The New York Times (2/5, Baumgaertner ) says, “Black people in the United States are more likely than white people to report that they do not sleep much, research shows.” In general, “they live in louder neighborhoods, work longer hours and pick up more late-night shifts – concerning to public health experts, since sleep deprivation is linked to chronic health issues and early death.” However, “a group of public-health researchers from multiple universities and the National Institutes of Health wondered whether unequal exposure to police violence could also be contributing to racial sleep disparities, since those events are known to increase hypervigilance, worry and post-traumatic stress.”

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— “The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

MedPage Today (2/5, George ) reports, “Cognitive function was better for older adults with healthy lifestyles even if they had Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related pathologies, autopsy data showed.” Investigators found that “a 1-point increase in a healthy lifestyle score was associated with better cognitive performance proximate to death.” Meanwhile, “after adjusting for beta-amyloid load, healthy lifestyle scores remained independently associated with cognition.” The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (2/5) reports that approximately “30% of adults in the United States experienced loneliness at least once a week, and 10% reported feeling lonely every day, according to January’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll from the American Psychiatric Association.” In a press release, APA President Petros Levounis, MD, MA, said, “The Healthy Minds Monthly poll confirms loneliness is widespread, especially in young people.” Dr. Levounis added, “The U.S. Surgeon General is correct to label it as a public health problem with troubling outcomes and to suggest steps communities can take. Doctors and other clinicians can make a major difference in their patients’ wellbeing and physical health when they ask about loneliness and how to mitigate its effects.”

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— “One-third of Americans report feeling lonely every week,”Shenaz Bagha, Healio , February 5, 2024

Healio (2/23, Welsh) reported, “Pregnant women who were prescribed opioid drugs had increased likelihood of spontaneous preterm delivery, and odds increased as total dose increased, according to case-control study results.” Researchers found “that each doubling of nonzero opioid MME [morphine milligram equivalents] was associated with a 4% increase in spontaneous preterm birth odds compared with no opioid exposure.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Odds for spontaneous preterm birth rise as opioid exposure increases,”Erin T. Welsh, Healio, February 23, 2024

Healio (2/23, Young) reported, “Individuals with vision impairment have greater odds of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and social isolation, according to new research.” The study found “severe social isolation symptoms were more prevalent among those with objectively measured vision impairment, but not among those with self-reported vision impairment.” The findings were published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

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— “Vision impairment associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, social isolation,”Kate Young, Healio, February 23, 2024