Research Shows Obesity As A Cardiac Death Factor Has Been Rising
Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds the number of adult American deaths from heart disease with obesity cited as a factor soared between 1999 and 2020. Meanwhile, CNN reports on WHO efforts to promote proper treatment for hypertension.
The Washington Post:
Obesity As A Factor In Cardiac Deaths Tripled Over 20 Years
The number of U.S. adults who died of heart disease and whose death record cited obesity as a contributing factor was three times greater in 2020 than in 1999, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Searing, 9/18)
CNN:
Proper Treatment For Hypertension Could Avert 76 Million Deaths Globally By 2050, WHO Says
The dangerous effects of high blood pressure are highlighted in a new report by the World Health Organization that identifies the condition as one of the world’s leading risk factors for death and disability. Published Tuesday, WHO’s first report on the global impact of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, offers recommendations on ways to combat the “silent killer.” (Musa, 9/19)
The Washington Post:
Nearly Half Of Adults With Hypertension Are Unaware They Have It, WHO Says
An estimated one in three adults worldwide live with hypertension but most people with the risky cardiovascular condition are not adequately treated, according to a new report by the World Health Organization. A 2020 study published in The Lancet found high blood pressure is “the single most important risk factor for early death,” the WHO report says. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, leads to an estimated 10 million deaths every year, but almost half of adults with high blood pressure don’t know they have it. (Amenabar, 9/19)
In other health and wellness news —
Consumer Reports:
A Healthy Diet May Lower Dementia Risk — Even If You Start Late
Doing puzzles, playing memory-boosting games, taking classes and reading are activities that we often turn to for help keeping our brains sharp. But research is showing that what you eat, how often you exercise and the type of exercise you do can help lower your risk of dementia to a greater extent than previously thought. ... And living a healthy lifestyle can produce brain benefits no matter what your age. (Lee, 9/18)
NBC News:
Morning Workouts May Be Better For Weight Loss, Study Finds
Is morning the best time of day to exercise? Research published Tuesday in the journal Obesity finds that early morning activity — between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. — could help with weight loss. “My cautious suggestion from this study is that if we choose to exercise in the early morning, before we eat, we can potentially lose more weight compared to exercise at other times of the day,” said lead researcher Tongyu Ma, a research assistant professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. (Sullivan, 9/19)
The Conversation:
Screen Time Is Contributing To Chronic Sleep Deprivation In Tweens And Teens – A Pediatric Sleep Expert Explains
With the start of a new school year comes the inevitable battle to get kids back into a healthy bedtime routine. In many cases, this likely means resetting boundaries on screen use, especially late in the evenings. But imposing and enforcing those rules can be easier said than done. A growing body of research is finding strong links between sleep, mental health and screen time in teens and tweens — the term for pre-adolescent children around the ages of 10 to 12. Amid an unprecedented mental health crisis in which some 42% of adolescents in the U.S. are suffering from mental health issues, teens are also getting too little sleep. (Chen, 9/19)
CNN:
Male Loneliness Epidemic: How Fathers Face A Friendship Deficit
Several years ago, another dad reached out to me after reading my work about being a stay-at-home dad. He was married, had two toddlers and was not coping well. He couldn’t find another person to talk to outside his family. He didn’t say it, because most of us men won’t, but fatherhood was taking a toll on his mental health and self-worth. He felt alone — but not because he didn’t have a good relationship with his significant other. He told me it was because he didn’t have friends. (Carpenter, 9/18)
On gambling and addiction —
AP:
Another Option Emerges To Expand North Carolina Gambling, But Most Democrats Say They Won't Back It
The prospects of enacting soon an overdue North Carolina budget, permitting more state-sanctioned gambling and implementing Medicaid expansion stayed uncertain Monday as Republicans suggested dividing the topics between two bills. But most Democratic colleagues sound unwilling to provide the necessary votes. Action for passing a two-year state government spending plan idled last week when House Republicans said they didn’t have enough votes to pass the budget on their own if it contained language that would authorize four additional casinos and legalize video gambling machines statewide. (Robertson, 9/18)
The New York Times:
Phil Mickelson Says Gambling Addiction ‘Isn’t Any Fun At All’
Phil Mickelson, the golf great whose issues with gambling have made headlines throughout the years, took to social media on Monday to share details about his addiction, and to offer a warning to potential bettors ahead of this year’s N.F.L. season. As the 2023-24 football season kicked off in earnest, Mickelson posted on X to say that he would not be gambling on any games. “I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all,” said Mickelson, who has won six major golf tournaments. (Lindner, 9/18)
