The Boston Globe (12/19, Weisman) reports on research released by the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Boston that found depression diagnoses among seniors over 65 appear to have grown in the last three years. Indeed, nearly one third of seniors were treated for depression in Massachusetts, higher than the overall rate for New England (25 percent), according to Medicare records.

Related Links:

— “Depression, ranging in severity, shadows old age for nearly a third of Mass. seniors, ” Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe , December 19, 2018.

Endocrine Today (12/19, Neuffer) reports, “Use of substances such as alcohol, opioids and sedative medications may be higher among adults with type 1 diabetes [T1D] compared with the overall U.S. population,” researchers concluded in a 4,311-adult study. The findings were published online in the journal Diabetes Education

Related Links:

— “Substance Use Higher Among Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Vs. General Population, “Phil Neuffer, Healio, December 19, 2018.

Healio (12/19, Demko) reports, “Observational study findings” published online Dec. 11 in the American Journal of Psychiatry that described “the emergent course of bipolar disorder in high-risk offspring of affected parents revealed that the course of bipolar disorder usually evolves in a progressive clinical sequence.” In addition, the study, which “analyzed the emergent clinical course of bipolar disorder over one to 21 years follow-up in 279 high-risk offspring of affected parents and 87 control patients,” revealed “important predictors of bipolar disorder included childhood sleep and anxiety disorders, clinically significant mood symptoms, and psychotic symptoms in depressive episodes.”

Related Links:

— “Emergent course of bipolar disorder among at-risk offspring develops over time, “Savannah Demko, Healio, December 19, 2018.

Forbes (12/18) contributor David DiSalvo writes, “People suffering from anxiety and depression may be at higher risk for developing other major health conditions like heart disease, suggests new research” published online Dec. 18 in the journal Health Psychology. For the study, investigators “analyzed health data for more than 15,000 adults over a four-year period from the Health and Retirement study, a large US population-based study of older adults.” The study revealed that “compared to those without anxiety and depression, participants suffering from those conditions were at 65% increased risk of a heart condition, 64% for stroke, and 50% for” hypertension, plus an “especially high” risk “for arthritis at 87%.” Healio (12/18, Demko) also covers the study.

Related Links:

— “Depression And Anxiety Linked To Higher Risk Of Other Major Health Conditions, Suggests New Study, “David DiSalvo , Forbes, December 18, 2018.

Reuters (12/18, Rapaport) reports, “More than two in five teens who use marijuana experience psychotic symptoms like hallucinations, paranoia and anxiety,” researchers found after surveying “146 teen marijuana users, ages 14 to 18.” The study revealed that 40 teens, “or 27 percent, reported hallucinations while using the drug and 49, or 34 percent, said they had experienced paranoia or anxiety.” The findings were published online Dec. 17 in a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Teen pot users may hallucinate, become paranoid, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, December 18, 2018.