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The centuries-old practice of mindfulness is having a moment in present times, and a new study finds the therapy can improve mental health for at least six months. Analyzing the results of 13 prior studies, U.K. researchers concluded that in-person, teacher-led mindfulness courses were tied to reduced stress and anxiety. Mindfulness “was the seventh step of the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism many thousands of years ago. And lots of different cultures have used different variations of this,” said Dr. Yvette Sheline, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral research at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. There are many cited benefits of mindfulness, which is defined by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center as “maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Mindfulness training is offered in over 600 companies globally, and 79% of U.S. medical schools, according to background notes with the new study. And it’s estimated that at least 5% of U.S. adults have practiced mindfulness. “Although there has been previous research on the topic, this is the largest and most reliable study so far confirming that these courses work for the average person,” said study co-author Julieta Galante, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge, in England. For the study, Cambridge researchers pooled and analyzed data from 2,371 adults who participated… read on > read on >

A growing obesity epidemic may affect the outcome of treatment for those dealing with cancer, according to a new study of adults and teens being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Researchers called for further study of how weight affects the response to different chemotherapy regimens for ALL. “We have known for roughly 15 years that obesity affects survival in pediatric patients treated for ALL, and more recently, we are recognizing a similar relationship in adult populations,” said lead author Dr. Shai Shimony, an advanced fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “But we wanted more granular data on this, to understand why this correlation exists, and how dependent it is on age.” For the study, Shimony’s team collected data on 388 individuals (average age, 24 years) who were treated on Dana-Farber Consortium pediatric regimens for ALL from 2008 to 2021. The investigators examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat based on height and weight); age; toxicities; and treatment outcomes. In all, nearly 47% of the individuals were overweight or obese. The study found they had a higher rate of non-relapse death, nearly 12%, compared to just under 3% for those with a normal BMI. They also had a lower event-free survival rate — 63% versus 77% at four years. (Event-free survival is the length of time after… read on > read on >

As extreme heat continues to blanket numerous parts of the United States, Americans with dementia may be particularly challenged. “Triple-digit temperatures and heat indexes are especially dangerous for someone with a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, because the effects of dementia can impair their ability to notice if they are developing heat stroke or dehydration,” said Jennifer Reeder, director of educational and social services for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “Taking a few simple steps will go a long way to help caregivers keep their loved one with dementia safe during the heat wave,” Reeder said in a foundation news release. Watch out for wandering, a common behavior in individuals with dementia. They can become lost or disoriented and not know whom to call for help. This can be a particularly concerning behavior during a heat wave because in extreme heat conditions heat stroke can develop within minutes. A way to reduce the chances of wandering is to help someone feel purposeful indoors, while also reducing excessive stimuli and ensuring basic needs are met. Create walking paths around the home with visual cues and stimulating objects. Help the person stay engaged with simple tasks or activities such as music, crafts and games. Just in case your loved one still does wander, be sure you have recent photo and medical information close at hand to… read on > read on >

The couch potato life may not be a happy one. When older adults become more sedentary, their overall quality of life takes a hit, new research cautions. Sitting still is your enemy, the study suggests. Even slow walking can help improve your mental and physical health, say the British researchers who tracked more than 1,400 adults age 60 and up. “We set off to look at whether people who reduced their physical activity levels or increased their sitting time in their older years had poorer quality of life later on,” said study lead author Dr. Dharani Yerrakalva. The answer to both questions was yes, said Yerrakalva, a doctoral fellow with the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge. This really matters, she and her colleagues said, noting prior research suggests that as quality of life worsens, the risk for hospitalization goes up. So too does the risk for a premature death. Connie Diekman is a food and nutrition consultant and former president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She said the findings serve as a “strong confirmation of what most health organizations recommend: Stay physically active to keep the body and mind healthy.” “Regular activity helps people feel vital, strong and anxious to keep enjoying life,” said Diekman, who was not part of the study. There are several ways… read on > read on >

Depression that arises after a head injury may be its own distinct condition — one that differs from traditional major depressive disorder, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people with post-concussion depression showed a unique pattern of activity in the brain circuitry involved in depression. This “picture” was different from depression unrelated to a head injury, and different from people who’d suffered a concussion but had no depression symptoms. Experts said the findings shed light on the brain basis for post-concussion depression, and underscore an important take-away for patients: Your mental health symptoms are not just “in your head.” While most people recover from concussion, some have lingering symptoms, which can include depression. In fact, traumatic brain injury (which includes concussion) increases the risk of developing depression by about eightfold, studies show. A key question has been whether that depression stems from the brain injury, per se, or from the emotional trauma of the incident that caused the injury — whether a car accident, military combat or blow to the head on the football field. Many experts have believed it’s the brain injury, said Dr. Shan Siddiqi, the lead researcher on the new study and a clinical neuropsychiatrist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. That’s, in part, because the symptoms of post-concussion depression are often somewhat different, explained Siddiqi. People with major depression… read on > read on >

The drugs Wegovy and Ozempic are all the rage for weight loss these days, and now a new study shows these injections may be game-changers for obese teenagers, too. This trial, funded by drug maker Novo Nordisk, found that nearly half of all adolescents on semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) were able to achieve a healthy weight in about 17 months. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, which slows digestion, decreases hunger, reduces how much people eat and prompts weight loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Wegovy for treating obesity in kids and adults aged 12 years and older, while Ozempic has been approved at a lower dose to treat type 2 diabetes. “Semaglutide appears to be highly effective in helping teens reduce their body mass index [BMI] to a level below the clinical cutoff for obesity,” said study author Aaron Kelly, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, in Minneapolis. “Pharmacotherapy should be offered to all adolescents with obesity who are medically eligible.” For the study, teens with high BMIs received either 2.4-mg of semaglutide weekly (the maximum dose) or a dummy (placebo) injection for 17 months. Everyone in the study was encouraged to exercise for 60 minutes a day and got advice about healthy eating. Fully 45% of teenagers who took once-weekly semaglutide lost enough… read on > read on >

U.S. seniors with mental health needs may not have much access to psychiatrists who could help them, new research shows. Despite an overall heightened demand for mental health services, nearly two-thirds of Medicare Advantage psychiatrist networks included less than 25% of all psychiatrists in a given service area. “This means that many people who have coverage through Medicare Advantage plans may not actually have access to psychiatrists, given how few are considered in-network,” said lead study author Dr. Jane Zhu, an assistant professor of medicine in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. And that data may not fully reveal the extent of the limitations. Even when a psychiatrist is in-network, that doesn’t mean they aren’t already fully booked and not taking new patients, Zhu said, since the United States has a shortage of psychiatrists. “It’s likely a rosier picture than reality,” Zhu said in a university news release. “We know the actual number of psychiatrists available to see patients is much lower.” In some areas, not even one psychiatrist who accepted Medicare Advantage patients was taking new patients. The effect on patients is that they may have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs, experience delays in care or not get the care they need at all, Zhu said. “More than half of the counties for which we had data did not have… read on > read on >

It might seem like sunshine, vacation and time spent with family and friends will bring you happiness this summer. But sometimes it takes a little more effort, said Lina Begdache, an associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, State University of New York. If you’d like to lift your spirits, start by thinking positive thoughts, she said in a university news release. “The way our brains work, the more negative thinking is practiced, the higher your chance of developing a low mood and feeling miserable,” Begdache said. “The good news is that the brain is adjustable, or better known as ‘plastic.’ People can weaken the negative wiring by practicing positive thinking.” Pioneers of positive psychology research have shown that positive thinkers appraise stressful situations as less threatening, Begdache said. They cope well compared to negative thinkers and are happier people. Eating healthy food can also boost your mood, she added. Lifestyle factors, including diet and sleep, have an impact on your mood. A fluctuation in blood sugar can lead to feeling “hangry” (bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger). Certain healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals that support brain and heart health, Begdache said. In addition, a healthy sleep schedule can help your brain steadily produce the chemicals needed to maintain a positive… read on > read on >

Dogs can sniff out and track someone based on their scent, a trait that has aided scores of criminal investigations. Laboratory scientists working with human odors report that a new discovery may also further crime solving: They’ve determined that the scents of women and men differ, at least in their palms. The researchers were able to predict someone’s sex with nearly 97% accuracy using scent compounds from their palms, according to a report published July 5 in the journal PLOS ONE. This could help law enforcement agents track down criminals, according to researchers led by Kenneth Furton, chief scientific officer at Florida International University. Certain crimes — including robberies, assaults and rapes — are often are committed with someone’s hands, the authors said in background notes. This could mean there’s valuable trace evidence left at a crime scene. The finding complements existing human odor research that indicates scent compounds can also reveal a person’s age and racial or ethnic group. “This approach to analyzing hand odor volatiles can be applied when other discriminatory evidence such as DNA is lacking and allow for differentiation or class characterization such as sex, race and age,” Furton and colleagues said in a journal news release. The research team used an analysis technique called mass spectrometry to analyze the volatile scent compounds on the palms of 60 individuals. Half of… read on > read on >

One way to get real peace of mind: Start doing something creative. Americans who engage in creative activities — from crafting to playing the piano to painting — report better mental health, according to a new poll from the American Psychiatric Association. “We live in stressful times, and sometimes our jobs and responsibilities can drain our energy and our mental health,” said APA President Dr. Petros Levounis. “Creative activities aren’t just for fun, they can help us take a step back from the daily grind, use our brains differently, and relax. Picking up that paintbrush or solving a tricky puzzle can truly move us to a different mindset,” Levounis said in an APA news release. About 46% of American adults say they use creative activities to relieve stress or anxiety. Those who rate their own mental health as “very good” or “excellent” tend to participate in this kind of creative fun more than those who say their mental health is “fair” or “poor,” according to the Healthy Minds Monthly Poll. This poll was conducted in June among 2,202 adults. Things are looking up: About 77% of American adults said their current mental health was good or better, compared to 63% in early 2023. Of those reporting very good or excellent mental health, about 7 in 10 engaged in creative activities, compared to 50% of adults… read on > read on >