All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

If you just can’t stop biting your nails, picking at your skin or pulling out a hank of hair, especially when you’re stressed out, here’s something to try that just might work. Instead of nibbling, picking or pulling, simply touch your skin gently, such as by lightly rubbing the fingertips, palm or back of arm, at least twice a day. That strategy, called “habit replacement,” helped 53% of participants in a new six-week study cut back on their unwanted behavior, a new study shows. “The rule is just to touch your body lightly,” lead study author Steffen Moritz, head of the clinical neuropsychology working group at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, told NBC News. “If you’re under stress, you might perform the movements faster, but not with more self-applied pressure.” These body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) are believed to affect about 5% of people worldwide. The new study included 268 people. They either had trichotillomania, a condition in which people respond to stress or soothe themselves by plucking out their hair, or they repeatedly bit their nails or the inside of their cheek. Members of the control group were told they were on a waitlist for treatment (which they received after the study ended). Other participants were taught how to form a replacement habit through a manual and video. Those who bit their nails appeared…  read on >  read on >

Many retirees opt to volunteer as a way to help others, but new research suggests this act can also benefit volunteers’ brain health. Volunteering later in life may provide protection for the brain from both cognitive (mental) decline and dementia, according to researchers. Their findings were presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Older adults who volunteered had better memory and executive function than their peers who did not engage in these acts of service. “Volunteers are cornerstones of all communities and imperative to the success and impact of many organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Donna McCullough, Alzheimer’s Association chief mission and field operations officer. “We hope these new data encourage individuals of all ages and backgrounds to engage in local volunteering — not only to benefit their communities, but potentially their own cognitive and brain health,” she said in an association news release. Supporting educational, religious, health-related and other charities offers people a variety of benefits. These include a chance to be more physically active, increased opportunities for social interaction and mental stimulation. For the study, researchers looked at volunteering habits among more than 2,400 ethnic and racially diverse older U.S. adults who were part of the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences Study (KHANDLE) or the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR).…  read on >  read on >

Researchers around the world are working to tease out the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Now, a new study points to so-called systemic inflammation. British researchers found that inflammation — activation of the body’s innate immune system — is associated with a small but statistically significant later risk of dementia. They reported their findings July 19 in the journal PLOS ONE. “In this study, we found associations between higher systemic inflammation levels and risk of being diagnosed with dementia three to 11 years later, although the increase in risk is small,” said study author Krisztina Mekli, of the University of Manchester in England. “This association, of course, does not mean causality, therefore, further research is needed to understand and evaluate the potential mechanism,” Mekli said in a journal news release. “In addition, high levels of inflammation might be one of the biomarkers which helps to identify people who have elevated risk of developing dementia in the near future.” The U.S. National Cancer Institute defines systemic inflammation as a serious condition involving inflammation throughout the whole body. This may be caused by an infection, trauma, surgery, ischemia (lack of blood supply to a part of the body), or certain conditions, such as an autoimmune disorder or pancreatitis. Data from the U.K. Biobank on a half-million people showed the association between dementia and…  read on >  read on >

ChatGPT may have some of the reasoning skills doctors need to diagnose and treat health problems, a pair of studies suggests — though no one is predicting that chatbots will replace humans in lab coats. In one study, researchers found that — with the right prompting — ChatGPT was on par with medical residents in writing up a patient history. That’s a summary of the course of a patient’s current health issue, from the initial symptoms or injury to the ongoing problems. Doctors use it in making diagnoses and coming up with a treatment plan. Recording a good history is more complicated than simply transcribing an interview with a patient. It requires an ability to synthesize information, extract the pertinent points and put it all together into a narrative, explained Dr. Ashwin Nayak, the lead researcher on the study. “It takes medical students and residents years to learn,” said Nayak, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University, in California. Yet, his team found that ChatGPT was able to do it about as well as a group of medical residents (doctors in training). The catch was, the prompt had to be good enough: The chatbot’s performance was decidedly subpar when the prompt was short on detail. ChatGPT is driven by artificial intelligence (AI) technology that allows it to have human-like conversations — instantly generating…  read on >  read on >

If your child is in sports camp this summer, you’ll want them to have fun and stay safe. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) offers some tips on dealing with existing medical conditions, staying hydrated and heat safe, avoiding weather dangers and protecting skin from the sun. “Just as parents don’t drop off their children at a pool without a lifeguard, they shouldn’t send young athletes to camp without this vital information,” said Scott Sailor, former president of NATA, in an association news release. Before camp, make sure your child has had a physical exam and that you’ve completed any questionnaires about existing medical conditions and medications, NATA recommends. If your child takes medication regularly, find out who will be in charge of administering it. Also, double check that the medication will not cause adverse side effects from sun exposure or strenuous exercise. Ask whether the camp has medical insurance in case of an injury, illness or accident, NATA recommends. If your child’s sport requires particular equipment, check it for proper fit and condition. Make sure new shoes and equipment are broken in. Your child should take along a water bottle to stay hydrated during activities and in the dorm at night during sleep-away camp. Pack towels and flip flops for showers. Remind your child not to share water bottles and towels to prevent spreading…  read on >  read on >

Whether your child attends a year-round school or one on a traditional calendar, parents can take steps to make classroom reentry healthier for kids with asthma. Asthma causes an estimated 13.8 million missed school days each year, according to the Respiratory Health Association. That’s more than any other chronic illness. Having an inhaler on hand at school is one important step for kids with asthma. If your child experiences frequent asthma symptoms, visit a doctor as soon as possible, the Respiratory Health Association recommends. Make sure your child has a written Asthma Action Plan that you can share with the school nurse. Help your child practice taking asthma medication. Make sure your child understands how important it is to keep the medicine close by at all times. Call or visit the school or district to fill out any needed consent forms so your child can carry an inhaler at school. Save the prescription label from your child’s asthma medication to provide with the form. Keep an extra quick-relief inhaler where needed, whether in the home or at school. Talk with teachers to make sure they understand your child’s asthma “triggers,” recognize asthma symptoms and know what to do if symptoms happen, the association recommends. Hand-washing and covering the mouth while coughing is important to prevent common cold and flu viruses that can make asthma symptoms…  read on >  read on >

Dehydration brings lots of risks — including urinary tract infections (UTIs). An expert offers some tips for avoiding these painful infections without sacrificing summer fun. “Patients can experience more UTIs during the summer due to inadequate fluid intake, especially in the historic heat waves we’ve been experiencing,” said Dr. Maude Carmel, a urology specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Dehydration is a leading risk factor for UTIs,” she added in a center news release. To help reduce your chances of getting a UTI in the summer, Carmel recommends staying hydrated by drinking at least two liters (68 ounces) of fluid every day. Urinate frequently — go to the bathroom at least every three hours, she advised. Also, avoid constipation, and urinate after intercourse. While cranberry supplements can reduce some risk of infection, cranberry juice is too diluted to treat UTIs, Carmel noted. Signs of a urinary tract infection can include burning sensation or pain with urination, increased urinary frequency, urinary urgency and blood in the urine. Many other conditions can mimic the symptoms of a UTI, but the infection can be diagnosed with a urine culture. A urinalysis, or dipstick test, is not enough, said Carmel, an associate professor of urology. Someone experiencing symptoms that suggest UTI should see a primary care physician. A urologist can help narrow down the cause of frequent…  read on >  read on >

Fluoride may have found its match in preventing cavities. New research shows that toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite, one of the main mineral components in teeth, can prevent cavities as effectively as fluoride, which has been used in toothpaste since 1956. The findings were published July 18 in Frontiers in Public Health. “If the article is correct based on the data, one might choose the hydroxyapatite over the fluoride, because the hydroxyapatite itself is safer than fluoride,” said Dr. Leonard Patella, a dentist with Northwell Health in Glen Cove, N.Y., who was not involved with the study. “If you give too much fluoride, it can be toxic. And too much fluoride, if ingested, can cause damage to teeth. It can cause something called fluorosis.” Dental fluorosis is a condition that changes the appearance of tooth enamel and can happen when children consume fluoride during their teeth-forming years. In places like the United States, cases are typically fairly mild and usually result in white or brown spots on the teeth. In more severe cases, however, pits can form. “This is a very important issue,” said researcher Dr. Elżbieta Paszyńska, head of the department of integrated dentistry at Poznań University of Medical Sciences in Poland. “Unlike fluorides, hydroxyapatite has a high remineralization effect, biocompatibility, and is safe if accidentally swallowed. Dentists worldwide should be informed about hydroxyapatite to be…  read on >  read on >

It doesn’t matter if you exercise every day or squeeze it all into the weekend. If you do the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week, you’ll get heart benefits, a new study finds. Both regimens protect you from atrial fibrillation (a-fib), heart attack, heart failure and stroke, compared with inactivity, researchers reported in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Our study suggests that it’s the volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most in terms of cardiovascular health,” said lead researcher Dr. Shaan Khurshid, a research fellow in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Efforts to increase physical activity, whether they’re spread out evenly or concentrated within a day or two each week, result in similar protective effects on several cardiovascular outcomes and overall cardiovascular health, he said. “I think these findings should be encouraging, counter to the notion some people may feel that if they can only exercise, you know, once or twice a week they shouldn’t do it at all, or not expect to have the benefit,” Khurshid said. This is good news for the legions of so-called weekend warriors. In this study of nearly 90,000 British adults, half of active individuals accrued most of their exercise in one to two days. The study highlights the flexibility with which…  read on >  read on >

Dr. Dan Iosifescu’s patient had a history of depression and had done well for a number of years. But the illness returned with a vengeance. “They truly tried to get better with a series of different medications, and none of them did anything. If anything, they were experiencing a lot of side effects,” Iosifescu said, rendering them “unable to take part in their normal life routines, becoming more estranged from their family, unable to do even their daily routines.” Then the patient was given ketamine, and everything changed. “The treatment with ketamine over a span of just a few weeks was dramatic, essentially 180-degree resolution of all these symptoms where the person, as if by miracle, essentially returned to their previous level of functioning and previous level of relatively good mood,” said Iosifescu, a psychiatry professor at NYU School of Medicine in New York City. Ketamine has been examined for several years as a way to treat depression, a major cause of disability worldwide. The drug is a “dissociative” anesthetic. A new study conducted in Australia and New Zealand found that a low-cost version of ketamine helped 20% of participants with severe depression achieve total remission from their symptoms, while a third had symptoms improve by at least 50%. By comparison, only 2% of the control group achieved total remission from their symptoms. The trial…  read on >  read on >