Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

An old scourge, syphilis, is returning with a vengeance in the United States, affecting not only adults but also the most vulnerable — newborns. Rates of congenital syphilis soared 10-fold between 2012 and 2022, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The congenital syphilis crisis in the United States has skyrocketed at a heartbreaking rate,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry said in a statement. “New actions are needed to prevent more family tragedies. We’re calling on healthcare providers, public health systems and communities to take additional steps to connect mothers and babies with the care they need.” Congenital syphilis occurs when the illness is passed from the mother to her newborn. According to the March of Dimes, “If not treated right away, congenital syphilis can cause problems for your baby later in life,” including deformities of the bones and teeth, paralysis or seizures, problems with vision and hearing and developmental delays. In 2022, more than 3,700 babies across the United States were born with syphilis, a rate that’s 10 times that of the previous decade. The CDC blames the steep rise in cases among women of childbearing years on restrictions in access to good prenatal care, among other factors. “Almost 9 in 10 cases of newborn syphilis in 2022 might have been prevented with timely testing and… read on > read on >

When doctors advise patients to lose weight, an optimistic approach is more likely to get results. Researchers found that patients were more likely to participate in the recommended program and shed pounds if doctors presented obesity treatments as an “opportunity.” They compared that upbeat approach to emphasizing the negative consequences of obesity or using neutral language. International guidelines recommend that primary care doctors screen patients and offer treatment for those who are overweight or obese. Patients have said that clinicians’ words and tone matter to them. For this study, a University of Oxford team analyzed recordings of doctor-patient conversations at 38 primary care clinics about a free, 12-week behavioral weight-loss intervention. The researchers were looking for relationships between language used in the visit and patient behaviors, such as participation in the program and weight loss outcomes. The authors characterized these interactions in three ways. The “good news” approach was the least common. It communicated positivity and optimism, focused on the benefits of weight loss and presented the program as an opportunity. In that approach, doctors made little mention of obesity, weight or body mass index (an estimate of body fat based on height and weight) as a problem. The information was presently smoothly and quickly, and conveyed excitement. The “bad news” approach emphasized the “problem” of obesity. Physicians asserted themselves as experts. They focused on… read on > read on >

An adolescent starts thinking like an adult right around the age of 18, according to new research. That provides some of the first definitive evidence that executive function matures by that time. Executive function is a set of mental skills that include the ability to plan, switch between tasks, resist tempting distractions and focus. For the study, researchers collected and analyzed nearly two dozen laboratory measures of executive functions in more than 10,000 people. Researchers said their findings have significant implications for psychiatrists, neuroscientists, parents, educators and potentially the judicial system. “When I talk with parents, a lot of them say, ‘There is no way that my 18-year-old is a fully formed adult!’” said senior author Beatriz Luna, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and authority on neurocognitive development. “Other important behavioral factors that complement executive function, such as the ability to control one’s own emotions, can change with age. The ability to use executive function reliably improves with age and, at least in a laboratory setting, matures by 18 years of age,” Luna said in a university news release. While many childhood milestones are mapped out, that timeline of adolescence transitioning to adulthood is less formally defined, according to the study. Individuals differ greatly. Analytical tools are limited. “In our study, we wanted to present a consensus and… read on > read on >

Warnings about the dangers of vaping may be reaching American teens: A new U.S. government report shows e-cigarette use is down among high school students. In fact, use of any tobacco product over the past 30 days declined among this age group during the 2022-2023 school year, from 16.5% to 12.6%. This was driven largely by a decline in e-cigarette use, which dropped from 14.1% to 10%. “The decline in e-cigarette use among high school students shows great progress, but our work is far from over,” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Findings from this report underscore the threat that commercial tobacco product use poses to the health of our nation’s youth,” Kittner said in a CDC news release. “It is imperative that we prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and help those who use tobacco to quit.” Still, anti-smoking advocates welcomed the findings. “It is terrific news for our nation’s health that e-cigarette use among high school students fell sharply this year, while use of cigarettes, cigars and other smoked tobacco products are at record lows,” said Yolonda Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “These results are powerful evidence that with the right policies and public education campaigns, we can drive down and even eliminate youth use of all tobacco products. They show… read on > read on >

Cardinal Health, Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain LEADER brand eyedrops because they may cause eye infections. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration informed the Dublin, Ohio, company that agency investigators found unsanitary conditions in its manufacturing facility. Tests of critical drug production areas of the facility were positive for bacteria. The drops were supplied by Velocity Pharma, LLC. Potential eye infections caused by bacteria could lead to partial vision loss or blindness, Cardinal Health warned in a recall notice from the FDA. These products were meant to be sterile. Contaminated ophthalmic drug products pose a particular risk of harm because products applied to the eyes bypass some of the body’s natural defenses. Cardinal Health has received reports of three adverse events related to these listed products and have shared this information with its supplier, the recall notice said. Several products are part of the recall. They are: LEADER Eye Irritation Relief, NDC code 70000-0087-1 LEADER Dry Eye Relief, NDC code 70000-0089-1 LEADER Lubricant Eye Drops, NDC code 70000-0090-1 LEADER Lubricant Eye Drops, NDC codes 70000-0090-2 (pack of 2) and 70000-0090-1 (bottle) LEADER Dry Eye Relief, NDC code 70000-0088-1 LEADER Lubricant Eye Drops, NDC code 70000-0587-1 These eyedrops are sold over the counter for temporary relief of burning and irritation due to dryness, to protect against further irritation and to relieve redness. They were sent to… read on > read on >

A seizure doesn’t always look like what you see in the movies, but a new survey finds most Americans don’t know what the more subtle signs of seizures are. “Anything that interrupts your brain’s circuit can cause seizures, from tumors, infections and strokes to high or low blood sugar, or glucose levels, to inherited genetic features. And different types of seizures can present with dozens of different symptoms,” said Dr. Dipali Nemade. She is a neurologist at the Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute. “But because they often look different than those ‘cinematic seizures’ we see in movies and television, they can go undiagnosed for a long time,” Nemade added. The standard mental picture of a seizure is someone falling to the ground with full body convulsions, which can be what a generalized tonic-clonic seizure looks like. A new national survey by Orlando Health found most Americans recognize these symptoms. Yet only 32% believe numbness or tingling signals a seizure, while about 35% think of blinking rapidly as a sign. Meanwhile, roughly 13% see crying out or screaming as a seizure symptom, while just 6% think of laughing as such. Pay attention to any odd behaviors and address them with your doctor, Nemade suggested. “Even seizures with these less dramatic symptoms can make everyday activities like driving and cooking dangerous,” she said in an Orlando Health news… read on > read on >

The ancient art of tai chi, plus a modern twist, may help older adults reverse mild declines in brain power, a new clinical trial reveals. Researchers found that tai chi classes helped older adults improve their subtle problems with cognition (memory and thinking skills). It also helped them with a fundamental multitasking skill: walking while your attention is elsewhere. But while tai chi was effective, a “cognitively enhanced” version that added mental challenges to the mix worked even better, the study found. Experts called the findings — published Oct. 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine — promising. They support the concept of stimulating seniors’ minds in multiple ways, rather than one. Tai chi is a traditional Chinese practice that combines slow, graceful movement and physical postures with controlled breathing. It’s performed as a moving meditation, and studies over the years have found that it can help older people improve their balance and lower their risk of falls. There is also evidence that tai chi can help seniors sharpen their cognition, said Peter Harmer, a researcher on the new trial. His team wanted to test the effects of adding specific mental challenges to the tai chi practice — based on recent studies suggesting that physical and mental exercise together are better than either alone. Conventional tai chi classes, like most physical exercise classes, are primarily… read on > read on >

Taking the drug metformin – typically used for type 2 diabetes – can help counter weight gain in young people who are taking medication for bipolar disorder, according to a new trial. While second-generation antipsychotic medications (SGAs) that treat bipolar disorder can help improve mental health, significant side effects include higher blood pressure and blood sugar, increased appetite and weight gain. “We, the clinicians, naively justified that we’re improving your psychosis, so just deal with the weight gain,” said trial co-leader Dr. Victor Fornari, a child/adolescent psychiatrist at Northwell Health in Glen Oaks, N.Y. “But patients stopped taking their medicine because they said they didn’t want to gain weight.” A survey showed patients wanted interventions to reduce these side effects, according to Christina Klein, a University of Cincinnati research scientist. The study had broad enrollment criteria and was conducted at a wide variety of clinics, she said. It included more than 1,500 patients ages 8 to 19 who had bipolar disorder and were taking SGAs. “It was a large sample of patients to really demonstrate what’s going on,” Fornari said in a University of Cincinnati news release. “I don’t know that anybody has done a study of this magnitude.” Trial participants received recommendations for healthy eating and exercise. Half were also prescribed metformin. “If patients weren’t doing well on the metformin, they could come off… read on > read on >

Experts have long wondered whether diagnoses for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the youngest children in a class would hold. A new study suggests that being the youngest, and possibly most immature, did not appear to make a difference. “We know the youngest children in their year group are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD — but many believe this is because they lag behind their older classmates,” explained senior study author Dr. Samuele Cortese, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. “However, no one has ever explored if these younger children who are diagnosed with ADHD retain the diagnosis later on — until now,” Cortese said in a university news release. “Our study shows for the first time that these youngsters are no more likely to lose the diagnosis over time than older children.” More than 360 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the World Health Organization. About one-third are children and adolescents. Symptoms include impulsiveness, disorganization, poor time management skills, difficulty focusing and restlessness. This new study was led by researchers from University of Southampton and Paris Nanterre University, who collaborated with 161 scientists from around the world. They used data from more than 6,500 patients who had ADHD, who were followed for a period between the ages of 4… read on > read on >

Federal regulators are warning consumers to stop using eyedrops and gels from several major brands after finding unsanitary conditions in a manufacturing plant. Twenty-six eye care products are part of the alert. Contaminated products have the potential to cause eye infection and blindness because drugs applied to the eye can bypass some of the body’s defenses. Those concerning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are branded CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up and Velocity Pharma. The FDA urged the manufacturer to recall all lots of these products. CVS, Rite Aid and Target are pulling products from shelves and websites. Although there were no reports of infection, bacterial tests were positive in critical drug product areas of the plant. The FDA’s list of eye products to avoid is here. Patients and providers should report any issues to the FDA. Consumers should discard products involved in the recall at a drug take-back site. They can also check the FDA’s flush list to see if they can be safely discarded at home, the New York Times reported. Certain products — those branded Leader, Rugby and Velocity — may still be available for purchase in stores and online. Don’t buy them, the FDA advised. Rite Aid is removing “applicable Rite Aid branded products” from store shelves, a spokeswoman said. CVS “immediately… read on > read on >