ALL ABOUT HEALTH -

24Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Hallucinogen Use Rises Significantly Since 2015, Research Finds

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More Americans than ever appear to be taking psychedelic drugs. According to a new estimate from researchers at Columbia University in New York City, more than 5.5 million U.S. adults are using hallucinogens.In a study published this month in the journal Addiction, scientists calculated that hallucinogen use climbed from 2002 to 2019, from 1.7 percent to 2.2 percent in the population who are ages 12 and older, based on data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health.Since 2015, the overall prevalence of hallucinogen use during the following four years rose by 44 percent.“Our results highlight such use as a growing public health concern and suggest that the increasing risk of potentially unsupervised hallucinogen use warrants preventive strategies,” wrote senior study author Deborah Hasin, PhD, professor of epidemiology…

24Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

FDA Approves Auvelity, a New Medication for Clinical Depression

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 19 approved dextromethorphan-bupropion, or Auvelity, a drug used to treat major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression, in adults.It is the first drug to treat major depressive disorder that works within a week of taking it and is the first new pill to treat depression using a new mechanism of action in more than 60 years, according to the manufacturer, Axsome Therapeutics.What’s Different About This Depression DrugThere has long been a need for better and more effective drugs to treat depression, as nearly two-thirds of all people diagnosed with depression do not find relief from them, according to Axsome Therapeutics.In a double-blind phase 3 clinical trial, 163 patients taking Auvelity said their feelings of depression were significantly improved within a week of…

24Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Nearly Half of Multiracial LGBTQ+ Youth Seriously Considered Suicide in the Past Year

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Nearly half of multiracial LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year.Those are the new findings in a report published this month by the LGBTQ+ youth mental health organization the Trevor Project.It’s been well established that LGBTQ+ youth are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared with their straight and cisgender counterparts. But according to the Trevor Project, this research is among the first to consider how the intersectionality of identifying with more than one ethnic or racial identity affects suicide risk.“To our knowledge, this new report is the first of its kind to exclusively explore the mental health and well-being of multiracial youth who are LGBTQ, highlighting their unique mental health experiences, risk factors, and protective factors,” says Myeshia Price, PhD, the director of research…

24Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Parvovirus-Like Symptoms Seen in Michigan Dog Deaths

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Michigan authorities are investigating a mysterious illness that has killed more than 20 dogs this summer, often striking puppies or younger animals and killing them within a few days.All the animals died in Otsego County from what officials described as a parvovirus-like condition, the Otsego County Animal Shelter said in an August 19 post on Facebook. The dogs had typical symptoms of parvovirus like vomiting and bloody stool, but tested negative for this virus, according to shelter officials.“We have not seen any dogs that die that are PROPERLY vaccinated,” the shelter said in the social media post. “If you do not know if your dog is PROPPERLY [sic] vaccinated or what PROPERLY vaccinated is contact a/your VETERINARIAN.”Young puppies are highly susceptible to infection, and may need a series of vaccinations…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

For Alcohol Use Disorder, Psychedelics Plus Talk Therapy Cuts Heavy Drinking Days by 83 Percent, Study Shows

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Treatment with the psychedelic drug psilocybin (aka “magic mushrooms”) along with supportive psychotherapy reduced the percentage of heavy drinking days by 83 percent among people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to a small randomized trial published in JAMA Psychiatry on August 24, led by researchers at New York University (NYU).Additionally, nearly half of study participants treated with psilocybin stopped drinking entirely eight months after receiving their first dose of psilocybin, compared with nearly a quarter of those in the placebo group, per a press release from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.“Today’s study that you’re hearing about is a major breakthrough in the understanding and treatment of alcohol use disorder,” said Charles Marmar, MD, the Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Psychiatry and the chair of the department of psychiatry at…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Advanced Cervical Cancer Rates Are Rising Among U.S. Women

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Fewer American women are being diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer, but advanced cases that are often fatal are becoming more common and are disproportionally impacting Black and white women, according to a new studyFor the study, researchers examined government data on more than 31 million U.S. cancer cases between 2001 and 2018, as well as national survey data on screening and vaccination for cervical cancer. During the study period, a total of 29,715 patients were diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer, according to study results published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.Diagnosis of advanced cervical cancer increased by 1.3 percent annually during this time frame, even as diagnosis of early-stage cases declined by 1.59 percent a year.Advanced cervical cancer rates rose fastest among white women, by 1.69 annually. The steepest…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

2 Human Cases of West Nile Virus Detected In New York City

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Two New York City residents have been infected with the West Nile virus (WNV) and a record number of WNV-infected mosquitoes have been detected, according to the New York City Health Department in a statement released on August 16.Mosquito and WNV activity in the city are rising this summer; a total of 1,068 WNV-positive mosquito pools have been located throughout the city, compared with 779 positive pools detected at this time last year, according to city health officials.This year, an average of 77 mosquitoes were caught in each trap per day, compared with 75 mosquitos per trap per day for the same period in 2021. Once trapped, a large number of mosquitoes are then tested in a single pooled sample or “pool.” If one or more of the tested mosquitos from…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Cancer Cases Rising ‘Dramatically’ in Adults Under 50

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Globally, the number of cancer cases diagnosed in adults under 50 has surged in recent decades, and a new study suggests that diagnosis rates are climbing too much to be entirely explained by better screening or earlier detection.The incidence of several early-onset cancers, including tumors of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas, has dramatically increased around the world since 1990, researchers report in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.“From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time — for example, a decade-later — have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age,” senior study author Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD, a…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

FDA Proposes Changes to Which Foods Are Labeled ‘Healthy’

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On September 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed an updated definition for the term "healthy" when it's used on food labels, to be more consistent with the latest nutrition science and the current dietary guidelines for Americans, according to a news release.The change to the requirements for a “healthy” label is part of a larger national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health that aims to reduce some of the chronic diseases that are caused by eating habits and to advance health equity.“Nutrition is key to improving our nation’s health,” said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in the press release. “Healthy food can lower our risk for chronic disease. But too many people may not know what constitutes healthy food.…

23Feb 2023 by Janice Holland

Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Cognitive Decline in Large Study

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The experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug lecanemab slowed the progression of cognitive decline by 27 percent in a large, late-stage clinical trial, the drugmakers Biogen and Eisai said.Lecanemab is in a family of medicines designed to clear the brain of plaques formed by the buildup of a protein known as beta-amyloid, which is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In clinical trial results released by Biogen and Eisai on September 27, lecanemab also reduced amyloid levels in the brain and appeared to improve participants’ cognition and ability to perform daily tasks.“Today’s announcement gives patients and their families hope that lecanemab, if approved, can potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide a clinically meaningful impact on cognition and function,” said Michel Vounatsos, the chief executive…