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Young children with autism are more than twice as likely to have sleep problems than typical kids or those with other developmental delays, a new study reports. Several factors profoundly affect the sleep of 2- to 5-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), said lead researcher Dr. Ann Reynolds. They are more likely to resist their bedtime, have trouble getting to sleep, suffer from anxiety regarding sleep, wake up in the middle of the night, and experience night terrors. “It was very clear that kids with features of autism have more sleep issues,” said Reynolds, an associate professor of developmental pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. “For almost all categories, there was a difference between ASD kids and the general population.” It was already known that kids with autism struggle with sleep. Studies have consistently found that more than half of them and possibly as many as 4 in 5 have at least one chronic sleep problem, according to Autism Speaks. Reynolds and her team decided to delve deeper into the issue, to see which sleep problems appeared to be more affected by the symptoms of autism. They also wanted to compare kids with ASD to average children and to those who have other disorders that cause developmental delay. Researchers recruited almost 2,000 children between the ages of 2 and 5… read on >

Many studies have shown that color affects both mood and behavior. Color can help you go from sad to happy or angry to calm. When it comes to mood, there are four primary colors. Though different shades within each of the four can have different effects, some generalities exist. Red symbolizes power and strength and may even stimulate aggression. Yellow is associated with joy, hope and optimism. As “warm” colors, both red and yellow are thought to increase arousal. Green is emotionally calming and stands for harmony. Blue is the color of intellect, yet is so calming that it can lower blood pressure. As “cool” shades, both blue and green can be relaxing. Much research has found that people living in areas with more green space have better physical and mental health than those with less green space. A European study looked at the effects on city dwellers of making purposeful visits to green spaces in four cities. They found strong positive links, including better mental health and more vitality. For another study, Michigan State University researchers analyzed data from the other side of the world. They compared the effects of living with a view of the ocean or of green space on residents of Wellington, New Zealand. They found that just looking out on a pure blue ocean or sea can significantly improve distress.… read on >

Every five years, the U.S. government updates its dietary guidelines based in part on new research, but always with the goal of disease prevention. The 2015-2020 guidelines stress the need to shift to healthier foods and beverages. Although research links vegetables and fruits to a lower risk of many chronic illnesses and suggests they may protect against some cancers, roughly 3 out of 4 Americans still don’t get enough. While more than half of Americans eat the recommended amounts (or more) of grains and protein, not enough are making healthier choices like whole rather than refined grains, a step that may reduce heart disease risk and help with weight control. What to Eat: A variety of vegetables: dark green, red and orange, legumes and some starchy ones. Fruits, especially eaten whole. Grains, with at least half whole grains. No-fat or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese and/or fortified soy beverages. A variety of protein, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and soy products. Plant-based oils. Most people eat too many added sugars, saturated fats and salt, and need to cut back. The prior guideline to limit cholesterol to 300 milligrams a day has been left out, because dietary cholesterol, found in animal-based foods, is no longer seen as affecting blood cholesterol. But foods that are higher in cholesterol, like fatty meat and… read on >

(HealthDay News) — When a person in his or her teens is depressed, there may be different warning signs than those shown by people older or younger, the American Academy of Family Physicians says. Here is the academy’s list of depression symptoms that typically affect teens: Trouble focusing, or showing signs of anxiousness. Anger, and frequent loss of temper. Changes in appetite. Not wanting to go to school or participate in social activities. Complaints of feeling sick. Showing less confidence, or feeling that they can’t do anything correctly.

Forget the mellow slacker image — pot smoking might actually make men more potent. Men who’ve smoked marijuana appear to have significantly higher sperm concentrations than those who’ve never given it a try, a new study reports. There’s also a potential link between pot use and testosterone, said senior researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro. He’s an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “With increasing use of marijuana, there was a positive association with serum testosterone levels,” Chavarro said. “More marijuana, higher testosterone levels.” Couples shouldn’t start smoking pot to improve their chances of conception, however. This was an observational study, and it’s entirely possible that the link between pot and male fertility might run in the opposite direction, Chavarro said. “We know that men with higher testosterone levels tend to engage in risk-tasking behaviors. The higher your testosterone, the more likely you are to do risky stuff,” like frequent pot smoking, Chavarro said. Chavarro and his team set out to study the possible effects of pot smoking on male reproduction by observing 662 men enrolled at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center in Boston between 2000 and 2017. Semen samples were taken from all of the men, and 317 provided blood samples that were analyzed for reproductive hormones. The men also filled out a questionnaire… read on >

There’s bad news and good news in a study of lives lost to suicide around the world. In sheer numbers, more of the world’s people are dying by suicide each year than ever before, the new report reveals. In 2016, about 817,000 deaths worldwide were attributed to suicide, the study showed. That’s an increase from the 762,000 suicides calculated for 1990. However, after the researchers adjusted their numbers for changes in age and population size, they found that the suicide fatality rate actually decreased by nearly a third between 1990 and 2016. Only further study can determine whether the decline is due to better suicide prevention efforts or to general improvements in population health, the researchers said. The analysis of data from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study also found that the worldwide rate of suicide death was higher among men (15.6 deaths per 100,000) than women (7 deaths per 100,000). However, that wasn’t true for most countries with what the researchers called a “low sociodemographic index” — a measure of fertility, income and education. In those nations, women had higher suicide rates than men, according to the study published Feb. 6 in the BMJ. The researchers were led by Mohsen Naghavi, a professor of health metrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. He and his colleagues said the wide variations in suicide… read on >

Minus 29 Fahrenheit in Fargo, minus 28 in Minneapolis, minus 13 in Des Moines. With potential record-setting low temperatures ahead for much of the nation, one expert warns that frostbite can quickly strike exposed skin. “With wind chills approaching the single digits and below zero, it is possible to develop ‘frostnip’ with progression to frostbite in exposed areas in as little as 20 to 30 minutes,” said emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Glatter. Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. At this point, skin turns red and irritated, but there’s no permanent damage, said Glatter, who practices at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “You can treat mild cases of frostnip with simple re-warming of the skin with warm water,” he said. However, “severe frostbite requires immediate medical attention, because it can cause permanent damage to skin, underlying tissue, as well as bones and muscle, and may lead to complications including infection, and nerve damage,” Glatter warned. With full-blown frostbite, the skin and tissue just beneath it freezes. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite first leaves the skin feeling warm, but as it progresses numbness sets in, and joints and muscles stop working. In severe cases, frostbitten tissue turns hard and black, and dies. Frostnip and frostbite tend to affect smaller and more exposed areas of the body, such as the nose, fingers, toes,… read on >

Chips, dips, wings and other fatty and salty things — Super Bowl parties can be a challenge for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, an expert warns. “For people with diabetes, the goal is to keep the carbohydrates down — and encourage more of the protein-rich foods — to enhance satiety,” said Jo Ann Carson, dietician-nutritionist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. If you have diabetes and are going to a Super Bowl party, find out if it’s going to be a high-carb affair. If so, take your own dishes or coordinate with others to make sure there are healthier food choices, Carson suggested in a medical center news release. People with diabetes should eat slowly in order to limit how much they consume, and should get up and walk around during each commercial break, she advised. People with high blood pressure, meanwhile, should focus on fruits and vegetables and avoid salty snacks, dips and sauces. If you’re hosting or attending a party, your healthiest bets are: Salad fixings, such as greens, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, radishes and tomatoes, with sugar-free and low-calorie dressings. Crunchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and cucumbers. Drinks such as water, unsweetened tea, coffee and calorie-free diet sodas. Proteins such as grilled fish, skinless chicken or turkey, and/or soy-based “veggie” burgers. And low/nonfat dairy products, including… read on >

As more young American adults struggle with extra weight, they are paying an even steeper price as the rates of obesity-related cancers rise in this age group. Obesity has already been linked to rising rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and knee replacements. Now, new research suggests cancer can be added to that list, and the rate of obesity-related cancers is certain to keep climbing among those aged 25 to 49, researchers report. “The fact that increases were mostly in obesity-related cancers is due to the obesity epidemic, and we would expect that the incidence would increase as this younger population ages,” said lead researcher Dr. Ahmedin Jemal. He is scientific vice president for surveillance and health services research at the American Cancer Society. In fact, these cancers are rising faster among younger adults than older folks, and that could stall or reverse years of progress in reducing cancer deaths, the study authors said. To try to curb the trend of rising cancers among the obese, Jemal thinks that primary care doctors need to screen all their patients for obesity. Family doctors also need to counsel patients to lose weight. Although screening for most of these cancers isn’t available or useful for younger patients, colon cancer is an exception, Jemal said. Last year, the American Cancer Society lowered the age to start colon cancer… read on >

One way to get better medical care and more value for your health care dollars is to find yourself a primary care provider, researchers say. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 70,000 U.S. adults who took part in a Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Of those, more than 49,000 had a primary care doctor and about 21,000 did not. Adults with primary care were more likely to receive high-value cancer screenings, such as colonoscopy or mammography (78 percent with primary care versus 67 percent without). They also received more diagnostic and preventive tests, such as flu vaccination and blood pressure checks. Patients with primary care were also more likely to receive counseling, especially to help them quit smoking, the investigators found. “If you have a primary care relationship, you have a better experience with care, better access to care, and a 10 percent increase in things like high-value cancer screening, diabetes care and counseling,” said the study’s corresponding author, Dr. David Levine. He’s a physician investigator in the division of general internal medicine and primary care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston. The study findings suggest that a primary care-first approach could improve U.S. health care, Levine said in a hospital news release. However, the researchers also found that both groups of patients had similar rates of low-value care. For example, inappropriate… read on >