New Study Links Cannabis Use With Compromised Heart Health
The small study, published in JAMA Cardiology, found the vascular effects applied whether the cannabis was eaten or smoked. Other science and research news is on anorexia in later life, MIS-C, Pepto Bismol, and more.
Fortune Well:
Cannabis—Whether Smoked Or Eaten—Is Bad For Your Heart, New Study Finds. It's Just One Of Many Risks
Smoking weed, according to a small new study out of University of California San Francisco, is bad for your heart—and so is consuming cannabis as an edible. The report, published May 28 in JAMA Cardiology, found that people who regularly used marijuana in either form had vascular function that was reduced by about half when compared to those who did not use cannabis—a dysfunction comparable to that of tobacco smokers. (Greenfield, 6/3)
The New York Times:
Anorexia In Middle Age And Beyond
For decades, few people connected eating disorders with older people; they were seen as an affliction of teenage girls and young women. But research suggests that an increasing number of older women have been seeking treatment for eating disorders, including bulimia, binge eating disorder (known as BED) and anorexia, which has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, and brings with it an elevated risk of suicide. (Ellin, 6/3)
CIDRAP:
Report Highlights Evidence, Remaining Data Gaps On Vaccines And Antibiotic Resistance
The Wellcome Trust last week released a new report on the role that vaccines can play in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The report summarizes the findings from 11 Wellcome-funded research projects that aimed to fill critical evidence gaps on vaccines and AMR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A World Health Organization (WHO) modeling study published in 2024 estimated that vaccines could avert more than half a million deaths from drug-resistant infections annually, cut AMR-related healthcare costs and productivity losses by billions of dollars, and reduce the number of antibiotics needed to treat infections by 2.5 billion doses annually. (Dall, 6/3)
CIDRAP:
MIS-C Patients Catch Up With Controls By Most Measures Within 2 Years, Data Suggest
Two years after hospitalization for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), most patients' neurologic and psychological test scores were similar to those of controls, but those who had been admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and experienced reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) tended to have diminished executive function (high-level thinking skills), concludes a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 6/3)
CIDRAP:
Testing Migrants For Key Infectious Diseases May Speed Diagnosis, Cut Risk Of Spread
Instituting routine testing of migrants for certain infectious diseases leads to earlier diagnoses and treatment, improving health outcomes and lowering the risk of onward community spread, suggests an observational UK study published late last week in eClinicalMedicine. (Van Beusekom, 6/3)
CBS News:
Pepto Bismol Didn't Prevent Travelers' Diarrhea Compared To Placebo, Small CDC Study Found
The active ingredient in Pepto Bismol, bismuth subsalicylate, is often used to treat and prevent diarrhea while traveling — but a new study found it may not help with prevention. In the study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "no significant difference" was found for symptoms of loose stool or diarrhea between groups who took the medication for prevention and those who took a placebo. (Moniuszko, 6/3)