HealthDay (9/15, Dallas) reported that a new study appearing in the recent issue of the journal Medical Care found that “people who visit multiple doctors and pharmacies to get medications are at greater risk of dying from” a prescription medication overdose. According to the article, the researchers said that “drug-monitoring programs might help identify patients who engage in what’s known as ‘doctor shopping’ or ‘pharmacy shopping.'” Researchers in the study “identified nearly 700 people aged 18 and older who had died,” and “of these, about 25 percent were doctor shoppers, and nearly 17.5 percent were pharmacy shoppers.”

Related Links:

— “‘Doctor Shopping’ Tied to Fatal Prescription Drug Overdoses, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, September 14, 2012.

MedPage Today (9/14, Phend) reports, “Cognitive behavioral therapy to tackle depression in heart failure patients can improve outcomes for both conditions, research” according to a study presented at the Heart Failure Society of America meeting. Investigators found that “talk therapy with biofeedback was associated with a 1.8-fold lower risk of cardiac hospitalization or death during 12 months of follow-up compared with usual care in a trial.” The researchers reported that “the difference in rates was substantial at 28.2% versus 38.2% with usual care and 39.7% with an extra attention control group.”

Related Links:

— “Depression Tx Boosts HF Outcomes, “Crystal Phend, Medpage Today, September 13, 2012.

HealthDay (9/14, Dotinga) reports, “New research suggests that Hispanic children with developmental delays often are undiagnosed, and both Hispanic and non-Hispanic kids who are diagnosed with developmental delays often actually have autism.” Investigators looked at data on more than 1,000 California children. The researchers found that, “of the Hispanic kids in the study, 6.3 percent had signs of developmental delay compared with 2.4 percent of non-Hispanics.” The investigators reported that, “of the children overall, about 19 percent who had been diagnosed with developmental delay actually appeared to have autism.” The findings are published in the journal Autism.

Related Links:

— “Improved Developmental Screening Urged for Hispanic Kids, “Randy Dotinga, HealthDay, September 13, 2012.

Medscape (9/14, Brauser) reports that “new research suggests that long-term psychotherapy can decrease defensiveness” in patients with psychiatric disorders. “The observational study, which included 21 adults with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders, showed significant changes in the participants’ defensiveness after roughly 2.5 years of dynamic psychotherapy.” The researchers reported that “these changes were then significantly associated with improvements in both symptoms and overall functioning 2.5 years later.”

HealthDay (9/14) reports, “Although depression affects about one-third of all stroke victims, male stroke survivors are more likely to become depressed than females, a small new study suggests.” Investigators followed “36 people who had a first stroke within the previous” three years. The researchers found that “uncertainty about health was strongly associated with greater depression for both men and women,” with the association being “stronger for the men.”

Related Links:

— “Men More Prone to Depression After Stroke: Study, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, September 13, 2012.