Psychiatry

Certain ART combinations carry some risk of depression among women with HIV

Jairia Dela Cruz, Yesterday

Women with HIV who use antiretroviral therapy (ART) combinations such as tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) with a cobicistat-boosted integrase inhibitor (INSTI) or protease inhibitor (PI) appear to frequently show somatic depressive symptoms, according to data from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) presented at CROI 2023.

Switching to B/F/TAF maintains high viral suppression in elderly with HIV

Neurocognitive impairment plagues older PLHIV

Stephen Padilla, 21 Mar 2023

Healthcare providers and other care partners need greater awareness and training on neurocognitive impairment, mental health, and comorbidities that afflict older people living with HIV (PLHIV), suggests a Singapore study.

Polygenic risk scores tied to episode polarity in bipolar disorder

18 Mar 2023

Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia are predictive of episode polarity and psychotic symptoms in a similar manner among individuals with bipolar disorder, suggests a recent study.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy of benefit to select patients with bipolar disorder

18 Mar 2023

When added to standard treatment, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may have favourable effects for patients with bipolar disorder and moderate to severe levels of depression and functional impairment, according to a study.

Poorly controlled T2D in Singaporeans: Who are at risk of diabetes-related distress?

Jairia Dela Cruz, 17 Mar 2023

One in six people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Singapore experiences diabetes distress, with the risk factors including younger age, previous tobacco use, kidney disease history, and depressive symptoms, as reported in a study.

NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022

16 Mar 2023

Viatris, a global healthcare company, collaborated with the Thai Hypertension Society and the Thai NCD Collaboration Group to organize the NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022 in Bangkok on October 29^th and 30^th. This summit brought together nearly 300 multidisciplinary experts from Southeast Asia and India to address the unmet needs in managing two critical noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and mental health disorders (MHDs) in the region.

The summit had several key objectives. Firstly, it highlighted the effectiveness of clinical data in addressing gaps and unmet needs in clinical practice. Secondly, it emphasized the importance of sharing expertise and best practices through a platform that can optimize patient care. Additionally, it discussed the challenges of cardiovascular disease and mental health disorder care in a post COVID-19 world, and the need to re-examine them.

The summit also offered valuable insights into policy and practice changes, as well as innovative digital solutions that can lead to better outcomes. Lastly, it emphasized the significance of gaining a deeper understanding of the gaps in the patient journey to enhance patient care further.

Overall, the NCDs in Focus Act Now! Summit 2022 was a highly informative and productive event, with experts collaborating to improve the management of CVDs and MHDs in Southeast Asia and India.

Young cyberbullying victims at heightened risk of self-harm

Jairia Dela Cruz, 24 May 2021

For children, being at the receiving end of online bullying makes them 12 times more susceptible to suicidal thoughts and actions, with the risk exacerbated by increased use of social media, as shown in the results of a meta-analysis presented at the virtual American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2021 Annual Meeting.

Bright light therapy at midday: Does it help in bipolar depression?

Elvira Manzano, 07 May 2021

Bright light therapy done at midday may be an effective and affordable adjunct to antimanic medication in patients with bipolar depression (BD), according to an expert who presented at APA 2021. This brings renewed attention to this natural, somatic treatment primarily used for seasonal depression.

Anxiety in MCI may lead to Alzheimer’s disease

Roshini Claire Anthony, 01 Jan 2021

Anxiety symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting (RSNA 2020).

Multidomain intervention effective for dementia prevention

Dr. Joseph Delano Fule Robles, 28 Nov 2018

Multidomain intervention which includes nutrition, exercise, cognitive training and vascular risk monitoring is effective in preventing dementia, findings from the FINGER study have shown.

Ginkgo biloba extract improves cognition and overall condition after ischaemic stroke

Christina Lau, 23 Nov 2018

Use of a ginkgo biloba extract on top of standard preventive treatment is shown to improve cognitive function and overall condition after acute ischaemic stroke.