NewsMedical Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Can AI Recognize the Signs of Depression in People’s Voices?

The AHA! Team — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 05:07:05 +0000

Dr. Chinta Sidharthan via News-Medical – A machine learning tool successfully identified vocal markers of depression in over 70% of cases within 25 seconds, highlighting its potential for improving mental health screening in primary care and virtual healthcare settings. In a recent article in The Annals of Family Medicine, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a machine learning (ML) tool for detecting vocal signs linked to severe or moderate depression. The tool successfully detected vocal markers of depression in just 25 seconds, correctly identifying cases of depression in more than 70% of samples, highlighting its utility for mental health screening. Background Depression is a major health issue, affecting about 18 million Americans annually, with nearly 30% experiencing it at some point in their lives. Despite guidelines recommending universal screening, depression screening in primary care remains very low (

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NIH Grant Supports Study of Copper’s Role in Killing Harmful Bacteria

The AHA! Team — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:07:49 +0000

University of Arizona Health Sciences via News-Medical – A researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his research into uncovering the mysteries of copper – specifically, how it can be harnessed to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms. “We started using copper tens of thousands of years ago to cut down on bacterial infections. People used to store their food in copper pots, which helped cut down on spoilage. Copper doorknobs have been shown to cut down on hospital-acquired infections. We’re still finding more things it can do.” -Michael D.L. Johnson, PhD, associate professor of immunobiology Johnson said he hopes one of these potential new uses could form the backbone of a next-generation antibiotic; however, to build a solid foundation for the pharmaceutical research, his lab aims to learn more about what makes copper toxic to bacteria in the first place. The research is being made possible by an R35 grant, which is reserved for scientists with outstanding research records and the potential to make major contributions to their fields. Using Streptococcus pneumoniae as a model organism, Johnson and his team will attempt to learn what makes bacterial cells vulnerable to copper. “It’s a pretty prominent pathogen. More than a million people die per year because of these bacteria,” he said, referring to the bacteria that can cause infections in the lungs, brain, nose and blood. “Our laboratory is interested in trying to figure out how it ticks. Our way of doing that is to understand how it gets its nutrition.” The human body uses minerals such as iron and calcium, which we get from our diets, to keep bodily processes running. Bacteria are no different in that they need minerals to function, but copper, which is essential in the human diet, can be toxic to bacteria. “There are certain minerals that bacteria don’t want in excess, and that’s where copper comes into play,” said Johnson, who is a member of the BIO5 Institute. “There are a lot of ways we can weaponize copper. We’re trying to study how our body uses copper as a mechanism to kill pathogens.” Johnson believes that by flooding bacteria’s environment with excess copper, researchers may be able to trick them into building essential proteins with the wrong materials. We’re trying to study how our body uses copper as a mechanism to kill pathogens “Copper can displace iron, manganese or other metals and inactivate the protein,” he said. “It would be like me trying to start my wife’s car with my key. It doesn’t work.” Johnson will build on his previous studies investigating how S. pneumoniae reacts to copper and complement parallel studies performed in his lab to learn more about copper as an antimicrobial. He said his goal is to untangle exactly what makes copper toxic to S. pneumoniae and use that information to draw conclusions about similar bacteria. “All bacteria are different, but there are some mission-critical systems that are the same from bacteria to bacteria. How they process some of these metals is almost identical,” he said. “What I’m studying can be applied to other bacteria, but first we need to understand the basic mechanism of how these things work.” Johnson said that while new antibiotics are slow to be developed and approved, antibiotic resistance is on the rise among pathogens, meaning that infections that were once easily cured with medicine could someday be deadly again. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers antibiotic resistance a danger to public health, with drug-resistant S. pneumoniae classified as a “serious threat.” “Bacteria are quite crafty. They will mutate to overcome antibiotics,” Johnson said. “Our bodies have evolved to use copper to kill bacteria, and to this day, copper is still toxic. We want to take advantage of that to help people with life-threatening infections.” This research is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, a division of the National Institutes of Health, under award no. R35GM128653. Source: University of Arizona Health Sciences To read the original article click here.

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Low-Dose Ketamine Eases Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms

The AHA! Team — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:22:08 +0000

University of Washington School of Medicine via News-Medical – Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury deaths in young adults in the United States, with fentanyl causing over 70,000 deaths annually. Many people who use fentanyl become trapped in their addiction out of fear and a low tolerance for the withdrawal symptoms, which include muscle cramps, nausea, chills, sweats and intense cravings. They can’t stop using fentanyl, and they also have trouble starting either of the two medications, methadone and buprenorphine, that can dramatically reduce their risk of overdose death. Research findings published Aug. 29 in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice may offer hope. A pilot study showed that a small amount of ketamine can reduce or eliminate the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting fentanyl. “The main takeaway is that we have found an easier way for people trapped in the grip of fentanyl addiction to get started in treatment.” Dr. Lucinda Grande, clinical assistant professor of family medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine She was the study’s lead author. “Methadone can be difficult to access due to strict federal regulations, and starting buprenorphine can cause severe withdrawal symptoms before those who start it become stabilized,” added study co-author Dr. Tom Hutch. He is the medical director of the opioid treatment program at We Care Daily Clinics in Auburn, Wash. “Ketamine, at an imperceptibly low dose, helps bridge that gap.” Over 14 months, Grande and colleagues in Auburn and Olympia prescribed ketamine to 37 fentanyl-addicted patients whose fear of withdrawal symptoms had deterred them from trying buprenorphine. Twenty-four patients actually tried the drug, and 16 completed the transition to buprenorphine. Most patients reported a reduction or elimination of withdrawal symptoms after each ketamine dose, the effect of which lasted for hours. Of the last 12 who completed the transition, 92% remained in treatment for at least 30 days. Patients placed a ketamine lozenge or syrup under the tongue. The 16 mg dose is a small fraction of that typically used for anesthesia, the main clinical role of ketamine for 50 years, according to Grande. That dosage also is less than half of the smallest ketamine dose prescribed for depression treatment, an increasingly common use of this medication. Researchers monitored patients daily or almost daily, and refined the treatment strategy based on patient response and prescriber experience. Grande developed the concept after she learned that emergency-medicine physician and coauthor Dr. Andrew Herring of Oakland, California, used a higher, sedating dose of ketamine successfully in his emergency department to resolve a patient’s severe case of withdrawal from fentanyl addiction. Grande is a primary-care and addiction doctor in practice near Olympia who, in the past dozen years, has used low-dose ketamine to treat more than 600 patients for chronic pain and depression. Ketamine has gained prominence in the news since actor Matthew Perry of the sitcom “Friends” overdosed on the drug and drowned. Perry had undergone high-dose ketamine treatment for depression, news reports have suggested. “Our study underscores the enormous potential of this medication for addressing important health problems such as depression, chronic pain and now fentanyl-use disorder,” said Grande. Ketamine’s positive attributes have been overshadowed by Perry’s death, she said. Grande hopes this pilot study’s results will be confirmed by larger studies. “I am excited about these results,” she said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to save lives.” Source: University of Washington School of Medicine Journal reference: Grande, L., et al. (2024) Ketamine-assisted buprenorphine initiation: a pilot case series. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. doi.org/10.1186/s13722-024-00494-2. To read the original article click here.

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CDC Study: Significantly Higher Lyme Disease Rates Among Older Adults Than Previously Reported

The AHA! Team — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:24:32 +0000

Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D. via News-Medical – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in association with the University of Iowa, USA, has conducted an epidemiological study to determine the incidence rate of Lyme disease among older adults in the United States. The study is published in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Background Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne bacterial infection caused by a species of Borrelia bacteria that spreads to humans by the bite of infected black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). The main symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue, and a specific type of skin rash called erythema migrans. While Lyme disease can present with a characteristic erythema migrans rash, it can also lead to severe complications if left untreated, including facial nerve paralysis, arthritis, and even heart rhythm irregularities. In the United States, Lyme disease most commonly occurs in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper-Midwest regions. Previous studies estimating the prevalence of the disease have used employer-sponsored insurance claims data to quantify the disease diagnoses. However, this type of data does not include information on individuals aged 65 years and above who exhibit higher susceptibility to Lyme disease than their younger peers. In this study, scientists have determined the incidence of Lyme disease among older adults in the United States using Medicare fee-for-service data that includes information on individuals aged 65 years and above. Study design The study analyzed Medicare fee-for-service data together with drug treatment data to identify Lyme disease diagnoses among individuals aged 65 years and above. The data collected during 2016 – 2019 was included in the analysis. The Medicare fee-for-service study population was compared with the 2019 US Census estimation data for individuals aged 65 years and above to ensure that the two groups were age-, sex-, race-, ethnicity- and region-matched. Lyme disease diagnoses identified in the Medicare fee-for-service data were compared with the confirmed and probable cases among individuals aged 65 years and above obtained through national surveillance. However, the study also notes certain limitations, such as slight differences between the Medicare fee-for-service population and the U.S. Census population regarding race, ethnicity, and sex. These differences, though small, were stable throughout the study period. Important observations The Medicare fee-for-service population included in the study was estimated to have a median of 17,872,466 person-years during the study period, as compared to the US Census population of 51,561,372 individuals aged 65 years and above. Person-years refer to the number of years for which persons contribute data. The proportion of individuals from neighboring high-incidence states was higher in the Medicare population than in the US Census population. Incidence of Lyme disease A total of 88,485 Lyme disease cases were identified in the Medicare population during the 2016-2019 study period. This corresponded to an average incidence of 123.5 diagnoses per 100,000 person-years. The total number of Lyme disease cases reported through public health surveillance during the same period was 34,183. This corresponded to an average incidence of 16.6 cases per 100,000 persons. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a bullseye rash. Approximately 82% of Lyme disease cases were identified among individuals residing in high-incidence states. The median incidence of Lyme disease diagnoses was 346.9 per 100,000 person-years among residents of high-incidence states, 35.3 per 100,000 person-years among residents of states or jurisdictions neighboring high-incidence states, and 29.4 per 100,000 person-years among residents of low-incidence states. Public health surveillance data revealed that about 93% of Lyme disease cases were among residents of high-incidence states. The median incidence of these cases was 57.1 per 100,000 persons among residents of high-incidence states, 3.6 per 100,000 persons among residents of states or jurisdictions neighboring high-incidence states, and 0.6 per 100,000 persons among residents of low-incidence states. The majority of Lyme disease diagnoses occurred in the summer months. Among residents of low-incidence states, a large proportion of disease diagnoses occurred in winter months. According to Medicare and surveillance data, the majority of Lyme disease cases were identified among men. In high-incidence states, men had the highest incidence of Lyme disease for all age groups. In low-incidence states, women had a slightly higher incidence than men only in the 65–69-year age group and 75–79-year age group. Study significance The study identified more than 88,000 adults aged 65 years and above diagnosed and treated with Lyme disease during 2016 – 2019 in the United States. Most Lyme disease cases have been identified among residents of high-incidence states. The study reports a 7-fold higher incidence of Lyme disease diagnoses compared to that reported through public health surveillance. These findings are similar to the findings reported in previous claims analyses. The study also acknowledges the issue of overdiagnosis, which may partly explain the differences observed between the Medicare data and public health surveillance data. Overdiagnosis has been reported in other analyses and may contribute to the higher incidence rates observed in this older population. A variation in Lyme disease seasonality has been observed when Medicare fee-for-service data is compared with surveillance data. Some differences in gender-specific disease susceptibility have also been observed when this study is compared with previous claims analyses. Antibiotics like doxycycline are effective treatments. In previous claims analyses, male children have shown higher susceptibility to Lyme disease in both high- and low-incidence states. In contrast, male older adults have shown higher susceptibility in high-incidence states. Overall, the study findings add insight into Lyme disease patterns unique to this older population in the United States. Journal reference: Schwartz AM. 2024. Epidemiology of Lyme Disease Diagnoses among Older Adults, United States, 2016–2019. Emerging Infectious Diseases. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/9/24-0454_article To read the original article click here.

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Work-Related Stress Linked to Increased Risk of Future Sick Leave in Middle-Aged Women

The AHA! Team — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:08:18 +0000

University of Gothenburg via News-Medical – Middle-aged women who experience work-related stress have a significantly increased risk of future sick leave, a University of Gothenburg study shows. Lack of influence and conflicts at work are clear stress factors. The aim of the current study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, was to investigate whether work-related mental stress can be linked to sick leave among middle-aged women in the labor market. The data used in the study consists of information about 573 women of two different ages, 38 and 50, taken from the comprehensive Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, PSWG, at the University of Gothenburg. This was combined with register data on the women’s sick leave from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. Job conflicts are a significant risk factor When the study began, the majority of the participants (504 women) were employed and in work. Three out of four experienced work-related or general mental stress, or both. During the following year, 16% had at least one instance of sick leave lasting for two weeks or more, and the sick leave patterns were clear. Of 21 specific work-related problems, job conflicts and a lack of influence over decisions at work were most clearly associated with sick leave. In terms of job conflicts, this applied whether or not the women themselves were involved. Women who had reported job conflicts were more than twice as likely (a factor of 2.31) to take sick leave during the follow-up year. After adjusting for general stress, previous sick leave, age, sleep quality, wellbeing, and physical activity, the risk remained twice as high (a factor of 1.98). A lack of empowerment was also accompanied by a significantly greater risk of sick leave (a factor of 1.71 after adjustments). The importance of a better work environment One of the main authors in the study is Kirsten Mehlig, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Senior Lecturer in Health Science Statistics at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. “Little scope for decision-making and conflicts in the work environment can predict sick leave, independent of general mental stress and previous periods of sick leave,” she explains. “Improving the work environment is therefore important in order to reduce sick leave among women in the labor market.” The research team behind the study was led by Dominique Hange, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in General Medicine, and general practitioner at Närhälsan’s Tidan primary care center in Skövde. “Regardless of women’s own involvement, the effects of conflicts at work may also suggest a specific vulnerability among women that may be interesting to address in the future.” – Kirsten Mehlig, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Senior Lecturer in Health Science Statistics at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg Source: University of Gothenburg Journal reference: Mehlig, K., et al. (2024). Exploring the impact of mental and work-related stress on sick leave among middle-aged women: observations from the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2024.2380925. To read the original article click here.

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Prevalence of Nicotine Pouch Use Found to be Low Among U.S. Adults

The AHA! Team — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 04:45:40 +0000

Keck School of Medicine of USC via News-Medical – A new study found that the prevalence of nicotine pouch use was low in U.S. adults despite a 641% increase in sales of the products between 2019 and 2022. Researchers say the findings raise questions about who is using the millions of nicotine pouches sold in the U.S. and why. Nicotine pouches, a new commercial tobacco product, contain a crystalline powder with nicotine, flavorings (including fruit, mint or candy) and other additives. They do not cause respiratory harm and are perceived by some as an alternative to help adults who smoke tobacco quit. Nicotine pouches have recently gained attention over concerns that their flavors and trendy social media marketing campaigns are attracting youth users. However, limited data on usage among adults has been collected since the new products entered the market. Now, a study from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the University of Nebraska Medical Center analyzed nicotine pouch use in a nationally representative sample of 39,557 U.S. adults. The study found that 2.9% of adults had ever used nicotine pouches, with 0.4% reporting current use. The majority of adults currently using pouches also currently smoke cigarettes. Additionally, 5.2% of those who attempted to quit smoking in the past year and had relapsed back to smoking reported using pouches to help with their cessation efforts. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was just published in JAMA. “The low prevalence of nicotine pouch use in adults surprised us, given the rapid increase in sales. But it’s also possible that the sales are being diverted to adolescents, who were not represented in this survey.” – Adam Matthew Leventhal, PhD, study coauthor, professor in the department of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine and executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science Patterns of pouch use Data for the study were collected through the Current Population Survey (CPS) Tobacco Use Supplement in September 2022. The CPS is a monthly survey of U.S. adults that uses rigorous research methods to ensure its participants represent an accurate cross-section of the country’s population, making the results reliable enough to influence important policy decisions. The Tobacco Use Supplement includes straightforward questions about cigarette smoking, attempts to quit smoking and-;for the first time in September 2022-;the use of nicotine pouches. Of 39,558 survey respondents, 2.9% had ever used nicotine pouches, and 0.4% were currently using them. Adults who currently smoked (10.8%) or formerly smoked (6.7%) were more likely to report ever using nicotine pouches compared to people who had never smoked (1.1%). Current use of nicotine pouches was also higher among adults who currently smoked (1%) and formerly smoked (0.7%) compared to those who had never smoked (0.2%). Pouch use, both past and present, was lower in adults under 65, but higher in males and non-Hispanic whites. Among those who currently smoked who tried to quit in the past year, more reported trying to switch to e-cigarettes (21.6%) than nicotine pouches (5.2%) to help them quit. One question raised by the findings is whether adults who use nicotine pouches may be using them to “top off” nicotine in situations where they cannot smoke or use other tobacco products, Leventhal said, rather than as a way to quit smoking. Instead of reducing the health risks of cigarette smoking, that use pattern could actually make nicotine dependence more severe. Based on the study results, Leventhal estimates that of all U.S. adults who currently used nicotine pouches in 2022, about 35% had previously smoked cigarettes and 25% were currently smoking cigarettes. The remaining 40% of adult pouch consumers had never regularly smoked cigarettes and could be at risk for developing nicotine dependence. “In summary, we didn’t see a large population of adults using nicotine pouches, and fewer appear to be using them in a fashion that would potentially reduce their harm from smoking cigarettes,” Leventhal said. Regulating nicotine pouches New nicotine products typically go straight to market before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews marketing applications and decides whether to authorize or ban each product. That decision involves weighing potential public health benefits, such as whether a product provides a safer alternative for adults who smoke, against risks, such as whether it may increase nicotine dependence among youth. Applications from major manufacturers of nicotine pouches are currently under review by the FDA. “Regulators can take our data and put it into that equation,” Leventhal said. “What our study suggests is that there’s not a large population of adults who smoke who are using these products to quit.” This study is part of the USC Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, one of seven national centers supported by the NIH and FDA to collect evidence that can inform tobacco product regulation. In collaboration with the University of Michigan and other institutions, USC researchers are also conducting a parallel study to investigate adolescent use of nicotine pouches. They are looking at how pouch use relates to shifting teen usage patterns of other nicotine products, including e-cigarettes. About this research In addition to Leventhal, the study’s other author is Hongying Daisy Dai from the College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute [U54CA180905] and the National Institute on Drug Abuse [R21DA058328]. Source: Keck School of Medicine of USC Journal reference: Dai, H. D., et al. (2024). Prevalence of Nicotine Pouch Use Among US Adults. JAMA. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2024.10686. To read the original article click here.

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Researchers Discover Genetic Connections to Alcohol Consumption

The AHA! Team — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 08:22:49 +0000

University of California San Diego via News-Medical – A research group centered at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has drilled deep into a dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe, Inc., and found intriguing connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their relationship with other disorders. A research group centered at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has drilled deep into a dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe, Inc., and found intriguing connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their relationship with other disorders. The study was recently published in the Lancet eBioMedicine. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Ph.D., corresponding author and associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, explained that the study used genetic data to broadly classify individuals as being European, Latin American and African American. Such classifications “are needed to avoid a statistical genetics pitfall called population stratification,” noted co-author Abraham A. Palmer, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for basic research in the psychiatry department. Researchers analyzed genetic data from the 3 million 23andMe research participants The researchers analyzed genetic data from the 3 million 23andMe research participants, focusing on three specific little snippets of DNA known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. Sanchez-Roige explained that variants, or alleles, of these particular SNPs are “protective” against a variety of alcohol behaviors, from excessive alcohol drinking to alcohol use disorder. One of the alcohol-protective variants they considered is very rare: the most prevalent among the three alleles found in the study showed up in 232 individuals of the 2,619,939 European cohort, 29 of the 446,646 Latin American cohort and in 7 of the 146,776 African American cohort; others are much more common. These variants affect how the body metabolizes ethanol – the intoxicating chemical in alcoholic beverages. “The people who have the minor allele variant of the SNP convert ethanol to acetaldehyde very rapidly. And that causes a lot of negative effects.” – Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Ph.D., corresponding author and associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry She went on to say that the resulting nausea eclipses any pleasurable effects of alcohol – think of a bad hangover that sets in almost immediately. “These variants are primarily associated with how much someone may consume alcohol,” she said. “And they also tend to prevent alcohol use disorder, because these variants are primarily associated with the quantity of alcohol someone may drink.” Sanchez-Roige explained that the SNP variants’ influence on alcohol consumption are well researched, but her group took a “hypothesis-free” approach to the 23andMe dataset, which contains survey data on thousands of traits and behaviors. The researchers wanted to find out if the three SNP variants might have any other effects beyond alcohol consumption. Sanchez-Roige and Palmer noted that their group has developed a 10-year partnership with 23andMe that has focused on numerous traits, especially those with relevance for addiction. This work is the basis of an academic collaboration through the 23andMe Research Program. They data-mined the analyses of DNA from saliva samples submitted by consenting 23andMe research participants, as well as the responses to the surveys of health and behavior available from the 23andMe database, and found a constellation of associations, not necessarily connected with alcohol. Individuals with the alcohol-protecting alleles had generally better health, including less chronic fatigue and needing less daily assistance with daily tasks. But the paper notes individuals with the alcohol-protective alleles also had worse health outcomes in certain areas: more lifetime tobacco use, more emotional eating, more Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. Individuals with the alcohol-protective alleles also reported totally unexpected differences, such as more malaria, more myopia and several cancers, particularly more skin cancer and lung cancer, and more migraine with aura. Sanchez-Roige acknowledged that there is a chicken-and-egg aspect to their findings. For example: Cardiovascular disease is just one of a number of maladies known to be associated with alcohol consumption. “So is alcohol consumption leading to these conditions?” she asks. Palmer finishes the thought: “Or do these genetic differences influence traits like malaria and skin cancer in a manner that is independent of alcohol consumption?” Sanchez-Roige said that such broad, hypothesis-free studies are only possible if researchers have access to very large sets of data. Many datasets, including the one used in the study, rely heavily on individuals with European ancestry. “It is important to include individuals from different ancestral backgrounds in genetic studies because it provides a more complete understanding of the genetic basis of alcohol behaviors and other conditions, all of which contributes to a more inclusive and accurate understanding of human health,” she said. “The study of only one group of genetically similar individuals (for example, individuals of shared European ancestry) could worsen health disparities by aiding discoveries that will disproportionately benefit only that population.” She said their study opens numerous doors for future research, chasing down possible connections between the alcohol-protective alleles and conditions that have no apparent connection with alcohol consumption. “Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these effects could have implications for treatments and preventative medicine,” Sanchez-Roige noted. Co-authors on the paper from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry are Mariela V. Jennings, Natasia S. Courchesne-Krak, Renata B. Cupertino and Sevim B. Bianchi. Sandra Sanchez-Roige is also associated with the Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University. Other co-authors are: José Jaime Martínez-Magaña, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Human Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine; Laura Vilar-Ribó, Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Alexander S. Hatoum, Department of Psychology & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine; Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine; Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Human Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, National Center of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA CT Healthcare Center; Joel Gelernter, VA CT Healthcare Center, Department of Psychiatry, West Haven CT; and Departments of Psychiatry, Genetics & Neuroscience, Yale Univ. School of Medicine; María Soler Artigas, Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid; and Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona; Howard J. Edenberg, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine; and the 23andMe Inc. Research Team, including Sarah L. Elson and Pierre Fontanillas. The study was funded, in part, by Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program grants T32IR5226 and 28IR-0070, National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) DP1DA054394, and NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R25MH081482. Source: University of California San Diego Journal reference: Jennings, M. V., et al. (2024) A phenome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation study of alcohol use variants in a diverse cohort comprising over 3 million individuals. Lancet eBioMedicine. doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105086. To read the original article click here.

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Snack Size Matters: Pretzel Study Reveals Eating Patterns

The AHA! Team — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:31:45 +0000

Penn State via News-Medical – The size of an individual snack piece not only influences how fast a person eats it, but also how much of it they eat, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. With nearly a quarter of daily calorie intake in the United States coming from snacks, these findings may have implications for helping people better understand how eating behavior impacts calorie and sodium intake. The team of food scientists investigated how the size of pretzels influences eating behavior (overall intake, eating rate, bite size and snacking duration) and found that people eat larger pretzels quicker with larger bites. They also found that while people ate smaller pretzels slower and with smaller bites, and ate less overall, they still had higher intake of sodium. Their results are available online now and will be published in the June issue of Appetite. People eat larger pretzels quicker with larger bites Seventy-five adults participated in the study, eating snacks three different times in the Sensory Evaluation Center. The oversized snack was about 2.5 servings of one of three sizes of pretzel (small, medium or large). To calculate eating rate and bite size, the researchers video recorded each snacking session, noting how many minutes each participant spent snacking and the number of bites. They also measured how much each participant ate in both weight and calories. When participants were given the same amount of food, how much they ate (in both snack weight and calories) depended on unit size, with study participants consuming 31% and 22% more of the large pretzels compared to the small and medium sized pretzels, respectively. Size of the pretzel also influenced eating rate and bite size, with the largest pretzel size yielding the fastest eating rate and largest mean bite size. The researchers also reported that, after accounting for eating behavior, the pretzel size alone did not significantly affect how much a person ate, suggesting the eating behavior the different pretzel sizes prompted was driving total intake. Their results suggest larger pretzel size induces a person to eat more quickly and take bigger bites. Pretzel size alone did not significantly affect how much a person ate Together, these findings indicate that unit size influences intake by affecting eating behavior and they show that food characteristics such as unit size can be leveraged to moderate snack intake, explained corresponding author John Hayes, professor of food science and director of the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center. The study suggests that food structure (texture, size and shape) can be used to modulate eating behavior and food intake. Food geometry, specifically unit size, is of particular utility for snack foods. We’re interested in how the material properties of foods can be harnessed to help people eat less without impacting their enjoyment.” – John Hayes, professor of food science and director of the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center The relationship between pretzel size and sodium intake was obvious but previously overlooked, noted Madeline Harper, a graduate student in food science and lead author on the study. She explained that eating more smaller pretzels likely results in higher sodium consumption. The smaller size has more surface area for the same weight, so the researchers hypothesize that more total salt on the surface means that a snacker would consume more sodium eating them. “So, we’re suggesting that if you’re trying to watch your calorie intake or are trying to reduce the amount that you’re eating in a snack, then maybe a smaller pretzel would meet your needs better, because of the inherent way the size of the pretzel affects your eating rate,” she said. “But if you’re more worried about hypertension or the amount of sodium you’re consuming, the larger pretzel might be better for you, because you’ll consume less sodium in that treatment, even though you might consume more grams of pretzel.” Paige Cunningham, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Food Science and the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State, and Ciaran Forde, professor and chair in Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour Group in the Division of Nutrition, at Wageningen University, contributed to the research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture supported this research. Source: Penn State Journal reference: Harper, M. M., et al. (2024). Unit size influences ad libitum intake in a snacking context via eating rate. Appetite. doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107300. To read the original article click here.

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Novel Lipids in Traditional Herbal Teas Unlock Potential Health Gains

The AHA! Team — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 05:12:59 +0000

Hokkaido University via News-Medical – The lipids in some herbal teas have been identified in detail for the first time, preparing the ground for investigating their contribution to the health benefits of the teas. Herbal teas are enjoyed worldwide, not only for their taste and refreshment but also for a wide range of reputed health benefits. But the potential significance of a category of compounds called lipids in the teas has been relatively unexplored. Researchers at Hokkaido University, led by Associate Professor Siddabasave Gowda and Professor Shu-Ping Hui of the Faculty of Health Sciences, have now identified 341 different molecular species from five categories of lipids in samples of four types of herbal tea. They published their results in the journal Food Chemistry. Lipids are a diverse collection of natural substances that share the property of being insoluble in water. They include all of the fats and oils that are common constituents of many foods, but they have generally not been examined as significant components of teas. The Hokkaido team selected four teas for their initial analysis: dokudami (Houttuynia cordata, fish mint), kumazasa (Sasa veitchii), sugina (Equisetum arvense, common horsetail) and yomogi (Artemisia princeps, Japanese mugwort). “These herbs are native to Japan and have been widely consumed as tea from ancient times due to their medicinal properties,” says Gowda. The medicinal benefits attributed to these and other herbal teas include antioxidant, antiglycation, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergic, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic, vasodilatory, antimutagenic, and anti-aging effects. These herbs are native to Japan and have been widely consumed as tea from ancient times due to their medicinal properties The lipids in the teas were separated and identified by combining two modern analytical techniques called high-performance liquid chromatography and linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The analysis revealed significant variations in the lipids in the four types of tea, with each type containing some known bioactive lipids. These included a distinct category of lipids called short-chain fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (SFAHFAs), some of which had never previously been found in plants. SFAHFAs detected in tea could be a novel source of short-chain fatty acids, which are essential metabolites for maintaining gut health. “The discovery of these novel SFAHFAs opens new avenues for research,” says Hui, adding that the lipid concentrations found in the teas are at levels that could be expected to have significant nutritional and medical effects in consumers. The lipids discovered also included α-linolenic acid, already known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and arachidonic acid which has been associated with a variety of health benefits. These two compounds are examples of a range of poly-unsaturated fatty acids found in the teas, a category of lipids that are well-known for their nutritional benefits. Our initial study paves the way for further exploration of the role of lipids in herbal teas and their broad implications for human health and nutrition. We now want to expand our research to characterize the lipids in more than 40 types of herbal tea in the near future.” – Associate Professor Siddabasave Gowda, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University Source: Hokkaido University Journal reference: Nath, L. R. (2024). Dissecting new lipids and their composition in herbal tea using untargeted LC/MS. Food Chemistry. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138941. To read the original article click here.

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