A front-page New York Times analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a sharp increase in the numbers of US children being diagnosed for the first time with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). The figures indicate a 16% increase in AD/HD cases diagnosed since 2007 alone. In addition to the New York Times, one network news segment, numerous print publications and medical journals focus on the story, many of them questioning if overdiagnosis is behind the increased number of cases, and others concentrating on the fact that some medications for AD/HD may be misused or abused.

NBC Nightly News (4/1, story 2, 2:25, Williams) reported, “A stunning new assessment of national numbers came out today. … It’s about “the extraordinary number of cases” of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) now being diagnosed.” New figures “show a 16% rise in cases just since 2007,” begging the question whether the condition is being overdiagnosed.

USA Today (3/29, Szabo) reports, “A new study finds that children who receive the full schedule of vaccinations have no increased risk of autism.” The study, which appears “today in the Journal of Pediatrics, is the latest of more than 20 studies showing no connection between autism and vaccines, given either individually or as part of the standard schedule. The paper is the first to consider not just the number of vaccines, but a child’s total exposure to the substances inside vaccines that trigger an immune response.”

Related Links:

— “Full vaccine schedule safe for kids, no link to autism, “Liz Szabo, USA Today, March 29, 2013.

ABC News (3/28, Moisse) reports in its “Medical Unit” blog that a study by Consumer Reports found that “a little research can save you a lot of cash on prescription drugs.” After checking over 200 pharmacies, the magazine found that the cost of a month’s supply of Actos (Pioglitazone), Lexapro (Escitalopram), Lipitor (Atorvastatin), Plavix (Clopidogrel), and Singulair (Montelukast) “varied by as much as $749.” Lisa Gill, prescription drugs editor for Consumer Reports, said, “One of the big takeaways is that you have to ask for the best price and see if your pharmacist will work with you.” Tips for getting the best value include getting generics, asking for a better deal, going to rural pharmacies, seeking discounts for multi-month supplies, and checking for discount generic-drug programs.

CBS News (3/29, Jaslow) reports the magazine found “Costco had the lowest prescription prices”; for instance Lipitor cost $17 for a month’s supply there, compared to $126 at CVS. Similarly, “a month supply of generic Lexapro cost $7 a month at Costco and $126 at CVS, with the shoppers also reporting high prices on average at grocery stores, Rite Aid and Walgreens.”

Also covering this story are Reuters (3/29, Sherman), HealthDay (3/29), the Cleveland Plain Dealer (3/29, Suchetka, 315K), and the Puget Sound Business Journal (3/29, Subscription Publication).

Related Links:

— “Cheap Prescription Drug Secrets Revealed By Consumer Group, ” Katie Moisse, ABC News, March 28, 2013.

USA Today (3/28, Groppe) reports, “Even as the Senate prepares to take up legislation next month to include private sales among the types of gun purchases that require a background check, there remains a great variation among states on the submission of mental health records to the federal background-check database.” What’s more, “the federal government can’t require states to submit records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).” And, while “the Justice Department has distributed grants to states to help them improve record keeping,” the group “Mayors for Illegal Guns said most states aren’t eligible because they haven’t created a way for someone to petition to get their mental health records out of the database.”

Related Links:

— “Checking gun buyers for mental illness hinges on states, “Maureen Groppe, USA Today, March 28, 2013.

Medscape (3/29, Brooks) reports, “Untreated symptoms of depression can negate the anti-inflammatory benefits typically associated with physical activity and light to moderate alcohol consumption,” according to a study published online March 25 in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after having “assessed the moderating effect of depressive symptoms, using the Beck Depression Inventory, on leisure-time physical activity and light to moderate alcohol intake in 222 healthy nonsmoking men and women aged 18 to 65 years with no history or diagnosis of psychiatric conditions.” Interestingly, “the effect seems to be specific to inflammation as measured by CRP, given that depression did not affect other health markers, such as fasting triglyceride or cholesterol levels, the investigators” noted.