Recent reports show a small but growing number of people are taking very high doses of loperamide, an anti-diarrheal medication, in an attempt to self-manage opioid withdrawal or to achieve a euphoric high. These individuals may be at risk of severe or fatal cardiac events. Download resources on loperamide misuse to share with your colleagues and patients.

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— Prevent Loperamide Abuse

Newsweek (10/4, Gander) reported, “Transgender people who have gender-affirming surgery are less likely to need mental health treatment,” researchers concluded after examining “data collected between 2005 and 2015 from a Swedish population register linked to a national healthcare database,” then assessing “the available information on the 2,679 individuals diagnosed with gender incongruence.” The findings were published online Oct. 4 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Related Links:

— “Transgender People Who Have Gender-Affirming Surgery Less Likely To Need Mental Health Treatment, “Kashmira Gander, Newsweek, October 4, 2019

MedPage Today (10/5, Monaco) reported, “Among patients with schizophrenia, most preferred long-acting injectable antipsychotics when given a choice,” research indicated. “A post-hoc analysis of a randomized, controlled study found 77% of the 1,402 participants surveyed preferred long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics over daily” oral medications, “according to a poster presented…at Psych Congress 2019.”

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (10/3, Rapaport) reports, “People with a positive outlook on life may be less likely than pessimists to experience events like a heart attack or stroke, and they may live longer,” researchers concluded after examining “data from 15 studies with a total of 229,391 participants who were followed for an average of about 14 years.” The data revealed that the “most optimistic people were 35% less likely than the least optimistic to have cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes, and 14% less likely to die for any reason.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Optimism tied to lower rates of heart attacks, death, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, October 3, 2019

HealthDay (10/3, Reinberg) reports research suggests hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe morning sickness condition, in early pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk in autism in children. The studypublished the American Journal of Perinatology “found a 53% increased risk of a child being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder if their mother suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum.” Moreover, “the earlier that women experienced severe morning sickness, the stronger the tie to autism,” the study indicates.

Related Links:

— “Severe Morning Sickness Tied to Autism Risk in Kids, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 3, 2019