Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Getting your surly teens off the couch might trigger a long-term turnaround in their moods, new research suggests. “Our findings show that young people who are inactive for large proportions of the day throughout adolescence face a greater risk of depression by age 18,” said study author Aaron Kandola, a psychiatry Ph.D. student at University College London (UCL). “We found that it’s not just more intense forms of activity that are good for our mental health, but any degree of physical activity that can reduce the time we spend sitting down is likely to be beneficial,” he explained in a university news release. “We should be encouraging people of all ages to move more and to sit less, as it’s good for both our physical and mental health,” Kandola added. In the study, more than 4,200 participants in England wore devices that tracked their movement for at least 10 hours over at least three days when they were ages 12, 14 and 16. They also completed questionnaires to assess depressive symptoms such as sadness, loss of pleasure and poor concentration. Every additional 60 minutes of inactivity a day at age 12, 14 and 16 was associated with an increase in depression scores of 11%, 8% and 10.5%, respectively, by age 18. Those with high levels of inactivity at all three ages had just over 28%… read on >

Researchers who have pinpointed an antibody linked to life-threatening autoimmune disorders in children say their discovery could lead to faster diagnosis and treatment of these patients. The investigators identified the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody in their study of 535 children with central nervous system demyelinating disorders and encephalitis. MOG antibodies damage the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord, which means that messages can’t be passed along these nerves. Of the 116 children who tested positive for MOG antibodies and received appropriate treatment, 85% had complete or near-complete recovery, according to the study published Feb. 10 in The Lancet Neurology journal. The findings suggest that the MOG antibody is associated with more life-threatening autoimmune conditions than previously thought. These include neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and encephalitis, which cause severe brain and nervous system symptoms such as vision loss, muscle weakness and loss of coordination and speech, the researchers said. This group of neurological disorders can mimic similar conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), making them difficult to diagnose correctly. Until about 10 years ago, patients with these diseases were thought to have atypical forms of MS, and the prognosis and best treatment methods were unknown. Over the last 10 years, research has shown that several demyelinating diseases are associated with the MOG-antibody biomarker, and that patients… read on >

While fewer Americans are smoking these days, the habit has remained stubbornly persistent among stroke survivors, new research shows. The researchers found that the prevalence of smoking among U.S. stroke survivors has not improved since 1999 and, as of 2016, stood at 26%. That’s in contrast to the trend among Americans in general, who are gradually leaving cigarettes behind. Between 1999 and 2016, the study found, the smoking rate among the overall population fell from about 25% to 19%. The findings are concerning, experts said, considering the fact that smoking is a major risk factor for stroke. And among stroke survivors, those who continue to smoke are more likely to have — or die from — a repeat stroke or a heart attack, according to lead researcher Dr. Neal Parikh. He is an assistant professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, in New York City. Parikh said that the study results point to a need to “prioritize” smoking cessation as part of stroke recovery. The findings are based on nearly two decades of data from an ongoing federal health survey. Among over 49,000 U.S. adults who participated between 1999 and 2016, just under 3% were stroke survivors. Over those years, the general smoking rate declined to a statistically significant degree, according to Parikh. In contrast, there was no significant change among stroke survivors:… read on >

Suicidal behavior is declining among U.S. teenagers who identify as LGBT, but the problem remains pervasive. That’s the conclusion of two new studies that tracked trends among U.S. teenagers over the past couple of decades. Over the years, more kids have been identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) — and their likelihood of reporting suicidal thoughts and behavior has gone down. The bad news is they remain at much higher risk of suicide than their heterosexual peers, the researchers said. In one study, LGBT teenagers were over three times more likely than heterosexual teens to report a suicide attempt. The other study charted a similar pattern, with LGBT kids still reporting a high prevalence of suicidal thoughts in 2017 — and roughly a quarter saying they’d attempted suicide in the past year. The studies, published online Feb. 10 in Pediatrics, could not dig into the reasons. But past research has suggested that bullying plays a role, according to Brian Mustanski, director of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University in Chicago. LGBT students are more likely to be targeted by bullies than their heterosexual peers are. But in school districts with strong anti-bullying policies, Mustanski said, LGBT students typically report less suicidal behavior. So efforts to combat bullying could be part of the solution, according to Mustanski.… read on >

Allowing pharmacists to provide the opioid overdose drug naloxone without a prescription led to a huge increase in dispensing of the lifesaving drug in Ohio. Ohio state lawmakers gave that permission in 2015. Since then, there’s been a 2,328% increase in naloxone dispensing, according to University of Cincinnati researchers. The study also found that counties with low-employment rates had 18% more naloxone dispensed per month than high-employment counties. The findings were published online Jan. 31 in JAMA Network Open. “Our study shows that this change in the Ohio law allowed pharmacists to have more opportunity to participate in the management of patients addicted to opioids,” said lead researcher Pam Heaton, a professor of pharmacy practice. Most states allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) without a prescription. As of May 2019, about 75% of Ohio’s community pharmacies were registered to do so. Heaton said the dispensing rate in low-employment counties probably owes to the fact that the local pharmacy is often the only health care contact for people there. “We do not know whether the naloxone was for personal use, a family member or a friend, because the law was written to specifically allow access,” she said in a university news release. Heaton also noted that the study focused on access and didn’t examine the impact of increased naloxone distribution on the rate… read on >

The Affordable Care Act might have done more than provide more Americans with health insurance: New research suggests accompanying expansions in Medicaid may be linked to higher numbers of low-income people having jobs or going to school. That’s what happened after Michigan expanded its Medicaid under new rules from the Affordable Care Act. Researchers surveyed more than 3,000 low-income people with Healthy Michigan Plan coverage in 2016 and again about a year later. During that time, there was an overall 6-point increase in the percentage of study participants who had jobs or were in school, which was higher than employment gains in the general population over the same period. Even larger increases in employment and school enrollment were seen among study participants who were black (nearly 11 points), men (6.7 points), people aged 35 to 50 (8 points) and those with the lowest incomes (9 points), according to the University of Michigan study. “While on a statewide level, both in the general population and the low-income population, employment levels didn’t change much between 2016 and 2017, we saw a clear increase in employment or student status among those in the Healthy Michigan Plan, even among those with health conditions who we might think would need more time to achieve this,” said study author Dr. Renuka Tipirneni, an assistant professor of internal medicine at Michigan. While… read on >

Smokers who recently quit tobacco cigarettes are much more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who quit more than a decade ago, a new study says. The findings suggest that smokers who want to quit are now using e-cigarettes to help them, according to the authors. In the past, quitters had to rely on other smoking cessation aids. “Duration of smoking cessation was a major determinant in understanding the complex interaction between smoking and e-cigarette use, and this parameter may be important in examining the impact of e-cigarettes in future population studies,” said the study authors led by Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a cardiologist at Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Kallithea, Greece. The researchers analyzed data on more than 6,900 current smokers and more than 6,100 former smokers in 28 European countries. Current daily e-cigarette use was reported by 2% of current and 3% of former smokers. Former daily use of e-cigarettes was reported by nearly 6% and 2%, respectively. More than half of all former smokers had quit more than 10 years ago. Of those, only 0.2% reported daily e-cigarette use, compared with 9% of those who had quit between three and five years ago, and about 13% of those who had quit in the last two years. Compared with former smokers who had never used e-cigarettes, current e-cigarette users were nearly five times more… read on >

Viagra can salvage a man’s sex life, but in rare cases it may temporarily steal his sight. Researchers report that some men who took sildenafil — the generic form of the impotence drug — suffered from vision problems, including a kind of color blindness that could take weeks to resolve. The case report details 17 Turkish males who wound up in the hospital after taking sildenafil for the first time. The men suffered a number of vision problems, including dilated pupils, blurred vision, light sensitivity and color blindness, the doctors reported. The men had all taken the highest recommended dose of 100 milligrams, even though none had been prescribed sildenafil, the report said. The visual side effects began shortly after taking the drug, and were still present when the men came to the hospital a day or two later, the researchers reported. All the symptoms eventually cleared up, but it took three weeks for some. The findings were published Feb. 7 in the journal Frontiers in Neurology. These sort of vision effects aren’t uncommon in people who take Viagra, U.S. medical experts said. It turns out that the enzyme that Viagra blocks to promote erections is closely akin to another enzyme that’s important for the function of photoreceptors in the eyes, said Dr. Richard Rosen, a vitreoretinal surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary… read on >

Roses are red, violets are blue, sleep experts have a Valentine’s Day gift idea for you. A box of chocolates and a candlelight dinner might seem romantic, but your partner might also embrace a lifestyle change: no more snoring. “While snoring is disruptive to bed partners and can cause frustration in a relationship, it can also be an indicator of a serious health problem,” said Dr. Kelly Carden, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). “Snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that involves the repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep,” she explained in an AASM news release. “When sleep apnea is untreated, it can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and other health problems.” For occasional snorers, the AASM offers this advice: Lose weight. Weight gain can worsen snoring and lead to obstructive sleep apnea. Shedding a couple of pounds might eliminate your snoring. Change positions. Some people find that they snore while sleeping on their back. If this is the case, try sleeping on your side instead. Avoid alcohol, muscle relaxants and certain medications. Substances like these can relax your throat or tongue muscles, leading to snoring. Get a diagnosis. If you’re snoring loudly each night, talk to your doctor about it or consult a sleep specialist.… read on >

Before you throw any leftovers away, heed new research that suggests the choice could hit you right in your pocketbook. It turns out that almost one-third of food in American households goes to waste, costing each household thousands of dollars a year, researchers report. “Our findings are consistent with previous studies, which have shown that 30% to 40% of the total food supply in the United States goes uneaten — and that means that resources used to produce the uneaten food, including land, energy, water and labor, are wasted as well,” said study author Edward Jaenicke. He’s a professor of agricultural economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Jaenicke and his team analyzed data from 4,000 households that participated in a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey and found that, on average, about one-third of the food they obtained was wasted. Nationwide, the cost of wasted food could total $240 billion a year. Divided by the nearly 128.6 million households in the United States, that works out to about $1,866 for the average household. “Based on our estimation, the average American household wastes 31.9% of the food it acquires,” Jaenicke said in a university news release. “More than two-thirds of households in our study have food-waste estimates of between 20% and 50%. However, even the least wasteful household wastes 8.7% of the food it acquires.”… read on >