(HealthDay News) – New research finds that many of those who have received an implanted cardiac device to extend their life also have mood disorders, including anxiety, depression and PTSD. “Implantable cardioverter defibrillators [ICDs] are effective at extending patients’ lives, but we need to make sure that’s a good quality life,” said study author Hannah Keage, a professor of psychology at the University of South Australia in Adelaide. “Rates of mood disorders in people with an ICD are much higher than in the general population, suggesting that psychological assessment and therapy should be integrated into the routine care of these patients.” In the study published June 13 in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology, the researchers found that nearly one-third of patients had anxiety in the first year after their device was implanted. Depression affected 1 in 5. More than 1 in 10 had PTSD. Anxiety and depression are associated with higher likelihood of premature death in these patients who had a device implanted because of risk of a life-threatening heart rhythm. The researchers analyzed 109 studies involving nearly 40,000 ICD patients. They examined prevalence of mental health issues from the time the ICD was implanted to one year of follow-up, finding that rates of anxiety were 23%, depression was at 15% and PTSD at 12%. In the general population, the…  read on >  read on >

It is already known that getting enough sleep is vital to good health, but now new research suggests that having a sleep disorder is linked to suicidal thoughts in children, teens and young adults. Treating these sleep issues could be an inroad to improving their mental health, the study authors suggested. “People so often think of sleep disorders as being a symptom of other mental health problems like depression or anxiety,” said Melynda Casement, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. “But sleep problems can also contribute to anxiety, mood disorders and suicide risk,” she explained in a university news release. The researchers, which included collaborator Jason Carbone of Wayne State University in Detroit, looked at emergency department records for a nationally representative sample of children, adolescents and young adults aged 6 to 24. The investigators found that youth who had a sleep disorder were three times more likely to be seen in an emergency department with suicidal thoughts than those who did not have a sleep disorder. Yet, the prevalence of sleep disorders diagnosed in the emergency room was much lower, at just 0.38%, than what would be expected in the general population, Casement said. This suggests that these disorders are underdiagnosed in emergency medicine, he added. Screening youth for sleep disorders in the ER could provide an indication…  read on >  read on >

Using gas stoves can increase indoor air levels of benzene, a chemical linked to higher risk of leukemia and other blood cell cancers, a new study reports. Analysis of dozens of stoves revealed that a single gas cooktop burner on high or a gas oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit can raise indoor levels of benzene above those typically released by secondhand tobacco smoke, the researchers reported. Benzene emitted by gas stoves also can drift throughout a home and linger for hours, according to the study published June 15 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. More than one-third of U.S. households, some 47 million homes, cook with gas, researchers said in background notes. “Benzene forms in flames and other high-temperature environments, such as the flares found in oil fields and refineries. We now know that benzene also forms in the flames of gas stoves in our homes,” said senior study author Rob Jackson. He is a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. “Good ventilation helps reduce pollutant concentrations, but we found that exhaust fans were often ineffective at eliminating benzene exposure,” Jackson added in a Stanford news release. The researchers noted that the new study is the first to analyze benzene emissions when a gas stove or oven is in use. Gas stoves have become something of a…  read on >  read on >

Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for most men with heart problems who also have been diagnosed with a low testosterone disorder, a new clinical trial has concluded. The trial found that testosterone replacement did not raise these patients’ incidence of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death in a group of men with both heart problems and hypogonadism — a condition in which low testosterone levels have led to specific health problems. “For men with heart disease or at risk for heart disease, taking testosterone — when given in appropriate doses and carefully monitored — did not increase the risk of heart-related events like heart attack, stroke or death from heart-related causes,” said senior researcher Dr. Steve Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine with the Cleveland Clinic. However, researchers warn the results are not a green light for “Low-T Centers” to tout testosterone replacement for any healthy man, including those whose levels of the male hormone are declining naturally with age. “My nightmare really is that we’ll see ads on television that say, ‘Cleveland Clinic says that testosterone is safe. Now, come on in and we’ll give you your testosterone.’ That’s not a good outcome from this study,” Nissen said. The trial also identified certain health risks with testosterone replacement therapy that should be taken into account before prescribing the treatment, Nissen added. “There are some people…  read on >  read on >