HealthDay (1/13, Murez) reports research indicates that “women who use cannabis may be reducing their fertility.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion and collecting and then analyzing “data from 2006 to 2012 for a broader study” that “included more than 1,200 women aged 18 to 40 who had one or two prior pregnancy losses.” The study revealed that “compared to the women who didn’t use cannabis, the cannabis users had higher levels of luteinizing hormone and a higher proportion of luteinizing hormone to follicle-stimulating hormone, which could have an impact on ovulation.” The findings were published online in the journal Human Reproduction.

Related Links:

— “Pot Might Impair a Woman’s Fertility: Study “Cara Murez, HealthDay, January 13, 2021

Healio (1/13, Buzby) reports researchers found “as little as one alcoholic drink per day may confer elevated risk for development of atrial fibrillation, regardless of age and other CV risk factors.” The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.
Other sources covering the study include: HealthDay (1/13), Cardiovascular Business (1/13, Walter), and TCTMD (1/13, Cox).

Related Links:

— “One drink per day may be enough to increase risk for AF “Scott Buzby, Healio, January 13, 2021

Healio (1/13, Gramigna) reports, “Maternal stress during pregnancy may mutate the child’s DNA and thus affect risk for developing disease,” with the risk “particularly prevalent among Black women, researchers noted” in a study in which they “conducted whole mitochondrial DNA sequencing and determined mutations for 365 placenta samples with complete data for exposures and covariates.” The findings were published online Sept. 18 in Biological Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Prenatal stress may mutate child’s DNA, increase risk for disease “Joe Gramigna, Healio, January 13, 2021

ABC News (1/13, A. Anoruo) reports researchers found in a four-year study that using e-cigarettes can increase the risk of becoming a daily user of traditional cigarettes. The findings were published in Pediatrics

Related Links:

— “Youth who try e-cigarettes more likely to become daily tobacco cigarette smokers: Study “Dr. Nancy A. Anoruo, ABC News, January 13, 2021

MedPage Today (1/12, Walsh) reports, “Inactivity among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was associated with a more than threefold increased risk for development of depression,” research indicated. In the 225-patient study, “among patients who described themselves as inactive at baseline, incident depression was diagnosed during the subsequent two years in 38% of SLE patients, compared with 14% of those who were active,” the study revealed. The findings were published online Jan. 9 in Arthritis Care & Research.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (1/12, Miller) reports, “From 2010 to 2017, estimated rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome and maternal opioid use disorder significantly increased across the” US, investigators concluded. In fact, “rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and maternal opioid use disorder (MOD) significantly increased in most states, researchers said – with ‘notable variation.’” The study team arrived at these conclusions after conducting “a repeated cross-sectional analysis of the 2010 to 2017 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s National Inpatient Sample and State Inpatient Database, which contains hospital discharge records from community hospitals across all payers in 47 states and the District of Columbia.” The findings were published in JAMA.

Providing similar coverage are MedPage Today (1/12, D’Ambrosio) and HCPlive (1/12, Walter).

Related Links:

— “US neonatal abstinence syndrome, maternal opioid disorder rates on the rise “Janel Miller, Healio, January 12, 2021

Healio (1/12, Burba) reports “among patients with MI,” mental illnesses “increased in prevalence during a 10-year period,” investigators concluded in a study that “analyzed 6,117,804 patients (mean age, 67 years; 39% women) hospitalized with MI during a 10-year period to assess trends in mental health disorder prevalence overall, prevalence between various subgroups and coronary revascularization.” The findings were published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “Focused mental health interventions warranted among patients with MI “Kate Burba, Healio, January 12, 2021

MedPage Today (1/12, Monaco) reports, “People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) carry a higher risk for suicide,” investigators concluded in a “nationwide cohort study of over 35,000 individuals with autism.” The study revealed “a more than three-fold higher rate of both suicide attempt…compared with people without autism.” The findings were published online Jan. 12 in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (1/12) reports the study also found that “females with ASD had 4.41 times the rate of suicide attempts compared with males with the disorder, a finding that points to a need to improve diagnostic tools to avoid delays in treating ASD in females, the researchers wrote.”

Related Links:

— “Suicide and Suicide Attempts Higher Among People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychiatric News , January 12, 2021

HealthDay (1/11) reports, “Even people with mild cases of COVID-19 may commonly feel run down and unwell months later, a new study suggests.” This “study, of patients at one Irish medical center, found that 62% said they had not returned to ‘full health’ when they had a follow-up appointment a few months after their COVID-19 diagnosis,” and “nearly half complained of ongoing fatigue.” The findings were published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Related Links:

— “Even Mild Cases of COVID Can Leave ‘Long-Haul’ Illness, Study Shows ” Amy Norton, HealthDay, January 11, 2021

CNN International (1/12, Smith) reports that millions of Americans are frightened of needles, according to a 2018 metanalytic study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Now, “as Covid-19 vaccines roll out across the globe, addressing such fears is essential to public health.” APA President Dr. Jeffrey Geller is quoted saying, “Phobia is a fear and anxiety about a specific stimulus.” CNN International adds, “About 30% of people will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, Geller said. Of those, between 7% and 9% of individuals have a specific phobia.” Individuals “with relatively mild fear of needles might be able to cope with their anxiety by practicing relaxation techniques on their own, Geller explained.” He said, “There are many meditation techniques that one can be taught.”

Related Links:

— “Millions have a real fear of needles. Overcoming that is critical for the vaccine rollout “Jen Rose Smith, CNN, January 12, 2021