Marijuana has a reputation for being harmless, but frequent tokers are more likely to suffer from asthma, a new study shows. Asthma is more common among U.S. adults who’ve used weed within the past 30 days, researchers reported recently in the journal Preventive Medicine. Further, the odds of asthma are significantly greater among people who reported using the drug 20 to 30 days per month, researchers found. The more frequent the cannabis use, the higher the likelihood of asthma, even after adjusting for the potential effects of concurrent cigarette smoking, they concluded. “With the growing use of cannabis across the U.S., understanding potential links between cannabis use and asthma is increasingly relevant to population health,” said co-researcher Renee Goodwin, a psychiatric epidemiologist with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. For the study, researchers analyzed data from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual study of nearly 33,000 people ages 12 and older in the United States. They looked at the relationship of cannabis or marijuana use within the past month among people with asthma. About 10% of people with recent weed use had asthma, versus about 7% of those who don’t use, researchers found. The odds rose if people used weed many times a week, results showed. The study adds to prior research by “being the…  read on >  read on >

If your preteen or teen skips school activities and social events, it may be more than the typically moody behavior of adolescence, new research warns. Being socially withdrawn and having physical discomforts such as headaches, nausea or stomachaches as a preteen may boost the risk of having suicidal thoughts by age 16, researchers report. Dr. John Duffy, a Chicago-based psychologist who wasn’t involved in the study, told CNN that the findings mirror what he has seen in his practice. “That is, teenagers that I’ve worked with who are socially withdrawn and experienced somatic symptoms — anxiety, in particular — early in adolescence have a far greater risk for suicidal ideation in mid and late adolescence,” added Duffy. “This is undeniably true and a really strong argument for early intervention.” Duffy noted he has found the findings to be especially prevalent among boys and young men. “I think that’s due in large part to the fact that girls are imbued early with a rich, emotional language that boys continue to lack even today,” he said. In the United States, suicide attempts and deaths by suicide among children and young adults have been increasing in recent years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the new study, Japanese researchers studied over 2,700 adolescents involved in the Tokyo Teen Cohort study, which has examined mental and physical development…  read on >  read on >

Women are suffering more anxiety and depression in states that banned abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a new study shows. The court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022 triggered laws banning abortion in 13 states. In the six months after, symptoms of anxiety and depression increased among women living in those states, particularly those ages 18 to 45, researchers report Jan. 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “These findings suggest that changes in abortion policy can impact mental health at the population level,” said senior study author Matthew Eisenberg, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy in Baltimore. “Policymakers should, of course, be aware of the first-order impacts of policies, but studies such as this suggest that they should also consider downstream policy effects on mental health, even when a policy is not specifically targeting mental health,” Eisenberg added in a Hopkins news release. For the study, researchers analyzed data drawn from the Household Pulse Survey, an online survey the U.S. Census Bureau conducts every two weeks to track health and socioeconomic conditions in the United States. The survey includes a four-question screening tool often used in primary care to assess anxiety and depression, researchers said. The study examined 13 waves of data drawn from the survey, spanning from late December 2021 to January…  read on >  read on >

 The American Lung Association’s annual report on smoking blasts President Joe Biden for failing to finalize rules that would end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Last month, the Biden administration announced it was delaying until March a ban on menthol cigarettes that has been in the works for years. In response, the lung association’s “State of Tobacco Control” report released Wednesday takes Biden to task for this decision. “Right now, President Biden can take action and save lives if he finalizes the rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars,” Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the lung association, said in a news release. “Menthol cigarettes make it both easier to start and harder to quit by reducing the harshness of the smoke and cooling the throat,” Wimmer explained. “Once these rules are final, fewer people will start smoking, millions will begin their journey to quit and lives will be saved.” Menthol cigarettes pose a serious political problem for Biden, who needs the support of Black voters to win re-election. Black people are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes than smokers of other races or ethnicities, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, about 7 in 10 Black adults ages 18 to 34 who currently smoke cigarettes use ones flavored with menthol, compared to…  read on >  read on >

Could a blood pressure drug thats been around since the 1960s help ease anxiety in people with autism? That’s the main finding from a small study where 69 people between the ages of 7 and 24 who had autism were given the drug, called propranolol. “The findings show that propranolol could serve as a helpful intervention for reducing anxiety for individuals with autism,” said study lead author Dr. David Beversdorf. He’s a clinician at the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment. “This drug has been around since the 1960s and is very inexpensive,” he noted in a university news release. “Up until now, we haven’t had any known drugs that target psychiatric issues specifically for individuals with autism, so these results are very promising and can support future research.” The study found that people who received propranolol had significantly lower anxiety levels at their three-month checkup. Although the team also checked participants’ social communication skills, no benefits linked to use of propranolol were found. Beversdorf said he’s seen firsthand the benefits of propranolol for people with autism who battle anxiety. “As researchers, we try our best to improve the lives of our patients, and it feels rewarding to help out,” said Beversdorf, who is also a professor of radiology, neurology and psychological sciences at the university. “I went into the field of…  read on >  read on >

Alcoholics Anonymous is a key means by which millions of Americans deal with drinking problems. However, white Americans are much more likely to engage in the trusted “12-step” program than Black of Hispanic drinkers, a new study finds. Black and Hispanic alcoholics are about 40% less likely to have ever attended an AA meeting, compared to white drinkers, according to analysis of data from the National Alcohol Survey. Researchers also discovered age-related disparities. Among adults younger than 30, less than 5% had ever attended AA versus about 12% of those 30 and older. After accounting for other factors, younger adults still attended AA at a third of the rate of older adults. “This is concerning, because the disparities suggest that these groups — Black, Latinx and emerging adults — are not receiving optimal care,” said lead researcher Sarah Zemore, a senior scientist with the Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, Calif. AA and other similar support groups have become a staple for treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders, researchers said in background notes. Research has proven these groups can help people achieve lasting recovery. “It’s known that mutual-help groups can be quite effective in initiating and sustaining recovery,” Zemore said. And in the United States, more Americans turn to AA-type groups than specialty substance abuse treatment programs, Zemore noted. It’s not clear why racial and…  read on >  read on >

If you decide to see a therapist, finding one who’s right for you presents one of the biggest early hurdles. “The field of psychology, psychiatry and psychotherapy has advanced over the years, and one of the ways it has advanced is by learning that certain therapies may work best for certain problems,” said Eric Storch, vice chair of psychology in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Storch offers some solid tips for finding the best therapist for your needs: Make a Connection You should feel a sense of connection and comfort when disclosing personal information to a therapist. Being able to talk openly and comfortably is a good sign you’ve found the right therapist. What’s the Plan? Expect a therapist to ask questions about your situation at the first meeting, which will help them figure out the problem and create a treatment plan best suited to deal with it. Their plan should align with therapies proven to work for your particular issue. “In psychotherapy, you want to be looking for people who have a particular expertise in a particular type of problem,” Storch said. For example, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety might best be served by cognitive-behavioral therapy. Interpersonal problems would require a different type of therapy. Ask Advocates Patient advocacy groups can provide you…  read on >  read on >

Loneliness can be a killer, but it can be particularly deadly for obese people, who are markedly more likely to experience social isolation. Luckily, a new study shows that addressing it may lower the risk of health complications and an early death for these folks. “To date, dietary and lifestyle factors are the major focus in preventing obesity-related illness,” study author Dr. Lu Qi, interim chair of the department of epidemiology at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, told CNN. “Our study highlights the importance of taking social and mental health into account in improving health for people with obesity.” Dr. Philipp Scherer, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, wasn’t surprised by the findings. But the results do point to improving “social isolation as a potential remedy for the reduction of mortality,” he told CNN. In the study, researchers looked at data from nearly 400,000 people from the UK BioBank, a large database that has tracked the health of Britons for years. Those included in the research did not have heart disease when the scientists began collecting data for this latest study. They then followed up with the volunteers between March 2006 and November 2021. During that period, all causes of death for people who were obese was 36% lower in those who felt…  read on >  read on >

Think your kid is safe from exposure to gambling?  Don’t bet on it. “Teens and young adults may have a difficult time going into a casino unnoticed but they have easy access to a variety of betting and gambling options,” said Sarah Clark, co-director of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “This expanded accessibility has increased exposure to the risks of underage betting, but there is little regulation or conversation around this problem.” Just 1 in 4 parents who took part in the latest poll said they had talked to their teen about virtual betting. More than half of parents who participated didn’t know their state’s legal age for online gambling, and 1 in 6 said they probably wouldn’t know if their kids were betting online. More than half of states have legalized some form of online gambling in the wake of a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Most restrict online sport and casino betting to people 21 years or older, but loopholes exist, along with concerns that teens may bypass security steps. Clark likened online sports betting to fantasy football leagues and March Madness pools that are popular with sports fans, including kids. “Many online gambling options will seem familiar to teens,” Clark said in a news release. “They feel like games kids have been playing on their phones, including features…  read on >  read on >