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

Medscape (10/2, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports research indicates “use of oral contraceptives is associated with an increased risk for depressive and other psychiatric symptoms in young women.” The study of 1,010 Dutch teens “showed that individuals who took oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) reported experiencing more crying, eating problems, and hypersomnia compared to their counterparts who did not take OCPs.” The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry. Maureen Sayres Van Niel, MD, president of the Women’s Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association, “described the study as ‘important’ and ‘well done,’” saying, “This study collected data over a long period of time, which is exactly the kind of data we need.”

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

According to HealthDay (10/2), girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) may be “six times more likely to wind up as teenage moms,” research indicated. Included in the study were “more than 384,000 Swedish women and girls between the ages of 12 and 50 who gave birth between 2007 and 2014,” some 6,400 of whom had been given a diagnosis of AD/HD. The findings were published online Oct. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Pregnancy Much More Likely for Teen Girls With ADHD, “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, October 2, 2019

The New York Times (10/1, Bakalar) reports a study found “women who have a hysterectomy may be at increased risk for depression and anxiety.” The study of over 2,000 women who underwent the procedure without removal of the ovaries showed “a hysterectomy was associated with a 26 percent increased relative risk for depression and a 22 percent increased risk for anxiety.” For women under 35, the study published in Menopause showed “a 47 percent increased risk for depression and a 45 percent increased risk for anxiety.”

Related Links:

— “Hysterectomy May Raise Depression and Anxiety Risk, “Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times, October 1, 2019