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Stressed-out teenagers appear to be dragging down the U.S. economy, a new study says. Teenagers suffering from anxiety or depression are less likely to enter the workforce as young adults, and more likely to earn lower pay when they do, researchers reported in a study published today in the journal PLOS Medicine. The economic impact is so great that $52 billion in U.S. budget savings could occur over 10 years if efforts are made to help even 10% of teens at risk for stress, researchers estimate. “Our new research finds that, at the scale of the United States economy, improvements in adolescent mental health may bring many billions of dollars of federal budget benefits over ten years, potentially offsetting the costs of policy change that could cover critical services for young people,” lead researcher Nathaniel Counts, chief policy officer for The Kennedy Forum in Brigantine, NJ, said in a news release. For the new study, researchers analyzed data on more than 3,300 participants in an ongoing Bureau of Labor Statistics study that is following children as they progress into adulthood. The research team analyzed data gathered in 2000, when participants were 15 to 17, to check their mental health as teenagers. They looked specifically at questions that assessed anxiety and depression among the teens. Researchers then looked at data gathered a decade later, in 2010,… read on > read on >

A rather historic U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal aims to make cigarettes and other tobacco products far less addictive by reducing their nicotine content. The move could help millions of Americans quit smoking while preventing many more from becoming addicted. The proposed rule, published Wednesday in a 334-page report, would cap nicotine levels in cigarettes and other tobacco products, potentially, to levels so low they would no longer sustain addiction. FDA officials believe the policy, if finalized, could save millions of lives over the coming decades. However, the proposal is unlikely to be enacted anytime soon, as it comes in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term. President-elect Donald Trump has not yet commented on the policy, leaving its future uncertain. “This action, if finalized, could save many lives and dramatically reduce the burden of severe illness and disability,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told the Associated Press. Details of the proposal The rule proposes a maximum nicotine level of 0.7 milligrams (mg) per gram of tobacco — a significant decrease from current levels, which can range anywhere from 6 mg to 28 mg per gram. The limit would apply to cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and cigars, but not to e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, or other products. Research shows that low nicotine levels make it much harder for smokers to maintain their addiction and… read on > read on >

Steak, hamburgers, beef ribs and hot dogs are bad for the aging brain. Folks who eat lots of red and processed meat are more likely to develop dementia, researchers reported. Eating more than one serving of red meat a day — 3 ounces, about the size of a bar of soap — is associated with a 16% increased risk of cognitive decline, researchers found. And eating more than a daily quarter-serving of processed red meat — bacon, sausage, hot dogs and the like — increased dementia risk by 13% and risk of cognitive decline by 14%. What’s more, people’s brains appear to age faster with every additional serving of red meat they eat daily. On the other hand, replacing red meat with nuts and legumes reduced risk of early brain aging, results show. “Dietary guidelines tend to focus on reducing risks of chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, while cognitive health is less frequently discussed, despite being linked to these diseases,” senior researcher Dr. Daniel Wang with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a news release from the school. “We hope our results encourage greater consideration of the connection between diet and brain health,” Wang said. For the study, researchers analyzed data on nearly 134,000 nurses and health professionals participating… read on > read on >

Agency revokes previous authorization for color additive to be used in food and ingested drugs
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Grabbing a quick snack might soon come with a little extra clarity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule requiring bold, easy-to-read nutrition labels on the front of food and beverage packages. These labels, which would highlight content of sugar, salt, and saturated fat, aim to make it easier for shoppers to make healthier choices in the grocery aisle — helping to tackle the rising rates of obesity and conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, a media report from The New York Times states. These chronic illnesses affect over 60% of American adults and contribute to an estimated $4.5 trillion in annual health care costs, according to the FDA. “Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat,” Dr. Robert Califf, the commissioner of the FDA, said in a statement released by the administration. “It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go.” The black-and-white labels would appear on the front of products, unlike the current back-of-package Nutrition Facts panel, which lists dietary facts such as calorie counts, serving sizes, and ingredients. The new proposal is the result of three years of research by FDA scientists, who studied similar front-of-package labeling systems used in countries like Canada,… read on > read on >

Smokers are better able to quit if they’re offered financial incentives for their efforts. Overall, smokers had up to a 54% better chance at kicking the habit if their quit program offered them cash or vouchers as a reward, researchers found in a new evidence review published Jan. 13 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. These incentives made even more of an impression on pregnant smokers, who were more than twice as likely to quit long-term if provided rewards, the review says. “Smoking is the leading preventable cause of ill health and early death worldwide, and quitting smoking is vitally important to help people live in good health for longer,” lead researcher Caitlin Notley, professor of addiction sciences at University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, said in a news release. “We are now very confident that incentives help people, and pregnant people too, to quit smoking better than not offering incentives,” Notley added. Up to now, the evidence regarding financial incentives for quitting smoking hasn’t been solid, researchers noted. But an evaluation of 47 previous studies, including 14 newer papers, “found high-certainty evidence this time that indeed they help people who are pregnant quit smoking and stay quit,” senior researcher Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, assistant professor of health policy and promotion with the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, said… read on > read on >

Retirement is meant to be a person’s chance to take it easy and enjoy life. But for many, it’s a quick route to depression and boozing, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 10 in the journal Aging and Mental Health. Retirees are more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression than folks who are still working. What’s more, heavy drinking might be making their symptoms worse, researchers found. “Providing alternative coping mechanisms to heavy alcohol consumption for retirees is crucial,” researcher Christina Sellers, an associate professor of social work at Simmons University in Boston, said in a news release. “Addressing the combination of depressive symptoms and alcohol use among older adults is crucial too, especially considering their increased vulnerability to the negative effects of alcohol and underlying health conditions,” Sellers added. For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 27,500 U.S. residents 50 and older taking part in a long-time survey of health and retirement, in which they’re questioned about their lives every two years over an average of 14 years. Participants self-reported their drinking habits, and answered questions related to their symptoms of depression. Results show that retirees suffer more depressive symptoms than people who are still on the job, researchers said. Retirees who reported binge drinking also tended to have more symptoms of depression than non-drinkers, researchers found. Binge drinking is… read on > read on >

The way obesity is diagnosed needs to become more sophisticated, an international commission has concluded. Using body-mass index (BMI) to tell who is overweight or obese is not reliable, and can result in misdiagnosis, the Commission on Clinical Obesity says in a new paper published today in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. “People with excess body fat do not always have a BMI that indicates they are living with obesity, meaning their health problems can go unnoticed,” commission member Dr. Robert Eckel, chair of atherosclerosis with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus said in a news release. “Additionally, some people have a high BMI and high body fat but maintain normal organ and body functions, with no signs or symptoms of ongoing illness,” Eckel added. Instead of BMI, the commission recommends that obesity be diagnosed through one of these methods: Using another measurement of body size (waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio or waist-to-height ratio) along with BMI. Using two of those body size measurements without BMI. Making direct measurements of body fat using sophisticated scans. Assuming that people with very high BMI above 40 are clinically obese. “Relying on BMI alone to diagnose obesity is problematic as some people tend to store excess fat at the waist or in and around their organs, such as the liver, the heart or the muscles, and this is… read on > read on >

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are plagued by unwanted and distressing memories over which they have little to no control. Doctors now think they understand why PTSD patients and others aren’t able to keep troubling memories at bay. Sleep deprivation appears to interfere with people’s ability to restrict the retrieval of memories they’d rather suppress, according to a new study published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MRI scans show that well-rested people have more control over regions of the brain that manage memories, results show. “This is really important to our understanding of mental health issues as it is well documented that those who suffer with anxiety, depression or PTSD, also have difficulty with sleep,” senior researcher Scott Cairney, an associate professor of psychology with the University of York in England, said in a news release. For the study, researchers used MRI scans to observe the brain activity of 85 healthy adults. Half the participants got a good night’s sleep in a sleep lab, while the other half stayed awake all night. The research team then tested the participants’ ability to suppress memories. “We have previously shown that the brain’s ability to suppress such intrusive memories is contingent on obtaining restful sleep,” Cairney said. “Suppression is a very clever function of the brain as it weakens all of… read on > read on >

All women 65 and older should continue to be screened for osteoporosis, the nation’s leading preventive health panel says in an updated recommendation. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also recommends screening women younger than 65 who’ve gone through menopause and are at increased risk of a fracture from bone loss, according to the updated guidelines published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Too often, the first sign of osteoporosis is a broken bone, which can lead to serious health issues,” USPSTF member Dr. Esa Davis said in a statement from the group. “The good news is that for women 65 years or older, as well as younger women at increased risk, screening can detect osteoporosis early—before fractures happen—helping women maintain their health, independence, and quality of life,” added Davis, senior associate dean of population and community medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Osteoporosis happens as people grow older and their bones lose the ability to regrow and replenish themselves. As bones become thinner and less dense, the risk of a bone fracture grows worse. Bones most commonly broken due to osteoporosis include the hips, wrists and spine, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The updated guideline for women is consistent with earlier versions issued in 2018 and 2011. The USPSTF regularly reviews each of its screening guidelines, to make sure… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Teen Stress Is Expensive, Experts Say — So How Can We Reduce It?

FDA Proposes Nicotine Cap To Help Curb Cigarette Addiction

Red Meat, Dementia: The Surprising Link

FDA Will No Longer Allow Use of Red Dye No. 3 in Food, Drugs

FDA Proposes New Front-of-Package Food Labels

These Incentives Help People, Including Pregnant Smokers, Quit Smoking

Retirement, Mental Health, and Alcohol Use: What They Have in Common

The New Definition of Obesity

Sleep Deprivation Lets Intrusive Memories, Bad Thoughts Into the Mind

Updated Guidelines for Preventing Osteoporosis-Related Fractures Released