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Not sure what’s causing your child’s asthma? A new quick-and-easy nasal swab test for kids can diagnose the specific immune system drivers behind their asthma, potentially opening the door to better treatments, researchers say. The test diagnoses a child’s asthma subtype, also called an endotype. “Because asthma is a highly variable disease with different endotypes, which are driven by different immune cells and respond differently to treatments, the first step toward better therapies is accurate diagnosis of endotype,” senior researcher Dr. Juan Celedon, chief of pulmonary medicine at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said in a news release from the hospital. Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting about 1 in every 10 kids, according to the National Institutes of Health. Traditionally, doctors classify asthma into different subtypes based on the immune cells that are causing inflammation that chokes off airways. There’s T2-high driven by T helper 2 cells, T17-high driven by T helper 17 cells, and low-low in which neither type of cell appears to be the cause. Precisely diagnosing an asthma subtype involves putting a kid under anesthesia and taking a small sample of lung tissue, which is then subjected to genetic analysis, researchers said. That procedure is so invasive that it’s just not worth it for kids with milder asthma, so doctors instead must guess asthma subtype based…  read on >  read on >

Considering a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking? New research might provide all the motivation you need: Each cigarette could shorten your life by up to 22 minutes, researchers say. The findings, published Dec. 29, 2024, in the journal Addiction, were based on mortality data from British smokers and suggest that smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes a day can cost someone nearly seven hours of life. “The time they’re losing is time that they could be spending with their loved ones in fairly good health,” said Dr. Sarah Jackson, lead author and principal research fellow at University College London’s Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group. The research shows that smoking tends to erode healthy middle years of life, rather than just the later years often spent in poorer health. The research, which was commissioned by the UK Department for Health and Social Care, includes mortality data on men from the British Doctors Study and data on women from the Million Women Study, a news release says. The studies found that lifelong smokers lost an average of 10 years of life compared with nonsmokers. “In terms of regaining this life lost, it’s complicated,” Jackson said. “These studies have shown that people who quit at a very young age — so by their 20s or early 30s — tend to have a similar life expectancy to people…  read on >  read on >

Weight loss tops many folks’ list of New Years resolutions, and lots of people are turning to cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Ozempic to help them drop excess pounds. These drugs, called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), work in several different ways to help people lose weight, gain control over their blood sugar levels, and improve their heart health, a new study published in the journal Cureus says. GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone secreted by the small intestine when people eat food. The drugs initially were approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes because they help lower blood sugar levels. But subsequent studies found that GLP-1 drugs also help people lose weight. The new study noted the different means by which GLP-1 drugs act upon the body. Specifically, these drugs: Increase insulin production, which lowers blood sugar Delay digestion in the stomach, reducing hunger levels Send signals to the brain indicating that a person has eaten enough and feels full Promote the breakdown of cholesterol in the bloodstream, reducing a person’s heart risk Lower blood pressure by inhibiting inflammation in the blood vessels Reduce blood sugar production in the liver, protecting the organ from potential scarring “All these emerging benefits have made GLP-1 RAs an important pharmacological drug,” concluded the research team led by senior researcher Dr. Zahra Nazir with the Combined Military Hospital…  read on >  read on >

Eczema can be maddening, causing thick, scaly patches of dry skin that itch like the devil. There’s no cure for the skin condition, but a new study shows that self-guided talk therapy can help a person deal with the itching. Online self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that teaches patients how to respond to their itching is as effective as psychologist-led therapy in reducing eczema symptoms, researchers reported recently in the journal JAMA Dermatology. “Self-guided internet CBT proved to be an effective option for reducing symptoms and improving quality of life, while requiring fewer healthcare resources,” investigator Dorian Kern, a doctoral student at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said in a news release from the institute. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches people how to respond to physical and mental health problems. In CBT, patients figure out which unhelpful behaviors or patterns of thinking are exacerbating their problems, and learn better ways to respond. CBT typically involves a person hashing out their issues with a therapist, but in this case the therapy is delivered online via a computer program, researchers said. A person guides their own eczema-related therapy, using the online program to teach themselves mindfulness and proper ways to respond to itching. For example, scratching might feel good in the moment but can cause eczema to grow worse. CBT might help teach a person with eczema to…  read on >  read on >

If you’re a mom right now, you are likely tearing your hair out as you juggle the sizable scheduling demands of the holiday season. Maybe you feel like you are carrying the load alone. New research suggests you are not imagining things, and that it happens all year long to many moms. The study, published recently in the Journal of Marriage & Family, reveals that mothers overwhelmingly carry this “mental load.” What is mental load? It boils down to the thinking needed to keep family life running smoothly. This includes scheduling, planning and organizing tasks. Exactly how much of this responsibility do moms assume? Researchers found that mothers take on seven in 10 of all household mental load tasks. These tasks range from planning meals and arranging activities to managing household finances. “This kind of work is often unseen, but it matters, said researcher Dr. Ana Catalano Weeks, a political scientist in the Department of Politics, Languages & international Studies at the University of Bath in England. “It can lead to stress, burnout and even impact women’s careers. In many cases, resentment can build, creating strain between couples. We hope our research sparks conversations about sharing the mental load more fairly — something that benefits everyone.” In the study, her team analyzed data from 3,000 U.S. parents, measuring the share of common mental load tasks…  read on >  read on >

Norovirus, a highly contagious stomach bug, is surging across the United States this winter, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data shows 91 outbreaks of norovirus during the week of Dec. 5, a sharp rise from the 69 outbreaks recorded the previous week. For context, the first week of December has typically seen a maximum of 65 outbreaks in recent years. Often called the “stomach flu,” norovirus causes sudden vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Outbreaks tend to occur in crowded settings such as nursing homes, schools, jails, and cruise ships. The report comes after a recent outbreak that infected over 300 individuals onboard three different cruise ships earlier this month. Norovirus spreads rapidly through direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Sharing food, drinks, or utensils with someone infected can also transmit the virus. Symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure and last for one to three days. While most people recover fully, dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea can be dangerous, particularly for young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. The best defense against norovirus is frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially before meals. Disinfecting surfaces with household cleaners can also reduce the risk of infection.…  read on >  read on >

Single folks might seem like they’re free to have more fun, but a new study says they may pay the piper in their later years. Lifelong single folks have lower scores on life satisfaction measures than those in long-term relationships, according to a study published recently in the journal Psychological Science. Singles also score differently on measures of personality like extroversion, conscientiousness and adventurousness, results show. “There are differences between people who stay single their entire lives and people who get partnered, and for me this means that we have to take extra care of these people,” lead investigator Julia Stern, a senior researcher at the University of Bremen in Germany, said in a news release from the American Psychological Society. For the study, researchers surveyed more than 77,000 Europeans older than 50 hailing from 27 different countries. Of these participants, more than 4,900 had never been married, more than 2,900 had never lived with a partner, and nearly 2,400 had never been in a serious long-term relationship. Researchers figured that people who had been in a serious relationship in the past might have different personality traits than those who’ve never been in a committed partnership. And they were right — lifelong singles scored lower on extraversion, openness to new experiences, conscientiousness and life satisfaction, results show. All singles scored lower on those measures than…  read on >  read on >

Blue Christmas, anyone? Holiday time can be wonderful, worrisome, energizing and depressing — all at the same time. There is no doubt about it: The holidays can be darn hard, especially when the season dredges up painful feelings or memories. Rather than stirring merry and joyful feelings, the end of the year can feel sad, dark and lonesome — especially when you are missing someone or wrestling with stressors such as financial strain. “It’s important to know that it’s OK to not feel festive during this season,” Katie Godshall, a clinical assistant professor in social work at the University of New Hampshire, said. Realize that these feelings are perfectly normal, she advises. “If you’re coping with loss or loneliness, it can be significantly more difficult to feel joyful,” Godshall said, stressing that feeling a little blue doesn’t mean that you have failed. “It’s important to remember to be kind to yourself, look for a little help and try to find some comfort,” she notes. If you, like many others, are managing loss, anxiety and stress around the holidays this year, consider how to give yourself a little grace and focus on your mental health. Godshall offers basic tips and steps to help beat the blues or comfort a loved one who are struggling this holiday season. 15 Steps to Help Ease the Holiday Blues 1.…  read on >  read on >

Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people’s lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly opinion poll series. The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your mental health, experts say. “If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” Dr. Marketa Wills, medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important,” Wells said in a news release. According to the APA’s research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a new rule to require standardized testing of talc-containing cosmetics for asbestos, a known carcinogen linked to serious illnesses such as lung and ovarian cancers. According to an FDA report, the proposed rule would mandate that manufacturers test each batch of talc-containing cosmetic products using advanced microscopy techniques, including polarized light and transmission electron microscopy. Failure to comply with these testing or record-keeping requirements would result in the products being classified as adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Asbestos contamination in talc-based cosmetics has been a long-standing health concern. The FDA emphasized there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and this rule aims to reduce harmful exposure and protect consumers from potential health risks. The FDA’s announcement comes as Johnson & Johnson faces lawsuits from over 62,000 claimants alleging asbestos in its talc products caused cancer. The company has denied the allegations, calling its products safe, and is working to resolve claims through a $10 billion settlement in bankruptcy. The proposed rule is now open for public and industry comments for 90 days before being finalized, according to a news release from CNN. More information The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has more on asbestos. SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), news release, Dec. 26, 2024; CNN  read on >