CNN (6/21, Hunt) reports, “An inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in later life is linked to nearly double the risk of death from any cause within the next decade, according to a new study.” This “simple balance test may be useful to include in routine physical exams for people in middle and old age,” according to the research. The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Wobbly on one leg? Ability to balance is linked to a longer life, study finds “Katie Hunt, CNN, June 21, 2022

Healio (6/21, Herpen) reports, “Rates of suicide among adults in the United States decreased following the 2014 expansion of Medicaid, with the sharpest subsistence occurring for young adults,” researchers concluded in a study that “obtained information from the National Center for Health Statistics included all individuals from the United States aged 20 to 64 between January 2000 and December 2018” among whom “a total of 553,912 deaths by suicide were recorded.” The findings were published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicide rates, incidence in U.S. adults decreased following Medicaid expansion “Robert Herpen, Healio, June 21, 2022

Healio (6/20, Herpen) reports, “Serious injuries sustained in combat by male soldiers from the United Kingdom were associated with poor mental health outcomes, and the type of injury influenced the severity of the outcome,” researchers concluded in data acquired “via the ongoing ADVANCE cohort study, which included 579 combat-injured participants (418 with non-amputation injuries, 161 with amputation injuries) and 565 uninjured participants recruited between August 2015 and August 2020.” The findings were published in the July issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Mental health outcomes worse for UK soldiers who sustained injuries in combat “Robert Herpen, Healio, June 20, 2022

USA Today (6/16, Alltucker) reports Roche’s Alzheimer’s disease “drug crenezumab did not slow or prevent cognitive decline in a long-running study of Colombian families who carried” the paisa mutation “that put them at near certain risk to develop the” disease, according to findings from the 252-patient study. The study tested whether the drug “could slow or halt the disease if participants took the medication before memory or thinking problems surfaced,” but it “did not demonstrate a significant benefit in tests measuring cognitive abilities or memory function…Roche said Thursday in a news release.”

Reuters (6/16, Koltrowitz, Grover) reports this “failure marks another blow to the hypothesis that targeting toxic protein plaque known as beta amyloid in the brain is a viable approach to arresting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Related Links:

— “Alzheimer’s drug fails to slow or halt disease with early treatment “Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, June 16, 2022

The AP (6/16, Megerian) reports Vice President Harris “and administration officials on Thursday launched a task force dedicated to fighting online harassment and abuse, which they warned can be a precursor to real-life violence.” The new “task force will address several issues, including prevention of online abuse and services for people who are targeted.”

Reuters (6/16, Alper) reports, “The group is tasked with producing within six months a blueprint detailing actions to address the problem, including more support for victims, prevention and greater accountability for aggressors and platforms hosting them.”

NBC News (6/16, Gregorian) reports the group “aims to address the growing problem of online harassment and abuse which disproportionately targets women, girls and LGBTQI+ people,” a White House official said.

CNN (6/16, Fossum) also reports.

Related Links:

— “VP Harris launches task force on online harassment, abuse “Chris Megerian, AP, June 16, 2022

According to HealthDay (6/16, Preidt), cannabis “use, drinking, smoking and vaping all fell among U.S. youth” during the COVID-19 pandemic, “likely because they had to spend more time at home and less time with their friends,” investigators concluded in a 49-study systematic review, the findings of which were published online April 27 in the journal Current Psychiatry Reports.

Related Links:

— “Youth Drinking, Pot Use Went Down During Pandemic “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, June 16, 2022

USA Today (6/15, Morin, Groppe) reports President Biden on Wednesday signed “an executive order…to offer new initiatives for the LGBT+ community, including addressing conversion therapy and expanding resources for mental health.” This new order “comes as state legislatures have passed multiple bills or executive orders that are anti-LGBTQ in recent months.”

Bloomberg (6/15, Ceron, Fabian) reports, “Under the order, HHS will ‘explore guidance’ that bars programs and organizations that receive federal funding from subjecting people to conversion therapy and provide support to those who have been subjected to such practices.” Also, the order “will include a commitment to expand mental-health resources that are inclusive of LGBTQ youth.”

Politico (6/15, Owermohle, Daniels) reports, “Biden is also directing HHS to take ‘steps to address the barriers and exclusionary policies’ to different types of health care and treatment.”

Related Links:

— “Biden signs executive order to address conversion therapy, anti-LGBTQ bills “Rebecca Morin and Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, June 15, 2022

Healio (6/15, Herpen) reports, “Approximately 75% of men reported losing sleep after staying up late to play video games, and 62% of men say they have lost sleep due to staying up to drink alcohol,” investigators concluded after examining survey results from a poll of “2,010 American men from Feb. 17 to 24.” The findings were presented at SLEEP 2022.

Related Links:

— “Survey: majority of men lose sleep due to video games, alcohol “Robert Herpen, Healio, June 15, 2022

According to The Hill (6/15, Melillo), research indicates that “Medicaid expansion is associated with a statistically significant reduction in suicide rates compared with those reported in states that did not expand Medicaid.”

MedPage Today (6/15, Short) reports the study revealed that “from 2000 to 2018, suicide rates increased nationwide, but a smaller increase was detected in states with Medicaid expansion after 2014 (2.56 increase per 100,000 individuals) compared with states with no expansion (3.10 increase per 100,000).” The findings were published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Suicide rates slow in states that expanded Medicaid: study “Gianna Melillo, The Hill, June 15, 2022

HCPlive (6/14, Kunzmann) reports, “Antidepressant and sedation therapy trazodone is used frequently for off-label treatment of neuropsychiatric diagnoses including insomnia and anxiety – and infrequently at its indicated dose,” researchers concluded after analyzing data from “1.4 million eligible adults, of whom approximately 310,000 had an insomnia diagnosis and more than half (approximately 170,000) were receiving medical care for the condition.” The findings were presented at the American Psychiatric Association 2022 Annual Meeting.

Related Links:

— “Trazodone Frequently Prescribed in Insomnia Care, Despite Guidelines “Kevin Kunzmann, HCPlive, June 14, 2022