CNN (8/21, Howard ) reports, “Having a severe case of COVID-19 appears to be linked with an increased risk of subsequent mental illness, including depression and anxiety disorders, and a new study finds that the association is strongest among people who were not vaccinated against the disease.” Specifically, investigators observed the “incidence of depression in the four weeks after a COVID-19 diagnosis was 1.93 times higher in people who had COVID before vaccinations were available, 1.79 times higher among the unvaccinated group and 1.16 times higher among the vaccinated group.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Also reporting is MedPage Today (8/21, Kahn).

Related Links:

— “Covid tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions, with the unvaccinated most affected, study shows,” Jacqueline Howard, CNN, August 21, 2024

Bloomberg (8/20, Kresge, Subscription Publication) reports, “A new study that found evidence of a higher rate of suicidal thoughts among patients taking Novo Nordisk A/S’s popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs is adding to a debate among doctors about the drugs’ safety.”

STAT (8/20, Chen , Subscription Publication) says that after analyzing “a World Health Organization database that tracks suspected adverse drug reactions,” investigators discovered “a 45% greater rate of reports of suicidal thoughts associated with semaglutide, the ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, compared with all other drugs in the database.” After comparing “semaglutide specifically against other diabetes and obesity drugs – including Farxiga, metformin, and orlistat –” investigators “again saw a higher rate of suicidal ideation reported for semaglutide.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Ozempic Suicide Debate Stoked by Study Into Potential Link,”Naomi Kresge, Bloomberg, August 20, 2024

Healio (8/16, Jenkins) reported, “Benzodiazepineswere associated with increased risk for CHD, HF and CV mortality among patients with insomnia, according to a study.” In order “to investigate the association between regular use of Z-drugs (eszopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon) and benzodiazepines (lorazepam, alprazolam, diazepam and triazolam) and CV outcomes – including CHD, HF, stroke and CV mortality – among patients with insomnia,” investigators “used multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to analyze data from 124,445 U.K. Biobank participants aged 40 to 69 years with insomnia.” The findings were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Related Links:

— “Benzodiazepine use may carry CV risks among patients with insomnia,”Cassandra Jenkins, Healio , August 16, 2024

MedPage Today (8/16, George ) reported, “Herpes zoster (shingles) was tied to an elevated risk of subjective cognitive decline, an analysis of 150,000 U.S. healthcare professionals showed.” Investigators also observed that “the risk of subjective cognitive decline was higher for APOE4 carriers versus non-carriers among men (P for interaction=0.02) but not women,” while “the association between herpes zoster and risk of subjective cognitive decline did not differ among people with or without potentially immunocompromising conditions.” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (8/16, Mundell ) reported parents’ excessive smartphone use “could be harming the mental health of children, a new study suggests.” Investigators found that “kids ages 9 to 11 who said their parents spent way too much [time] on their smartphones were more prone to anxiety, attention issues and hyperactivity later on compared to the youngsters of parents who weren’t phone-obsessed.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Parents’ Excessive Smartphone Use Could Be Harming Children’s Mental Health, Study Finds,”Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, August 16, 2024