Healio (1/27, Laday) reports, “Physical inactivity confers a ‘greater than threefold increased risk’ for developing depression within the next two years among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE],” investigators concluded after analyzing data from 225 people with SLE “without baseline depression and who completed an in-person baseline assessment and at least one follow-up.” The findings were published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Related Links:

— “Physical inactivity triples risk for depression in patients with lupus “Jason Laday, Healio, January 27, 2021

CNN (1/27, LaMotte) reports, “The effects of alcohol on your heart can be immediate, triggering an irregular rhythm called atrial fibrillation or AFib,” investigators concluded in a 100-patient, “randomized, double-blinded clinical study,” the findings of which were published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Related Links:

— “Alcohol and your heart: Just getting a buzz can trigger an irregular rhythm “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, January 27, 2021

STAT (1/27, Silverman) reports, “As state and local governments consider how to spend proceeds from settlements with opioid makers, a coalition of medical societies and advocacy groups is urging public officials to create dedicated funds to help people with substance use disorders, rather than fix holes in their budgets.” The article adds that states, counties, municipalities, and tribal nations have filed 2,600 lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, pharmacies, and others over opioids.

Related Links:

— “‘Use that money wisely’: Coalition urges governments to spend opioid settlement funds on evidence-based efforts “Ed Silverman, STAT, January 27, 2021

MedPage Today (1/27, Monaco) reports, “People with schizophrenia may face a higher risk for severe COVID-19,” research indicates. When “compared with COVID-19 patients without a psychiatric disorder, those previously diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder had more than a two times higher risk for mortality within 45 days of a confirmed case,” the study revealed. The association still remained “significant even after adjusting for medical risk factors including smoking status, hypertension, heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer.” The findings were published online Jan. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Psychiatric News (1/27) reports investigators arrived at these conclusions after analyzing “data from the electronic health records of 7,348 adults, aged 18 years or older, who tested positive for coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between March 3 and May 31, 2020, in the NYU Langone Health System.” The study also revealed that “people with mood and anxiety disorders were not at a greater risk of mortality from COVID-19 compared with people without these disorders.”

Related Links:

— “Patients With Schizophrenia Have More Than Twice the Risk of Death Related to COVID-19, Psychiatric News, January 27, 2021

The New York Times (1/26, Ellin) reports, “Physician burnout has long been a serious concern in the medical community, with roughly 400 doctors dying by suicide each year in the United States,” but the pandemic has only exacerbated this trend. Results “from an October poll of 862 emergency physicians nationwide…found that 87 percent felt more stressed since the onset of Covid-19, with 72 percent experiencing a greater degree of professional burnout.” The poll also found that, “consistent with a longstanding stigma surrounding physician mental health, 45 percent weren’t comfortable seeking mental health treatment, citing concerns about workplace stigma and fear of professional reprisal.” The Times adds, “The American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association and other professional groups, have formal statements against punishing doctors who seek mental health treatment.

Related Links:

— “Doctors, Facing Burnout, Turn to Self-Care “Abby Ellin, The New York Times, January 26, 2021