Here are some interesting news briefs from the world of health and medicine:
* Want to Live Long and Prosper? Volunteer! A recent edition of the Los Angeles Times carried a feature story by Valerie Ulene trumpeting the benefits of charity and volunteerism. Quoting numerous researchers and scientific studies, the story argued that helping others can have a wide range of positive personal benefits, including mood elevation, improved immunity and even increased longevity. Although the exact biological and physiological mechanisms of altruism are still being investigated, it’s believed that “helping those in need” triggers, among other things, the release of chemicals like oxytocin that counteract stress hormones and prevent normal wear and tear on joints, organs and even the brain. So to quote a song from Broadway’s Avenue Q, “When you help others, you end up helping yourself.”
* Antidepressants Increase Suicide Risk in Young Adults. For years the medical community has known about the disturbing link between antidepressants and increased suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. Now, in light of a batch of new research, the FDA has extended its warning to young adults age 18-25. The warning covers all types of antidepressant drugs, regardless of composition. Although antidepressants can still be a great value to young people suffering from clinical depression, any onset of suicidal or other aberrant thoughts should be reported immediately to one’s physician.
* Aspirin May Reduce Some Colon Cancer Deaths by Nearly 30%. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., behind only lung cancer. Now, in addition to surgery and chemotherapy, doctors may have one more weapon in their arsenal to fight this deadly disease: aspirin. Recent studies have shown that for patients suffering from the most common type of colorectal cancer, the kind that overproduces the Cox-2 enzyme, a daily aspirin can reduce deaths from the disease by 29 percent. (Aspirin blocks the Cox-2 enzyme, which causes the cancer to spread.) Although further research is still required before a blanket recommendation can be made, the researchers behind these studies see great promise in this drug that is cheap, plentiful and easily available over-the-counter.
* Healthy Lifestyle Choices Can Reduce Chronic Disease Risk by Up to 80%. You’ve heard it all before: Don’t smoke. Exercise. Stay trim. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Now, a long-term study of more than 23,500 German adults published in the August issue of Archives of Internal Medicine bears out this good advice. The 15-year-long study showed that following these simple and easy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 80 percent. The greatest benefit was associated with having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30. This was followed by never smoking, exercising at least 3.5 hours a day and eating a diet rich with fruits and vegetables but low in meat.
* Temp Jobs Can Lead to Mental Health Problems. In today’s shaky economy, more and more workers are opting for temporary or other short-term employment opportunities. But long-term job insecurity can lead to serious mental health problems, according to research recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. The researchers reported that temporary workers are at risk for increased incidents of depression and psychological stress for as long as they’re in their short-term positions. In other words, a permanent job is literally good for peace-of-mind.
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