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Use of steroids among high school athletes is a continuing problem, and now new research finds these youths are also more likely to suffer a concussion while they play. The study was published Oct. 20 in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. “The neurobehavioral shifts of steroid use may lead to increased aggressive play and a subsequent heightened risk for concussions,” said researcher Kennedy Sherman, of Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation. “Moreover, athletes using steroids are likely to have higher muscle volume and increased muscle strength, amplifying the momentum and impact of head-on collisions,” Sherman added in a journal news release. “Steroid use and concussions each have numerous health consequences, and when occurring together in a person, these effects may be amplified.” Researchers used data from a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey, finding that 3.7% of young athletes reported previous steroid use. About 20.7% of all athletes reported having sustained a concussion. Among those who did not use steroids, nearly 20% reported a concussion, compared to about 55% of those who did use steroids. The good news? The prevalence of steroid use among high school athletes decreased from 3.4% in 1999 to 1.9% in 2019. The highest rates were in 2001 and 2003, at 5.3% and 4.4%, respectively. Use varied across ethnic groups. The highest rate was seen in the… read on > read on >

Many college kids are depressed and anxious, especially when they are a minority on campus or the first in their family to go to a university, a new study finds. These feelings may be particularly pronounced among minorities attending mostly white colleges, the researchers reported. In that setting, more than half of Black and Hispanic students reported feelings of mild depression and 17% more said they were moderately to severely depressed. “College life has its own sets of challenges — during COVID there were high rates of depression and anxiety suggesting that social support is an important part of college life,” said lead researcher Janani Thapa. She is an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public Health in Athens. “We must continue efforts on belonging, to make each and every student feel at home,” Thapa added. Interestingly, the researchers found that students at mostly white universities reported similar anxiety levels, regardless of race, with more than 3 in 5 students saying they experienced mild to severe anxiety levels. At historically Black colleges, students who weren’t Black also experienced higher rates of anxiety and depression. For the study, Thapa and her colleagues collected data on more than 3,000 students during the pandemic who answered questions about feelings of hopelessness, sleep problems and lack of energy. Thapa’s team found that students who were the… read on > read on >

More than 60,000 gun safes have been recalled following the death of a 12-year-old boy and dozens of reports that unauthorized people can open the Fortress Safe devices. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said a programming flaw allows unauthorized people into the biometric safe. The youth died in Nevada after he opened and allegedly accessed a gun stored inside. He suffered a “lethal gunshot wound to the head” in January 2022, according to lawsuit documents obtained by the New York Times. The boy’s father bought the safe in 2021 at a Scheels store in Nevada, the news report said. The safe uses fingerprint technology. Consumers can think they’ve set the biometric lock, allowing access only by an authorized person, but the safe remains in the “default to open” mode, the CPSC said. This allows unauthorized users, including children, to access firearms in the safe. The CPSC said there have been 39 reports of safes accessed by unpaired fingerprints. People who have these safes should immediately stop using the biometric feature, remove the batteries and only use the key, the CPSC advised. You should contact Illinois-based Fortress Safe for instructions on disabling the biometric feature. The company is also offering a free replacement safe. The recalled gun safes include portable lock boxes, personal safes, pistol vaults and gun cabinets with brand names Fortress, Cabela’s, Gettysburg… read on > read on >

MONDAY, Oct. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Lots of vaccine disinformation spread during the pandemic, and doctors worried that may have given some parents pause about not only the risks of the COVID shot, but of childhood vaccines as well. Now, new research puts that worry to rest. “We did not see a significant increase in parents who are hesitant toward routine childhood vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before,” said study author Dr. David Higgins, a research fellow at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora. For the study, his team analyzed survey data from more than 3,500 parents in Colorado from April 2018 through August 2020 on many health topics, including their attitudes about vaccines. Overall, 20% of parents were “vaccine-hesitant” toward childhood vaccines, but these feelings didn’t change from the pre-pandemic to post-pandemic periods. “The bottom line is that most parents do not hesitate to vaccinate their children to protect them from life-threatening diseases,” Higgins said. Parents who are unsure about vaccines should bring their questions and concerns to their pediatrician or health care provider. There were differences in attitudes toward childhood vaccines by race, preferred language, insurance status and education level. Black and Asian parents were more likely to be hesitant, compared to white parents. The study was published online Oct. 23 in the journal Pediatrics. Noel Brewer is a professor of health behavior at… read on > read on >

A virtual reality program helped hoarders clear out their clutter, researchers report. Hoarding disorder, which strikes more than 2.5% of Americans, has only been defined as a mental health condition for 10 years, and it’s both debilitating and hard to treat. So, researchers at Stanford Medicine recently conducted a small pilot study to see if a newer technology — virtual reality — could help patients practice the steps they would need to take to manage their condition. In the tiny study, a majority of the patients — 7 of 9 — reported an average decrease in symptoms of about 25%. In addition, 8 of the 9 participants had less clutter in their homes after the sessions, with an average decrease of 15%. “Part of what is important in translating the promise of virtual reality into the real world is these small proof-of-concept studies to say, ‘Is it feasible? Are participants going to be able to engage with the technology?’ And that wasn’t immediately evident that it would in this population, so having the data was really important,” explained senior study author Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez. She is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine in California. Among the reasons why it was uncertain whether virtual reality (VR) would work for patients is that many people with hoarding disorder are older and may not… read on > read on >

While U.S. policymakers have restricted flavored vapes to make e-cigarettes less appealing to young people, that plan may be backfiring. A new study found that for every 0.7 milliliters of “e-liquid” for e-cigarettes that isn’t sold because of flavor restrictions, an additional 15 traditional cigarettes were sold. The study, supported by U.S. National Institutes of Health, uncovered evidence that these extra cigarettes were being sold in brands that are popular with people 20 and younger. Flavor restriction policies may actually magnify the harms of nicotine rather than help, the authors said. “While neither smoking nor vaping is entirely safe, current evidence indicates substantively greater health harm from smoking than vaping nicotine products,” said first author Abigail Friedman, an associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health. “These policies’ public health costs may outweigh their benefits,” she said in a university news release. Policymakers focused on vapes because of their fruity and dessert-like flavors, which could make them appealing to young people. An outbreak of vaping-associated lung injuries in 2019 led to at least 68 deaths and thousands of hospitalizations. This led to restriction of vapes, though the primary cause of the outbreak was an additive most common in cannabis vaping products, according to the Yale School of Public Health. To study the impact of restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products, researchers evaluated sales of both… read on > read on >

Not all high school injuries happen on the football field or the basketball court. Marching band is also a physically demanding activity and participants can suffer injuries, as seen in a new study that looked at emergency room visits. Injuries ranged from issues with the knees or ankles to mild head trauma. Girls were the most commonly injured. About 70% of marching band-related injuries reported to emergency departments over a nine-year period were in high school-age females. Most were knee and ankle injuries. The research was presented Sunday at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Findings presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. “Like their instruments, band members must be in tune with their bodies,” Capt. Jacob Coene, a doctor in the U.S. Air Force, said in an AAP news release. “Coaches and parents should be educated on the risk of soft tissue injury and mild traumatic brain injury to help keep their band members marching to the beat of the drum.” To study the issue, researchers reviewed more than 20,000 marching band injuries reported to emergency departments between 2012 and 2021 in data provided by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. About 85% of marching band injuries occurred in those aged 14 to 18. About 6% of injuries were mild traumatic brain injury.… read on > read on >

MONDAY, Oct. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Scientists have long wondered whether depression leads to less sleep or whether a lack of sleep triggers depression. A new study suggests it’s the latter: Getting less than five hours of sleep a night may raise the risk of developing depressive symptoms. “We have this chicken or egg scenario between suboptimal sleep duration and depression, they frequently co-occur, but which comes first is largely unresolved. Using genetic susceptibility to disease we determined that sleep likely precedes depressive symptoms, rather than the inverse,” said lead author Odessa Hamilton, of University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care. Both sleep style and depression are partly inherited from one generation to the next. Earlier twin studies have suggested depression is about 35% genetic and that these inherited differences account for 40% of the variance in sleep duration. In this latest study, the researchers analyzed genetic and health data from more than 7,000 people who were an average age of 65. The investigators found that those with a stronger genetic predisposition to short sleep were more likely to develop depressive symptoms over four to 12 years. Meanwhile, people with a greater genetic predisposition to depression did not have an increased likelihood of short sleep. “Short and long sleep durations, along with depression, are major contributors to public health burden that are… read on > read on >

As pint-size witches, ghosts and superheroes roam the streets on Halloween, it’s important for adults to keep their eyes on safety. “It’s always best for an adult to accompany young children when they trick-or-treat,” said Dr. Sadiqa Kendi, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Often your town or park district will offer Halloween activities earlier in the day so you can avoid going out after dark. Older children should travel in groups and create a ‘buddy system’ to get each other home safely and prevent walking alone,” Kendi said in an academy news release. The pediatricians’ group suggests that homeowners keep pathways to the door well-lit and free of any obstacles like bicycles or garden hoses that could trip up kids. In addition: Drivers should use extra care on Oct. 31, especially between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. Parents should make sure shoes fit, and costumes are short enough to move around without tripping. Hats and masks should fit properly so they don’t slide over eyes and block vision. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags. It’s safer to stay on well-lit streets. Always use the sidewalk and crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars or out of driveways. If there is no sidewalk, stay close to the edge of the road, facing traffic.… read on > read on >

Most people spend a lot of time on their feet, so it’s a good idea to take care of them. With proper care, you can minimize the stress your feet take on when holding you up and getting you around, an expert says. “Common problems that people face include hammertoes, blisters, plantar fasciitis and bunions. Some of these are easily solvable, but others may need the involvement of a specialist,” said Dr. Ronald Lepow. He is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Foot issues are most often caused by friction and pressure. Choosing the correct shoe for daily activities can help. Your shoes should have a toe box that is wide and deep so that your toes can freely move. They should be breathable for sweat and odor control. People who have low or high arches may benefit from shoes with orthotic inserts. You can find your foot’s arch — which is the area between your heel and the ball of your foot — by placing your foot on flat ground and taking a photo to look at it. “X-rays of the foot reveal what kind of foot arch you have along with the structure of the foot,” Lepow said. “If you are experiencing pain, knowing these two things will help dictate a care plan.” Bunions can form… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Steroid Use Could Raise Teen Athletes’ Odds for Concussion

Depression Rates Rising Among College Students, and Race Matters

Biometric Gun Safes Recalled After 12-Year-Old’s Death

Pandemic Didn’t Lower Parents’ Trust in Childhood Vaccines

High-Tech ‘Home Simulations’ Could Help Folks Fight Hoarding

Restricting Access to Vapes Might Drive People to Cigarettes

Sour Notes: Girls in Marching Bands at High Risk for Injury

Short Sleepers May Be at Higher Risk for Depression

America’s Pediatricians Offer Tips for a Safe Halloween

Best Foot Forward: Tips to Keeping Feet Healthy