The herbal supplement kratom regularly causes serious side effects and doesn’t appear safe for use, a new study argues. Kratom, made from the leaves of a Southeast Asian plant, is usually used to treat pain and addiction. But poison control center data shows it has been tied to seizures, withdrawal, hallucinations, agitation and rapid heart rate, researchers report. Kratom is “probably not something that’s safe enough to be available as an herbal supplement,” concluded lead researcher William Eggleston, a clinical assistant professor with the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy in New York. Kratom contains compounds that act on the opioid receptors in the brain and the body, according to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. And while it’s a legal herbal supplement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already issued a warning against using kratom. The FDA has called the drug “opioid-like” and cited concerns that it might pose an addiction risk. In the new study, poison control centers received more than 2,300 calls related to kratom between 2011 and 2018. Those calls increased from 18 in 2011 to 357 in the first seven months of 2018, according to stats drawn from the U.S. National Poison Data System. The research team zeroed in on 935 cases where kratom was the only substance involved. About 56% of cases involved kratom taken as a pill,…  read on >

They’re gaining in popularity among women, and a new study finds menstrual cups to be just as safe and as effective as disposable pads or tampons. British researchers looked at data on the cost-saving devices, gleaned from 43 studies involving more than 3,300 women and girls worldwide. Reporting July 17 in The Lancet Public Health, the study authors said the research was sorely needed. “Despite the fact that 1.9 billion women globally are of menstruating age — spending on average 65 days a year dealing with menstrual blood flow — few good quality studies exist that compare sanitary products,” said review senior author Penelope Phillips-Howard of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. “We aimed to address this by summarizing current knowledge about leakage, safety and acceptability of menstrual cups, comparing them to other products where possible,” she explained in a journal news release. Rather than absorbing blood flow like pads and tampons, menstrual cups collect it. They are inserted into the vagina and emptied every four to 12 hours. The cups also get around the need for women to continuously purchase disposable products — such as tampons or pads –because they’re made with medical-grade silicone, rubber or latex and can last up to 10 years. One U.S. expert agreed that women need more information on menstrual cups. Christine Metz is director of research in obstetrics…  read on >

“Broken heart syndrome” may harm more than just the heart, new research suggests. While the extreme stress of losing a loved one has been linked to heart troubles in prior research, a new study found that one in six people with broken heart syndrome also had cancer. Even worse, they were less likely to survive their cancer five years after diagnosis. “There seems to be a strong interplay between Takotsubo syndrome [broken heart syndrome] and malignancies,” said study senior author Dr. Christian Templin. He’s director of acute cardiac care at University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland. “Therefore, it should be recommended for Takotsubo syndrome patients to participate in cancer screening to improve overall survival,” he said, adding that the reverse is also true. Still, the study did not prove that one causes the other. Broken heart syndrome causes sudden intense chest pain and shortness of breath that can be mistaken for a heart attack. These symptoms are a reaction to a sudden surge in stress hormones, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The condition causes the heart’s main pumping chamber to enlarge, the researchers said. And that means the heart can’t pump blood effectively. Broken heart syndrome can happen after just about any intensely emotional experience. The death of a loved one, a breakup or divorce, financial problems and even an intensely positive experience like…  read on >

You might think that stress affects you only emotionally or that a lack of sleep simply leaves you feeling cranky. But these are among the many lifestyle factors that can lead to health problems because of changes that they cause within your body’s cells. Packed inside every cell is your DNA and its strands of chromosomes. Chromosomes are protected, top and bottom, by sections called telomeres. The health of these “end caps” is crucial to your health and longevity. If they become damaged, meaning shortened, because of poor lifestyle choices such as a bad diet or lack of sleep, your health can suffer. Shortened telomeres may, for instance, be the link between not getting enough quality sleep and developing chronic health conditions. Stress is another risk factor for telomere damage. Small studies have found that people who experience sustained stress have shorter telomeres and a greater risk of disease. This seems to be particularly true for those with an anxiety disorder. Obesity may also play a role in telomere damage. But there’s good news. A research review published in The Journals of Gerontology reports that telomeres can react positively to healthy lifestyle choices, so you can influence their health. Aim for a healthy diet and a healthy weight, get lots of exercise and proper rest, and find ways to manage stress. While research has yet…  read on >