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There’s a glimmer of good news when it comes to the mental health of America’s adolescents: Visits to U.S. emergency departments for psychiatric troubles declined among kids aged 12 to 17 by the fall of 2022, compared to a year prior. Overall, mean weekly adolescent emergency department (ED) visits for mental health conditions fell by 11% last fall, compared to higher levels in the fall of 2021, when the pandemic was still keeping many kids out of school and in lockdown at home. According to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, similar year-on-year declines were also seen for adolescent ED visits linked to thoughts of suicide (down 12%) and drug overdoses (down 10%). Why the improvement in teens’ mental health? “Many adolescents have returned to prepandemic-like school and community environments, which might have improved social engagement, reduced isolation and supported mental and behavioral health,” wrote a team led by CDC investigator Kayla Anderson. The researchers also believe that “familial stressors” might also have ebbed as kids were released from lockdowns and remote schooling. The report wasn’t all good news, however. Boys seem to be benefiting more than girls, the researchers noted, and ED visits for mental health conditions “remain similar to or higher than already concerningly high prepandemic baselines among females into 2022,” the team reported. There was also one… read on > read on >

Fighting is par for the course in professional ice hockey, but a new study raises the question of whether it is shortening some players’ lives. The study, of hundreds of National Hockey League (NHL) players, found that those who were “enforcers” on the ice — that is, did a lot of fighting — tend to die at a younger age and from different causes than their peers. Of 45 players who died during the study period, enforcers were about 10 years younger at their deaths compared to other players. And the causes were disproportionately from suicide, drug overdose, car accidents, or, in two cases, degenerative brain disease. Experts stressed that the findings do not prove that frequent fights on the ice played any role in those players’ deaths. Release of the study comes midway through the second-round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship playoffs. The study used fights and time in the penalty box as proxies for players’ exposure to repetitive head impacts. There was no way to tell whether those who died had any brain injury. And even if they did, the researchers said, it would not be possible to draw a straight line between the injury and the cause of death. “This study is just showing associations, not cause and effect,” said lead researcher Dr. Charles Popkin, an orthopedic sports medicine specialist at… read on > read on >

People who use a Peloton exercise bike at home should check their model number immediately. A recall of 2 million bikes with the model number PL01 was issued Thursday. People should stop using them immediately because of fall and injury hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The new recall follows reports of seat posts that break and detach from the bike during use. Peloton has received 35 reports of this problem, including 13 involving injuries. The reported injuries include a fractured wrist, cuts and bruises from falling off the bike. Customers who have the recalled bike can contact Peloton for a free seat post and instructions on installing it. The PL01 model number is displayed on the bike’s inside front fork, near the flywheel. The recalled bikes were sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods stores nationwide and online at Onepeloton.com, Amazon.com and Dickssportinggoods.com from January 2018 through May 2023. They retailed for about $1,400. For recall information, contact Peloton toll-free at 866-679-9129 from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, seven days a week or online. For information on how to request the free seat post and installation instructions, visit onepeloton.com and click “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page. More information The U.S. National Library of Medicine has tips for avoiding exercise injuries. SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, May 11, 2023 read on >

A “peanut patch” worn on the skin may help protect toddlers who have potentially life-threatening peanut allergies, a new clinical trial shows. The patch is a form of immunotherapy, which means it exposes peanut-allergic children to tiny bits of peanut protein over time — with the goal of training the immune system to better tolerate it. In the trial, researchers found that of toddlers who wore the peanut patch every day for a year, two-thirds showed a significant reduction in their sensitivity to peanut protein: They were able to eat the equivalent of one to four peanuts without suffering an allergic reaction. While that might sound like peanuts, experts said that level of tolerance is important. The goal of immunotherapy is to prevent a severe reaction should a child accidentally ingest a small amount of peanut, said Dr. Alkis Togias, of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This is a positive study,” said Togias, who wrote an editorial published with the findings on May 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The patch tested in the trial, called Viaskin, is being developed by French biotech company DVB Technologies, which funded the research. It is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If it does win approval, Togias said, “I think that would only be a good thing.” An… read on > read on >

Poor sleep brought on by sleep apnea may ultimately undermine the brain health of older men and women, new research suggests. The concern stems from a new brain scan investigation that involved 140 sleep apnea patients. “Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which patients … stop breathing during sleep, which can affect their sleep quality by causing multiple arousals and dropping oxygen levels,” said lead study author Dr. Diego Carvalho. He is an assistant professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn. Sleep apnea “has been associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia,” Carvalho said. And, he noted, it is known to “cause a range of harmful effects in the brain,” as blood pressure and heart rate rise, oxygen levels drop and sleep is disrupted. Importantly, sleep apnea can limit a person’s ability to get and maintain “deep sleep.” Deep sleep, which begins about an hour after falling asleep, is essential to the body’s ability to repair and regenerate tissue, bolster the immune system, and build bone and muscle, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Getting enough of it is, therefore, considered a key indicator of good quality shut-eye. With that in mind, Carvalho and his team set out to see whether the impact of sleep apnea on deep sleep… read on > read on >

While the U.S. Veterans Affairs health system has been criticized for long appointment wait times and limited access to specialists, the quality of care and access to a range of surgical services is as good as or better than at non-VA health centers on several measures, new research reveals. “Surgery involves many steps of care,” said lead study author Dr. Mariah Blegen, a fellow in the department of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine. “This updated review is important because it tells us that the veterans at the VA are getting good care. Quality improvement, through the VA National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VA NSQIP), has been the focus of the VA for several decades and I think this effort is paying off,” Blegen said in a news release from the American College of Surgeons. The findings were published online May 8 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. VA NSQIP has helped track millions of surgical cases and improve outcomes, including improved rates of postoperative death and infection, according to the researchers. “The database continues to drive statistically reliable research that can help VA hospitals better assess its surgical outcomes and develop quality improvement programs,” said Dr. Clifford Ko, director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. After the success of VA… read on > read on >

A study of triathletes reveals certain body types perform better in certain climates. Taller, leaner runners with long limbs tend to excel in Ironman endurance events held in warm climates, whereas marathoners with stockier builds and shorter limbs perform better in colder climates, a Dartmouth College researcher says. Endurance athletes may want to consider competing in climates their body types are best suited to, said study author Ryan Calsbeek, a professor of biological sciences. Calsbeek observed that Allan Hovda, three-time winner of Norway’s Norseman triathlon, is stockier and shorter than one might expect of a successful triathlete. “I wondered if there was something about body shape that allowed him to do better in the cold and thought about the role temperature might play for this one guy who doesn’t look like your standard endurance athlete,” Calsbeek said in a college news release. Triathletes in these competitions do about 150 miles combined of running, swimming and biking. Calsbeek’s analysis of nearly 200 Ironman contestants over two decades suggests that running performance, specifically, is linked to how an athlete’s physique is adapted to shedding or retaining heat in certain climates. The study is among only a few that connect human physiology to what are known as Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules, which predict how animal species are distributed across various climates, Calsbeek said. These ideas are named after… read on > read on >

In a unanimous vote, a panel of expert advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday endorsed the over-the-counter sale of a birth control pill, a recommendation that will likely pave the way for far greater access to contraception for Americans. Opill, as the pill is called, was first approved by the FDA in 1973. There is no precise information available on how much Opill will cost if sold over the counter (OTC), but Opill manufacturer Perrigo said recently that it is committed to making the medication affordable. “Today’s vote to recommend a switch of Opill to OTC is a new, groundbreaking chapter in reproductive health. Perrigo is proud to lead the way in making contraception more accessible to women in the U.S.,” Perrigo President and CEO Murray Kessler said in a company news release. “We are motivated by the millions of people who need easy access to safe and effective contraception.” The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and other medical organizations already support over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception without age restrictions. And the FDA panel agreed. “I do believe this is a viable option to support access and will support the prevention of unintended and unwanted pregnancies,” said panel member Jolie Haun, a researcher with the U.S. Department of Veterans… read on > read on >

Understanding what causes asthma can help you better manage its causes and triggers. Whether you, your child or another loved one has asthma, you can feel more in control by knowing your options for reducing asthma symptoms and managing its underlying causes. What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic condition that causes swelling and inflammation in the airway tissues. This leads to a narrowing of your airways, making it more difficult to breathe, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). About 1 in 13 people in the United States have asthma. It affects people who are seniors, low-income, Hispanic, Black and Native Americans more than other groups, and can start either in childhood or adulthood. The symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightening. Different people have different triggers for these symptoms. What are the causes of asthma? Figuring out what causes asthma can be tricky because there are several reasons why it develops. According to the American Lung Association (ALA) and the AAFA, the main causes of asthma include: Allergies Obesity Smoking Air pollution Health conditions Family history of asthma Here, you can learn about each cause, plus some ways to manage them so that asthma isn’t triggered as easily. Allergies Certain substances can cause you to develop allergic asthma. The AAFA says the most common include:… read on > read on >

(HealthDay News) – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday issued a six-month extension for people seeking to fill controlled medication prescriptions via telehealth. That ability had been set to expire along with the ending of the pandemic public health emergency on May 11. “These medications, including those used to treat opioid use disorder, are a vital form of care for millions of Americans who have come to rely on safe and effective telemedicine appointments,” Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, chair of the American Medical Association’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, said in a statement. “Patients being treated with these medications often have challenges securing and traveling to in-person appointments. We are grateful the DEA is approaching this issue with the gravity it deserves, and we look forward to reviewing the details of the policy when they become available,” Mukkamala added. Prior to the pandemic, patients had to see a doctor for at least one in-person appointment before being able to access prescriptions for a long list of medications, including stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, benzodiazepines for anxiety, and medications for opioid use disorder, sleep or pain. The DEA had offered proposals on March 1 that would allow prescribers to prescribe one 30-day supply of these controlled medications or the opioid use disorder buprenorphine without an in-person exam. Then an exam would be required… read on > read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

ER Visits by Teens in Mental Health Crisis Have Declined: CDC

For NHL Players, More Fighting on the Ice Is Linked to Shorter Lives

Seat Post Defect Spurs Recall of 2 Million Peloton Exercise Bikes

Skin Patch Could Help Ease Peanut Allergy in Toddlers

Scans Suggest Sleep Apnea Could Be Harming Your Brain

VA Hospitals Offer Quality Surgical Care: Review

Different Body Types May Excel Depending on Climate, Study Finds

FDA Advisors OK Approval of First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

What Causes Asthma? The 6 Most Common Causes

DEA Extends Telemedicine for Prescribing Controlled Meds as Pandemic Measures End