Medscape (8/1, Young, Subscription Publication) reports, “A coalition of health groups,” including the American Psychiatric Association (APA), “is continuing its legal challenge to the Trump administration’s policy that allows extended use of short-term medical insurance plans,” contending that such “‘junk’ plans put consumers at risk of being unable to afford care if they fall seriously ill, despite having purchased insurance.” On July 29, the coalition “filed an appeal to a July 19 ruling from Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia,” but the judge “found against arguments presented by…members of the coalition in a 2018 court filing.” The judge’s “ruling will put people with mental illness at risk, said APA president Bruce Schwartz, MD.” In a statement, Dr. Schwartz said, “These plans could be catastrophic for many Americans with mental illness or substance use disorders if these disorders are excluded from coverage.”

Related Links:

— “APA, Others Battle Trump Policy of Extended Use of ‘Junk’ Insurance, “Kerry Dooley Young, Medscape, August 01, 2019

NBC News (7/31, Edwards) reports on its website that researchers found about 10% of older adults engage “in binge drinking, putting them at greater risk for falls and other medical problems.” The findings were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Related Links:

— “One in 10 older adults binge drinks, increasing health risks, “Erika Edwards, NBC News, July 31, 2019

Healio (7/31, Demko) reports, “Clozapine was linked to an 18% lower risk for hospitalization and 27% lower risk for all-cause discontinuation compared with nonclozapine second-generation antipsychotics, despite greater illness severity in patients with schizophrenia receiving clozapine,” researchers concluded. The 63-cohort study meta-analysis also revealed, however, that clozapine use was “associated with a higher risk for cardiometabolic-related outcomes.” The findings were published online July 31 in JAMA Psychiatry. The author of an accompanying editorial observed, “The meta-analysis…supports evidence that clozapine is effective as it is used in the real world.” MD Magazine (7/31, Walter) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Clozapine tied to better effectiveness outcomes than other second-generation antipsychotics, “Savannah Demko, Healio, July 31, 2019

HealthDay (7/31, Preidt) reports, “Stigma about being overweight can cause physical and emotional harm to men,” researchers concluded after surveying some “1,750 men across the” US. The study revealed that “weight-related stigma (both internalized and from other people) was associated with higher rates of depressive symptoms and dieting.” The findings were published online in the journal Obesity.

Related Links:

— “Overweight Men May Feel Stigmatized, Too, ” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, July 31, 2019

Psychiatric News (7/31) reports, “Youth with bipolar disorder who take lithium may be less likely to attempt suicide than those who take other mood stabilizers,” researchers concluded after analyzing “longitudinal data collected from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth…study, which included 413 youth aged seven to 17 who met criteria for DSM-IV bipolar spectrum disorders.” Next, investigators examined “data collected from 340 youth during 2,638 follow-ups to assess whether the youth who took lithium differed on these measures compared with those who took antimanic anticonvulsants, first- and second-generation antipsychotics, and/or lamotrigine.” The findings were published online July 29 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Lithium Found Superior to Other Mood Stabilizers in Improving Outcomes in Youth With Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric News, July 31, 2019