Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

A combination of depression and genetic risk may fuel an addiction to indoor tanning. That’s the conclusion of a new study out of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C. For the study, researchers surveyed nearly 300 women who used indoor tanning beds, sunlamps or sun booths, and analyzed DNA samples. The women were white and between 18 and 30 years of age. The risk of tanning addiction doubled in those who had mutations in genes related to dopamine activity; dopamine is key to the brain’s pleasure and reward system. Those mutations, coupled with others linked to depression, increased the risk of tanning addiction by up to 13 times. “By demonstrating that genes in behavioral reward pathways are associated with tanning addiction, we are providing stronger evidence that tanning addiction is a cancer risk behavior in need of intervention,” lead author Darren Mays said in a Georgetown news release. “This finding adds to a growing body of evidence from animal studies and neuroimaging studies that have been done in humans.” Mays is an associate professor of oncology. He’s now beginning a study into the use of text messages as a way to help young women quit if they are addicted to tanning. Exposure to ultraviolet light can cause skin cancers, including deadly melanoma. Indoor tanning accounts for 10% of skin cancers, and this year… read on >

Everyone experiences anxious moments now and then. But for those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), the worry is frequent and overwhelming, often interfering with everyday activities. Now, a small study suggests that these burdensome feelings can be quelled with a little heart-pumping activity. The study found that just a half hour of vigorous exercise might do the trick. For the study, 35 young adults with suspected but undiagnosed GAD (subclinical GAD) ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes at high intensity, then spent 30 minutes sitting. They completed questionnaires on their feelings of worry, anxiety, energy and fatigue before and after each session. Both men and women emerged less anxious and worried and more energetic after the workout. For women, the improvements were even stronger. Nearly 7 million adults in the United States have GAD, with women more likely to be affected. But only about 40% get treatment for it, and research has focused on alternative therapies. Researchers said their study is the first to show positive effects for young men with subclinical GAD. The findings support previous research about the benefits of exercise for women with GAD. “Several plausible mechanisms have been suggested” to explain the anxiety-easing benefits of exercise, said study lead author Matthew Herring, a lecturer in sport, exercise and performance psychology at the University of Limerick in Ireland. These reasons include… read on >

Radiation treatment for lung cancer can help extend lives, but it might also raise a patient’s odds for heart attacks and heart failure, a new study shows. Many patients may have no choice but to accept the risk: For about half of people diagnosed with the number one cancer killer, radiation remains the only viable treatment, the research team noted. “This is alarming data — to think that one in 10 of the patients I’m treating for this type of cancer will go on to have a heart attack or other major cardiac event,” senior author Dr. Raymond Mak, a thoracic radiation oncologist at the Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston, said in a hospital news release. “These cardiac events are happening earlier and more often than previously thought,” he added. “More patients are living long enough to experience this risk of cardiac toxicity. We need to start paying attention to this and working together with cardiologists to help these patients.” One expert unconnected to the study agreed that patients face heart risks, but in many cases it’s tough to tease out why. “Although the radiation that we give to patients for lung cancer is of course directed mainly at their tumor, there may be overlap in the beams of radiation that affect the heart,” explained Dr. Adam Lackey. He directs thoracic surgery at Staten… read on >

Vitamin supplements don’t appear to prevent type 2 diabetes in those at highest risk for the disease, a new study finds. Some studies have suggested that low vitamin D levels might increase the odds of developing diabetes and that boosting levels could prevent it, but these findings throw cold water on these assumptions. In this study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 2,400 people aged 30 and older across the United States were involved. Researchers randomly assigned half of them to take 4,000 units a day of vitamin D and the other half to take a placebo. After nearly three years, 24.2% of those taking vitamin D developed diabetes, as did 26.7% of those taking the placebo. This difference isn’t statistically significant, researchers said. “In addition to the study’s size, one of its major strengths is the diversity of its participants, which enabled us to examine the effect of vitamin D across a large variety of people,” lead author Dr. Anastassios Pittas said in an NIH news release. “When the study ended, we found no meaningful difference between the two groups regardless of age, sex, race or ethnicity.” Pittas is a professor and co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts University Medical Center in Boston. The report was published June 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine… read on >

Fifty-six of America’s 500 biggest cities have major gaps in life expectancy between neighborhoods, a new study reveals. These gaps can mean people in one neighborhood live 20 to 30 years longer than those just a mile away — and the inequalities are prevalent in cities with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation, according to New York University researchers. They said their findings should be a wake-up call for city leaders nationwide. “Your neighborhood shouldn’t influence your odds of seeing your grandchildren grow up,” said lead researcher Dr. Marc Gourevitch, chairman of the department of population health at NYU Langone Health System. His colleague, co-author Benjamin Spoer, said researchers have known for a while that conditions from neighborhood to neighborhood can have “profound influence” on how long and how well people live. “But we were surprised to see just how large the gap in life expectancy can be between neighborhoods, and how strong the link was between life expectancy and segregation, across all different kinds and sizes of cities,” Spoer said in an NYU news release. Chicago had the biggest gap in life expectancy between neighborhoods at 30.1 years. That was followed by Washington, D.C., at 27.5 years; New York City, 27.4; and New Orleans and Buffalo, N.Y., both at 25.8 years. Scores on measures of racial and ethnic segregation in these cities were… read on >

If you or a family member has asthma, your doctor has most likely mapped out the steps you need to take to treat an asthma flare. Creating a healthier home by minimizing your triggers can be as effective as medication for reducing symptoms and flares, according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Triggers include indoor pollutants like cigarette smoke and gas stoves, as well as allergens such as mold, pets and pests — from dust mites that hide in bedding to cockroaches. One approach is to talk to your doctor about allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibody tests or skin testing to identify the allergens that affect you most. Then you can map out a strategy to rid your home of the worst offenders. HEPA or “high-efficiency particulate air purifiers” do a great job of removing airborne allergens. True HEPA devices can trap particles in the air that are as small as 0.3 microns — that’s less than 1/25,000 of an inch. HEPA filters are available for your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and for specially equipped vacuum cleaners. Protect mattresses and pillows with zippered allergen-proof covers, and launder bed linens regularly in hot water followed by a hot spin in the dryer, experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggest. To prevent mold, keep your kitchen, bathrooms and basement… read on >

It’s not just Moms: Just ahead of Father’s Day, a new survey finds that about half of American dads say they’ve been criticized about their parenting styles. The way they enforced discipline topped the list of things naysayers called them to task on, with two-thirds of critiques focused on that subject. Forty-four percent of the time, the criticism came from a family member, often the other child-rearing partner, the findings showed. “Addressing a child’s misbehavior is one of the greatest challenges of parenting, and parents aren’t always on the same page when it comes to expectations and consequences,” said survey co-director Sarah Clark, of the University of Michigan. That could prove problematic for families, Clark said. “Inconsistency between parents in responding to a child’s behavior can send mixed messages to the child, and result in conflict and criticism between parents,” she explained in a university news release. The next big topic for dad shaming involved the kinds of food men gave their kids (40% of critiques). Not paying enough attention to the children was also an issue of contention, as was the accusation that dad-child playtime could get too rough — about one-third of fathers said they’d felt judged for these two things. Other issues raised had to do with how a dad’s parenting style impacted a child’s sleep habits, safety or overall appearance. The… read on >

Obesity can worsen multiple sclerosis symptoms, researchers say. Their study involved 140 patients with the relapsing-remitting form of MS, which means patients have periods of attacks (relapses), followed by periods of remission with no or few symptoms. The researchers found that obesity at the time of diagnosis was associated with more severe disability. The reason: increased inflammation. The researchers looked at the connection between the autoimmune disease, which can produce pain, stiffness and loss of balance, and excess weight. They checked levels of inflammation in the central nervous system, and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. They found that obese patients have higher levels of two proteins that promote inflammation — interleukin-6 and leptin, which is produced by fat cells. Excessively heavy patients also had lower levels of interleukin-13, an anti-inflammatory agent. Higher triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol previously have been linked to higher IL-6 levels, the researchers pointed out. “This study confirms that obesity is associated with greater symptomatic severity of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis,” said study co-author Dr. Mario Stampanoni Bassi, a neurologist at Neuromed Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Pozzilli, Italy. “Our results therefore suggest that excessive body weight, or altered lipid profile, are associated to increased central inflammation,” he said in an institute news release. This causes symptoms to worsen. Body weight and high cholesterol or triglycerides are implicated in various chronic inflammatory conditions,… read on >

About 22% of people who live in conflict areas suffer from mental health problems, a new study review finds. Common problems include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, according to the World Health Organization. About 9% have a moderate to severe mental health condition. These conclusions are based on a review of 129 previously published studies. The numbers are significantly higher than the global estimate of 1 in 14 in the general population. Researchers said earlier studies underestimated how living in war zones and other conflict areas affects mental health. They found that depression and anxiety increased with age, and said depression was more common in women than men. Mild mental health conditions were the most common (13%). An estimated 4% of conditions were moderate, and 5% were severe. The report was published June 11 in the journal The Lancet. “I am confident that our study provides the most accurate estimates available today of the prevalence of mental health conditions in areas of conflict,” lead author Fiona Charlson said in a journal news release. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia and the University of Washington in Seattle. Conflict areas today include Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In 2016, the number of wars was at a historic high — with 53 ongoing conflicts… read on >

Is that second serving of steak or extra strip of bacon worth shaving time off your life? That’s a question researchers want you to ponder, because their new study finds the more red and processed meat you eat, the greater the odds of cutting your life short. People who increased their red meat intake by just half a serving a day boosted their risk of dying over the next eight years by 10%, the study authors said. And the type of meat made a difference, the investigators found. Eating a half serving more of processed meats like hot dogs and salami was tied to a 13% higher risk of dying early, while more unprocessed meat increased the risk 9%. “When people reduce their consumption of red meat and add other sources of protein, they have a lower risk of mortality,” said lead researcher Dr. Frank Hu. Hu is chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. The good news: Cutting down on red meat and adding vegetables, eggs, dairy, seeds, whole grains, nuts, fish and chicken to your diet will add years to your life, he said. The study found that replacing one serving of red meat with fish every day over eight years was tied to a 17% lower risk of death over the next eight… read on >