The AP (8/15, Stobbe) reports, “As many as 50 people in at least six states have come down with breathing illnesses that may be linked to e-cigarettes or other vaping products.” So far, “no deaths have been reported, but at least a few have come close.” Physicians “say the illnesses resemble an inhalation injury, with the body apparently reacting to a caustic substance that someone breathed in.”

The NBC News (8/15, Edwards) website reports that physicians who spoke with NBC News explained that “most patients are otherwise healthy teenagers or young adults who come to the hospital with symptoms of a bad respiratory infection: shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue and coughing.” Symptoms rapidly worsen, and many of these patients “need to go on ventilators.” So far, no one has been able to “pinpoint any specific device, brand or ingredient tying the cases together.”

Related Links:

— “Doctors suspect vaping behind dozens of lung illnesses in US, “Mike Stobbe, AP, August 15, 2019

Healio (8/15, Demko) reports research indicates that “combined use of opioids and cannabis was linked to greater symptoms of anxiety, depression and substance use problems compared with opioid use alone in adults with chronic pain.” The findings of the 450-patient study were published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Mixing opioids, cannabis tied to greater anxiety, depression symptoms, “Savannah Demko, Healio, August 15, 2019

HealthDay (8/15, Preidt) reports, “Nearly half of U.S. patients don’t tell their physicians about potentially life-threatening risks such as domestic violence, sexual assault, depression or thoughts of suicide,” researchers concluded after analyzing “the responses of more than 4,500 people who took part in two national online surveys.” The study revealed that “40%-47.5% of the respondents did not tell their” healthcare professional “about one of the four health threats.” What’s more, “more than 70% said the reason for withholding the information was embarrassment or fear of being judged or lectured.” The findings were published online Aug. 14 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Nearly Half of U.S. Patients Keep Vital Secrets From Their Doctors, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, August 15, 2019

USA Today (8/14, Thornton, O’Donnell) reports despite mounting evidence that marijuana consumption during pregnancy is harmful, many women continue to use marijuana. For example, a study recently published in JAMA found a “sharp increase in the number of pregnant women smoking marijuana and an alarming link between cannabis use and preterm births, defined as 37 weeks or earlier.” Another JAMA study “concluded marijuana is ‘likely unsafe’ because pre-term births were twice as common in marijuana users vs. non users. (12% vs 6.1%).” Meanwhile, women may be subject to misinformation, as an NIH study of “over 400 Colorado dispensaries found nearly 70% recommended treatment of morning sickness with cannabis.” Furthermore, some women may be fearful of discussing marijuana use with their clinicians. Moreover, “with mixed messaging on marijuana in the U.S., pregnant women in need of relief are not able to make fully-informed decisions, physicians say.”

Related Links:

— “Weed while pregnant: Far more common and concerning than many realize, “Claire Thornton and Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, August 14, 2019

HealthDay (8/14, Norton) reports, “School kids who get to bed early rather than staring at their devices at night may be better equipped to control their behavior,” research indicates. Investigators “found that 8- to 11-year-olds who got adequate sleep and had limits on ‘screen time’ were less likely than their peers to report problems with impulsive behavior.” The findings, which are “based on over 4,500 Canadian kids aged 8 to 11,” were published online in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Less ‘Screen Time,’ More Sleep = Better-Behaved Kids, “Amy Norton, HealthDay, August 14, 2019