Questions Remain About Marijuana-Cased Psychosis Among Teens, But One Thing’s Very Clear: Treatment Severely Lags Behind Need
Advocates say the number of substance abuse programs serving teens afflicted by problems brought on by marijuana is insufficient to deal with the growing problem. Other public health news reports on the benefits of complaining, research on female athletes and dementia, a mysterious pneumonia in Asia, alcohol's effect on AFib, the best milk for children, aging well, detecting cancer early, HIV outreach at church, new calorie labeling, and brain trauma studies.
USA Today:
As Marijuana Induced Psychosis Rises, Mental Health Treatment Elusive
When Garrett Rigg moved from a "transitional living program" facility near Chicago last month into a group home, it was a major milestone for the 27-year-old, who traveled 1,000 miles from his home in Denver to get treatment after a cannabis-induced psychotic break five years ago. Rigg had to leave his hometown because it lacked suitable long-term treatment, according to his mother, Connie Kabrick. The three marijuana dispensaries at the intersection a half block from her home are the reason why she says he can't move back. (O'Donnell, 1/6)
The New York Times:
Go Ahead And Complain. It Might Be Good For You.
We’ve all done it: Whether it’s about traffic, our boss or our partner’s annoying habits, complaining “is just something we do, like breathing — though hopefully not as often,” said Robin Kowalski, a professor of psychology at Clemson University. Even though it may come naturally, griping isn’t necessarily always a good thing. Ruminating on negative feelings, and reinforcing them through constant discussion with other people, can lead to catastrophizing, which “is something that can contribute to depression,” said Margot Bastin, who studies communication between friends at the department of School Psychology and Development in Context at the Dutch university Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. (Higgs, 1/6)
Reuters:
Former Women Players To Join New Research Into Dementia
Former female professional soccer players will be included for the first time in research into possible links between heading balls and dementia thanks to a new project launched on Tuesday. Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) will carry out long-term cognitive tests on former men and women players to shed more light on the findings of a report by the University of Glasgow and Hampden Sports Clinic last year. (1/6)
CNN:
China Pneumonia Outbreak: It's Not SARS, So What Is It?
Chinese health authorities have not been able to identify a mysterious strain of pneumonia that has infected dozens of people and put the rest of Asia on alert -- although they have ruled out a return of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. A total of 59 cases of unknown viral pneumonia have been reported in the city of Wuhan, central China, with seven patients in critical condition, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement on Sunday. All patients are being treated in quarantine, and no deaths have been reported. (Gan, 1/7)
Reuters:
Cutting Out Alcohol May Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Episodes
For people with atrial fibrillation, abstinence from alcohol may make the heart beat better. Eliminating most alcohol consumption dramatically cuts the number of episodes of the potentially deadly heart rhythm disturbance among moderate and heavy drinkers, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (1/7)
The New York Times:
Whole Milk May Be Better When It Comes To Children’s Weight
Whole milk may be healthier for children’s weight than low-fat milk, a review of studies suggests. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends switching to skim or low-fat (1 percent) milk at age 2. Canadian researchers analyzed 14 prospective studies including 20,897 children up to 18 years old. The studies compared children who drank whole milk (3.25 percent fat) with those given milk containing less than 2 percent fat. (Bakalar, 1/7)
CNN:
Running A Marathon Could Help You Live Longer, Study Suggests
Need another reason to sign up for that marathon in 2020? New research suggests training and running a marathon for the first time could reverse some of the effects of aging on our bodies. Researchers found that for the 138 healthy, first-time marathon runners they tracked, training and completing the London marathon was associated with a four-year reduction in their "vascular age." Specifically, they found that marathon training reversed the age-related stiffening of the body's main artery and helped reduce blood pressure. (Hunt, 1/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Eight Science Stories To Watch For In 2020
Scientists have been searching for ways to detect cancer in its earliest stages, when treatments are most likely to be effective. In 2020, they’ll be harnessing the power of biomarkers to aid them in this mission. Biomarkers are distinctive bits of protein or DNA that can be detected in bodily fluids like blood and urine. The trick is to identify ones that are reliable signals of malignancy. Candidates are being tested in ever-larger groups of people to determine whether they’re accurate and can be trusted not to generate too many false-positive results. (Netburn, Healy, Rosen, Khan and Kaplan, 12/27)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Churches, Faith Leaders Ramp Up Outreach Around HIV/AIDS
In 2017, Blacks in the United States accounted for 13% of the US population but 43% of the 38,739 new HIV diagnoses. In 2017, black women accounted for 59% of new HIV diagnoses among women, most contracted the disease through heterosexual contact and injection drug use. It’s nothing new. Several local churches have launched health ministries and started testing outreach efforts. (Poole, 1/6)
CBS News:
Some Labels Now Tell You The Calories For Eating All The Servings
Curious to know how many calories you're consuming by scarfing down an entire pint of ice cream or bag of chips? Now, thanks to U.S. food regulators you can. New Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules specify that the label on any food package that contains between two and three servings and that could be eaten in one sitting must provide nutrition information both for a single serving and for eating the entire contents. (Gibson, 1/6)
St. Louis Public Radio:
These St. Louis Scientists Are Shaking Human Brains To Study Head Trauma
Philip Bayly has spent years trying to figure out the best way to jiggle a brain. The mechanical engineer is part of a team of researchers at Washington University studying how a jolt to the head can shake the brain — the kind of injury a football player suffers when crashing into an opponent. Using a specially designed device that vibrates volunteers’ heads, they hope to better understand the effects of repeated brain injuries. (Farzan, 1/6)
