Web focus on adolescent medicine
The journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics presents Adolescent Medicine, a free web focus that compiles important articles on topics pertinent to adolescents, conditions that afflict them, and strategies for management. Adolescence is a period of accelerated growth and change, bridging the metamorphosis from childhood to adulthood. In addition to physical maturation, adolescents experience psychological maturation, which affects behaviour, patterns of learning, and the adaptation to adult abilities of cognition. Throughout this transition, challenges arise that carry the potential for negative long-term health impact. Examples include the onset of obesity associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome; sexual experimentation and an increased incidence of sexually transmitted disease; initiation of cigarette smoking, alcohol, and substance abuse; and reduced adherence to treatment regimens for chronic diseases that have an onset in childhood. Effective measures for prevention and treatment require a comprehensive understanding of the differences and difficulties associated with this fascinating period of life.
Adolescent Medicine, a web focus of articles published in seven journals published by Nature Publishing Group.
