How to boost your fertility
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 20 November 2011
When it comes to fertility, age is not on our side but there are steps women and men can take to give them the best chance of conceiving, writes Emily Dunn.
Tick, tick, tick. For women planning to one day have children, that is the sound of the biological timekeeper counting down the number of years, months or days they have left.
For the most part, fertility is determined by our genes. Of the 1 million to 2 million eggs a woman is born with, just 400 will ever mature and as both women and men age, the quality of the sperm and the egg will decline.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/how-to-boost-your-fertility-20111121-1nqge.html#ixzz1f9IPPOvn
A body built to last
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 16 October 2011
Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by porous and fragile bones. It occurs when bones lose their density, making them extremely susceptible to fractures. It also affects life expectancy and quality of life.
A study published in The Medical Journal of Australia reveals osteoporosis affects about 1.2 million Australians and there are an additional 5.4 million who have a low bone density (known as osteopaenia – a potential precursor to osteoporosis). Department of Health statistics show that the total health expenditure for osteoporosis in 2004-05 was $304 million.
Link : http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/a-body-built-to-last-20111015-1lpqw.html#ixzz1bB75ESqb
We’re a nation of fat, sad drinkers, survey finds
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 14 September 2011
We may live in the lucky country but Australians are in denial about their ever-expanding waistlines and claim to be the unhappiest in the world.
The findings came from an international health survey, which also revealed that Australians were among the world’s biggest drinkers, coming in just behind their British cousins.
The survey by health insurer BUPA showed that, while 64 per cent of Australians said they were in relatively good shape, there were some worrying trends.
Link : http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/were-a-nation-of-fat-sad-drinkers-survey-finds-20110914-1k89a.html#ixzz1XykEY22M
Reduced Dreamless Deep Sleep Time Linked To High Blood Pressure In Elderly Males
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 29 August 2011
If you are an older man and are not getting enough slow wave sleep, a state of dreamless deep sleep, your risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) is considerably greater, researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass., USA reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. The authors emphasized that quality sleep is as vital to health as exercise and diet.
Slow wave sleep, also referred to as SWS, is Stage 3 and 4 non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep. It is characterized by brain wave patterns with a frequency of less than 4 Hz and peak-to-peak amplitude of 75 microV. It is one of the deeper stages of sleep. Individuals in this stage of sleep are more difficult to wake up.
Reduced SWS is a strong predictor for developing hypertension in older men, the authors wrote. Older men with the lowest SWS levels had an 80% higher risk of developing hypertension compared to men of the same age without reduced SWS.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/233530.php
The key to a good night’s sleep
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 21 August 2011
So much around us happens 24/7 now it’s no surprise we can have trouble finding time to relax. So, when something has to give, sleep is often where we cut corners.
When you consider that adequate, sound sleep is as important to us as food, water and exercise, it’s a healthcare crisis in the making.
People who have trouble sleeping are more likely to have had healthcare visits within the past year, to have been admitted to hospital and to have missed six or more days of work, Dr Jon-Erik Holty from California’s Stanford University told the Associated Professional Sleep Societies’ 25th annual meeting in June this year.
”And those reporting trouble sleeping were also more likely to have cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes or hypertension,” he said.
Mystic Chinese herb Cordyceps sinensis on TV
Earlier this week, the precious and mystic Chinese herb,
Cordyceps sinensis shot to fame on TV with ABC’s
Foreign Correspondence showing an interesting episode
about Cordyceps sinensis.
To view the show, simply click on the link below. Enjoy!
http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2011/s3289563.htm
Chinese medicine could treat Parkinson’s: study
Article from: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/
Article date: 21 July 2011
Chinese medicine may be effective in battling certain symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and lessening side effects from the drugs used to treat the condition, according to a new study.
Researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University said Gouteng, a traditional Chinese herb used to treat hypertension, helped patients better communicate and made them less prone to depression and sleeping difficulties.
“There is no cure for Parkinson’s right now, but the study showed Chinese medicine can help treat the disease,” a university spokesman told AFP Thursday.
Link : http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/8275689/chinese-medicine-could-treat-parkinsons-hk-study
Mystery of menopause before 40
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 12 July 2011
HOT flushes, night sweats, mood swings and the end of a woman’s natural fertility – all before age 40. This is the disturbing reality of premature menopause, and a new study shows it may be much more common than doctors realised.
A British study of almost 5000 women, one of the most comprehensive yet into premature menopause, showed that 7.4 per cent of women experienced the condition. Previous international studies suggested only 1 per cent of women were affected.
Indirubin, Component Of Chinese Herbal Remedy, Might Block Brain Tumor’s Spread, Study Suggests
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 12 July 2011
The active ingredient in a traditional Chinese herbal remedy might help treat deadly brain tumors, according to a new study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
The researchers discovered that the compound, indirubin, both blocks the migration of glioblastoma cells, preventing their spread to other areas of the brain, and the migration of endothelial cells, preventing them from forming the new blood vessels that the tumor needs to grow.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712143006.htm
Smoking-drug link to heart attacks
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 5 July 2011
AUSTRALIA’S drug regulator will review the safety of popular quit-smoking drug Champix following research linking it to a 72 per cent increased risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.
US and British researchers, writing today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found the increased heart risk occurred even though people taking Champix were more likely to have given up smoking, “which should potentially induce a cardiovascular benefit”.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/smokingdrug-link-to-heart-attacks-20110704-1gzb1.html#ixzz1RCxu1F4d
Sweet dreams to fend off day time drama
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 27 June 2011
Not getting enough sleep may cause you to gain weight, lose your partner, eat more chocolate and yell at your boss, studies have discovered.
The Associated Professional Sleep Societies in the US have found that feeling sleepy during the day lowers the ability to say no to rich, carbohydrate-heavy foods.
A group of 12 men and women aged between 19 and 45-years-old underwent functional MRI tests while looking at pictures of high-calorie foods and low-calorie foods.
Those who had higher levels of daytime drowsiness showed less activity in the region of the brain that is responsible for working out moral decisions and determining if something is good or bad.
Acupuncture has significant impact on mystery illnesses
Article from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Article date: 15 June 2011
Acupuncture has a ‘significant’ effect on patients with mystery symptoms – and could be added to the list of available treatments for undiagnosed health problems, research shows. One in five patients has symptoms which are undiagnosed by medicine, and the cost of treating them is twice that as of a diagnosed patient. A team from the University of Exeter examined 80 patients, and investigated the benefit of acupuncture being added to their usual care.
After the first trial of its type, researchers say those who underwent acupuncture showed ‘a significant and sustained benefit’ and add that the treatment could be safely added to the list of possible therapies.
Of the 80 patients, nearly 60 per cent reported musculoskeletal problems, and in the three months prior to the experiment had accounted for treatment including 44 hospital visits, 52 hospital clinic visits, 106 outpatient clinic visits and 75 visits to non NHS workers.
Half were treated with acupuncture for 26 weeks with the other acting as a control group, reports the British Journal of General Practice.
Simvastatin Can Injure Muscle At High Dose, FDA
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 9 June 2011
The highest approved dose (80 mg) of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin, is tied to higher risk of myopathy or muscle injury, including its most serious form rhabdomyolysis. This is particularly significant in the first 12 months of use, said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who announced safety label changes yesterday. Patients are advised not to stop their medication without first talking to their doctor.
Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), market simvastatin in the US as the brand Zocor, and in combinaton with another cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe, as Vytorin. It is also available with niacin as Abbott’s Simcor and as a single-ingredient generic drug.
About 12% of Americans who take simvastatin in its various forms are on the 80 mg dose, prescriptions for which were issued for. 2.1 million US patients in 2010
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/228008.php
Seniors need stress relief, too, doctor says
Article from: http://thedowneypatriot.com/
Article date: 2 June 2011
For many seniors who face sudden changes in their routines – be it illness, financial issues, loss or a change in their living environment – the golden years may not feel so golden. Stress can and does affect everybody but seniors often suffer in silence.
Given today’s high stress world of escalating gas prices and plunging financial returns, seniors often feel helpless.
Stress among the elderly can play a serious role in their overall health and wellness but there are many ways for seniors to reduce their stress levels and improve their ability to deal with stressors.
“Sometimes adults think the elderly have no stress because they may be retired from stressful jobs and their children are grown,” said Dr. David French, director of psychological services for CareMore, which specializes in senior health. “The fact is, seniors often face more stress than anyone ever realizes.”
Link: http://thedowneypatriot.com/bookmark/13531668-Seniors-need-stress-relief-too-doctor-says
Side effects hit heart pill’s chance of universal prescription
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 27 May 2011
THE prospect of a cheap universal pill to prevent heart disease in middle-aged people has become less likely after the results of the first detailed study of its use showed it did cut heart risk but by less than originally envisaged, while the rate of side effects was higher than expected.
The study leader, Anthony Rodgers, of the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, said the results meant the Indian-made pill would be more suited to people already at risk of heart disease than as a preventive measure for those who were healthy.
The pill combines components that lower blood pressure and cholesterol with blood-thinning aspirin at a cost of about $2 a month.
”The reality is a bit different from the hype but it’s still very good,” Professor Rodgers said of the enthusiasm that greeted the so-called polypill concept when it was first raised in 2003. He followed 378 people in several countries who took the combined pill or a placebo for 12 weeks, the first time its benefits and side-effects had been closely studied.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/side-effects-hit-heart-pills-chance-of-universal-prescription-20110526-1f6ha.html#ixzz1Nn1IQOnO
A bitter pill: from depression to obesity
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 14 May 2011
Treatment for one modern scourge may be triggering another, writes Mark Metherell.
Obesity and depression, the two curses of our time that continue to confound modern medicine, may have a disturbing link: it is possible that treatment of one may trigger the other.
After two decades of research exploring the mysteries cloaking these debilitating conditions – which now account for a massive burden of disease – two Canberra-based researchers from Brazil believe they have found the evidence of an insidious connection.
Professor Julio Licinio, a medical researcher and his wife, Professor Ma-Li Wong, have pursued a career-long hunt for the links between obesity and depression.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/a-bitter-pill-from-depression-to-obesity-20110513-1em6r.html#ixzz1MTHlim9P
Stress busters: what to eat before a big day
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 29 April 2011
For those really big stress occasions – a royal wedding, for instance – what should you eat to ease the nerves?
Dietitians say Kate Middleton could have some yoghurt, or nibble on a banana or packet of mints as she makes her way to Westminster Abbey.
But, they say, the key to alleviate stress is a good breakfast which includes carbohydrates with a low Glycemic Index (GI).
Melbourne dietitian Melanie McGrice said low GI carbohydrates have a calming effect because they increase the release of the feel-good hormone serotonin in the brain.
She said the princess-to-be – and the rest of us – should not skip the morning meal and should aim to eat low GI breakfast foods in order to ease anxiety
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/stress-busters-what-to-eat-before-a-big-day-20110429-1dzji.html#ixzz1LACAzNB4
Lifestyle Changes Can Slash Blood Fat Levels, Experts Say
Article from: http://www.businessweek.com/
Article date: 29 March 2011
MONDAY, April 18 (HealthDay News) — Healthy lifestyle changes can significantly lower elevated levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat associated with heart disease and other health problems, says an American Heart Association scientific statement released Monday.
About one-third (31 percent) of adults in the United States have elevated triglyceride levels, defined as more than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
These levels can be lowered 20 percent to 50 percent by replacing unhealthy saturated fats with healthy unsaturated dietary fats, being physically active and losing excess weight, according to the statement authors, who analyzed more than 500 international studies from the past 30 years.
Link: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/651952.html
Stress linked to overeating
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 29 March 2011
Stress is everywhere, and chronic stress is known to be harmful not only to our emotional health, but also to our physical health. It can affect the immune system (making us sick more often), the heart (causing high blood pressure and other heart problems) and muscles (causing problems with neck, shoulder and low-back pain), to name just a few concerns.
It can also be linked to overeating, and so contribute to obesity.
Stress eating is a common problem in our fast-paced world, although many people believe they are alone when it comes to this issue. In reality, most people have a tendency to overeat when moderately stressed. That can make controlling food portions particularly difficult.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/stress-linked-to-overeating-20110329-1cduz.html
Work Days of 11 Hours Boost Risk for Heart Disease, Study Says
Article from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/
Article date: 4 April 2011
Working overtime may be a killer, according to research that finds long hours on the job is a heart risk along with smoking, bad cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Adults who worked 11 hours a day or more had a 67 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who worked an 8-hour shift, a study today in the Annals of Internal Medicine found. The researchers found that by adding working hours to a standard heart risk assessment model they could increase the accuracy of heart disease predictions by 5 percent.
Longevity a state of mind
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 2 March 2011
Today’s lesson: be happy, live longer. Now science seems to back the glass half-full approach.
A review of more than 160 studies on the connection between a positive state of mind and overall health and longevity has found “clear and compelling evidence” that happier people enjoy better health and longer lives.
In fact, evidence linking an upbeat outlook and enjoyment of life to better health and longer life was stronger even than that linking obesity to reduced longevity, according to the review published on Tuesday in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/longevity-a-state-of-mind-20110302-1be1j.html
Battle acupuncture’ used to heal concussed US soldiers in Afghanistan
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 12 February 2011
AMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan: The US military is applying an ancient Chinese healing technique to the top modern battlefield injury for American soldiers, with results that doctors here say are ”off the charts”.
”Battlefield acupuncture”, developed by an air force physician, Colonel Richard Niemtzow, is helping heal soldiers with concussions so they can return more quickly to the front.
At Camp Leatherneck, a huge Marine Corps base in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a military doctor’s consulting room has dim little Christmas lights arranged across the ceiling and new age music playing.
Turning Off Stress
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Article date: 8 February 2011
Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect soldiers after combat or ordinary people who have undergone harrowing experiences. Of course, feelings of anxiety are normal and even desirable — they are part of what helps us survive in a world of real threats. But no less crucial is the return to normal — the slowing of the heartbeat and relaxation of tension — after the threat has passed. People who have a hard time “turning off” their stress response are candidates for post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as anorexia, anxiety disorders and depression.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208101316.htm
Research Reveals Brain Alterations Linking Omega 3 Deficit With Depression
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 7 February 2011
The link between deficits of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (AGPO-3) and the onset of depressive disorders is not new in the medical field. However, what has not been known until now is the brain mechanism by which diet can condition mental health to a certain extent. Research undertaken by scientists in Bordeaux (France) and at the Faculty of Medicine and Odontology of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and published in Nature Neuroscience, provides new clues to understanding this phenomenon.
The name of the research work, ‘Omega-3 nutritional deficiencies annul the neuronal functions of the endocannabinoid system’ describes the research findings, endocannabinoid system being linked to the onset of depressive disorders.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215792.php
Mental illness can bring a massive paycut
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 2 February 2011
Mental illness can represent a massive pay cut, according to Australian research which has calculated its cost in forcing people to leave the workforce early.
The study found people who experienced depression or other mental health problems were up to $250,000 worse off, or they had around half the accumulated wealth, compared to their healthy peers around retirement age.
Professor Deborah Schofield said it showed how mental health problems had not only a major impact on a person’s wellbeing and family life but also on their career earnings – and so their level of independence in old age.
Link: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/8205011/mental-illness-can-bring-a-massive-paycut
Food with bad fats linked to depression, study finds
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 28 January 2011
EATING food containing trans fats and saturated fats could contribute to depression.
Spanish researchers who followed 12,059 people over six years, analysing their diets, lifestyles and medical problems found those who ate the most trans fats, which are commonly found in pastries and fast food, had a 48 per cent higher risk of depression than those who did not eat trans fats.
Those who ate a lot of polyunsaturated fats – found in olive oil – had a lower risk of depression.
Obese tipped to overtake healthy
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 24 January 2011
BY 2025 the number of obese Australians will surpass those of healthy weight, according to epidemiologists who have calculated the nation’s future weight gain based on the rate we stacked on the kilograms between 2000 and 2005.
Only about 28 per cent of adults would be at a healthy weight in 2025 but nearly 34 per cent would be obese, said study leader Helen Walls, a research fellow at Monash University.
Dr Walls used data from nearly 6300 people collected as part of the landmark Australian Diabetes Obesity and Lifestyle Study to predict the scale of the obesity epidemic.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/obese-tipped-to-overtake-healthy-20110123-1a182.html
Antioxidants Cause Fertility Problems In Females
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 19 January 2011
Antioxidants are sold over the counter everywhere. They’re added to food, drink and face cream. But according to Prof. Nava Dekel of the Biological Regulation Department, we still don’t have a complete understanding of how they act in our bodies. New research by Dekel and her team, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), has revealed a possible unexpected side effect of antioxidants: They might cause fertility problems in females
Common antioxidants include vitamins C and E. These work by eliminating molecules called reactive oxygen species that are produced naturally in the body. Stress can cause these chemically active molecules to be overproduced; in large amounts they damage cells indiscriminately. By neutralizing these potentially harmful substances, antioxidants may, theoretically, improve health and slow down the aging process.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214005.php
Season’s stress with all the trimmings
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 19 December 2010
CREDIT card debts, bad behaviour at work functions and simmering family disputes can conspire to make the festive season one of the year’s most stressful times, mental health experts say.
They say pressure to have the ”perfect” Christmas can lead to exhaustion and frayed nerves.
Dr Steve Ellen, head of consultation, liaison and emergency psychiatry at The Alfred hospital, Melbourne, said people were often deprived of sleep and overworked in the lead-up to Christmas.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/seasons-stress-with-all-the-trimmings-20101218-191bn.html
Let’s Not Sleep On It
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 8 December 2010
We commonly think of sleep as a healing process that melts away the stresses of the day, preparing us to deal with new challenges. Research has also shown that sleep plays a crucial role in the development of memories.
An important component of anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is the formulation of memories associated with fear.
Therefore, researchers decided to evaluate whether sleep deprivation after exposure to an aversive event might eliminate the associated fear, due to the lack of memory consolidation that would typically occur during sleep.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/210641.php
Quitting Smoking Improves Mood
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article date: 6 December 2010
Quitting smoking is certainly healthy for the body, but doctors and scientists haven’t been sure whether quitting makes people happier, especially since conventional wisdom says many smokers use cigarettes to ease anxiety and depression. In a new study, researchers tracked the symptoms of depression in people who were trying to quit and found that they were never happier than when they were being successful, for however long that was.
Based on their results, the authors of the article published online in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research recommend that smokers embrace quitting as a step toward improving mental as well as physical health, said Christopher Kahler, corresponding author and research professor of community health at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Quitting is not, as some smokers may fear, a grim psychological sacrifice to be made for the sake of longevity.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/210236.php
Women’s bedroom blues
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 22 November 2010
Bed bugs … women draw the short straw when it comes to sleep and sex.
A study of young families has found working mums were two-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from interrupted sleep than working dads.
Mums were not only much more likely to get up at night to care for others, their sleep interruptions last longer – an average of 44 minutes for women compared to about 30 minutes for men.
“Interrupted sleep is a burden borne disproportionately by women,” said sociologist Sarah Burgard, a researcher at the University of Michigan.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/womens-bedroom-blues-20101122-183nz.html
Weight loss drug lethal, say French
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 18 November 2010
PARIS: A weight loss drug that has been taken by millions of French is likely to have been the cause of death of 500 people, the country’s drug safety body said.
France’s second-largest pharmaceutical group is at the heart of a growing health scandal over Mediator, a drug initially reserved for obese people with diabetes that became a popular appetite suppressor.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/weight-loss-drug-lethal-say-french-20101117-17xpa.html
Mild Painkillers During Pregnancy Linked To Reproductive Health Problems In Boys
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article date: 2 November 2010
New research from Europe found that women who took a combination of more than one type of mild painkiller like paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen, during pregnancy, or who took at least one of these during the second trimester, were more likely to have sons with cryptorchidism, commonly known as undescended testicles, a condition associated with poor sperm quality, and a type of testicular cancer later in life.
The researchers said this might partly explain the rise in male reproductive disorders we have seen in the last few decades.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207046.php
Elderly left in dark on sleep drugs danger
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 2 November 2010
SLEEPING medication that is linked to falls and fractures is still being taken by many elderly people, a study of patients from a Sydney hospital has found.
The tablets may be responsible for hundreds of deaths a year, yet an audit of patients treated for falls at a Royal North Shore Hospital clinic found more than one in five were taking them when they were admitted.
Many elderly people experience sleeping problems and ask their GPs to prescribe the drugs – known as benzodiazepines – and a similar type usually called ”nonbenzodiazapines”, the study’s co-author, Connie Vogler, said.
Elderly left in dark on sleep drugs danger
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 2 November 2010
SLEEPING medication that is linked to falls and fractures is still being taken by many elderly people, a study of patients from a Sydney hospital has found.
The tablets may be responsible for hundreds of deaths a year, yet an audit of patients treated for falls at a Royal North Shore Hospital clinic found more than one in five were taking them when they were admitted.
Many elderly people experience sleeping problems and ask their GPs to prescribe the drugs – known as benzodiazepines – and a similar type usually called ”nonbenzodiazapines”, the study’s co-author, Connie Vogler, said.
How to beat insomnia
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 29 October 2010
Damien Ryan could probably count all the sheep in New Zealand before he is able to fall asleep each night. The 26-year-old from Melbourne has had trouble sleeping for about two decades. “Your body has an internal clock to tell you what time it is,” he told AAP. “Mine is off by about four hours.” Ryan said his insomnia is caused by delayed-onset sleep disorder which means his circadian rhythm is out of whack.
“I go to bed typically 3am or 3.30am when most people would go 11pm or 11.30pm,” he said. Ideally, I’d get up at 10am or 11am each day, while most people are up by 7am, Ryan said. Ryan, a multimedia technician, said suffering insomnia sometimes made him cranky and normal 9-5 working hours very difficult. “The best way to describe it is – working 9-5 shift is like what a normal person would experience doing shift work,” he said. “It’s like being jet lagged out by three or four hours all the time.
“I had a lot of issues with my boss last year, he threw up his hands and said start coming in at 10am.”
Sleep experts say insomnia is a symptom, not a disease itself, and is brought on by factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, parenthood, financial strain, work and relationship problems, pain, substance abuse, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol use.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/how-to-beat-insomnia-20101029-176cc.html
Sick workers too busy to see a doctor, study finds
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 27 October 2010
THE drive to be productive is making office workers sick, says an Australia Institute study that found one in four people are too busy to seek an appointment with a doctor.
The findings, published to coincide with the think tank’s second Go Home on Time Day, have prompted the Public Health Association to call for Australian workers to slow down to ward off obesity and depression as well as deal with more immediate illness.
Valium users worse drivers than drunks
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 20 October 2010
PEOPLE who take sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medications are more dangerous on the roads than drunk drivers, researchers have found.
The study, to be presented tomorrow at the Australasian Sleep Conference in Christchurch, found that drivers who take benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Temazepam, were more likely to veer out of lanes, drive off the road or crash into other drivers than those with an illegal blood alcohol limit of 0.08.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/valium-users-worse-drivers-than-drunks-20101019-16sl7.html
Fat men linked to lower fertility
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Men’s weight could turn out to be as important for fertility as women’s, according to ground-breaking Australian research that suggests excess kilos may cause subtle sperm damage and prevent healthy pregnancy.
Couples at an in-vitro fertilisation clinic were 40 per cent less likely to have a baby if the father was overweight, Adelaide scientists told a conference last week. And follow-up research they conducted in mice showed genetic anomalies deep inside apparently healthy sperm might be to blame.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/fat-men-linked-to-lower-fertility-20101017-16p6l.html
Australian women: overworked, overweight, undersexed
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/l
Article date: 12 October 2010
Australia’s women feel stressed out and unfit, and when it comes to leisure time they report just 30 minutes a day.
A poll dubbed “Australia’s Biggest Health Check”, which gathered data from about 26,000 respondents, also reveals a significant mismatch between how much sex women want versus what they get.
Dr Aaron Coutts, senior lecturer in sport and exercise science at the University of Technology Sydney, said the research painted an overall positive picture while highlighting some areas where women want, and need, to make improvements.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/australian-women-overworked-overweight-undersexed-20101012-16hbz.html
Diet drug banned over heart and stroke risk
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/l
Article date: 10 October 2010
A POPULAR diet pill has been banned from sale after a study showed it could cause a fatal heart attack or stroke.
Pharmaceutical company Abbott announced it would stop distributing the drug, sibutramine, which has been sold under the brand name Reductil in Australia since 2001, following a ruling by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Depression During Pregnancy Increases Risk for Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 6 October 2010
Clinical depression puts pregnant women at increased risk of delivering prematurely and of giving birth to below-normal weight infants, according to a report published Oct. 4 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Being born too soon and weighing too little at birth can jeopardize the immediate survival and long-term health of babies. Preterm birth and low birth weight are leading causes worldwide of infant and early childhood mortality, respiratory distress, neurological and developmental impairment, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss and other disabilities.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004162948.htm
Walnuts, Walnut Oil, Improve Reaction to Stress
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 4 October 2010
A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may prepare the body to deal better with stress, according to a team of Penn State researchers who looked at how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence blood pressure at rest and under stress.
Previous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids — like the alpha linolenic acid found in walnuts and flax seeds — can reduce low density lipoproteins (LDL) — bad cholesterol. These foods may also reduce c-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101004101141.htm
Diabetes drug’s heart risk to be reviewed
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/l
Article date: 25 September 2010
HE diabetes drug Avandia will be reviewed in Australia after regulators withdrew it from the European market.
Avandia was linked to an increased risk of heart problems, which the drug company behind it, GlaxoSmithKline, tried to cover up.
The company said about 15,000 people used the drug in Australia.
In a co-ordinated announcement US and European drug regulators said the drug would be restricted in the US and withdrawn in Europe.
In July GlaxoSmithKline took a $US2.3 billion liability charge for legal cases involving Avandia and another medicine, Paxil.
Stress and exercise may hinder cancer therapy
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/l
Article date: 23 September 2010
Psychological or physical stress, including rigorous exercise, can sabotage cancer therapy, a study suggests.
The new findings indicate that people about to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment should try to relax and avoid intense activity.
Scientists found that getting stressed a day or two before the start of treatment can spark a series of events that allow cancer cells to survive. The process involves a stress-induced protein called heat shock factor-1, whose job is to help tissues and cells cope with stress.
Fertility Woes
Article from: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/
Article date: 21 September 2010
Stress, unhealthy diet and obesity can affect a woman’s fertility, say leading medical experts
The rush hour, junk food, tensions, inconsistent sleep patterns, inactive life and modern-day stress—these are symptoms of a modern life that all of us can identify with. They take a toll on our body and mind and according to experts, such lifestyle choices have started affecting women’s fertility.
Lack of information, along with the misconception that the age of fertility is unlimited, needs to be addressed immediately, says Dr Umesh Jindal, a gynaecologist. “A correct lifestyle choice is in our hands,” says Jindal, an IVF expert.
Link: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fertility-Woes/684213/
Hay fever season is nothing to sneeze at
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/
Article date: 16 September 2010
HAY fever sufferers were warned yesterday to start taking their preventive medicine immediately as NSW faces a particularly bad pollen season.
Heavy and consistent autumn and winter rains have created lush plant growth across most of the state.
But as farmers rejoice, pollen levels are rising as plants start to reproduce.
“It looks like it’s going to be a bad spring and summer for hay fever sufferers,” Professor Connie Katelaris, senior clinical consultant immunologist and allergist at Westmead Hospital, said yesterday.
“There will be significant pollen levels in the air because of recent rain.
“Last year was a bad one for the same reasons after the drought broke, and we saw grass pollen begin collecting in our city traps from September 13.
Link: http://www.news.com.au/hay-fever-season-is-nothing-to-sneeze-at/story-e6freuzi-1225924394835
Benefits to all from alternative therapies
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 13 September 2010
If you are taking fish oil to prevent heart disease, St John’s Wort to manage mild depression or visiting an acupuncturist for back pain, you are doing your health – and the nation’s finances – a favour, according to a study.
The Access Economics report finds two-thirds of Australians use complementary medicines each year, slicing millions off the national health bill and improving the well-being of many.
The report was commissioned by the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney, and focused on five of the most common chronic ailments for which patients sought complementary treatment.
Are women getting enough sleep?
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 7 September 2010
Losing sleep … How important is a good lie down?
Sleep is “the next feminist issue”. Julia Baird looks at the new bedroom politics.
If we are to take Napoleon Bonaparte seriously – and once upon a time people did – then perhaps we should all act like idiots. The man who won 40 battles before his defeat at Waterloo reckoned that when it came to sleep, there should be “six hours for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool”.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/are-women-getting-enough-sleep-20100907-14yj3.html
It takes two to produce problems of conception
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 5 September 2010
More than 50 per cent of couples who undergo reproductive treatment do so because the man has the fertility problem.
Reproductive experts are concerned about the widespread belief that problems conceiving are usually due to the woman.
The medical director of Fertility First, Anne Clark, said many doctors did not appreciate the significance of male fertility problems.
“It’s one of my mantras – the man is half the baby,” she said.
Experts are divided on the question of whether male infertility is increasing. Dr Clark said it was a lot easier to identify now than two decades ago. “We have come a long way in terms of being able to diagnose infertility. Unexplained infertility used to make up about 20 per cent of cases. We now know that a large chunk of those cases are related to problems with the man.”
Lack of sleep linked to mental illness
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 1 September 2010
Young people who get very little sleep are much more likely to become mentally ill, Australian research shows.
Lack of sleep might help explain the puzzling increase in mental illness among young people over the past decades, said the research leader, Nicholas Glozier.
He suggested late-night internet use might be one reason young people were sleeping less.
The study of about 20,000 people aged between 17 and 24 found those who slept less than five hours a night were three times more likely than normal sleepers to become psychologically distressed in the next year.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/lack-of-sleep-linked-to-mental-illness-20100831-14fn4.html
Smaller Babies Delivered By Depressed Mothers
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 29 August 2010
Clinical depression and anxiety during pregnancy results in smaller babies that are more likely to die in infancy, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.
The study, which focused on women living in rural Bangladesh, provides the first finding of its kind in a non-Western population. The research indicates that mental health issues are likely to be a primary contributor to infant mortality and poor child health, above poverty, malnutrition or low socio-economic status.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199053.php
Why real men (and women) need their sleep
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 24 August 2010
I’m betting that Tony Abbot’s decision to sacrifice sleep to keep on campaigning last week had a few sleep experts rolling their eyes. It’s not like a single all-nighter will have a major impact on your health – unless you happen to fall asleep at a steering wheel, that is. But it’s more fuel for the idea that heroes and high achievers fire on little sleep – while seven or eight hours is for wimps.
It’s the message we got from Kevin Rudd’s reported three hours sleep a night, and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s reputation for needing only four hours. But the flipside of sleep heroics are epic disasters where sleep deprivation played a role – like Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Closer to home and on a smaller scale was the Chinese coal carrier that ran aground this year on the Barrier Reef, leaking oil – lack of sleep was implicated here too.
Ancient Chinese Medicine May Help Chemotherapy Patients
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 23 August 2010
A centuries?old traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the intestinal side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation, a new study in mice suggests.
The research will appear in the Aug. 18 issue of Science Translational Medicine, which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.
Peonies and a pretty purple flower called skullcap, together with licorice and fruit from a buckthorn tree form Huang Qin Tang (pronounced Hu-ang Chin Tong), an ancient herbal medicine used in China to treat intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Recently, a Western-style phase 1/2 trial confirmed that this drug reduces gut damage caused by chemotherapy in colon and rectal cancer patients.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818141543.htm
Stress in Middle Age Could Contribute to Late-Life Dementia
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 19 August 2010
Psychological stress in middle age could lead to the development of dementia later in life, especially Alzheimer’s disease, reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on data from a study which followed women for 35 years, this is the first research in Sweden to indicate a link between stress and dementia.
The research, published in scientific journal Brain, is based on a major population study of women from Gothenburg. A representative sample of women were examined for the first time in 1968 when aged between 38 and 60, and then re-examined in 1974, 1980, 1992 and 2000.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100816095756.htm
Childhood Memories Of Father Have Lasting Impact On Men’s Ability To Handle Stress
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 15 August 2010
Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists who studied hundreds of adults of all ages.
Psychology professor Melanie Mallers, PhD, of California State University-Fullerton presented the findings at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197697.php
Walking To School Could Reduce Stress Reactivity In Kids
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date:11 August 2010
A simple morning walk to school could reduce stress reactivity in children during the school day, curbing increases in heart rate and blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease later in life, according to a new University at Buffalo study.
UB researchers report in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that children who took a simulated walk to school later experienced smaller elevations in systolic blood pressure, heart rate and perceived stress while taking a short exam than children who had gotten a simulated ride to school.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197391.php
Eliminating Diabetes And Depression Are Key To Warding Off Dementia, As Is Increasing Education And Eating More Fruit And Vegetables, Study
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 6 August 2010
A new study by French and UK researchers published in a leading journal this week suggests that should no cure be found for dementia, then the biggest impact on reducing rates of this progressive brain destroying disease is likely to come from eliminating diabetes and depression and boosting education, as well as encouraging people to eat more fruit and vegetables.
These findings coincide with those of another paper that suggests GPs in the UK need to get better at detecting dementia earlier.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197032.php
Sleep Deprived? Here’s How to Recover
Article from: http://health.usnews.com/health-news
Article date: 4 August 2010
Sure, we all know we’re supposed to get seven or eight hours of sleep a night, but all of us skimp from time to time, getting, say, five hours one night and six hours the next. Those lost hours, though, can add up to a big sleep debt by the end of the week—the reason so many of us feel wiped out by Friday. But here’s a bit of good news: Researchers have found that sleeping in after a few days of missed sleep can help pay back that debt, nearly erasing any lingering sense of fatigue and mental fuzziness, according to a study published this week in the journal Sleep. “The brain has a built-in reflex that helps you sleep deeper and longer when you’re sleep deprived,” says study coauthor David Dinges, chief of the division of sleep and chronobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “This recovery sleep seems to have a genuine benefit to restoring alertness.”
New Research Suggests That People With A Sleep Disorder Have A Higher Risk Of Developing Dementia – Alzheimer’s Society Comment
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article date: 30 June 2010
People who experience rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) may go on to develop conditions such as dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple system atrophy.
The researchers studied the medical records of 27 people with these three neurodegenerative conditions who had also experienced RBD earlier in life. The study, published in the online issue of Neurology, found that 63% of people who experienced RBD developed dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson’s disease in later life. In some cases the disorder was detected up to 50 years before the neurodegenerative condition developed.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196272.php
Mother’s love key to dealing with stress
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 28 July 2010
BABIES whose mothers shower them with affection are better at coping with stress when they get older, research shows.
Early nurturing and warmth has ”long-lasting positive effects on mental health well into adulthood”, the US researchers said.
While previous research has sought to assess the impact of a mother’s affection, projects have been based on people’s potentially fallible recollections of their own experiences.
New Parents Have 6 Months Sleep Deficit During First 24 Months Of Baby’s Life
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 26 July 2010
A survey reveals that parents lose an average of six months’ sleep during the first 24 months of their child’s life. Approximately 10% of parents manage to get just two-and-a-half hours continuous sleep each night, the Silentnight survey found.
Over 60% of parents with babies aged less than 24 months get no more than three-and-a-quarter hours sleep each night.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195821.php
New Links Between Cholesterol and Depression in the Elderly
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Article date: 21 July 2010
Most people know that high cholesterol levels place them at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. Prior research has shown that particular types of strokes contribute to one’s risk for depression, and that abnormal blood lipid levels can increase the risk of depression in the elderly.
However, new findings by French researchers, published in Biological Psychiatry, suggest the link between increased cholesterol and depression may be complicated. They evaluated a large population of elderly men and women (aged 65 and over) over a seven year follow-up period, assessing them for symptoms of depression and measuring their lipid levels.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721085448.htm
Master Regulator Discovery In Cell Metabolism, Response To Stress, Could Impact Obesity, Diabetes And Cancer Research
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 17 July 2010
AMP-activated protein kinase, or AMPK, is a master regulator protein of metabolism that is conserved from yeast to humans. When a cell is low on fuel, AMPK shuts down processes that use energy and turns on processes that produce energy.
Biologists have been studying how AMPK works for several decades and know that once it is activated, AMPK turns on a large number of genes by passing the “make more energy” message through numerous signalling cascades in the cell. What was not known, until now, was that AMPK also works via an epigenetic mechanism to slow down or stop cell growth.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194914.php
Depressed Men with ED at Risk for Cardiovascular Problems
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 13 July 2010
A new study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the presence of depressive symptoms in men with erectile dysfunction constitutes a risk factor for a major cardiovascular event.
Erectile dysfunction and depressive mood are often associated, and both are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. To investigate clinical correlates further, researchers led by Elisa Bandini of the University of Florence studied approximately 2,000 male patients in a clinic for sexual dysfunction using a structured interview while also scoring for depressive symptoms.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091313.htm
Anxiety Increases Risk Of Complications For Heart Disease Patients
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article date: 11 July 2010
Patients with heart disease who also suffer from an anxiety disorder have a significantly higher risk of having a heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death, compared to other heart disease patients, according to Dutch scientists.
You can read about this study in the peer-reviewed medical journal Archives of General Psychiatry.
Researchers from Tilburg University, The Netherlands studied over 1,000 patients with heart disease. They found that those who also had an anxiety disorder had a 74% higher chance of developing a cardiovascular event, such as heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194387.php
Tired of forgetting? Sleep on it.
Article from: http://newsdesk.org/
Article date: 6 July 2010
A Washington University St. Louis study on memory revealed that “sleeping on it” is, in fact, the most productive plan of action.
Doctoral candidate Michael Scullin, with help from Mark McDaniel, PhD, examined “prospective memory”—the retention of that which we plan to do—and found that sleep enhances such memory by 30 to 50 percent.
“What we wanted to look at was how we use memory in the future … remembering to take our medication, remembering to mail off a Father’s Day card, and how prospective memory interacts with sleep,” said Scullin in an AOL Health report.
The psychologists believe that prospective memories are stored and strengthened during slow wave sleep, which is colloquially referred to as “deep sleep.” During slow wave sleep, the hippocampus communicates with the cortical regions, which are integral to the storage of memories.
Link: http://newsdesk.org/2010/07/tired-of-forgetting-sleep-on-it/
Depression Appears To Be A Cause Of Dementia
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article date: 6 July 2010
We know that people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia also suffer from depression. Some studies have shown that people with a history of major depression are twice as likely as others to eventually develop dementia. However, nobody really knows whether depression is a symptom of dementia or a potential cause of it.
Scientists from Rush University Medical Center tracked the symptoms of depression during the transition from no cognitive impairment and discovered that depressive symptoms showed little change during the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. You can read about this study in the July 6th edition of the peer-reviewed medical journal Neurology, an American Academy of Neurology publication.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193951.php
Australia beats US for stress
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 1 July 2010
Kevin Rudd wasn’t the only Australian showing signs of strain last week.
Nine out of 10 us, aged over 18, have shown symptoms of stress in 2010, a Lifeline poll reveals.
More than four out of 10 indicated they were very stressed.
Lifeline CEO Dawn O’Neil said the result of the crisis support agency’s annual survey equated to a rise of 650,000 in the number of Australians under stress, compared with the previous year.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/australia-beats-us-for-stress-20100701-zp91.html
Ignoring Stress Leads Recovering Addicts to More Cravings
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 24 June 2010
Recovering addicts who avoid coping with stress succumb easily to substance use cravings, making them more likely to relapse during recovery, according to behavioral researchers.
“Cravings are a strong predictor of relapse,” said H. Harrington Cleveland, associate professor of human development, Penn State. “The goal of this study is to predict the variation in substance craving in a person on a within-day basis. Because recovery must be maintained ‘one day at a time,’ researchers have to understand it on the same daily level.”
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623165127.htm
Long-Term Study Links Chronic Insomnia to Increased Risk of Death
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Article date: 15 June 2010
Individuals with chronic insomnia have an elevated risk of death, according to a research abstract presented June 7, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.
Results indicate that the adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was three times higher in people with chronic insomnia (HR = 3.0) than in people without insomnia. When examining individual subtypes of insomnia, the risk of death was elevated, regardless of which subtype people reported. The risk of death in the four subtypes was two to three times higher in individuals with: chronic early-awakening insomnia (HR = 3.0), chronic sleep-maintenance insomnia who had difficulty getting back to sleep (HR = 3.0), chronic sleep-onset insomnia (HR = 2.4), and chronic sleep-maintenance insomnia who awakened repeatedly during the night (HR = 2.3).
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607065559.htm
Why Does Feeling Low Hurt? Depressed Mood Increases the Perception of Pain
Article Date: 07 Jun 2010
Article From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
When it comes to pain, the two competing schools of thought are that it’s either “all in your head” or “all in your body.” A new study led by University of Oxford researchers indicates that, instead, pain is an amalgam of the two.
Depression and pain often co-occur, but the underlying mechanistic reasons for this have largely been unknown. To examine the interaction between depression and pain, Dr. Chantal Berna and colleagues used brain imaging to see how healthy volunteers responded to pain while feeling low.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607111318.htm
Sleep Apnea Linked To Increased Risk Of Stroke
Article Date: 08 Apr 2010
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results from new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Overall, sleep apnea more than doubles the risk of stroke in men. The research was reported online ahead of the print edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) is a prospective, multi-center study. Researchers studied stroke risk in 5,422 participants aged 40 years and older without a history of stroke. At the start of the study, participants performed a standard at-home sleep test, which determined whether they had sleep apnea and, if so, the severity of the sleep apnea. Participants were followed for an average of nine years. During that period, a total of 193 participants had a stroke – 85 men (of 2,462 men enrolled) and 108 women (out of 2,960 enrolled).
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184740.php
Heart attack risks missed by ‘too busy’ GPs
Diabetes Raises Risk Of Death In Cancer Surgery Patients
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article Date: 29 Mar 2010 – 2:00 PDT
People with diabetes who undergo cancer surgery are more likely to die in the month following their operations than those who have cancer but not diabetes, an analysis by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests.
The study, to be published in the April issue of the journal Diabetes Care, finds that newly diagnosed cancer patients – particularly those with colorectal or esophageal tumors – who also have Type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent greater risk of death following surgery. Roughly 20 million Americans – about 7 percent of the population – are believed to have diabetes and the numbers continue to grow.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/183815.php
Article Date: March 1, 2010
Article From: http://www.smh.com.au/
UP TO 70 per cent of people at risk of having a heart attack or stroke are not prescribed the right drugs when they visit their GP because doctors are too busy to look at a person’s overall health, research has found.
The study, published today in The Medical Journal of Australia also found that half of older patients who had suffered a heart attack or stroke did not receive the care they needed to prevent a second attack.
About 35 per cent of deaths in Australia are caused by heart attacks and strokes, but many GPs were still assessing patients on single risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, rather than looking at the effects that a combination could have on a patient, a researcher, Emma Heeley, said.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/heart-attack-risks-missed-by-too-busy-gps-20100228-pb6j.html
X-rays for back pain called into question
Article Date: February 10, 2010
Article From: http://www.smh.com.au
FOUR out of five people with acute lower back pain are receiving inappropriate treatment, a Sydney study has found.
More than one-fifth of patients were sent for X-rays, despite Australia’s clinical practice guidelines cautioning doctors against the routine use of imaging for lower back pain.
Chris Maher, of the George Institute for International Health, said the guidelines stated that the most appropriate treatment for people who presented with a new case of the condition was to stay active, avoid bed rest and take paracetamol for pain relief.
”Less than 1 per cent of people turning up to the doctor with back pain would need an X-ray,” said Professor Maher, a co-author of the study, which is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/xrays-for-back-pain-called-into-question-20100209-npt6.html From: http://www.smh.com.au/
Sitting all day may significantly boost the risk of lifestyle-related disease even if one adds a regular dose of moderate or vigorous exercise, scientists said on Tuesday. The health benefits of pulse-quickening physical activity are beyond dispute – it helps ward off cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, among other problems.
But recent scientific findings also suggest that prolonged bouts of immobility while resting on one’s rear end may be independently linked to these same conditions. “Sedentary time should be defined as muscular inactivity rather than the absence of exercise,” concluded a team of Swedish researchers.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/sitting-can-be-dangerous-scientists-20100119-mhwl.html
Key to Cocaine Addiction May Lead to Treatment
Article date: January 7 2010
Article from: http://www.medicinenet.com/
THURSDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) — A key mechanism in the brain that helps explain how people become addicted to cocaine has been identified by U.S. government scientists, who say their finding could lead to the development of new treatments for drug addiction.
In experiments with mice, the team at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) showed how cocaine affects an epigenetic process called histone methylation. An epigenetic process is a process that influences gene expression without changing a gene’s sequence.
Link: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=110115
Coffee, tea reduce diabetes risk
Article Date: December 15, 2009
Article From: http://www.smh.com.au/
Good news for caffeine fiends … tea and coffee found to lower the risk of diabetes.
New research shows that coffee and tea, even decaffeinated versions, can dramatically lower the risk of diabetes.
The study does not answer why this might be but strengthens the findings of earlier studies showing the beverages may prevent type-2 diabetes.
“Every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7 per cent reduction in the excess risk of diabetes,” Rachel Huxley of The University of Sydney in Australia and an international team of colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
This meant that people who drank three to four cups a day had a 25 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who drank little or no tea or coffee.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/coffee-tea-reduce-diabetes-risk-20091215-kt1w.html
The World Health Organization changes HIV ‘drug advice’
Article Date: 30 November 2009
Article From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/
The World Health Organization is changing its advice on HIV drugs, asking that they be given sooner and to breastfeeding mothers with the virus.Experts say the advice is based on the most up-to-date information available and will cut infection rates and save lives. But it will mean many more people needing treatment, which will cost more money and time. An estimated 33.4 million people are living with HIV/Aids.
The World Health Organization (WHO) wants adults and adolescents to receive anti-retroviral therapy (ART) before their immune system strength falls below 350 cells per cubic millilitre of blood, regardless of whether they show symptoms.
It also wants the drug Stavudine, widely used in developing countries because of its low cost and widespread availability, to be phased out in favour of Zidovudine or Tenofovir, which do not have the same long-term and irreversible side effects.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8385836.stm
Suppressing Workplace Anger Doubles Heart Attack Risk in Study
Article from: http://www.bloomberg.com/
Article date:24/11/2009
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) — Men who suppress their anger about unfair treatment at work are two to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease than those who quickly vent their frustration, a Swedish study shows.
The results from the survey involving 2,755 men confirm previous findings from the Framingham Study in the U.S. and show bottling up anger and frustration may harm the heart. Scientists have long speculated that anger or arousal that “boils under the surface” may cause physical reactions like high blood pressure and related ailments, the researchers said.
They enrolled healthy Swedish men with an average age of 41 in the study from 1992 through 1995, then tracked them for a decade to compare a range of work and health factors. The analysis found those who often relied on “covert coping,” where they walked away or ignored unfair treatment, often paid the price in terms of their health.
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aVODGIssb9Zw
People With Type D Personalities Experience More Health Problems
Article Date: 19 Nov 2009
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
People who experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express these experience more health problems, says Dutch researcher Aline Pelle. She discovered that heart failure patients with a negative outlook reported their complaints to a physician or nurse far less often. The personality of the partner can also exert a considerable influence on these patients.
Aline Pelle investigated patients with a so-called type D personality. These people experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express these for fear of being rejected by others. It was already known that such a type of personality in heart failure patients is associated with anxiety and depression and a reduced state of health. However, Aline Pelle also described which processes might contribute to this.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171465.php
Dark Chocolate May Improve Metabolic Stress Response Say Nestlé Researchers
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article Date: 13 Nov 2009
A new study by Nestlé researchers suggests that eating a few pieces of dark chocolate every day may improve the metabolic response of people who report feeling highly stressed.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Proteome Research, was the work of lead investigator Sunil Kochhar, a researcher at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170829.php
Can Stress-Reducing Transcendental Meditation Help CHD Patients Prevent Future Heart Attacks?
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Article Date: 09 Nov 2009
The National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will fund a $1 million collaborative study by the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center to determine whether the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique can help patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) prevent future heart attacks, strokes and death.
The 12-week “Randomized Controlled Trial of Stress Reduction in the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in African Americans,” will be conducted at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. The trial will examine 56 patients who have had a heart attack or bypass surgery, angioplasty, or chronic angina.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170255.php
Researchers Say Healthy Diet Protects Against Depression In Middle Age
Article Date: 02 Nov 2009
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
A new study led by researchers in the UK found that an overall healthy “whole food” diet comprising a high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish, protected middle aged people against depression compared to a processed food diet containing a high proportion of high fat dairy food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts.
The study was the work of researchers based at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London (UCL), UK and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), University of Montpellier, France, and is published in the November issue of the The British Journal of Psychiatry which is available online.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169489.php
Northwestern Research Finds Antidepressant Drugs Aim At Wrong Target
Article Date: 26 Oct 2009
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief.
Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to new research from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The medications are like arrows shot at the outer rings of a bull’s eye instead of the center.
A study from the laboratory of long-time depression researcher Eva Redei, presented at the Neuroscience 2009 conference in Chicago, appears to topple two strongly held beliefs about depression. One is that stressful life events are a major cause of depression. The other is that an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain triggers depressive symptoms.
Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168657.php
Lower Rates Of Anxiety/depression And Poor Health Among People Living Near Green Space
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article Date: 16 Oct 2009 – 0:00 PDT
People living close to green space have lower rates of anxiety/depression and poor physical health than those living in concrete jungles, finds research published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The researchers base their findings on the health records of people registered with 195 family doctors in 95 practices across the Netherlands. Between them, the practices serve a population of almost 350,000.
The percentages of green space within a 1 and 3 kilometre radius of their home were calculated using the household’s postcode. On average, green space accounted for 42% of the residential area within a 1 kilometre radius and almost 61% within a 3 kilometre radius of people’s homes.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167534.php
Association Between Mediterranean Diet And Reduced Risk Of Depression
Article Date: 12 Oct 2009
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern – rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish – appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report of the University of Navarra, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
The researchers studied 10,094 healthy Spanish participants who completed an initial questionnaire between 1999 and 2005. Participants reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire, and the researchers calculated their adherence to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components (high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167039.php
Association Between Mediterranean Diet And Reduced Risk Of Depression
Article Date: 12 Oct 2009
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern – rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish – appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report of the University of Navarra, published in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
The researchers studied 10,094 healthy Spanish participants who completed an initial questionnaire between 1999 and 2005. Participants reported their dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire, and the researchers calculated their adherence to the Mediterranean diet based on nine components (high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish).
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167039.php
Elderly Women Sleep Better Than They Think, Men Sleep Worse, Study Finds
Article From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article Date: 03 Oct 2009
A study in the Oct.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that elderly women sleep better than elderly men even though women consistently report that their sleep is shorter and poorer.
Women reported less and poorer sleep than men on all of the subjective measures, including a 13.2 minute shorter total sleep time (TST), 10.1 minute longer sleep onset latency (SOL), and a 4.2 percent lower sleep efficiency. When sleep was measured objectively, however, women slept 16 minutes longer than men, had a 1.2 percent higher sleep efficiency, and had less fragmented sleep. Multivariate regression analysis showed that these discrepancies were partly explained by determinants of sleep duration such as sleep medication use and alcohol consumption.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166032.php
A relief? Lower back pain unlikely to mean cancer
Article from: http://news.yahoo.com/
Article Date: 30.09.2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Your lower back pain may be killing you, but there’s some good news: Such pain is very unlikely to mean serious problems such as broken vertebrae or cancer, according to a study by Australian researchers.
Dr. Christopher G. Maher, from The George Institute of International Health in Sydney, and colleagues studied 1172 patients who came to general practitioners, physical therapists, or chiropractors with a new complaint of lower back pain. Doctors found reasons to be concerned about serious conditions in about 80 percent of the patients with lower back pain, suggesting that such red flags many not be red flags at all.
Based on the study, Maher suggested that doctors look for four characteristics — female sex, age older than 70, significant trauma, and prolonged use of steroids such as prednisone – before sounding any alarm bells. Patients with all four of those signs were much more likely to have serious problems.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090930/hl_nm/us_back_pain_1;_ylt=AszY5mXpcjS5jdVsdiQjDh.3SpZ4
Depression and Anxiety Disorders Of Adolescents Are Not The Same Thing
Article from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Article Date: 26 Sep 2009
Adolescent depression and anxiety disorders are two distinct psychiatric disorders, according to Dr. William W. Hale III (a researcher of the Langeveld Institute for the Study of Education and Development in Childhood and Adolescence at Utrecht University) in a recent publication in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
Hale and his colleagues conducted a five-year, longitudinal study of secondary school adolescents. Every year the depressive and anxiety disorder symptoms of the adolescents were measured. Hale and his colleagues concluded that while adolescent anxiety and depression were strongly related to one another, that adolescent depression and anxiety disorder symptoms are in fact best classified as two distinct disorders.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165088.php
Sleep deprivation Alzheimer’s link
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au/
Article date: 25/09/2009
A study in mice suggests lack of sleep may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
The findings, reported in the journal Science, are some of the first to link sleep with the development of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.
Researchers at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis studied levels of amyloid beta – a protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s – in mice genetically engineered to have a version of Alzheimer’s disease.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/sleep-deprivation-alzheimers-link-20090925-g5b8.html
Direct Evidence Of Role Of Sleep In Memory Formation Is Uncovered
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Article date: 16/09/2009
ScienceDaily (Sep. 16, 2009) — A Rutgers University, Newark and Collége de France, Paris research team has pinpointed for the first time the mechanism that takes place during sleep that causes learning and memory formation to occur.
It’s been known for more than a century that sleep somehow is important for learning and memory. Sigmund Freud further suspected that what we learned during the day was “rehearsed” by the brain during dreaming, allowing memories to form. And while much recent research has focused on the correlative links between the hippocampus and memory consolidation, what had not been identified was the specific processes that cause long-term memories to form.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915174506.htm
Stress linked to tattoos and body piercings
Article from: http://www.news.com.au
Article date: 15/09/2009
SOME people who get tattooed or pierced are anxious and stressed, research suggests.But a leading body-art practitioner says most people who modify their bodies do so for the right reasons.
A University of Newcastle study surveyed 115 tattoo convention participants, body modification fans and university students about the relationship between body modification, personality traits, motivations and psychological wellbeing.
Body modification includes not just tattooing and piercing, but scarification, branding, shapes implanted under the skin and body suspension by hooks.
The study, to be presented at the Australian Psychological Society conference in Darwin at the end of the month, found the main motivations for body modifications were individuality and beauty.
Link: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26073282-949,00.html
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, ABDOMINAL PAIN, GAS, BLOATING, DIARRHEA, CONSTIPATION – Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Traditional East Asian Medicine
Article from: http://www.alternativehealthjournal.com/
Article date: 09/09/2009
In a preliminary, randomized, sham/placebo-controlled trial involving 29 men and women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion, twice a week for a period of 4 weeks, was found to significantly improve symptoms of abdominal pain/discomfort, intestinal gas, bloating, and stool consistency. Subjects who received real acupuncture and moxibustion therapy were assessed by an acupuncturist according to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and treated with an individualized acupuncture point prescription. The results of this study are promising, suggesting that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy may be an effective treatment for managing symptoms in patients with IBS.
Workplace Bullying Linked to Sleep Problems
Article from:http://www.medicinenet.com
Article date: 02/09/2009
Researchers have found that people who are intimidated, insulted, or otherwise harassed on the job are more likely to have sleep disturbances than are other workers. Their findings appear in the Sept.1 issue of the journal Sleep.
“Workplace bullying may be considered as one of the leading job stressors and would be a major cause of suicide and other health-related issues,” Isabelle Niedhammer, PhD, epidemiologist and researcher at the UCD School of Public Health & Population Science at the University College Dublin in Ireland, says in a statement. “Our study underlines the need to better understand and prevent occupational risk factors, such as bullying, for sleep disorders.”
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=105231
Depression found in 15% of preschoolers
Article from: http://www.smh.com.au
Article date: 31 August 2009
Almost 15 per cent of preschoolers have abnormally high levels of depression and anxiety, and a difficult temperament at five months of age is the most important early warning sign, a study has found.
Highly strung or tense four and five-year-olds are also more likely to have mothers with a history of depression than children who are not anxious or depressed.
The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, was based on annual interviews with 1759 mothers about their children’s behaviour from five months to five years of age.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/depression-found-in-15-of-preschoolers-20090830-f3zj.html
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Primary Suicide Risk Factor For Veterans
Article from: Science Daily
Article date: 26 August 2009
Researchers working with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have found that post-traumatic stress disorder, the current most common mental disorder among veterans returning from service in the Middle East, is associated with an increased risk for thoughts of suicide.
The research was published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, establishes PTSD as a risk factor for thoughts of suicide in Iraq.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151341.htm
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Premature birth link to anxiety and depression
Article from: http://www.theage.com.au
Article date: 21 August 2009
TODDLERS are more likely to get anxious, depressed or have eating or sleeping problems if they were born 10 or more weeks premature, new research has found.
Experts from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute conducted the study, which was published yesterday in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Link: http://www.theage.com.au/national/premature-birth-link-to-anxiety-and-depression-20090820-es2n.html
Personality Traits Associated With Stress And Worry Can Be Hazardous To Your Health
Article from: Science Daily
Article date: 19 August 2009
Personality traits associated with chronic worrying can lead to earlier death, at least in part because these people are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, according to research from Purdue University.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818130552.htm
Loneliness Will Hurt your Heart
Article from: 24 Medica
Article date: 17 August 2009
Being alone can break your heart — literally. People who lack a strong network of friends and family are at greater risk of developing — and dying from — heart disease, research shows. According to some studies, the risk of solitude is comparable to that posed by high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even smoking.
Link: http://www.24medica.com/content/view/265/2/
Exercise can keep you awake – not put you to sleep, study finds
Article from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Article date: 08 June 2009
It was believed a good workout helps to send you off by making you more tired – but it now appears the reverse is true.
A study of fourteen participants who wore armbands monitoring their movements for 23 days found the more active they were the less they napped.
Surprisingly, total sleep time increased by an average of 42 minutes a night after days with low activity.
Anger: Classify it as mental disorder, researcher says
Article from: http://www.usatoday.com
Article date: 10 August 2009
Raymond DiGiuseppe, a psychology professor at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., explained his efforts at a Friday session of the American Psychological Association meeting here.
He believes anger is worthy of its own diagnosis in the official manual of mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-08-APA-anger_N.htm
Toddlers can suffer from depression, study shows
Article From: http://www.bartlesvillelive.com
Article Date: 6 August 2009
Toddlers are not immune from clinical depression. In fact, it can occur as early as age three, contrary to a long held belief that children so young are too emotionally immature to experience depression.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed 306 preschoolers age three to six. 75 of them met the criteria for major depressive disorder. Another 79 tots had anxiety or other disruptive disorders but not depression. The remaining 146 did not meet the criteria for any psychiatric disorder.
Can Chinese herbs treat swine flu?
Article from: http://www.examiner.com/
Article date: 30 July 2009
According to a recent report in Yahoo Malaysia news, doctors at Ditan Hospital in Beijing claim that a combination of various Chinese herbs had a 75 percent cure rate in the 117 patients treated there for swine flu.
In the article, hospital spokesman Dr. Wang Yuguang, deputy dean of the Centre of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine was quoted: “From our clinical tests and observation, the traditional method of treatment left no after effects and it is safe.” He added that the recovery period was shorter than in patients who received Tamiflu and the daily cost of the herbal remedy at about 12 yuan ($1.76 US) was lower as compared to Tamiflu treatment at 56 yuan ($8.20 US)
Teen Pregnancy May Be Symptom, Not Cause, Of Emotional Distress
Article from: Science Daily
Article date: 28 July 2009
“Psychological distress does not appear to be caused by teen childbearing, nor does it cause teen childbearing, except apparently among girls from poor households,” said Stefanie Mollborn, Ph.D., an assistant professor of sociology at the Institute of Behavioral Science of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The study, published in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, used data from two large long-term U.S. surveys that followed thousands of teen girls and women. Participants responded to items on symptoms associated with depression, such as how often they found things that did not usually bother them to be bothersome, how easily they could shake off feeling blue or whether they had trouble concentrating. The researchers did not use the term “depression,” which is a clinical diagnosis.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727204829.htm
Aussies act naughty to relieve stress
Article From: Sydney Morning Herald
Article Date: 22 July 2009
Buying something you don’t need, having a sickie and not cleaning the house help Australians relieve stress and feel young again, a survey has found.
The Weight Watchers Naughty Survey found 94 per cent of the 1,045 people quizzed enjoy a bit of mischief, and 72 per cent believe naughty people have more fun.
The survey found 84 per cent of respondents did not see age as a barrier, and people over 50 are just as likely to be naughty.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/aussies-act-naughty-to-relieve-stress-20090721-ds26.html
Poll: More students report having anxiety, depression
Article from: http://www.lsureveille.com
Article date: 21 July 2009
Stress over grades, student loans, relationships and work are only a few of the factors affecting the recent trend of increased anxiety and depression among college students, according to a new Associated Press-mtvU poll.
The survey, which examined the emotional health of undergraduate students ages 18-24 from 40 colleges, showed 13 percent displayed signs of being at risk for at least mild depression, based on the students’ answers to medical practitioners’ questionnaires for diagnosing depression.
In addition, the study found 85 percent of the 2,240 students surveyed reported feeling stressed in their everyday lives.
Link: http://www.lsureveille.com/news/poll-more-students-report-having-anxiety-depression-1.1775845
Adolescent drinking linked to behavioral problems
Article from: Irish Health
Article date: 16 July 2009
Teens who drink heavily are more likely to have behavioural and attention problems and suffer from anxiety and depression, a new study has found.
In the study, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology surveyed nearly 9,000 teens aged 13-19 years.
They found that boys who drank frequently were more likely to report conduct problems. Girls who drank frequently reported attention and conduct problems, along with depression and anxiety.
Link: http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=15819
Calm down to lose weight
Article from: Sydney Morning Herald
Article date: 10 July 2009
Stressing out about work or bills can cause weight gain, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
After following 1,355 American men and women for nine years, researcher Jason Block, working at Harvard University for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that people with higher body mass indexes (BMI) gained weight when stressed.
The weight gain is caused by changed eating behaviours that people undertake when stressed.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/calm-down-to-lose-weight-20090710-dfcu.html
Positive family history worsens depression: Study
Article from: http://www.calgaryherald.com
Article date: 13 Jul. 09
In the nearly 30-year study in New Zealand, researchers tracked 981 people from the time they were three years old until they were 32, and collected data on their psychiatric conditions as well as those of their family members.
Four psychiatric disorders were studied: depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and drug dependence, they wrote in the latest issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The study showed participants with a positive family history had more recurrences of these conditions and they reported more disruptions caused to their lives, families, friends and work.
Students with depression twice as likely to drop out of college
Article from: PhysOrg.com
Article date: 6 June 2009
College students with depression are twice as likely as their classmates to drop out of school, new research shows.
However, the research also indicates that lower grade point averages depended upon a student’s type of depression, according to Daniel Eisenberg, assistant professor in the University of Michigan School of Public Health and principal investigator of the study.
There are two core symptoms of depression—loss of interest and pleasure in activities, or depressed mood—but only loss of interest is associated with lower grade point averages.
Link: http://www.physorg.com/news166110183.html
Rush Of Blood To The Head: Anger Increases Blood Flow
Article from: Science Daily
Article date: 4 July 2009
Tasneem Naqvi and Hahn Hyuhn from the University of Southern California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center evaluated carotid artery reactivity and brain blood flow in response to mental stress in 10 healthy young volunteers (aged between 19 and 27 years), 20 older healthy volunteers (aged 38 to 60 years) and in 28 patients with essential hypertension (aged 38 to 64 years). They found that in healthy subjects, mental stress caused vasodilation. This was accompanied by a net increase in brain blood flow. In hypertensive subjects, mental stress produced no vasodilation and no significant change in brain blood flow.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065222.htm
Red Yeast Rice Lowers Cholesterol: Study Backs Up Centuries of Traditional Use
Article from: Natural News
Article date: 30 June 2009
Research just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concludes a nonprescription, natural supplement — red yeast rice — has significant cholesterol-lowering effects. However, one important part of this story is that this isn’t really a new discovery at all. Red yeast rice, a bright reddish purple fermented rice cultivated with the mold Monascus purpureus, has been used in Chinese medicine for more than a millennium to treat heart ills and other health problems.
The new study was a randomized controlled trial conducted by doctors at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Flourtown, Pennsylvania. David Becker, MD, and his research team studied 62 patients whose super high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol put them at risk for heart attack or stroke.
Link: http://www.naturalnews.com/026524_red_yeast_rice_drugs_side_effects.html
New Evidence Links Stress With Racism
Article from: http://www.miller-mccune.com/
Article date: 25 June 2009
Chronic exposure to racial discrimination is associated with increased levels of anxiety and depression. That’s one finding of a newly published study that adds to evidence that racism may be taking a toll on the health of African Americans – the subject of an in-depth cover story in the July/August issue of Miller-McCune magazine.
A research team led by psychologist Anthony Ong of Cornell University collected two weeks’ worth of daily diary data from 174 highly educated African Americans. (One-third had earned a doctorate degree, while two-thirds were enrolled in a doctoral program.) Participants were asked to report incidents of racial discrimination, non-race-related negative life events and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Link: http://www.miller-mccune.com/news/evidence-links-stress-racism-1320
75 % of mental illness cases in UAE are linked to depression and anxiety
Article from: Eye of Dubai
Article date: 23 June 2009
Dubai, UAE, 23rd June, 2009: The recently concluded Mental Health Conference in Dubai revealed that the average patient’s spend on mental illness treatment in the UAE exceeds Dh. 20,000 per annum, with 55 per cent of patients denying that they are ill. It also emphasized that poor compliance leads to failed medical treatment and drug-resistant conditions.
The conference, organized by AstraZeneca, revealed that 75 per cent of the cases were linked to depression and anxiety.
Link: http://www.eyeofdubai.com/v1/news/newsdetail-32289.htm
Meditation May Be An Effective Treatment For Insomnia
Article from: Science Daily
Article date: 15 June 2009
Meditation may be an effective behavioral intervention in the treatment of insomnia, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 9, at Sleep 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Results indicate that patients saw improvements in subjective sleep quality and sleep diary parameters while practicing meditation. Sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality and depression improved in patients who used meditation.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072719.htm
Why Massage’s Reduction of Anxiety Is So Important
Article from: http://www.integrative-healthcare.org
Article date: 16 June 2009
A 30-minute back massage given daily for five days reduced anxiety of hospitalized, depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents. Significant reductions in anxiety levels were found in employees receiving on-site chair massage.
Massage’s ability to foster relaxation and relieve anxiety seems obvious. However, the universally accepted consequences of intentional touch have been underestimated for far too long.
Link: http://www.integrative-healthcare.org/mt/archives/2009/06/why_massages_re.html
Anxiety And Depression Lower Quality Of Life In Majority Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
Article From: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Article Date: 12 June 2009
In the study, 92.8% (52 of 56) of the patients who were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had an element of confirmed neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement (including anxiety, depression, mild cognitive deficits and major NP involvement). Several other conditions that may occur alongside SLE were also shown to influence aspects of quality of life (as measured by a selection of health assessment tools), including:
- Cutaneous (skin) conditions as Raynaud’s phenomenon (identified in 37.5% of the patients)
- Serositis (identified in 8.9% of the patients)
- Hyperhomocysteinemia (a blood disorder that is a risk factor for coronary artery disease) (identified in 39.3% of the patients)
- Antiphospholipid antibodies (a disorder of coagulation) (identified in 66.1% of the patients)
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612115417.htm
Napping Linked to Better Daytime Functioning in Children
Article From: http://www.modernmedicine.com
Article Date: 09 June 2009
Preschool children who take naps may function better during the day, according to research presented at SLEEP 2009, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, held from June 6 to 11 in Seattle.
Brian Crosby, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, and colleagues analyzed data from 62 children, ages 4 and 5 years. Their guardians provided information on the children’s usual bedtime, wake-up time, and napping patterns, and completed the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-II). Children wore actigraphs continuously for seven to 14 days.
The authors further note that non-napping children, based on caregiver reports, had higher scores on the hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression subscales of the BASC-II.
Anxiety, depression and insomnia are linked
Article From: The Times of India
Article Date: 08 June 2009
Scientists have found that anxiety, depression, and insomnia are genetically linked.
Dr. Phillip Gehrman, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, says that the genes that play a role in adolescent insomnia are the same as those involved in depression and anxiety.
He says that the results of the study show that insomnia as a diagnosis has a moderate heritability in 8 to 16 year olds, which is consistent with past studies of insomnia symptoms in adults.
IBD Puts Young at Increased Risk for Anxiety, Depression
Article From: http://www.medpagetoday.com
Article Date: 01 June 2009
Children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease are at significantly increased risk for depression and anxiety, a researcher said here.
Individuals younger than 18 with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease were more than twice as likely to have a diagnosis of depressive disorder, compared with young patients who didn’t have Crohn’s, according to Edward Loftus Jr., M.D., of the Mayo Clinic.
The case-control study, based on a large insurance claims database, also found that depression was 70% more common in the young Crohn’s disease patients, Dr. Loftus said at a poster presentation here at Digestive Disease Week.
Link: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/DDW/14482
Stress and Culture Influence Exercise Habits
Article From: http://psychcentral.com
Article Date: 29 May 2009
Stress levels and cultural considerations affect how much and for what reasons college students exercise, according to research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting.
One study, conducted by Rafer Lutz, Ph.D., found that college-aged women who do not exercise regularly are even less likely to be physically active when under stress. But those with consistent exercise levels accumulate more physical activity when experiencing similar emotions.
Link: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/05/29/stress-and-culture-influence-exercise-habits/6180.html
Depression test for new mums
Article From: Sydney Morning Herald
Article Date: 24 May 2009
EXPECTANT mothers could soon be routinely tested for their risk of suffering postnatal depression (PND).
The national depression group beyondblue is in consultation with the Federal Government to introduce the test and has backed a British study of 1400 women that found mothers of twins or triplets run almost double the risk of developing PND.
Link: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/depression-test-for-new-mums-20090523-bive.html
Chinese Medicine Can Enhance Metabolic Processes
Article From: OneIndia
Article Date: 23 May 2009
Just five days of practising a newly emerging mind-body technique may produce effective changes in attention and stress reduction, say Chinese researchers. Now undergraduates at the University of Oregon are being taught the practice called integrative body-mind training (IBMT) – some thing that’s been adapted from traditional Chinese medicine in the 1990s in China.
In a 2007 study, the researchers had reported that doing IBMT prior to a mental math test led to low levels of the stress hormone, Cortisol, among Chinese students, along with lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than students in a relaxation control group.
Link: http://living.oneindia.in/insync/2009/body-technique-stress-reduction-220509.html
Fear of scary movies sign of anxiety: study
Article from: The Independent Weekly
A fear of scary movies and thrilling rollercoaster rides may be a secret signal that a child is suffering excessive anxiety, Australian research suggests. Queensland psychologists have found a link between excessive anxiety and lack of enjoyment of fear.
They surveyed 220 children aged six to 12 to measure their excitement for spooky films, books and thrillseeking theme park rides. Just under 20 per cent said they did not like these scary activities, and interviews with all the parents found these same children were more likely to display symptoms of anxiety.
Depressed, anxious 1st graders at risk of being bullied later: study
Article From: CBC News
Article Date: 15 May 2009
Treating mental-health problems in children entering school may help prevent victimization from bullying, say researchers who tracked 400 Canadian children.
In the May/June issue of the journal Child Development, researchers said they found children who entered first grade with signs of depression and anxiety or excessive aggression were at risk of being chronically victimized by their classmates by third grade.
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/05/14/bullying-children-mental-health.html
Brain chemical may play key role in anxiety
Article From: http://uk.reuters.com
Article Date: 12 May 2009
A chemical important for brain development may play a role in explaining why some people are genetically predisposed to anxiety and could lead to new treatments, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They said rats bred to be highly anxious had very low levels of a brain chemical called fibroblast growth factor 2 or FGF2 compared with rats that were more laid back.
Link: http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKTRE54B6V620090512
Men with depression ‘failing to ask for help’ during recession
Article From: Telegraph.com.uk
Article Date: 11 May 2009
One in three men with depression and anxiety feel embarrassed about asking for help claims a mental health charity that says the problem is even more acute during the recession.
If men do not seek help they can be left in a very vulnerable situation, claims MIND with them accounting for 75 per cent of all suicides.
Fathers’ depression ‘harms young’
Article From: BBC News
Article Date: 3 May 2009
University of Oxford experts reviewed existing evidence and said, in the Lancet, there had been too much focus on mothers’ mental health issues.
They said boys in particular could be affected if their father had depression or was an alcoholic.
Mental health campaigners said men often had problems seeking help.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8028452.stm
Lack of Sleep in Children Linked to ADHD Symptoms
Article From: http://www.medscape.com
Article Date: 28 Apr 2009
Inadequate sleep in children appears to be an independent risk factor for behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research suggests.
In a cross-sectional study of 7- to 8-year-old children, investigators at the University of Helsinki, Finland, found that short sleepers – those who got less than 7.7 hours of sleep per night – were significantly more likely to be hyperactive/inattentive compared with children who were moderate or longer sleepers.
Link: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/702000
Anxiety Could Enhance Asthma Risk
Article From: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Article Date: 28 Apr. 09
Researchers at Heidelberg University in Mannheim, Germany, conducted a study and found that neurotic personality could triple the chances of developing asthma.
Adrian Loerbroks and colleagues used a questionnaire to evaluate tendencies to hysteria, anxiety and depression in 4010 adults without asthma, reports New Scientist.
After nine years, the research team reassessed the volunteers and found that those who had high levels of neurosis were three times as likely to have developed asthma as those with low scores.
Evidence Mounts That Short Or Poor Sleep Can Lead To Increased Eating And Risk Of Diabetes
Article From: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Article Date: 21 Apr. 2009
On April 22, at the Experimental Biology 2009 meeting in New Orleans, a panel of leading sleep researchers describes recent and new studies in this fast growing field. The session is part of the scientific program of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA). It is entitled, “Short sleep, poor sleep: novel risk factors for obesity and for type 2 diabetes.”
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090421181032.htm
Poor team spirit could cause depression, says study
Article From: http://www.nursingtimes.net
Article Date: 9 Apr. 2009
Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health asked 3,347 people aged between 30-64 about their working environment.
The study found employees who felt that team spirit was poor in their workplace were over 60% more likely to have depressive symptoms.
Employees who reported poor team spirit were 50% more likely to be taking antidepressants.
Kids’ sleep issues may affect mental ability later
Article Date: 7 Apr. 2009
A new study suggests an association between sleep problems in childhood and mental functioning in early adolescence.
Dr. Alice M. Gregory, at the University of London, UK, and colleagues analyzed data on 1037 children to assess parent-rated sleep problems during childhood (at ages 5, 7 and 9) and the children’s performance on mental tests when they were 13 years old.
Persistent sleep problems during childhood predicted relatively poor scores on tests that measured the time it took the young teens to complete an effortful processing task, and their ability to inhibit over-learned behavior.
Link:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE53661V20090407
Babies of Stressed Mothers Have Poor Sleep
A new study has found that babies born to women who suffers from anxiety or depression prior to pregnancy are likely to have poor sleep at 6 months and 12 months of age.
The researchers have found that pre-conceptional psychological stress was a strong predictor of infant night waking, irrespective of postnatal depression, bedroom sharing or other confounding factors.
A significant psychological distress puts the infant at 23% increased risk of night waking at 6 months of age and 22% increased risk at 12 months of age.
You can find the full article at this Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health–Science/Babies-of-depressed-moms-have-poor-sleep/articleshow/4343915.cms
30 Jan. 2009
Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look At Race, Ethnicity And Health
Article From: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/
Article Date: 28 Jan. 2009
Some overweight teenagers are more likely than normal weight teens to show symptoms of depression or anxiety, though there are differences by race and ethnicity, according to a study published in the February issue ofPediatrics, Reuters Health reports. The study, by Rhonda BeLue ofPennsylvania State University and colleagues, is based on a national survey of 35,184 parents of teens ages 12 to 17.
Researchers found parents of an overweight white or Hispanic teen were more likely than parents of healthy weight children to say their child displayed symptoms of depression or anxiety. According to the study, the finding was not true for parents of black teens.
Link: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=56673
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29 Jan. 2009
Sharp rise in depression and anxiety as QUARTER of middle-aged women suffer ‘common mental disorder’
Article From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Article Date: 28 Jan. 2009
More middle-aged women than ever before have depression or anxiety, researchers say.
A survey found that a quarter of those aged 45 to 54 experienced a ‘common mental disorder’ in 2007 – up a fifth from 1993.
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28 Jan. 2009
Migraine sufferers at increased anxiety risk
Article From: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Article Date: 25 Jan. 2009
According to the researchers, migraines can precede the onset of mental disorders. “Together, migraine and mental disorders cause more impairment than alone,” said lead study author Gregory Ratcliffe. “Patients who have one condition should be assessed for the other so they can be treated holistically. Although it is important to know that both are present, treating one will have an effect on the other,” he added.
During the study, researchers found that 11 per cent of participants had migraines. They had had a variety of disorders: major depression, anxiety disorder, dysthymia, panic attacks, panic disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia and simple phobia.
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27 Jan. 2009
Stressed kids at risk of asthma in adulthood
Article From: http://in.reuters.com/
Article Date: 21 Jan. 2009
Children who suffer physical abuse, death of a parent or other childhood adversity and are anxious or depressed are at increased risk of developing asthma in adulthood, a study suggests.
The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, stem from information gathered from more than 18,000 adults in the Americas, Europe and Asia who were interviewed between 2001 and 2004 as part of the World Mental Health surveys.
Link: http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE50J6U520090120
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22 Jan. 2009
More Young Adults Using Sleeping Pills
Article From: http://cbs4denver.com
Article Date: 16 Jan. 2009
A new study shows that more Americans than ever are taking sleeping pills. Between 1998 and 2006, use of prescription sleep aids doubled among all adults under the age of 45. But the most alarming finding by researchers with the healthcare business arm of Thomson Reuters is that the number of young adults, between ages 18 and 24, using sleeping pills nearly tripled.
“Insomnia, a condition traditionally associated with older adults, appears to be causing larger numbers of young adults to turn to prescription sleep aids, and to depend on them for longer periods of time,” William Marder said in a press release. Marder is the senior vice president and general manager for the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.
Link: http://cbs4denver.com/localhealth/sleeping.pills.increase.2.910711.html
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21 Jan. 2009
American publisher to issue Chinese Medical Science book by UMAC’s professors
