CNBC (7/9, Saiidi) reports CDC data indicate for the last three years, the average life expectancy in the US has declined. Data also indicate “the last three years represent the longest consecutive decline in the American lifespan at birth since the period between 1915 and 1918, which included World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic, events that killed many millions worldwide.” Some factors influencing the decline in life expectancy include increased rates of drug overdose, suicide, and liver disease.

Related Links:

— “US life expectancy has been declining. Here’s why, “Uptin Saiidi, CNBC, July 9, 2019

Medscape (7/9, Tucker, Subscription Publication) reports, “Most antidepressant classes are associated with reduced mortality risk among people with both diabetes and major depression,” research indicated. The study, which included some 50,000 people, revealed “an approximate 35% reduction in deaths over the study period for all antidepressant classes except for reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A.” The findingswere published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Related Links:

— “Antidepressant Use Cuts Deaths by a Third in Those With Diabetes, “Miriam E. Tucker, Medscape, July 9, 2019

Reuters (7/9, Rapaport) reports that patients with dementia “may go to the emergency” department (ED) “more often when their caregivers are depressed,” researchers concluded after observing “663 dementia patients and their family caregivers.” The study revealed that “caregiver depression was associated with a 73% increase in” ED “use among dementia patients.” The findings were published online July 8 in JAMA Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Caregiver depression tied to more ER visits for dementia patients, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, July 9, 2019

HealthDay (7/8, Reinberg) reports, “Teens who use Spice, K2 or other synthetic marijuana products may risk medical harm, including coma and seizures,” researchers concluded after reviewing emergency department records data from 65 hospitals in 23 states. The study also revealed that “those who mixed the manmade ‘marijuana’ with other drugs, such as stimulants, could become dangerously agitated.” The findings were published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Teens Risk Seizures, Coma When They Use ‘Synthetic Pot’, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, July 8, 2019

Perri Klass, MD, writes for the New York Times (7/8) “The Checkup” column that a “new study suggests that organized sports participation may be helpful for kids who are dealing with childhood trauma.” The study “looked at a national sample of 9,668 people” and “found people who had experienced traumatic events as children had better mental health outcomes as adults if they had participated in team sports during adolescence.” The study was published in JAMA.

Related Links:

— “Team Sports May Help Children Deal With Trauma, ” Perri Klass, M.D., The New York Times, July 8, 2019

Reuters (7/8, Rapaport) reports, “Children who suffer adverse experiences tend to do worse in school than kids who don’t, but…parents may still help improve academic outcomes by simply talking to their kids,” researchers concluded after examining “survey data on almost 66,000 students ages six to 17 gathered during the 2011-2012 school year.” The findingswere published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Parents talking to kids may blunt negative impact of adversity on schoolwork, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, July 8, 2019

According to Healio (7/5, Demko), even though “the incidence of eating disorders was relatively low compared with some other mental disorders in Wales, patients with eating disorders had a higher burden of morbidity, other mental health problems and mortality,” researchers concluded in a study that involved some “15,558 people” who “received an eating disorder diagnosis between 1990 and 2017 in Wales.” The findingswere published online July 1 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Long-term burden of morbidity, mortality in eating disorders, “Savannah Demko, Healio, July 05, 2019

The New York Times (7/3, Bakalar) reported that researchers have found that “hormone therapy for prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk for dementia.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Tied to Dementia, ” Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times, July 03, 2019

HealthDay (7/3, Gordon) reported, “Treating depression may have an added benefit for people with diabetes – longer life,” research indicated. The study, which included more than 53,000 Taiwanese, “found that antidepressants cut the risk of dying during the study period by more than one-third for people with diabetes and depression.” The findings were published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Related Links:

— “Easing Depression Can Bring Longer Life to People With Diabetes, ” Serena Gordon, HealthDay, July , 2019

HealthDay (7/2, Thompson) reports a new study suggests that “social media is helping spur the e-cigarette epidemic among America’s teens.” Researchers found that “nearly 15,000 Instagram posts related to Juul, the most popular e-cigarette brand, were released between March and May 2018,” and “more than half of the posts focused on youth culture or lifestyle-related content that would appeal to teens.” The study was published in the journal Tobacco Control.

Related Links:

— “Social Media a Big Driver of Teen Vaping Craze: Study, ” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, July 02, 2019