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Procaine, a medication that functions as a topical anesthetic normally, has been touted as an anti-aging drug that might prevent or even reverse dementia. However, a new Cochrane review suggests that the risks of bad side effects outweigh any benefit. read more

The American Red Cross today announced a new course, Coping With Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families, is now available. The course, offered free of charge, is open to military family members of active duty, Reserve and National Guard forces, as well as veterans and their families. Presently, the course is offered in sixteen states (Ala., Ark., Calif., Colo., Fla., Hawaii, Ind., Minn., Neb., N.H., Ohio, Ore., Pa., Tenn., Texas, and W.Va.) and Washington, D.C.

The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined how a new mental health parity law, which was included in the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street firms that President Bush signed last week, could affect the cost of health care in the U.S. (Worth [1], Los Angeles Times, 10/13). The legislation (HR 1424) requires group health plans of 51 or more employees to cover mental illnesses at the same level as physical ailments. It does not require the plans to offer such coverage but it must be equivalent if they do. The law, for most health plans, will take effect Jan. read more