Most dogs and owners share an unbreakable emotional bond. But can they also share expanding waistlines? Yes, said Danish researchers, who found that Fido is twice as likely to be heavy or obese if his owner is as well. Why? “Based on our findings, it seems that the way owners give their dog treats is related to the owner’s weight,” explained study author Dr. Charlotte Bjornvad, a professor in companion animal internal medicine at the University of Copenhagen. “Trim and overweight owners both give their dogs treats,” she noted. But “there seems to be two ways to use treats.” Some offer treats to reinforce training or coax more activity, explained Bjornvad. But others share treats as a “hang out” indulgence. Danish people have a specific name for it: “hygge.” Roughly translated as “cozy,” the term refers to enjoying mutual relaxation, inactivity and snacking, either alone or with friends and pets. Based on a dog-rearing questionnaire completed by 268 owners in Denmark, the study team concluded that overweight and obese owners are more likely to offer their dogs “hygge treats” than trim owners. (One-fifth of the dogs were either heavy or obese.) It may also be that overweight owners “spend more time relaxing, and therefore they give more treats during relaxation,” added Bjornvad, though her team did not test that theory. But is the “hygge” affect…  read on >

New research suggests that anxiety and depression can make it hard for some kids to manage their asthma. Young patients with all three conditions ended up in the emergency room nearly twice as often as kids who only struggle with asthma, the study found. “Asthma self-management is complex, requiring recognition of symptoms, adherence to medication and avoidance of triggers,” explained study first author Dr. Naomi Bardach. She is from the University of California, San Francisco’s department of pediatrics and Institute for Health Policy Studies. “The symptoms of anxiety and depression can make it more challenging to follow treatment, leading to more ER visits,” she added in a university news release. “There also may be a greater tendency to use the ER for supportive services, even in the absence of a serious asthma attack.” Though many of these emergency department visits are not necessary, they account for 62% of asthma-related costs, the investigators found. Anxiety and depression are more common in children with asthma than in those without the lung disease, the researchers noted. Among the asthma patients in the study, just over 11% had anxiety and nearly 6% had depression. This compared with about 7% and 3%, respectively, for children aged 3 to 17 in the general population, based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the study, the researchers…  read on >

In the largest investigation of its kind, researchers conclude that subjecting prostate cancer patients to radiation therapy immediately after surgery doesn’t give them an advantage in staying cancer-free. The finding stems from a review of four studies that together tracked outcomes for more than 3,500 prostate cancer patients from multiple countries. If the findings help change standard practice, “the good news is that, in future, many men will avoid the side effects of radiotherapy,” said study first author Chris Parker, of the Institute of Cancer Research in London. His team was to present its findings Friday at the European Society for Medical Oncology annual meeting, in Barcelona. Parker stressed that radiation side effects can be troublesome. They “include urinary leakage and narrowing of the urethra, which can make urination difficult,” he said in a meeting news release. “Both are potential complications after surgery alone, but the risk is increased if radiotherapy is used as well.” Curbing cancer’s spread One prostate cancer specialist explained why doctors have often ordered radiation for patients who’ve undergone prostate removal (prostatectomy). “Many men that undergo radical surgery for prostate cancer may have a spread of the disease beyond the capsule of the prostate, or invasion [of the tumor] into the seminal vesicles or lymph nodes,” said Dr. Louis Potters, deputy physician-in-chief at Northwell Health Cancer Institute, in Lake Success, N.Y.…  read on >

Could male infertility contribute to a higher risk for prostate cancer? Yes, according to new Swedish research that suggests that men who become fathers through assisted reproduction treatments may be more likely to develop prostate cancer in midlife. The conclusion follows a review of data collected by a Swedish national registry between 1994 and 2014. In all, 1 million children had been born during that time frame, mostly to men in their 30s. Most (97%) were conceived through natural means. But 1.7% of the fathers (about 20,600 men) had undergone in vitro fertilization, while another 1.3% (nearly 15,000 men) conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) techniques. Prostate cancer risk during the two decades following birth was less than 1% across the board. However, while just 0.28% of dads who had conceived naturally went on to develop the disease, that figure was 0.37% among those from the in vitro group. Prostate cancer affected an even greater percentage (0.42%) of men in the sperm injection group. The team pointed out that sperm injection is usually reserved for men struggling with the most serious types of infertility. The findings held up even after taking into account a range of factors, including age, educational background and history of prior cancer. The team was led by researchers Yahia Al-Jebari, now at Stanford University in California, and Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman, from…  read on >

People with strong self-esteem are more likely to develop deep, supportive friendships, and new research suggests that the connection works the other way, too. “For the first time, we have a systematic answer to a key question in the field of self-esteem research: Whether and to what extent a person’s social relationships influence his or her self-esteem development, and vice versa,” study author Michelle Harris said in an American Psychological Association news release. She’s a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. It turns out, Harris said, that self-esteem and friendship are mutually reinforcing. That conclusion comes from a review of 52 studies that examined the impact of self-esteem and friendships among more than 47,000 men and women. The studies were conducted between 1992 and 2016, across a wide range of countries, including the United States. Six out of 10 participants were white, and ages ranged from early childhood to seniors. For both men and women of all ages, having strong social support and acceptance translated into having strong self-esteem. And vice versa. The reverse also appeared to hold: Poor self-esteem undermined one’s ability to develop strong social connections, the team found. And weak friendships appeared to undermine one’s sense of self-esteem. The cycle may have deep roots in the way kids are raised, the study authors said. Parents who instill a strong…  read on >

Few families are able to escape squabbles completely, whether between spouses, children or other relatives. But a Danish study that looked at nearly 10,000 men and women, aged 36 to 52, warns that stressful social relations can be more than just unpleasant — they can increase your overall risk of early death. How can you live in better harmony? Though your approach might differ depending on whether the argument is with your spouse or with an uncle you see just once a year, some steps are the same. Write out what you think the squabble is about, along with your views on the subject, so that you can articulate them clearly. Add how you would like to see the issue resolved. Offer your family member this same opportunity. Agree that you will each take time to respectfully listen to the other with the goal of reaching a solution or a compromise. Make sure you both interpret any solution the same way. To move forward, it’s important that you accept the outcome and not harbor any feelings of resentment. If conflicts over specific issues happen again and again, look for a deeper, underlying cause. Remember that arguments within a family, especially between kids and parents, are normal — no fighting often means issues aren’t being addressed, not that they don’t exist. Also, airing differences of opinion…  read on >

Many people who take the antidepressant Zoloft report feeling better. But new research suggests the drug may be treating their anxiety, rather than their depression, at least in the early weeks. Zoloft (sertraline) — and the family of similar drugs it belongs to — may actually take months to ease classic symptoms of depression, U.K. researchers found. That doesn’t mean the drugs aren’t making patients feel better relatively soon, however. That’s because Zoloft appears to have a much speedier effect on anxiety. Within six weeks the drug notably cut down on feelings of nervousness, worry and tension, said study senior author Glyn Lewis, a professor of epidemiological psychiatry at University College London. Zoloft is in a group of commonly prescribed antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Although the study focused only on Zoloft, Lewis and his team “think that results for other SSRI antidepressants, including Prozac, are likely to be very similar.” Celexa, Paxil and Lexapro are other common SSRIs. The study was conducted between 2015 and 2017. It involved 653 patients cared for at primary care facilities across four British cities. Half were assigned to receive Zoloft for 12 weeks and half got a placebo pill. Patients completed depression symptom questionnaires at two weeks, six weeks and 12 weeks. General anxiety screenings were also conducted. Symptoms of depression typically include poor…  read on >

It’s not uncommon for new moms to feel an emotional letdown shortly after baby is born. Though symptoms of these so-called “baby blues” can be wide-ranging, they last no more than two weeks and go away on their own. Some Signs of the Baby Blues: Mood swings Feeling sad or overwhelmed Being unable to concentrate Appetite and sleep troubles Women who have more severe symptoms that linger could be experiencing postpartum depression, which needs treatment. It’s not always easy to identify this in yourself. You might chalk up negative feelings to the demands of motherhood, like nighttime feedings, little sleep and a low energy level. Some women ignore these symptoms because they feel guilty for feeling bad. This form of depression is prevalent enough that in 2016 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggested that every new mom be screened with a simple questionnaire to uncover depression early on. There’s science behind this wellness step, including a study done in the Netherlands that found that moms assessed for depression at well-baby visits had better mental health in the long run. A February 2019 USPSTF recommendation added that women who are known to be at increased risk for postpartum depression should be offered counseling to help prevent it. Some Signs of Postpartum Depression: Severe mood swings and anxiety Not bonding with baby Withdrawing from loved…  read on >

Everyone goes through moments of worry, but for some people, anxiety takes over their lives. How can you tell if you’re an average worrywart or if you might have an anxiety disorder? Your degree of distress is often a good indicator. Normal anxiety typically comes from a specific source of stress, like an upcoming job interview or a fight with your spouse. When the issue is resolved, the anxiety usually eases. With an anxiety disorder, you could be anxious all of the time and worry about everything from money to sexual performance to the well-being of loved ones, often for no good reason. Putting a Name to Your Feelings Excessive worrying is a sign of what’s called “generalized anxiety disorder.” Sudden episodes of anxiety, distress or discomfort that may be accompanied by troubling physical symptoms, like a rapid heart rate, can be signs of a “panic disorder.” Anxiety over something specific — like the fear of flying, heights, small spaces or spiders — are all very common “phobias.” One sign of a problem is the intensity of your distress — if your anxiety is out of proportion with the problem when a real problem exists. The amount of time you spend worrying is also a clue. A study of people’s worry diaries found that those with an anxiety disorder worried for more than five hours…  read on >