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)
HealthDay (1/10, Thompson ) reports, “A bout of depression can trigger a bump in body weight among people struggling with obesity, a new study has found.” Notably, “people who had an increase in symptoms related to depression experienced an increase in their weight a month later,” researchers found. The findings were published in PLOS One.
Related Links:
— “Vicious Cycle: Depression and Weight Gain Often Go Together,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, January 10, 2024
Psychiatric News (1/10) reports, “Military personnel and veterans who have been taking opioids for chronic pain may experience greater benefits from group therapy that integrates mindfulness techniques than from supportive psychotherapy, according to a” study. This “randomized clinical trial, which compared outcomes in veterans and military from Utah, found that those who received Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement…reported greater reductions in chronic pain symptoms and opioid use than those who received supportive psychotherapy.” The findings were published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Mindfulness Training Reduces Opioid Use, Craving Among Military Experiencing Chronic Pain,” Psychiatric News, January 10, 2024
The New York Times (1/10, Richtel ) reports, “Prescriptions for drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder surged during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among women and patients ages 20 to 39, according to new research compiled by scholars affiliated with the” FDA. This “increase came as prescription rates held relatively steady for other key classes of behavioral health medications used to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety, according to the study.” The Times adds, “The reasons are not totally clear, the researchers found, and could include pandemic-related stress, recognition of undiagnosed cases, over-prescription and online marketing of medications.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.
The Hill (1/10, Sforza ) reports that the study found that the increase “contributed to the shortage of popular medications like Adderall.” The data indicated that “overall, stimulant prescriptions for those 20 to 39 jumped 30 percent, while nonstimulant ADHD prescriptions for that age group increased 81 percent.”
Related Links:
— “ADHD treatment prescriptions for adults surged during pandemic, fueling shortages: Study,” Lauren Sforza, The Hill, January 10, 2024
Healio (1/9, Weldon) reports, “Infants and toddlers faced socio-emotional development delays during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Related Links:
— “COVID-19 pandemic delayed socio-emotional development in young children,” Rose Weldon, Healio, January 9, 2024