MedPage Today (3/14, Walker) reports that research suggests children “with emotionally healthy childhoods had a lower risk of coronary artery calcification as adults.” Investigators found that “childhood psychosocial factors, such as self-regulatory behavior, positive health behaviors among parents, and socioeconomic status, had an inverse relationship with any coronary artery calcification (CAC) in adulthood.” For each “favorable 1-SD change in the childhood social factors score, the probability of coronary artery calcification in adulthood dropped 15%.”

Related Links:

— “Happier Kids Less Likely to Have CAC as Adults,” Molly walker, MedPage Today, March 14, 2016.

The Washington Post (3/14, Bieler) reports that yesterday, a top NFL official “made a stunning admission Monday, agreeing with a neuropathologist before a Congressional panel that a link exists between football-related brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).”

The Los Angeles Times (3/14, Farmer, Fenno) reports that yesterday while appearing at a roundtable discussion of concussions before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, NFL senior vice president for health and safety Jeff Miller “acknowledged…for the first time that there is a connection between football-related brain trauma and” CTE, “a degenerative disease that can be diagnosed only after death.”

Related Links:

— “In stunning admission, NFL official affirms link between football and CTE,” Des Bieler, Washington Post, March 14, 2016.

On its website, CBS News (3/14, Welch) reports in “Science Now” that a study found quitting “cold turkey” is the most effective way to stop smoking. The findings of the 697-participant study were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The Los Angeles Times (3/14, Healy) describes the methodology of the study in which one group of smokers was instructed to quit immediately, or “cold turkey,” and the other group was instructed to gradually reduce how much they smoked over a period of two weeks. The study found that after six months, 22% of the group that was instructed to quit immediately had stopped smoking, but only 15.5% of the group that was instructed to slowly reduce their smoking had stopped smoking.

Related Links:

— “Trying to quit smoking? Here’s the most effective strategy,” Ashley Welch, CBS News, March 14, 2016.

In a 2,700-word article on the front of its Science Times section, the New York Times (3/15, D1, Goode, Subscription Publication) reports that the programs and residential care centers aimed at patients with eating disorders “have proliferated in recent years, with some” for-profit companies “expanding across the country.” There are currently over 75 centers, compared to 22 a decade ago. The industry growth is attributed to the Affordable Care Act and other changes in health insurance laws “that have increased coverage for mental disorders, as well as by investments from private equity firms.”

Related Links:

— “Centers to Treat Eating Disorders Are Growing, and Raising Concerns,” Erica Goode, New York Times, March 14, 2016.

HealthDay (3/11, Preidt) reported that research suggests “major surgery and general anesthesia” do not “cause long-term mental decline in older adults.” The research involved “nearly 4,300 twins younger than 70 and about 4,200 twins aged 70 and older in Denmark who were given tests to assess their thinking and memory abilities.” Investigators found “no significant link between major surgery, general anesthesia and long-term mental decline.”

Related Links:

— “Anesthesia Not Linked to Long-Term Mental Decline, Study Finds,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 11, 2016.