The Washington Post (6/17, Dennett) reports “that eating disorders in midlife — and beyond — are all too common among women,” as indicated by “a 2012 study [that] estimated that 13 percent of American woman age 50 and older have eating disorder symptoms.” Moreover, “a 2017 study found that about 3.5 percent of women older than 40 have a diagnosable eating disorder, yet most are not receiving treatment.” Finally, “another study found that though rates of anorexia plateau around age 26, rates of bulimia don’t plateau until around age 47, and rates of binge-eating disorder don’t plateau until the 70s.”

Related Links:

— “The overlooked crisis of eating disorders among middle-aged women, “Carrie Dennett, The Washington Post, June 17, 2019

MedPage Today (6/17, D’Ambrosio) reports, “Sexting among adolescents was linked to increased sexual behaviors and mental health risks in youth,” researchers concluded in a 23-study “review and meta-analysis.” The findings were published online June 17 in JAMA Pediatrics.

HealthDay (6/17, Thompson) also covers the story.

Related Links:

— “Teen Sexting Can Be Warning Sign of Other Risky Behaviors, “Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, June 17, 2019

HealthDay (6/14, Reinberg) reported researchers found that “being smart and highly educated may not prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but it appears to delay the disease’s impact on everyday life.” The findings of the 331-participant study were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Related Links:

— “Education, Intelligence Might Protect Your Brain, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, June 14, 2019

Healio (6/14, Demko) reported, “Most U.S. adults with mental health disorders have not received treatment for their conditions in the last year, and treatment rates were especially low for substance use disorders,” researchers concluded after examining the “2012 to 2013 data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III.” After analyzing “past 12-month disorder-specific mental health treatment patterns of common DSM-5 disorders in 36,309 U.S. adults,” investigators also found that “lack of insurance coverage increased the odds of not receiving treatment for almost all mental disorders, excluding specific phobia (OR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.3-1.03), non-tobacco drug use disorders (OR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.47-1.36) and alcohol use disorder (OR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.12-2.07).” The findings were published online May 28 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Many people with mental health disorders do not receive treatment, “Savannah Demko, Healio, June 14, 2019

HealthDay (6/13, Reinberg) reports researchers found that Lyrica (pregabalin), a gabapentinoid used to treat epilepsy and other diseases, “could make some young people more prone to suicide.” The findings of the 191,973-participant study were published online in the BMJ.

Related Links:

— “Epilepsy DrugTied to Higher Risk of Suicidal Behavior in Young Users, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, June 13, 2019