Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

If you’ve been suffering from caregiver stress, you’ve got plenty of company. It affects about 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States, according to a recent report by the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving — and it can ultimately lead to caregiver burnout. To give you some tools to better recognize caregiver stress and burnout, let’s explore some of the symptoms. Plus, experts offer several ways you can better manage caregiver stress, and when it’s time to seek help to prevent it from reaching the level of burnout. What is caregiver stress? Caregiver stress occurs when the emotional, mental and physical impacts of being a caregiver become overwhelming. It can happen to anyone who takes care of a person with a disability, health condition or injury or someone who is elderly. However, more women say they experience stress from caregiving than men, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health. One of the main challenges for a lot of caregivers is having too little time for themselves or their family and friends. “Family caregivers spend an average of over 24 hours a week providing care — that’s more than an entire day you don’t have for yourself,” Laura Kotler-Klein, a social work manager at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said… read on > read on >

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and researchers think they’ve uncovered a possible reason why. Obese folks appear to have a blunted inflammatory response to COVID, leaving their immune systems less capable of fighting it, according to a recent study. The findings were a surprise to researchers, given that severe COVID often has been tied to an overactive immune response that produces damaging levels of inflammation in humans. People who are obese already have higher levels of inflammatory biochemicals in their blood, so it was suspected that COVID’s damaging inflammation would be even worse, noted researcher Menna Clatworthy, a clinician scientist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. “During the pandemic, the majority of younger patients I saw on the COVID wards were obese,” Clatworthy said in a university news release. “Given what we know about obesity, if you’d asked me why this was the case, I would have said that it was most likely due to excessive inflammation. What we found was the absolute opposite.” For this study, Clatworthy and her colleagues analyzed blood and lung samples taken from 13 obese patients with severe COVID who required mechanical ventilation and intensive care. They compared those samples against 20 COVID patients who weren’t obese and didn’t require ventilation. The researchers found the obese patients had underactive immune and inflammatory responses… read on > read on >

Much has been made of the so-called “obesity paradox” — the observation that people with a heart condition seem less likely to die if they are overweight or obese. But European researchers now say they’ve debunked that theory, which was based on earlier research that relied on body mass index (BMI, a measure based on weight and height) to judge whether a person carried excess weight. The major new study shows the obesity paradox vanishes if other heart risk factors are considered along with a person’s BMI. Further, researchers found that another measure of obesity, the waist-to-height ratio, more accurately reflected the real heart health risk that comes from having too much body fat. “Better measures of adiposity [excess fat] than BMI, such as waist-height ratio, eliminate the ‘obesity survival paradox’ and, indeed, show that greater adiposity is associated with a higher rate of hospital admission for worsening heart failure and worse symptoms and quality of life,” said senior researcher Dr. John McMurray, a professor of cardiology at the University of Glasgow. For this study, McMurray and his colleagues analyzed data from nearly 8,400 heart failure patients suffering from reduced ejection fraction, a condition in which the heart is not able to pump a normal amount of blood throughout the body. The patients were taking part in a clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness… read on > read on >

Anxiety disorders are no small matter, but knowing which symptoms point to trouble may help you navigate your intense fears and worries. First, you are not alone: Anxiety disorders are estimated to plague nearly 40 million people in the United States each year, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. James Maddux, an emeritus professor of clinical psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., explained that “the best way of thinking about anxiety…is to see it as having three interlocking, interacting components”: thinking or cognition; feeling or emotions; and then behavior. “Finding somewhere to intervene at one of those three points, that breaks up that pattern, is also a way of reducing or eliminating the physiological part of anxiety,” Maddux noted. If you think you may be experiencing generalized anxiety disorder or any other type of anxiety, there are some telltale symptoms worth noting. Here’s how you can recognize the most common anxiety symptoms, plus tips on how to calm them down if they flare up. Common anxiety symptoms The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that, while each type of anxiety is unique, they share some common symptoms: Anticipating the worst or an excessive fear of a threat Rapid breathing Pounding heart or heart palpitations Fatigue Sweating and shaking Nausea, diarrhea and increased urination Restlessness or irritability Anticipating the worst… read on > read on >

When waiting for medical test results, days can feel like an eternity. In a new survey, patients overwhelmingly say they’d like their results immediately — even if their provider has not yet reviewed them and even if the news is bad. In April 2021, new rules went into effect requiring health care providers in the United States to make all results and clinical notes available immediately to patients. “Online patient portals have emerged as important tools for increasing patient engagement,” said study co-author Catherine DesRoches, executive director of OpenNotes, a movement focused on increasing information transparency in health care based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “They enable patients to access information, participate in medical decision-making and to communicate with clinicians,” DesRoches said in a medical center news release. “Prior studies performed by OpenNotes investigators established immediate release of clinical notes as a recommended best practice,” DesRoches added. “However, releasing test results to patients immediately, often before a clinician can provide counselling and context, was yet to be studied widely and remains controversial.” Researchers analyzed survey responses from more than 8,100 patients and care partners who accessed their test results through an online patient portal account between April 2021 and April 2022. Patients had been tested at University of California, Davis… read on > read on >

Sometimes an anxiety disorder feels like worry and ruminating about lots of little and big things. Other times it’s focused on a specific phobia, such as a fear of flying or being in social situations. It can also be expressed as intense feelings about separation from loved ones. What’s clear is that someone experiencing anxiety disorder symptoms isn’t alone. About 40 million American adults have one or more types of anxiety disorders, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). If you think you may be among those dealing with these issues, it is possible to get help. There are a range of treatment options for anxiety disorders. A common experience The pandemic exacerbated anxiety issues, which led the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to recommend screenings for all adults under the age of 65. “COVID has taken a tremendous toll on the mental health of Americans,” panel member Lori Pbert, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, said when the screening recommendations were changed. “This is a topic prioritized for its public health importance, but clearly there’s an increased focus on mental health in this country over the past few years.” Anxiety disorders are so common that nearly 30% of adults will experience one at some point in their lives, according to the American Psychiatric Association… read on > read on >

Anxiety attacks can seem overwhelming when you’re in the middle of one, but with the right coping tools you can come out the other side. What is an anxiety attack? According to the Detroit Medical Center, an anxiety attack is a stretch of time during which you experience “intense” anxiety symptoms, especially fear. It can last anywhere from minutes to weeks. So, what does an anxiety attack feel like? A racing heart, dizziness and being out of breath are common experiences for people who are having an anxiety attack, according to Harvard Health. In addition, this “fight-or-flight” response that is triggered by worry or fear can cause more fear to develop, creating a negative loop of panic. “If you’re feeling lightheaded, your heart racing and chest tightening, it really contributes to a sense that something terrible is going to happen,” said Jacqueline Bullis, an assistant psychologist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, told Harvard Health. “But physical symptoms themselves aren’t the problem. It’s really the way we respond to them. We want people to learn that these distressing physical sensations aren’t dangerous and they can learn ways to tolerate them.” Anxiety attack symptoms According to Harvard Health, anxiety attacks occur when your symptoms become so intense that they interfere with everyday activities. These anxiety symptoms may include: Steadily increasing feelings of fear or worry Panting or gasping… read on > read on >

Cutting some carbohydrates may help people with type 2 diabetes live longer — as long as they are swapping sugar for vegetables instead of steak, new research suggests. The study, of more than 10,000 U.S. adults with type 2 diabetes, found that those who ate relatively fewer carbohydrates were less likely to die over the next 30 years, versus those with a bigger taste for carbs. But the quality of those lower-carb diets was key: People who ate a moderate amount of carbs but still fit in plenty of vegetables, fruit, fiber-rich grains and beans tended to live longer, versus people with higher-carb diets. Then there were the folks with lower-carb diets that were heavy in meat and dairy. They saw no such survival advantage. Experts said the findings, published in April issue of Diabetes Care, support a familiar piece of diet advice: Limit sugar and heavily processed foods, and eat more plants. More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, the vast majority of whom have the type 2 form, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Type 2 diabetes arises when the body loses its sensitivity to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin. The disease is often related to obesity, and diet changes, exercise and weight loss are cornerstones of managing it. Low-carb diets are often promoted for weight loss and reining… read on > read on >

Cutting out nutrients such as carbs, fat or protein may be a popular way to shed pounds but doing so can have unintended consequences. Instead, aim for a balance of those macronutrients to fuel your life and activities, said Dr. Elizabeth Albright of University of Michigan Health-West in Wyoming, Mich. In a university news release, she offered some suggestions for a balanced diet that will fit your lifestyle and offer the right fuel. Food is necessary to live, so don’t think of it as “good” or “bad”: Just because certain foods may fuel you toward your goals more effectively doesn’t make other foods bad, Albright said. Like putting unleaded gas in a diesel engine, some foods just aren’t the right fuel for you and can damage your body. Gender, race, genetics, metabolism and hormone levels all affect nutrition needs. Change your mindset: Rather than following a “diet” that has an end date, make your food habits a lifestyle. Pass on processed foods: Reducing your intake of processed foods will improve your general sense of well-being and lead to improvements in chronic disease and often weight loss. The chemicals used to increase foods’ shelf life are often highly inflammatory to the body, Albright said, which can put stress on organ systems and, eventually, cause dysfunction. Choose these foods: Build your menu around lean meats and proteins.… read on > read on >

In state after state, doors are quickly slamming shut on the ability of doctors to provide gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The newest restriction is set to take effect Thursday in Florida, where that state’s Board of Medicine decided last month to ban the use of all puberty blockers, hormone therapies and/or surgeries for any patient under 18, whether or not those minors have parental approval for such care. The ban stems from an effort first launched by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Surgeon General back in April 2022, when the pair issued a joint call for the ban. That was followed in August 2022 by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s rewriting of Medicaid coverage rules that disallowed reimbursements for any gender-affirming treatments involving both minors and adults. Minors who were already receiving puberty blockers before the new ban may continue taking them. Otherwise, the ban is complete: Florida transgender minors are no longer allowed access to gender-affirming medical care, even in a clinical trial. As a board ruling — rather than a new state law — Florida doctors who violate the ban will not face criminal charges, though they will be subject to censure, fines and the potential loss of their right to practice medicine in the state. Last week, Republican state lawmakers tabled a bill that would have gone a… read on > read on >