Kids with poorly controlled asthma struggle in school, especially those who are ethnic minorities, a new study reports. Researchers evaluated asthma and allergy status, lung function and school performance of 216 black, Hispanic (Latino) and white children in a U.S. city. Those with a greater number of daily asthma symptoms had more absences, less school work completed and poorer quality work, according to the study published March 11 in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “We found associations between poor asthma status, poorer asthma control, lower lung function, more asthma symptoms and decline in academic performance,” lead author Daphne Koinis-Mitchell said in an ACAAI news release. “These associations were stronger in ethnic minority children, particularly Latino children,” she added. Koinis-Mitchell is a research professor of pediatrics, psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Poor asthma control could help identify children who might be at risk for problems at school, according to the researchers. The same team previously found that urban Hispanic children with asthma have special sources of stress. “Factors such as higher levels of fear of asthma, language barriers, stress related to fitting in to the culture, poorer symptom perception, greater concerns regarding medications and lower medication adherence may put Latinos at greater risk for poor academic performance,” Koinis-Mitchell…  read on >

There’s no doubt that a first baby changes the dynamic between spouses. Here are steps you can take to stay close. First, you need a creative plan to get some sleep. Beyond feeling tired, being sleep-deprived affects your mood and your ability to think clearly. It can lead you to over-react to little things and argue more. Next, prioritize your relationship. Rather than using that last ounce of energy on laundry, enjoy a few minutes of conversation when baby’s napping. Share your thoughts and feelings about your changing world. Don’t stew over them silently and let them come between you. Be honest and admit that parenting is harder than you thought, if that’s what you’re feeling. Being stressed over baby can make you both abandon the little niceties you used to do for each other. But rather than get angry at what you view as slights, acknowledge that you’re in this together and that you each may be struggling, even if in different ways. When your partner does something positive, be appreciative — everyone responds to being acknowledged. When people come to see the baby, don’t feel that you have to entertain them. Ask a close family member or friend to babysit, even if you both stay at home, to give you together time without having to jump up at the first cry from the…  read on >

High testosterone levels can drastically increase a man’s risk of heart failure and stroke-causing blood clots, a new study reports. Men with a genetic predisposition to high testosterone levels have a nearly eightfold increased risk of heart failure and twice the risk of thromboembolism (blood clots that can block veins or arteries leading to the brain or lungs), researchers found. Although the study focuses on men with naturally high testosterone, it has implications for aging men who are taking testosterone supplements to boost their energy levels and improve their sex drive, experts said. Testosterone sales increased 12-fold globally between 2000 and 2011, particularly in the United States, the researchers said in background notes. “This study serves as a big, red stop sign, a warning that higher circulating levels of testosterone can lead to an increase in cardiovascular events, which are all associated with an increased risk of death,” said Dr. Guy Mintz. He is director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at Northwell Health’s Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. For the study, an international research team, led by C. Mary Schooling from the School of Public Health and Health Policy at City University of New York, analyzed genetic variants that predict testosterone levels, and then assessed whether those variants appeared to influence a person’s risk of blood clots, heart failure or heart attack.…  read on >

Getting older can be a lonely business, and a new survey shows that health problems only make matters worse. The online poll of more than 2,000 adults, aged 50 to 80, revealed that one in four said they feel isolated from other people at least some of the time, and one in three say they don’t have regular companionship. Health played a role in just how lonely someone was. Those with fair or poor physical health/mental health or hearing loss were more likely to say they felt isolated or lacked companions. “More than a quarter of poll respondents said they only had social contact once a week, or less, with family members they don’t live with, or with friends and neighbors,” said poll co-director Erica Solway, a social science researcher at the University of Michigan. “These results indicate the importance of proactively reaching out to those in your community who may be at risk of feeling isolated and disconnected, especially those with — or at risk of — health issues,” she added in a university news release. The poll also found that respondents who were unemployed, lived in lower-income households, lived alone and/or had one or more children living with them were more likely to say they lacked companionship. Sixty percent of those who lived alone reported feeling a lack of companionship, and 41 percent…  read on >

Feeling trapped behind a desk, a counter or on the factory floor does no favors for the mind. Now, research helps confirm that women with jobs that demand long hours may be more prone to depression. Researchers found that compared with women who worked a standard 40-hour week, those who were on the clock 55 hours or more typically reported more depression symptoms. The same was true of women and men who usually worked weekends as well as weekdays. The findings, based on thousands of British adults, do not prove that long work hours were the culprit. “Workers are complicated creatures,” said lead researcher Gillian Weston, of University College London. “And it’s not possible to [account for] every potential influence when looking for associations in an observational study.” Still, she said, her team was able to factor out a number of factors that affect depression risk — such as income and education, and whether people were married or had children. And still, long work weeks remained linked to a higher risk of depression symptoms. The findings have implications in a world where people are increasingly expected to work outside the traditional 9-to-5 window, according to Weston’s team. Theresa Nguyen is a licensed clinical social worker and vice president of policy and programs for the nonprofit Mental Health America. She said that in recent years technology…  read on >

The actual number of childhood cancer cases worldwide is nearly double the recorded number, a chilling new study finds. “Our model suggests that nearly one in two children with cancer are never diagnosed and may die untreated,” said study author Zachary Ward. He is a researcher at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. The study, published Feb. 26 in The Lancet Oncology, found records of 224,000 childhood cancer diagnoses worldwide in 2015. Researchers estimated the actual number at 397,000. Previous estimates have been based on data from cancer registries, but 60 percent of countries have no registry and those that do may cover only a small percentage of the population, the researchers explained. The new study makes predictions for childhood cancers in 200 countries. It estimates that undiagnosed cases could represent more than half the total in Africa, South Central Asia and the Pacific Islands. In North America and Europe, only 3 percent of childhood cancer cases are undiagnosed, the study authors said. If no improvements are made, about 2.9 million of 6.7 million new childhood cancer cases worldwide will go undiagnosed between 2015 and 2030, according to the report. Accurate estimates are essential for setting health care priorities, and planning for effective diagnosis and treatment of all kids with cancer, Ward said in a journal news release. “While underdiagnosis has been…  read on >