable Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases could be attributed to nine risk factors that are potentially fixable, according to a new study released Thursday. Researchers linked obesity, carotid artery narrowing, low educational attainment, depression, high blood...   read more

By MARY ANN TOMAN-MILLER The White House is zeroing in on the growing heroin epidemic, announcing federal funding Monday to combat use of the drug with a focus on both public health and safety. About $2.5 million from President Obama's anti-drug programs will target heroin abuse in New England, Appalachia and East Coast cities, and $1.3...   read more

(ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA) Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced sweeping criminal justice reform legislation aimed at reducing mass incarceration of people with mental illness. The Mental Health and Safe Communities Act would expand federally proven programs aimed at providing treatment for people with mental illness before they become involved in confrontations with law enforcement, a strategy long...   read more