Psychiatric News (12/7) reports, “Magnetic seizure therapy appears to be as effective as electroconvulsive therapy at achieving lasting antidepressant effects in people with major depression and may be less disorienting.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Magnetic Seizure Therapy for Depression Found as Effective as ECT,” APA Psychiatric News Alert, December 7

CNN (12/6) reports “about half of hypertension cases in middle-age and older adults are shared or ‘concordant’ within couples, a new study suggests, meaning if one spouse has high blood pressure, their partner does, too.” Among heterosexual couples in China, England, India and the United States, “the women who were married to men with high blood pressure were more likely to also have hypertension themselves than those whose husbands did not have high blood pressure, according to the study.”

Furthermore, “the men who had wives with hypertension were more likely to have hypertension compared with the men whose wives did not have hypertension.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Related Links:

— “If your spouse has high blood pressure, you’re more likely to have it too, study suggests,” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, December 6, 2023

Pulmonology Advisor (12/6, Goldberg) reports, “Severity of depression is positively correlated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and respiratory symptoms, according to study findings.” These findings were published in Respiratory Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Depression Severity Linked to Respiratory Symptoms, Asthma, and COPD,” Ron Goldberg, Pulmonology Advisor, December 6, 2023

The Washington Post (12/6, Sima) reports that postpartum depression “has commonly been linked to the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy,” but now “scientists say that the immune system may play a much larger role than previously known.” The Post notes that findings from emerging research “could one day identify mothers most at risk, so that support and treatment could begin before symptoms occur.”

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

CNN (12/6, Holcombe) reports, “Clinicians, researchers and activists have stressed the need for better treatment and services of people with eating disorders who don’t fit the stereotypical patient profile – and recent data suggests a growing need.” A study tracked pediatric eating disorder hospitalizations in Ontario between April 2002 and March 2020, finding that “hospitalizations generally increased over that time, rising by 139% from 2002 to 2019.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Pediatric eating disorder hospitalizations are rising. Who is affected may surprise you,” Madeline Holcombe, CNN, December 6, 2023