Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Teens spend countless hours glued to their phones and tablets, continually posting to social media, but British researchers report that might not be as terrible as many parents may think. It appears that teens who are less satisfied with their lives do tend to spend more time on Snapchat, Instagram and the like, but the link between life satisfaction and time spent on social media was “trivial,” the research found. “The previous literature was based almost entirely on correlations with no means to dissociate whether social media use leads to changes in life satisfaction or changes in life satisfaction influence social media use,” explained researcher Amy Orben, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Oxford. But by applying new modeling methods to an eight-year survey of households in the United Kingdom, the researchers were able to tease out data that gave them a better understanding of the effect of social media. The survey looked at how much time teens spent on social media during a normal school day and compared this with their life satisfaction ratings. The researchers did find lower life satisfaction increased the time spent on social media, while less time on social media was tied to higher life satisfaction. This finding was stronger among girls than boys, but even so, the connection was tenuous, they noted. Co-lead author Andrew Przybylski, director… read on >

Traditional media, including TV and magazine ads, tend to portray ideals of physical perfection that can fuel worries about body image and eating disorders. A study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that spending hours on social media is linked to these issues, too. In particular, people in the top 25% of high-volume social media users were more than twice as likely to have an eating disorder. Among the social media sites included in the study were Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as Pinterest, Snapchat and LinkedIn. What the researchers still don’t know is which comes first — whether social media creates an environment that can lead to body image concerns and eating disorders, or whether people with these issues connect with others like them through social media and, in turn, find support to continue their unhealthy eating. These are the most common types of eating disorders: Anorexia — eating so little you’re at a dangerously low weight, which can lead to cardiac arrest and potentially fatal electrolyte imbalances. Bulimia — eating huge amounts of food and then intentionally vomiting to prevent what you’ve eaten from being digested, or misusing laxatives. Binge-eating — consuming large quantities of food. It’s important to recognize signs of an eating disorder in yourself or a loved one and get help before it affects quality of… read on >

Profoundly obese people are prone to an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, but new research suggests that weight-loss surgery can improve the odds that a procedure to restore a normal heart rhythm will work. When atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, cannot be controlled by medications, a procedure called ablation can help. It targets the nerves in the heart where atrial fibrillation occurs. By electrically burning these areas, the heartbeat may return to normal. “Bariatric [weight-loss] surgery before ablation was associated with a threefold reduction in atrial fibrillation recurrence rates,” said researcher Dr. Eoin Donnellan, a fellow in cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. Both obesity and a-fib are at epidemic proportions in the United States, and both can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers said. As many as one in five cases of a-fib are related to obesity, and obesity has been identified as a risk factor for the heart condition, the researchers noted. Some patients who have weight-loss surgery may see their a-fib stop on its own or can have it controlled with medication, Donnellan said. But for many, ablation may be the best way to cure it. Although ablation has become a common procedure to treat a-fib, obese patients are more likely to have their abnormal heartbeat return after the procedure, he said. “While previously, morbidly obese patients with atrial fibrillation that… read on >

A gene therapy that tweaks the immune system might offer hope to people with blood cancer that has resisted standard treatments, a new preliminary trial suggests. The cancer, called multiple myeloma, arises in certain white blood cells. It is currently incurable, but there are treatments that can help people live with the disease for years. However, most people eventually progress, and some fail to respond to the available therapies at all. The new study involved 33 patients just like that: They’d typically had seven to eight rounds of various treatments and were out of options. So researchers tried a recently developed approach that harnesses the immune system’s cancer-killing potential: CAR T-cell therapy. It involves removing immune system T-cells from a patient, then genetically altering them to be armed with chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs. That allows the T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells once they are infused back into the blood, said senior researcher Dr. James Kochenderfer. CAR T-cell therapy is already approved for certain cases of leukemia and lymphoma — two other types of blood cancer. But the approach is not one-size-fits-all. CARs have to target a protein specific to the cancer, explained Kochenderfer, a scientist with the U.S. National Cancer Institute. In this study, his team used CARs that recognize a protein on multiple myeloma cells, called BCMA. The investigators found that… read on >

Even if they never use a condom during sex, gay men whose HIV is undetectable due to ongoing antiretroviral treatment cannot infect their male partner, new research reveals. “Whether men who are in monogamous relationships in these circumstances chose to use or not to use condoms is up to them, but there is no need to do so to prevent HIV transmission to the negative partner,” said the new study’s lead author, Dr. Alison Rodger. She’s a professor of infectious diseases with the Institute for Global Health at University College London in England. Rodger said the study provides “conclusive evidence” that the risk of transmission through sex is zero when virus levels are fully suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART). An earlier phase of the study proved the same was true for heterosexual couples. The finding — from the largest investigation of its kind — lends support to a public health campaign launched in 2016 by more than 850 HIV organizations in 96 countries. Known as the “U=U Campaign,” it stands for “undetectable equals untransmittable.” The new study, published May 2 in the online edition of The Lancet, spanned 14 countries and eight years. It included nearly 1,000 gay couples, each with one HIV-positive man and one without the virus. On average, HIV-positive partners said they had been on ART for four years prior to the… read on >

Up all night, stressing out, feeling pressured. Cramming for college finals can bring all that, plus have students reaching for fatty, sugary foods, a new study suggests. “Stress has long been implicated in poor diet. People tend to report overeating and comfort eating foods high in fat, sugar and calories in times of stress,” said study leader Nathalie Michels, from Ghent University, in Belgium. “Our findings looking at the eating habits of students during exam periods confirm this stress-induced dietary deterioration hypothesis,” Michels added. For the study, her team looked at the responses of 232 students at universities in Belgium who completed an anonymous online survey. The participants completed the survey before and after a month-long examination period in 2017. The students were asked about their stress levels and changes in their eating habits. During the exam period, students were less likely to follow a healthy diet, and only one-quarter of them met the World Health Organization-recommended intake of 400 grams of fruit and vegetables a day. The researchers also found that students with higher levels of stress tended to snack more often. The study was presented this week at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland. Such research should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. “A healthy diet is needed for optimal academic and mental performance. Unfortunately, our findings suggest… read on >

“Get your head in the game!” Coaches say it to players all the time to get them to focus. The same advice can help you be more enthusiastic about your workouts. Here are five ideas: 1. Set both short-term and long-term goals based on your current abilities. Celebrate each one as you reach it and then re-set it. According to the American Council on Exercise, a goal should meet five different criteria to be effective. Make sure each goal is: Specific: You should be able to articulate it in one simple sentence. Measurable: The goal should be something you can see, like an amount of weight lost or duration of a workout. Attainable: The goal should represent a challenge to you, but not be impossible to reach. Relevant: It should be important to you and your life. Time-Bound: The time you allot to reach the goal shouldn’t be open-ended, which could lead to procrastination. Set a reasonable time period for achieving it. 2. Identify what type of pre-exercise prep gets you psyched, such as quiet focused breathing or loud pulsing music. 3. Develop and repeat a mantra, an uplifting statement of what you know you can do. This will help you develop a positive attitude and have an unshakable belief in yourself. It will naturally get stronger as you reach goals. 4. Practice mental toughness.… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Buyer beware: When it comes to testosterone supplements, men should know a new study finds there is precious little evidence to support claims they will boost testosterone levels, sex drive, strength and overall energy. To come to this conclusion, the researchers first broke down 50 testosterone supplements into their component parts. The investigators then searched through a comprehensive scientific publication database for any solid proof that the supplements can do what the companies who make them say they can do. But only 12% of the products contained any ingredient shown to provide some testosterone-related benefit in human trials. And nearly half (48%) contained ingredients that studies found could have negative impacts. “In general, I’m not anti-supplements,” noted study author Dr. Mary Samplaski. “I have a lot of patients who take them. But the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] says very clearly that these products should not claim to treat medical conditions. And 90% of these testosterone supplements do make such claims. So I was just really curious what the scientific support was for the claims being made.” Samplaski said, “What we found is that in the vast majority of cases there was no evidence to show that any of the ingredients in these testosterone supplements were effective in any way.” The upshot, she said, is that “people should understand that just… read on >

Treating men with low-risk prostate cancer with just one high dose of radiation may be safe and effective, British researchers report. Therapy for prostate cancer typically involves low-dose radiation given over several days or weeks. Conversely, high-dose radiation is given once through a set of tiny tubes inserted directly into the tumor. “For low-risk patients, a single dose of high-dose radiation is sufficient, but for medium- and high-risk patients, a single dose of 19 Gy isn’t enough. They will likely need a bigger dose or going back to multiple doses,” said lead researcher Hannah Tharmalingam. She’s a clinical research fellow at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, England. According to Tharmalingam, high-dose radiation could be more convenient for low-risk patients, and less time-consuming and costly for the medical system. But one radiation oncologist fears that the side effects make it potentially dangerous. For the study, Tharmalingam and her colleagues treated 441 prostate cancer patients between 2013 and 2018. The cancers were classified as low-, medium- or high-risk. All of the men were treated with one high dose of 19 Gy of radiation, which is equivalent to the total amount of radiation given over several days with current treatments, Tharmalingam said. In addition, 166 men were also given hormone therapy. None of the men, however, had surgery or chemotherapy. For comparison, men with prostate cancer… read on >

Asthma inhalers can’t do the job if they’re not used correctly. And that’s an issue for many children, U.S. researchers say. “We know from past studies that both parents and children overestimate the ability of children to properly use their inhaler,” said study author Dr. Anna Volerman, from the University of Chicago. The study included 65 pairs of parents and children, ages 8-14, who had asthma and used inhalers. The children went to four Chicago public charter schools. Nine in 10 children were black and most parents were women. The researchers found that 97% of the children misused their inhaler. Only one child showed mastery, according to the study in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Many parents had misplaced confidence in their children’s ability to use their inhaler to ease their respiratory distress. Only 4% of children whose parents were confident in their use of an inhaler actually used the device properly. None of the parents underestimated their children’s ability to use an inhaler. The study also found that only 5% of children who were confident in their inhaler technique used their inhaler flawlessly. “We examined whether parent and child confidence were the same and whether either was a good sign of the child’s actual ability to use the inhaler correctly,” Volerman said in a journal news release. “We found most parents… read on >