MONDAY, Oct. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) – Matthew Perry, one of the stars of the beloved television sitcom “Friends,” died on Saturday. Perry, 54, was best known for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the long-running show, but he also starred in many other roles. Capt. Scot Williams, of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide division, confirmed Perry’s death, the New York Times reported. Investigators saw no sign of foul play, but the cause of death has not been determined. The actor had spoken openly about his history of addiction in interviews and in the memoir he released in 2022, called “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.” In 1997, he went to rehab for an addiction to pain medication, according to news reports at the time. He was hospitalized for pancreatitis in 2000, an inflammation that can be caused by alcohol and drug abuse, the Times reported. Then in 2018, he developed pneumonia, suffered an exploded colon, spent time on life support, was in a coma for two weeks, had a colostomy bag for nine months and went through several stomach surgeries, all of which were tied to his addiction, the Times reported. He was newly sober two years ago. Perry had said he had spent more than half his life in treatment centers or sober living facilities. “I was a guy who wanted…  read on >  read on >

Federal regulators have sent warning letters to two companies for illegally selling probiotic products for use in preterm infants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also sent a letter to health care providers warning of the risks. Probiotic products contain live organisms such as bacteria or yeast. They are commonly found in dietary supplements. These products may be dangerous for preterm infants and are being illegally sold to treat or prevent diseases in preemies in hospitals, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Those young babies who are given a probiotic product are at risk of invasive, potentially fatal disease, or infection, caused by the bacteria or yeast in the probiotics, the FDA said. Certain products have contributed to invasive disease in hospitalized babies, including one death this year. They have been linked to more than two dozen other reported adverse events nationwide since 2018, according to the FDA. “Adverse events in any infant following the use of a probiotic are a concern to the FDA. We especially want to make clear that products containing live microorganisms may present serious risks to preterm infants in hospital settings,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an agency news release.  “With today’s message, we want to warn parents, caregivers and health care providers that if these products are used for the prevention…  read on >  read on >

Researchers say they have developed a simple blood test that can spot biomarkers associated with bipolar disorder, potentially easing diagnosis. For the study, British researchers used both an online psychiatric assessment and a blood test to diagnose the condition. Many patients had previously been misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder. “People with bipolar disorder will experience periods of low mood and periods of very high mood or mania,” said first author Jakub Tomasik, a senior research associate at the University of Cambridge. “But patients will often only see a doctor when they’re experiencing low mood, which is why bipolar disorder frequently gets misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder,” he said in a university news release. On its own, the blood test could diagnose up to 30% of patients, researchers said. It was even more effective when combined with a digital mental health assessment. While still a “proof of concept” study, the blood test could eventually complement existing diagnostic tools, the authors said. It could also help researchers understand the biological origins of mental health conditions. “When someone with bipolar disorder is experiencing a period of low mood, to a physician, it can look very similar to someone with major depressive disorder,” said study leader Dr. Sabine Bahn, a professor of neurotechnology at the University of Cambridge. “However, the two conditions need to be treated differently: if someone…  read on >  read on >

Health workers are experiencing ever-increasing levels of harassment and burnout in the wake of the pandemic, a new federal survey has found. Reports of harassment on the job more than doubled during the pandemic years, and nearly half of health care workers often experience feelings of burnout, according to survey results published Oct. 24 in a new Vital Signs report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey is the first to describe in detail the mental health crisis among health care workers that first developed during the pandemic, federal officials said. “To label our current and longstanding challenge a crisis is an understatement,” said study senior author Dr. Casey Chosewood, director of the Office for Total Worker Health at the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “Many of our nation’s health care systems are at their breaking point,” Chosewood continued. “Staffing crises, lack of supportive leadership, long hours of work, and excessive demands and inflexibility in our nation’s health systems all must be addressed. We’re calling on employers to take this information to heart and take immediate preventive action.” The findings came from a survey on workplace quality that’s conducted on a regular basis by NIOSH. More than 13% of health workers said they had been harassed at work in 2022, compared with 6% in 2018 — before…  read on >  read on >

Older adults who live in distressed or disadvantaged communities are less likely to attend cardiac rehabilitation after common heart procedures, new research shows. The study looked at Medicare beneficiaries’ attendance at these medically supervised exercise and education programs after coronary revascularization between 2016 and 2018. Coronary revascularization includes procedures to improve blood flow to the heart, and can involve bypass surgery or receiving a stent to keep arteries open, according to the American College of Cardiology. The authors identified disadvantaged communities using a tool called the Distressed Community Index. It analyzes economic well-being and social determinants of health, such as educational disparities and poverty rate. In all, only 26% of patients from distressed communities use cardiac rehab, the research showed. That compared to 46% of patients from wealthier areas. No matter where they lived, any patient who attended cardiac rehab had a reduced risk of premature death, hospitalization and heart attack, the study found. “Addressing barriers to participation in cardiac rehabilitation in distressed communities may improve outcomes for these patients and reduce longstanding disparities in such outcomes,” said first author Michael Thompson, an assistant professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. “While some individuals who face geographic barriers to participation may benefit from transportation services or virtual options for cardiac rehab, there is a critical need to address socioeconomic barriers that…  read on >  read on >