Divorce later in life might be harder on women than on men, based on patterns of antidepressant use in a new study of people aged 50 or older. Both sexes tended to increase their antidepressant use when going through a divorce, break-up or the death of a partner, researchers found. But women’s use of these… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Music Hath Charms to Boost Mental Health: Poll
Music may be good medicine for older adults, boosting both their mental and physical health, a new survey finds. Virtually all people between the ages of 50 and 80 (98%) say they benefit in at least one health-related way from engaging with music, according to results from the latest University of Michigan National Poll on… read on > read on >
High-Risk Strains of HPV Could Raise Women’s Odds for Heart Death
Women are four times more likely to die from heart disease and six times more likely to die from stroke if infected with a high-risk strain of human papillomavirus (HPV), a new study warns. HPV already is known to cause most cervical cancers, and previous research has suggested that HPV infection might contribute to clogged… read on > read on >
Body Temperature Rises in People Battling Depression
Depression and a rise in body temperature appear linked, although researchers say it’s not yet clear which causes which. Still, the findings offer a hint that manipulating body temperature might be a new form of therapy against depression. “To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature… read on > read on >
Could Bullying Raise a Teen’s Odds for Psychosis?
The Pearl Jam song “Jeremy” tells the story of a boy driven mad by bullies who commits suicide in front of his classroom. The song might reflect a real and ongoing threat to teens’ mental health, new research suggests. Teens being bullied face a greater risk of early-stage psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or paranoia,… read on > read on >
Dentists’ Group Issues New Pain-Control Guidelines for Teens, Adults
New guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA) are cracking down on the use of opioids for tooth pain. The guidelines say that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) taken alone or alongside acetaminophen should be the first-line treatment for managing short-term dental pain in teenagers and adults. The available medical evidence indicates that those medications can… read on > read on >
CDC Restarts National Anti-Smoking Campaign, With Focus on Menthols
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resumed a national campaign that uses the stories of former smokers to warn Americans about the many health dangers of tobacco. Known as the “Tips From Former Smokers” campaign, seven new people are featured in ads sharing their stories about how cigarette smoking damaged their health.… read on > read on >
Scientists Produce First 3D-Printed Brain Tissue for Use in Research
Scientists say they’ve created the first 3D-printed brain tissue where neurons network and “talk” to each other. The breakthrough could be an advance for studying neurological processes in the lab, say a team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “This could be a hugely powerful model to help us understand how brain cells and parts of… read on > read on >
Surge in Police Seizures of ‘Magic Mushrooms’ Mirrors Rise in Psilocybin Use
Police seizures of “magic” mushrooms have more than tripled within the past five years, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse reports. The total weight of psilocybin mushrooms seized by law enforcement increased from 498 pounds in 2017 to 1,861 pounds in 2022, according to a new report published Feb. 6 in the journal Drug… read on > read on >
Veterans’ Study Shows Effectiveness of Ketamine Against Depression
The former ‘party drug’ ketamine has gotten some good press recently, with clinical trials suggesting it might be a powerful and fast-acting antidepressant. Now, one of the first “real-world” studies of ketamine against depression appears to support those findings. Researchers at the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System say that almost half… read on > read on >