More than half of all patients with autoimmune diseases also suffer from depression and anxiety — but most are never asked about their mental health, a new study finds. Surveying more than 1,800 patients, British researchers found more than half rarely or never reported their mental health symptoms to their doctor. This could mean the range of mental health and neurological symptoms is much wider than has been reported. “The low level of reporting we identified is a major concern as problems with mental health, fatigue and cognition can be life-changing, and sometimes life-threatening,” said study co-author Dr. Melanie Sloan in a Cambridge news release. She is in the university’s department of public health and primary care. Another author, Dr. Tom Pollak, said the numbers were “startling.” “We have known for some time that having a systemic autoimmune disease can negatively affect one’s mental health, but this study paints a startling picture of the breadth and impact of these symptoms,” said Pollak, who is from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London. “Everyone working in health care with these patients should routinely ask about mental well-being, and patients should be supported to speak up without fear of judgment. No patient should suffer in silence,” Pollak added. For the study, the researchers surveyed 1,853 patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as lupus…  read on >  read on >

The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water. The announcement came during an event in Boston. “I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million in grant funding that can be used to test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources, and remove those sources to better protect our nation’s children,” EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said in an agency news release. “Reducing lead in drinking water is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA is taking a holistic approach — harmonizing drinking water standards with historic infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while providing technical assistance to disadvantaged communities to protect all our children from lead in drinking water,” she added. The grants will help test for lead in drinking water, identify sources of contamination and help fix the problem, Fox said. “During his first year in office, President Biden announced a bold plan to replace every lead pipe in America. Today’s announcement is another step toward making that vision a reality. Schools and child care centers across the country will have the resources to ensure students are safe to learn, play and grow alongside their friends,” House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said in the EPA news release. Lead in water…  read on >  read on >

More omega-3 fatty acids in your diet might prevent hearing loss as you age, researchers report. Low levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are linked to hearing loss in middle and old age, according to findings slated for presentation Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, in Boston. Middle-aged and older adults with higher DHA levels, however, were 8% to 20% less likely to have age-related hearing issues than those with lower DHA levels, researchers said. “Animal models suggest maternal omega-3 fatty acid deficiency alters offspring hearing development, and long-term omega-3 supplementation may be protective for cochlear metabolism and reduce progression of hearing loss,” said study leader Michael McBurney, a senior scientist at the South Dakota-based Fatty Acid Research Institute and adjunct professor of human health and nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. “Now we find blood DHA concentrations are inversely associated with hearing loss,” he said. This study, however, can’t prove that high levels of DHA prevent hearing loss, only that there appears to be an association, McBurney said. The findings add evidence of the importance of omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA to protect against aging-related declines in a variety of body functions, he noted. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, nuts and seeds and in dietary supplements such as fish oil. “Our…  read on >  read on >

Tornado damage to a Pfizer drug-making plant in North Carolina is unlikely to trigger drug shortages across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. “We do not expect there to be any immediate significant impacts on supply, given the products are currently at hospitals and in the distribution system,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in an agency news release posted Friday. “Our initial analysis has identified less than 10 drugs for which Pfizer’s North Carolina plant is the sole source for the U.S. market, however, a number of these are specific formulations for which there should be substitutes or for which many weeks’ worth of stock should be available in Pfizer’s other warehouses,” Califf explained. “Notably, while Pfizer has one third of the total sterile injectable drug market for hospitals in the U.S., this facility only makes 25% of Pfizer’s total product for this market – not the entire market,” Califf added. “This means 8% of U.S. consumption is supplied by this site.” Meanwhile, Pfizer officials said the company is working to repair the damage and mitigate any shortage of drugs made at the facility. “Clearly nature is strong. So, too, is ingenuity and the human spirit. A great deal of work needs to be done, but I assure everyone, most importantly the people of the Rocky Mount community, that we will put…  read on >  read on >

Women who have survived breast cancer age faster than women who have never had to survive the disease. The treatment they received impacted their aging rates, according to a new study from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. “Breast cancer survivors have higher rates of various age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, and experience faster physical and cognitive decline than women without a history of breast cancer. In this study, we wanted to explore the biology behind this and examine whether certain cancer therapies had a greater long-term impact on survivors,” said study author Jacob Kresovich, an assistant professor at Moffitt. His team used data from the Sister Study, which identified environmental and biological factors that contribute to breast cancer risk and survival. More than 50,000 women aged 34 to 74 in the study had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer but had not been diagnosed themselves. The women were enrolled in the study between 2003 and 2009, and then contacted annually to provide health updates. The United States has nearly 4 million breast cancer survivors. Participants provided a blood sample at enrollment. Some provided another sample five or 10 years later. Among the 417 patients included in the study, 190 were selected because they were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer between their first and second blood draws. The researchers analyzed each blood sample…  read on >  read on >

Scientists have reported a link between air pollution and dementia risk, but they haven’t had a good understanding of the mechanisms behind this association. Now, a new study provides some answers. “In this study, we found that two types of vitamin B-related amino acids played a role in increasing or decreasing the risk of dementia caused by air pollution,” said Dr. Giulia Grande, co-author of the report recently published in the journal Neurology. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The study found that higher levels of these vitamin B-related amino acids may be linked to the risk of dementia associated with air pollutants called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5. Researchers looked at this fine particulate matter and two amino acids, methionine and homocysteine. Methionine is an essential amino acid involved in normal brain functions. It is found in foods such as meat, fish, dairy, beans and eggs. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the cells that can be transformed to methionine through a reaction that requires vitamin B12 and folate. It is important for red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function. The study included more than 2,500 adults, average age 73, living in central Stockholm. Researchers followed them for up to 12 years using interviews, questionnaires and blood tests. A total of 376 people…  read on >  read on >

It’s not only a mother’s mental health that is tied to the risk for preterm birth — the father’s matters, too. New research found that the risk of premature birth was higher for infants whose mothers or fathers had a psychiatric diagnosis than for those whose parents did not. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analyzed data on all live births to Nordic parents in Sweden between 1997 and 2016. The study findings were published July 20 in PLOS Medicine. Of 1.5 million babies, 15% were born to parents with a mental health diagnosis. For parents without a diagnosis, 5.8% of babies were born preterm. Paternal diagnosis increased the risk to 6.3% of births, and maternal diagnosis increased the risk to 7.3%. If both parents had a mental health diagnosis, the risk of preterm birth was greatest — affecting 8.3% of births. The researchers also found that the risk grew even more for parents with several co-existing psychiatric disorders. “Children of parents with mental illness are at increased risk of being born too early — both the mothers’ and fathers’ are important,” study author Weiyao Yin, a postdoctoral researcher, said in a journal news release. Preterm birth is associated with negative health consequences for babies, including anemia, jaundice, immune system problems and cerebral palsy, as well as a higher risk for sudden infant death…  read on >  read on >

Many retirees opt to volunteer as a way to help others, but new research suggests this act can also benefit volunteers’ brain health. Volunteering later in life may provide protection for the brain from both cognitive (mental) decline and dementia, according to researchers. Their findings were presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Older adults who volunteered had better memory and executive function than their peers who did not engage in these acts of service. “Volunteers are cornerstones of all communities and imperative to the success and impact of many organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association,” said Donna McCullough, Alzheimer’s Association chief mission and field operations officer. “We hope these new data encourage individuals of all ages and backgrounds to engage in local volunteering — not only to benefit their communities, but potentially their own cognitive and brain health,” she said in an association news release. Supporting educational, religious, health-related and other charities offers people a variety of benefits. These include a chance to be more physically active, increased opportunities for social interaction and mental stimulation. For the study, researchers looked at volunteering habits among more than 2,400 ethnic and racially diverse older U.S. adults who were part of the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences Study (KHANDLE) or the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR).…  read on >  read on >

Whether your child attends a year-round school or one on a traditional calendar, parents can take steps to make classroom reentry healthier for kids with asthma. Asthma causes an estimated 13.8 million missed school days each year, according to the Respiratory Health Association. That’s more than any other chronic illness. Having an inhaler on hand at school is one important step for kids with asthma. If your child experiences frequent asthma symptoms, visit a doctor as soon as possible, the Respiratory Health Association recommends. Make sure your child has a written Asthma Action Plan that you can share with the school nurse. Help your child practice taking asthma medication. Make sure your child understands how important it is to keep the medicine close by at all times. Call or visit the school or district to fill out any needed consent forms so your child can carry an inhaler at school. Save the prescription label from your child’s asthma medication to provide with the form. Keep an extra quick-relief inhaler where needed, whether in the home or at school. Talk with teachers to make sure they understand your child’s asthma “triggers,” recognize asthma symptoms and know what to do if symptoms happen, the association recommends. Hand-washing and covering the mouth while coughing is important to prevent common cold and flu viruses that can make asthma symptoms…  read on >  read on >