Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

As levels of nighttime artificial outdoor light rise, so do the odds for a leading cause of vision loss, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). South Korean researchers found that people living in areas of that country with the highest levels of streetlights and other artificial light had more than double the odds for AMD, compared to those living in areas with the lowest levels. That risk remained even after they accounted for confounding factors such as sleep issues and depression, said a team led by Dr. Ahnul Ha, of the department of ophthalmology at Jeju National University College of Medicine. City dwellers may be at particular danger for macular degeneration, since the link between the illness and artificial outdoor light “was found solely in urban areas, where the mean outdoor-artificial-light-at-night level was 3 times higher than in rural areas,” Ha’s group reported. They published their findings Jan. 16 in JAMA Network Open. AMD occurs when a part of the eye’s retina called the macula deteriorates over time. People begin to lose their central vision, making common tasks such as driving or reading difficult. AMD “generally affects people over the age of 60,” said Dr. Matthew Gorski, an ophthalmologist at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY. “Common symptoms of macular degeneration include blurry vision, distortion [where] straight lines appear wavy. The symptoms can be anywhere from… read on > read on >

TUESDAY, Jan. 16, 2024 (HeathDay News) — Folks often feel more alert and savvy after a great workout, and dopamine might be the reason why. A small, new study by British and Japanese researchers found higher levels of the “feel good” brain neurotransmitter were released by men during exercise. In turn, that seemed tied to better performance on thinking tests, the researchers said. “These latest findings support our previous theory that cognitive performance during exercise is affected by changes to brain-regulating hormones, including dopamine,” said study co-author Dr. Joe Costello. He’s at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science, in England. The findings were published recently in the The Journal of Physiology In the study, Costello and colleagues team had 52 men engage in three separate experiments. All were having their brain activity monitored with sophisticated PET imagery during the experiments. In one trial, men were asked to work on mentally challenging tasks while cycling lying down. The second experiment had the men complete the same tasks, but this time they got “electrical muscle stimulation,” rather than a workout. The third experiment had them completing mental tasks while working out and getting the electrical muscle stimulation. Based on data from the PET scans, Costello’s group found a surge in dopamine release in the brain while men were actively working out —… read on > read on >

Magnetic zaps to the brain can significantly help people with severe depression, if the procedure is guided using MRI brain scans, a new clinical trial has concluded. On average, patients showed substantial improvements in depression, anxiety, cognition and quality of life for at least six months after undergoing MRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), results show. One-third experienced a 50% improvement in symptoms, while one-fifth managed to go into remission and remain there. “Given these patients are people who have not responded to two previous treatment attempts and have been ill for an average of 7 years, to get such a significant response rate and a fifth who have a sustained response is really encouraging,” said researcher Richard Morriss, lead for the Center for Mood Disorders at the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Mental Health in the U.K.. TMS is a noninvasive outpatient treatment in which powerful magnetic impulses are delivered to the left side of a person’s head while they are conscious. The method has been used since the 1980s to treat severe depression in people who don’t respond to antidepressants or therapy, researchers said. However, the benefits of TMS have so far proven fleeting, tending to last just one to three months, researchers explained in background notes. In this clinical trial, investigators examined whether better targeting of the magnetic pulses could provide longer-lasting benefits… read on > read on >

In the middle of winter when sunshine can be hard to come by, it’s tough to get enough vitamin D, but one expert has some advice. “Vitamin D is well known to support bone health, but it also plays a role in the health of your heart as well as your GI tract. It is tougher to get it [in the winter] because a lot of the absorption and how the vitamin gets transformed to a usable substance in our bodies is from the sun,” explained Dr. Mike Ren, an assistant professor in Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine. “You need the sun high in the sky, not when it’s rising or about to set, for your body to effectively absorb sunlight to absorb the vitamin D.” Although vitamin D is found naturally in fatty fishes and seafood, it is not typically found in other foods, so people often don’t get enough vitamin D from their diet, Ren said. So, most folks need to get outside in the sun, even when the temperatures plummet. “The typical adult needs 800 international units of vitamin D per day, which roughly translates to 15 to 30 minutes of good, direct sunlight,” Ren said in a Baylor news release. “There is no need to put on a bathing suit just to get sun. You can… read on > read on >

Drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, which have become a wildly popular way to lose weight or battle diabetes, show no link to suicidal thoughts or actions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. “Our preliminary evaluation has not found evidence that use of these medicines causes suicidal thoughts or actions,” an FDA review released Thursday stated. Still, the agency noted officials can’t rule out that “a small risk may exist,” and it will continue to look into similar reports involving this class of weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1 medications. The FDA review comes on the heels of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health that showed people taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, had a lower risk of suicidal thoughts than those taking other drugs to treat obesity and diabetes. In that study, researchers tracked over 240,000 obese people and more than 1.5 million people with type 2 diabetes. They looked at the risk of suicidal ideation within six months of starting the medicines, as well as at later times. At six months, it found that among people taking the drug for weight loss, semaglutide was linked to a 73% lower risk of first-time suicidal ideation and a 56% lower risk of recurrent suicidal ideation. The drugs that semaglutide was compared to included bupropion, naltrexone, orlistat, topiramate and phentermine.… read on > read on >

More than a few folks are considering a cosmetic skin procedure to enhance their looks heading into 2024. Botox, fillers and lasers are common means to sculpt a person’s appearance, but dermatologists recommend a comprehensive approach under the care of a qualified specialist. “There is no one-size-fits-all or ‘cookie cutter’ approach to combat the signs of aging because aging looks different on everyone,” said Dr. Laura Fine, a board-certified dermatologist in Chicago. “On the flipside, there is no one cosmetic treatment to address all of these changes.” Here is what the most common procedures can do: Botox (botulinum toxin) can diminish frown lines and crow’s feet around a person’s eyes, and is also a treatment for excessive sweating, Fine said. Most people see results within three to seven days, and results can last about three to four months. Fillers can restore lost fullness to the face, lips and hands, and can be used to lessen scars and erase fine lines. They provide immediate results but tend to be temporary, requiring repeated treatments. Lasers can treat a variety of unsightly stretch marks, scars, hair and age spots, Fine said. However, keep in mind lasers can’t fully remove stretch marks or scars, just make them less noticeable. “The best cosmetic outcomes are often achieved with a comprehensive approach, starting with skincare at home, combined with other in-office… read on > read on >

A spike in the use of ADHD medications during the pandemic likely prompted drug shortages that continue to frustrate patients and doctors today, a new study shows. New prescriptions for stimulants that treat the condition jumped for young adults and women in particular after the pandemic first struck in March 2020, according to a study published Jan. 10 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Meanwhile, prescriptions also soared for non-stimulant ADHD treatments for adults of all ages, found researchers led by Grace Chai. She’s at the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Why the surge? The mental and emotional strain of the pandemic, coupled with an increased use of telemedicine that made it easier for patients to get help, were big contributors, experts said. Las Vegas psychiatrist Dr. Ann Childress told the Associated Press that more adults started coming to her for help after COVID-19 started sweeping across the country and lockdowns were put in place. Working from home made it clear to some people how easily they get distracted: Childress says she diagnosed a lot of parents, especially moms, who saw it in their children and recognized it in themselves. On top of that, social media has made people more aware of adult ADHD. “People are more open to talking about mental health issues now,”… read on > read on >

Medical marijuana might help ease chronic pain, but it also slightly increases a patient’s risk of a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm, a new study says. Patients treated with medical cannabis had a nearly 1% increased risk of being diagnosed with a heart rhythm problem that required monitoring and possible treatment, results show. The risk was more than double that of chronic pain patients not using cannabis, and occurred within six months of starting medical weed. “I don’t think this research should make patients with chronic pain refrain from trying medical cannabis if other treatment has been inadequate,” said researcher Dr. Anders Holt, a cardiologist at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. “However, these results do suggest some improved monitoring may be advisable initially, especially in patients who are already at increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” he added in a news release. Medical weed is now allowed as a treatment for chronic pain in 38 U.S. states, as well as in several countries in Europe, Holt noted. “This means more and more doctors will find themselves prescribing cannabis, despite a lack of evidence on its side effects,” he said. To better inform these prescriptions, Holt and his colleagues conducted what they believe is the first nationwide study to investigate the heart effects of medical marijuana prescribed for chronic pain. For the study, researchers tracked nearly 5,400 Danish… read on > read on >

A bout of depression can trigger a bump in body weight among people struggling with obesity, a new study has found. People who had an increase in symptoms related to depression experienced an increase in their weight a month later, researchers report in the journal PLOS One. “Overall, this suggests that individuals with overweight or obesity are more vulnerable to weight gain in response to feeling more depressed,” lead researcher Julia Mueller from the University of Cambridge’s Medical Research Council said in a university news release. The results support prior research pointing to a link between weight and mental health, with each potentially influencing the other. For the study, researchers examined data from more than 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom who were participating in a COVID-19 study. Participants completed monthly digital questionnaires on their mental well-being and body weight, using a mobile app. Questions in the study assessed each person’s symptoms of depression, anxiety and perceived stress. For every incremental increase in a person’s usual depression score, their weight increased by about a tenth of a pound one month later, results show. It might seem like a small weight gain, but researchers noted that if a person’s depression rose from five to 10 on the scale they used, it would relate to an average weight gain of a half-pound. “Although the weight gain was… read on > read on >

Weight gain has long been an unwanted side effect of medicines commonly used to treat psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Some patients may quit their meds to avoid piling on pounds. Or if they stick to their meds and weight gain continues, they face higher risks for diabetes and liver disease. However, research in mice is pinpointing how this drug-linked weight gain happens in the first place — and how to stop it. The answer may lie in a hormone called leptin, explain researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. According to the Cleveland Clinic, leptin is a hormone that’s emitted by fat cells and is involved in hunger and weight maintenance. Prior research has shown that patients who start taking common psychiatric meds such as olanzapine (used against bipolar disorder) and risperidone (used to treat schizophrenia) typically experience an uptick in their leptin levels before a surge in weight gain. The new study was conducted in mice. It might explain how a drug-induced rise in leptin is linked to added pounds. “While it was historically viewed as a ‘passenger’ to obesity – meaning [leptin] levels go up as we gain weight – our data strongly suggest that it is a ‘driver’ for drug-induced obesity,” said study lead author Philipp Scherer. He’s professor of internal medicine and director… read on > read on >