Healio (1/16, Rhoades) reports “reduced drug use was linked to lower levels of craving, depression and other drug-related problems among individuals with stimulant use disorder, even if they did not achieve abstinence, according to a study.” The researchers involved in the study “said they also observed improvements in the severity of drug-related symptoms and psychosocial functioning.” The findings were published in Addiction.

Related Links:

— “Reducing drug use improves clinical outcomes in patients with stimulant use disorder,” Andrew Rhodes, Healio, January 16, 2024

HealthDay (1/12, Thompson ) reported that individuals “who use exposure therapy to overcome one phobia can find themselves less afraid of other things, according to the results of a study.” Investigators found that “people who underwent exposure therapy for spiders wound up experiencing an average 15% reduction in their fear of heights.” The findings were published in Translational Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Overcoming One Phobia Might Ease Other Fears, Study Finds,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 12, 2024

Healio (1/12, Herpen) reported, “In a cohort of adults with traumatic brain injury, level of impairment for those who exhibited cognitive impairment after 6 months was directly correlated to TBI severity, according to” a study.

The findings were published in JAMA Network.

Related Links:

— “Degree of cognitive impairment after 6 months dependent on TBI severity,” Robert Herpen, MA, Healio, January 12, 2024

HCP Live (1/12, Campbell ) reported, “Looking to avoid physician burnout? A new study suggests taking vacation time and avoiding work while on vacation could be a good place to start.” Conducted by American Medical Association scientists, the study results “suggest more than 50%” of physicians “were taking 15 or fewer vacation days per year, with 1 in 5 taking 5 or fewer, and 70% reporting performing work on the typical vacation day.” The results were published in JAMA Network.

Related Links:

— “Physicians Who Take Vacation Time, Avoid Working on Vacation Less Likely to Suffer Burnout,” Patrick Campbell, HCP Live, January 12, 2024

HCP Live (1/12, Derman) reported, “Physical activity could help prevent depression in older adults, according to new research.” Investigators came to this conclusion after looking at “data from 3 studies: Health and Retirement Study, Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe, and Korean Longitudinal Study.” The findings were published in Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Physical Activity Linked to Decreased Risk of Depression in Older Adults,” Chelsie Derman, HCP Live, January 12, 2024

The AP (1/11, Aleccia ) reports, “A preliminary review of side effects from popular drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity shows no link with suicidal thoughts or actions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.” However, the agency “also said officials cannot definitively rule out that ‘a small risk may exist’ and that they’ll continue to look into reports regarding more than a dozen drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.”

Reuters (1/11, Satija, Sunny) reports that health care professionals “should monitor their patients for new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, or any unusual changes in mood or behavior, consistent with the prescribing information for the drugs, the FDA said,” adding that the agency will “announce its final recommendations after completing its review.”

Related Links:

— “Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy show no link with suicide, FDA says,” Jonel Aleccia, Associated Press, January 11, 2024

Healio (1/11, Friedman) reports, “Substance use disorders are more prevalent among survivors of certain types of cancer, according to study results.” Approximately “4% of cancer survivors had substance use disorders…but they occurred significantly more in” survivors of “esophageal and gastric cancers and head and neck cancers.” Meanwhile, survivors of “cervical cancer or melanomas also had moderately higher rates.” The findings were published in JAMA Oncology.

Related Links:

— “Substance use disorder varies among survivors depending on type of cancer,” Josh Friedman, Healio, January 11, 2024

MedPage Today (1/11, Putka ) reports that many patients receiving “extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)…experienced long-term neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive impairment, or functional impairment, a meta-analysis found.” The data indicated that “fully 41% of…patients” receiving ECMO “had neuropsychiatricsymptoms at 6 months or longer follow-up, with pain or discomfort (52%), sleep disturbance (37%), and anxiety (36%) as the most common symptoms.” Meanwhile, “long-term follow-up at 6 months and beyond also showed the secondary outcomes of neurocognitive impairment in 38% and functional impairment in 52%.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (1/11, Herpen) reports, “Combination behavioral and pharmaceutical therapy improved functionality and daytime symptoms of insomnia, while addition of a second treatment provided further benefits for the condition, according to research.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Psych, med therapies improved daytime insomnia symptoms, functionality,” Shenaz Bagha, Healio, January 11, 2024

The New York Times (1/10, Hoffman ) reports, “Often sold as a dietary supplement and promoted by retailers as a mood booster and focus aid, tianeptine,” popularly known as gas-station heroin, “is among a growing, unregulated class of potentially addictive products available in gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops and across the internet.” The drugs “often originate in other countries, including Indonesia and Russia, where they are commonly used,” although the FDA “has not approved them as medicines in the United States.” Notably, “at least nine states have banned or severely restricted tianeptine, including Florida, Michigan and Ohio.”

Related Links:

— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)