For people with the mysterious chronic pain condition fibromyalgia, researchers say nerve stimulation may offer some relief. In a recent study, use of TENS — transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation — during movement or activity was shown to significantly reduce pain associated with fibromyalgia after just four weeks. Dr. Lesley Arnold, who was not involved with the new study, lauded its outcomes. “The improvements in pain and fatigue were remarkable,” she said. Arnold, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, suggested that the study may help guide physicians in use of TENS for symptom management. TENS uses a battery-operated machine to deliver electrical currents via electrodes attached to the skin. This is believed to activate nerve pathways that inhibit pain. People with fibromyalgia are encouraged to engage in physical activity as a way to manage their symptoms. But, paradoxically, movement can be painful for them. In the study, researchers randomly divided more than 300 women with fibromyalgia into three groups: active TENS; placebo (sham) TENS; or no TENS. Those in the TENS groups were instructed to use the device over four weeks, at home, for two hours daily during activity. The patients were told to apply the device’s electrodes to two specific areas along the back — one upper and one lower — and to activate the machine…  read on >

New research involving the DNA of 200,000 U.S. veterans suggests that there really is such a thing as a “worry gene.” Researchers have identified six genetic variants linked to anxiety — a discovery that may help explain why anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. “This is the richest set of results for the genetic basis of anxiety to date,” said study co-lead author Dr. Joel Gelernter, director of human genetics at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. “There has been no explanation for the comorbidity of anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders, but here we have found specific, shared genetic risks,” he said in a university news release. The researchers identified the six variants linked to anxiety by analyzing the genes of about 200,000 veterans. Five variants were found in European Americans, and one was found only in blacks, according to the report published Jan. 7 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. “While there have been many studies on the genetic basis of depression, far fewer have looked for variants linked to anxiety, disorders of which afflict as many as one in 10 Americans,” said study senior author Dr. Murray Stein. He’s a professor of psychiatry, family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego. One variant occurs in a gene involved in functioning of receptors for the…  read on >

How teens see their family’s social status may play a part in their mental health and success at school, a new study suggests. Social status appears to be more important than what their parents do for a living, how much money they have or how educated they are, the researchers said. “The amount of financial resources children have access to is one of the most reliable predictors of their health and life chances,” said Candice Odgers, a professor of psychological science at the University of California, Irvine. “But these findings show that how young people see their family’s place in a hierarchical system also matters. Their perceptions of social status were an equally good, and often stronger, indicator of how well they were going to do with respect to mental health and social outcomes,” Odgers explained in a university news release. For the study, the researchers followed more than 2,200 twins born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995. The children assessed their family’s social ranking at ages 12 and 18. By late adolescence, these beliefs were linked to how well the teen was doing, independent of the family’s income, health care, adequate nutrition and education. This pattern was not seen at age 12. The researchers also found that the twins’ views were not always the same. At 18, the twin who said the…  read on >

Like the mighty grizzly bear that hibernates in winter, many people spend more time sleeping during this cold, dark season, a new survey reveals. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 34% of Americans say they sleep more in winter, compared with 10% who claim they sleep less during this time of year. In summer, these numbers are turned around, with 36% saying they sleep less and 9% saying they sleep more than usual. “The shorter days during the winter create a great, natural opportunity to spend more time sleeping,” Dr. Kelly Carden, president of the AASM, said in an academy news release. “Getting quality sleep of adequate duration can improve physical and mental health, overall performance and mitigate safety risks,” she added. Here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep regardless of the season: Set a bedtime that allows you to get enough sleep. Avoid screens and electronics before bed. Exposure to light at night can disrupt the sleep cycle. Avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol near bedtime — both can disrupt sleep. Relax before bed, by taking a warm bath, drinking tea, journaling or meditating. Make your bedroom comfortable. It should be cave-like — quiet, dark and a little cool. If you have sleep problems, see your doctor. More information For more on getting a good night’s sleep, head…  read on >

The idea of marijuana causing a psychotic breakdown sounds like something out of the camp film classic “Reefer Madness,” but many experts argue it’s not that far-fetched. As legalization of recreational marijuana spreads across the United States, more people are showing up in ERs with psychotic symptoms after consuming too much pot, said Dr. Itai Danovitch, chairman of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. “If somebody gets too high, they use more than intended, they can have psychotic symptoms. That typically resolves as the drug wears off,” Danovitch said. “After it’s worn off, there’s no subsequent psychosis. That’s just a direct effect of over-intoxication.” But some unlucky souls with a family history of mental illness might wind up with a full-fledged psychotic disorder that will require extended treatment, Danovitch noted. “That risk is concentrated among a minority of people who have an existing vulnerability to develop a psychotic disorder, a family history of psychosis,” Danovitch said. “There are environmental factors that influence whether somebody develops schizophrenia who has a risk. It appears cannabis probably is one of those factors.” Vaping a potent form of THC — the intoxicating ingredient in pot — prompted a psychotic episode last year in 24-year-old Madison McIntosh of Scottsdale, Ariz., according to USA Today. McIntosh appeared at the driving range where he worked on his day off,…  read on >

Lung illnesses and deaths from vaping have been grabbing headlines for months, and now two new studies offer fresh evidence pointing to long-term respiratory concerns. The studies link the use of electronic cigarettes to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). “These studies add to the body of evidence on the relationship between electronic cigarette use and lung conditions,” said Dr. Albert Osei, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He’s lead author of a study published earlier this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The studies cannot definitely prove a cause-and-effect link, he noted, adding: “We believe this warrants further longitudinal studies.” Introduced to the U.S. market more than a decade ago, e-cigarettes are marketed as less harmful than traditional tobacco cigarettes, and as a way to help quit smoking. In 2016, almost 11 million American adults used e-cigarettes. Most have a vaporization chamber, a nicotine cartridge that can include flavoring and a rechargeable battery. The vapor they produce is inhaled into the lungs — a process called vaping. Past studies have suggested the vapor may irritate airway cells, impair their ability to fight infection, and lead to destruction of lung tissue. A study just published in December found that e-cigarette users are also at significantly higher risk of chronic lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema…  read on >

Feeling exhausted, with too few hours in the day to do what needs to be done? Be careful of burnout — especially after a new study finds it can raise your risk for the dangerous irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation. “A-fib” — long tied to higher odds for heart attack and stroke — is the most common form of heart arrhythmia. It’s estimated that 10 million people in the United States will have the condition by next year. The new study found burnout might help trigger a-fib. “Vital exhaustion is associated with increased inflammation and heightened activation of the body’s physiologic stress response,” explained study author Parveen Garg, of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. “When these two things are chronically triggered, that can have serious and damaging effects on the heart tissue, which could then eventually lead to the development of this arrhythmia,” he explained. In the study, Garg’s group surveyed more than 11,000 people about whether or not they had symptoms of burnout and then followed them for nearly 25 years. Burnout “is typically caused by prolonged and profound stress at work or home,” said Garg. His team published its findings Jan. 13 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Burnout “differs from depression, which is characterized by low mood, guilt and poor self-esteem,” Garg said in a journal news release.…  read on >