All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

A year after suffering a concussion, teens, especially boys, are more likely than their peers to think about, plan and even attempt suicide, new research finds. With more concussions, the risk grows.  Teen boys who reported two or more concussions in the past year were two times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those who had one concussion. Girls’ odds for suicidal behaviors were similar regardless of concussion history. “This type of research is never easy to discuss, but it is vitally important to understand who is at risk and why,” study co-author Steve Broglio, director of the University of Michigan Concussion Center, said in a university news release. The findings were published Nov.16 in the Journal of Athletic Training. Researchers believe it to be the first study to look at the relationship between concussion frequency and suicidal behaviors in a representative sample of U.S. high schoolers. Lead author Jacob Kay, a research affiliate at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, said it was already known that brain injuries can touch off or worsen mental health challenges. “Our study further highlights the importance of evaluating mental health among both male and female youth that have sustained a concussion,” he said in the news release. “This is particularly true for those who have sustained multiple concussions in a short time.”…  read on >  read on >

Nearly half of Americans have never heard of health-threatening PFAS “forever chemicals,” a new survey has found. PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a category of thousands of manufactured chemicals that have become an emerging concern to environmental and human health, researchers from Texas A&M University said. Nonetheless, 45% of survey participants had never heard of PFAS and did not know what they are, according to findings published Nov. 16 in the journal PLOS One. “This is the first survey of its kind, and what we found is that the vast majority of people do not have a clear understanding of PFAS,” said lead researcher Allen Berthold, interim director of the university’s Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they combine carbon and fluorine molecules, one of the strongest chemical bonds possible, researchers explained. This makes PFAS removal and breakdown very difficult. PFAS compounds have been used in consumer products since the 1940s, including fire extinguishing foam, nonstick cookware and food wrappers, researchers said. PFAS also has been detected in food and water supplies. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that at least 45% of the nation’s tap water contains one or more PFAS chemicals, and in March the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. “Research has come out in the last year showing that many…  read on >  read on >

Biologic drugs to treat asthma have been around for two decades, but a surprising number of family doctors still aren’t prescribing them to kids and adults. A new survey found that more than two in five primary care docs (42%) are unfamiliar with asthma biologics, according to findings presented at this month’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. The doctors didn’t know the criteria for prescribing the drugs — including essential lab work — and often waited until a patient had experienced two or more asthma attacks in a year before referring them to an asthma specialist, the survey found. “We know that many people who suffer from asthma are regularly seen by PCPs, and we wanted to know if PCPs were familiar with biologics to treat asthma,” said lead researcher Dr. Bijalben Patel, a resident at the University of South Florida (USF).  “We also wanted to explore at what point PCPs were referring asthma patients with uncontrolled symptoms to asthma specialists, and whether they were aware of eligibility requirements for a patient to start biologic treatment,” Patel added in a meeting news release. The researchers surveyed 85 primary care physicians via e-mail, including internists, family medicine specialists and pediatricians. They found that 82% do not get the labs needed to prescribe biologics, including 90% who do not test…  read on >  read on >

The song says ‘tis the season to be jolly, but many Americans find it to be more the season of stress and worry, a new survey reports. The strain of inflation and world affairs this year are adding to the other holiday-time stressors to create a toxic mental health cocktail, according to findings from Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine. Survey results show that: 81% of Americans are stressing out over national issues and world affairs 75% are stressed about rising prices and holiday spending 53% are stressed from increasing cases of flu, COVID and other respiratory illnesses 44% are stressed from memories of last year’s holiday travel meltdown These findings run counter to the notion that holidays are supposed to be a time for families and friends to connect, recharge and enter the new year with a fresh outlook, said researcher Nicole Hollingshead, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Wexner Medical Center. “The holidays kind of bring on this feeling of sadness and struggle when we really want it to be more of a joyous time,” Hollingshead said in a university news release. “I encourage people to reflect on what the holidays meant for you growing up. And most of the time I don’t hear people reflect on, ‘I loved having all the presents,…  read on >  read on >

It’s been around for a century, and electroconvulsive therapy — formerly known as electroshock therapy — has helped countless people with psychiatric conditions feel better. But even the physicians who’ve used it have had little clue as to how it works. Now, a team the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) believe they’ve unraveled that mystery. “We’re solving a puzzle that’s stumped scientists and doctors since electroconvulsive therapy [ECT] was first developed nearly a century ago,” said study first author Sydney Smith, a PhD candidate in the Voytek Lab at UCSD. “On top of that, we’re also helping to demystify one of the most effective, yet stigmatized, treatments for severe depression.”  After decades of harrowing depictions in TV shows and movies, the treatment probably does need to improve its image. “A lot of people are surprised to learn that we still use electroconvulsive therapy, but the modern procedure uses highly controlled dosages of electricity and is done under anesthesia,” Smith said in a university news release. “It really doesn’t look like what you see in movies or television.”  And ECT has a remarkable success rate: It’s effective in easing serious mental health issues such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and severe depression up to 80% of the time, the team said. There are some downsides: ECT requires multiple outpatient visits, and post-treatment side effects can include…  read on >  read on >

Middle-aged folks with lots of belly fat surrounding their internal organs appear to be at higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease later in life, a new study suggests. This hidden abdominal fat — known as visceral fat — is related to changes in the brain up to 15 years before the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s manifest, according to findings to be presented at next week’s annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. For this study, researchers compared brain scans of 54 people between the ages of 40 and 60 with their levels of belly fat, BMI, obesity and insulin resistance. The scans looked for the size of people’s brains, as well as levels of amyloid beta and tau proteins that have been previously linked to Alzheimer’s. “Even though there have been other studies linking BMI with brain atrophy or even a higher dementia risk, no prior study has linked a specific type of fat to the actual Alzheimer’s disease protein in cognitively normal people,” said researcher Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, a postdoctoral research fellow with the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Similar studies have not investigated the differential role of visceral and subcutaneous fat, especially in terms of Alzheimer’s amyloid pathology, as early as midlife,” Dolatshahi…  read on >  read on >

It’s not simple traveling if you have heart disease, but a chronic condition needn’t keep someone from seeing friends and family during the holidays, the American Heart Association (AHA) says. Most people only need to toss a few clothes and essentials into a bag before they hit the road or catch their flight, but not folks who have heart problems, said Dr. Gladys Velarde, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. “It’s not always that simple for people who have chronic health conditions that require multiple medications or special medical equipment,” Velarde said in an AHA news release. “There are also considerations for how to maintain your health and not put yourself at increased risk.” But with a little pre-travel prep, people with heart problems can overcome the special challenges they might face while traveling, the AHA says. “Anticipating a big trip can be stressful for many – and stress is not good for your health,” Velarde said. “Every individual’s condition is unique, and you’ll want to tailor your travel plans to your specific needs. By taking a little time now to plan and prepare, you can enjoy your holiday.” AHA tips include: Talk to your doctor or heart specialist about your travel plans and ask them for tips on managing your specific health problems while on the road Carry a…  read on >  read on >

SATURDAY, Nov.18Data showing that the antibiotic doxycycline might prevent a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if taken soon after sex made headlines earlier this year. As surging numbers of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea affect more Americans, here’s what you need to know about using the drug. “If you’re actively having sex and not using condoms 100% of the time, which is the reality out there, this strategy could be appropriate for you,” said Dr. Christopher Foltz, an infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. “It comes down to each person’s individual risk level, something that you should discuss with your physician.” He noted that syphilis, especially, has reemerged with a vengeance in recent years as a health threat.  “Syphilis has been climbing at the highest rate with a significant increase among pregnant women and men who have sex with men,” Foltz said in a hospital news release. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, syphilis cases among gay and bisexual men in the United States rose by 7% between 2020-2021. Rates of new cases of the disease rose even more steeply among women: a 55.3% jump between 2020 and 2021, and 217.4% rise between 2017 and 2021 overall. That means more babies potentially being born with syphilis, as well. You may not even realize you are infected with syphilis, Foltz noted,…  read on >  read on >

A young woman working at a Massachusetts cannabis-processing facility who developed new-onset asthma and later died of a fatal asthma attack is the first such fatality in the burgeoning industry, a new report finds. Researchers believe large amounts of allergen-laden dust created at these facilities could pose real respiratory dangers to workers. When it comes to asthma and the danger to employees, “it is important to recognize that work in cannabis production is potentially causative,” said a team led by Dr. Virginia Weaver, of the U.S. Department of Labor. In its case report, Weaver’s team said the 27-year-old female employee began working at a Massachusetts cannabis cultivation and processing facility in late May of 2021.   She had no history of asthma but, according to her mother, “she developed work-related runny nose, cough and shortness of breath after 3-4 months of employment,” the report found. The woman first worked in the area where the cannabis was ground, but by Oct. 1 she’d moved to “flower production,” grinding cannabis plant flowers and preparing cannabis cigarettes. Dust “visibly escaped” into the air, even though a (non-HEPA) shop vacuum was used to collect dust from the grinder. The woman did wear an N95 mask and protective gloves while working, but as her symptoms worsened her workstation was moved to outside the grinding room.  However, on Nov. 9 she had…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (Healthday News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday it has found early evidence that cinnamon may be the source of high levels of lead in fruit puree pouches that have now sickened 34 children. The agency, in partnership with the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, has been investigating illnesses linked to the consumption of Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches made in Ecuador and sold under the WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks brands. All of these products have already been recalled. In its updated alert, the FDA said health officials have detected very high levels of lead in one product sample of WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree collected from Dollar Tree. The level detected was 2.18 parts per million, which is more than 200 times greater than the action level the FDA has proposed in draft guidance for fruit purees and similar products intended for babies and young children.  So far, sample analysis of WanaBana, Weis and Schnucks fruit puree pouches that do not contain cinnamon and are not part of the recall have not shown elevated levels of lead. The agency said its leading hypothesis is now that the cinnamon used in the recalled pouches is the likely source of contamination, but the agency has not yet been able to collect and test samples of the cinnamon used in the recalled…  read on >  read on >