Medical Daily (3/27, Dovey) reports “current trends suggest that the number of women aged 60 and older who drink and/or abuse alcohol is set to increase,” researchers concluded after analyzing “data from the 1997 to 2014 National Health Interview Surveys, which included information from 65,303 individuals over the age of 60.” The findings were published online March 24 in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Related Links:

— “More Elderly Women Expected To Drink And Abuse Alcohol; What This Means For Their Health,” Dana Dovey, Medical Daily, March 27, 2017.

On the front of its Science Times section, the New York Times (3/27, D1, Richtel, Subscription Publication) reports that studies performed in rats indicate “the idea that the use of cannabinoids can induce withdrawal from heavier substances.” In humans, however, “a report published in January from the National Academy of Sciences on the health effects of cannabis ‘found no evidence to support or refute the conclusion that cannabinoids are an effective treatment for achieving abstinence in the use of addictive substances,’ said Dr. Marie McCormick, a Harvard professor who was the chairwoman of the report committee.”

Related Links:

— “Addiction Specialists Ponder a Potential Aid: Pot,” MATT RICHTEL, New York Times, March 27, 2017.

HealthDay (3/23, Preidt) reports, “Older mothers are less likely to scold or punish their young children, and those children tend to have fewer behavioral, social and emotional problems,” researchers found after examining data “from a random sample of just over 4,700 Danish mothers.” The study authors theorized that “older moms tend to have more stable relationships, are more educated, and have more wealth and resources.” The findings were published in the European Journal of Developmental Psychology.

Related Links:

— “Older Mothers May Raise Better-Behaved Kids, Study Suggests,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 23, 2017.

Healio (3/24, Tedesco) reported, “Lower rates of psychological distress were associated with moderate daily intake of fruits and vegetables in middle-aged and older adults,” researchers found after conducting a “cross-sectional, prospective study of 60,404 adults (aged 45 years or older) from Australia using logistic regression models.” The findingswere published online in the BMJ Open.

Related Links:

— “Daily fruit, vegetable consumption linked with reduced psychological distress, Healio, March 24, 2017.

HealthDay (3/24, Preidt) reported that adolescents in the US with autism may be “four times more likely to visit an emergency” department (ED) than teens without autism, researchers found. After analyzing “nine years of private insurance health-care claims of 12- to 21-year-olds,” investigators also found that “the proportion of” ED “visits by teens with autism for a mental health crisis rose from 12 percent in 2005 to 22 percent in 2013.” The findings were published in the February issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Teens With Autism More Likely to Land in ER, Study Finds,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, March 24, 2017.