Related topics: patients
Drug
hideA drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.
In pharmacology, Dictionary.com defines a drug as "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being." Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders.
Recreational drugs are chemical substances that affect the central nervous system, such as opioids or hallucinogens. They may be used for perceived beneficial effects on perception, consciousness, personality, and behavior. Some drugs can cause addiction and habituation.
Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemicals by being introduced from outside the organism.[citation needed] For example, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body; it is called a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is introduced into the body from outside, it is called a drug.[citation needed]
Many natural substances such as beers, wines, and some mushrooms, blur the line between food and drugs, as when ingested they affect the functioning of both mind and body.
For more information about Drug, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with drug
Drug users know their stuff
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 24, 2009 |
5 / 5 (8) |
5
Drug users are well informed about the harms associated with the drugs they use, and perceive alcohol and tobacco to be amongst the most dangerous substances, according to a survey by UCL (University College ...
Plasma produces KO cocktail for MRSA
Nov 26, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (13) |
2
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and other drug-resistant bacteria could face annihilation as low-temperature plasma prototype devices have been developed to offer safe, quick, easy and un ...
A coating for life: Biodegradable fibers advance stent technology and brain surgery, then disappear
Nov 24, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
Stents that keep weakened and flabby arteries from collapsing have been true life-savers. But after six months, those stents are no longer needed -- once the arteries are strengthened, they become unnecessary. ...
Upending textbook science on Alzheimer's disease
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 23, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
0
Alzheimer's disease is caused by the build-up of a brain peptide called amyloid-beta. That's why eliminating the protein has been the focus of almost all drug research pursuing a cure for the devastating neurodegenerative ...
New device implanted by surgeons help paralyzed patients breathe easier
Nov 25, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Physicians at UT Southwestern Medical Center soon will begin implanting a new device designed to improve breathing in patients with upper spinal-cord injuries or other diseases that keep them from breathing independently.
When It Comes to Drug Delivery, Size Matters
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Nov 20, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the great promises of nanotechnologies lies in its ability to create drug-containing nanoparticles decorated with targeting molecules that recognize and bind to cancer cells, providing drug delivery ...
Dopamine enhances expectation of pleasure in humans
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 12, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (10) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Enhancing the effects of the brain chemical dopamine influences how people make life choices by affecting expectations of pleasure, according to new research from the UCL Institute of Neurology.
Drug ads ineffective for boosting sales, could cost taxpayers: study
Nov 23, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
US Taxpayers may be on the hook for the high cost of drug advertising that does little to boost sales, according to a new study led by a University of British Columbia health policy researcher.
Genome advances promise personalized medical treatment
Nov 18, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
1
A whirlwind of activity is under way to apply the findings of the $3 billion Human Genome Project to improve health care in the United States and around the world.
UNAIDS: Sex main cause for HIV spreading in China
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Nov 25, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(AP) -- The virus that causes AIDS is now spreading fastest in China through heterosexual sex, a trend demanding new strategies to stave off a rebound in the epidemic after years of progress in containing ...
Viagra for women? Drug developed as antidepressant effective in treating low libido
Medicine & Health / Medications
Nov 16, 2009 |
4.4 / 5 (7) |
4
The drug flibanserin, which was originally created as an antidepressant, is effective in treating women with low libido, pooled results from three separate clinical trials have found.
Fearless kids more likely to be adult criminals: study
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 16, 2009 |
4 / 5 (3) |
0
Children who lack a normal fear response are more likely to commit crimes when they grow up, a study published Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested.
Tulane University surgeon pioneers 'scarless' thyroid surgery
Nov 24, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Tulane University School of Medicine surgeon Dr. Emad Kandil is one of the first in the country to perform a new form of endoscopic surgery that uses a small incision under the arm to remove all or a portion of the thyroid ...
It's time for a 'third wave' of malaria activism to tackle drug shortages
Nov 24, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
In this week's PLoS Medicine, the journal's editors call for concerted international action to address the crisis of malaria drug shortages across Africa.
Two-In-One Punch Knocks Out Drug Resistant Cancer Cells
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Nov 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cancer cells, like bacteria, can develop resistance to drug therapy, leading to relapse of disease. One approach showing promise in overcoming multidrug resistance in tumors is to combine two different anticancer ...
