The Asian Independent - January 2019

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14 January 2019 HEALTH www.theasianindependent.co.uk Father's post-natal depression linked to emotional stress in teen girls LONDON : Post-natal depression in fathers, in addition to mothers, bring emotional problems for their teenage daughters, finds a new study. The study found that almost one in 20 new fathers suffered depression in the weeks after their child was born. However, this association of increased risk applied only to teenage daughters. Sons remained unaffected. The reason for this "handing on" effect could be that postnatal depression in fathers is sometimes linked with an increased level of maternal depression, indicating family life is more disrupted for everyone with higher levels of stress for all. While it is unclear why girls may be more affected at this age, there may be links to specific aspects of father-daughter relationships as girls go through adolescence, the team suggested, in the paper published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Exposure to secondhand smoke may cause irregular heartbeat LOS ANGELES : Continuous indoor exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke triggers changes in the heart's electrical activity that may cause irregular heartbeat, a study warns. The finding, conducted in mice, suggests that second-hand smoke exposure alters cells that regulate how the heart beats. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, expands overall knowledge of the effects of tobacco smoke on cardiac function in nonsmokers. "As tobacco use continues to decrease, research on its effects among nonusers also is declining," said Crystal Ripplinger, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis in the US.. "It's important to continually define the health effects of those unintended exposures," said Ripplinger. The study is the first to examine cellular changes in heart tissue in response to ambient tobacco smoke, researchers said. Another distinction is that it focused on a heart condition other than coronary artery disease (CAD), or plaque buildup and vessel hardening associated with lifestyle and age. "The link between second-hand tobacco smoke and CAD is well established, however there is little-to-no research on how it influences cellular changes associated with arrhythmia, which may affect individuals with or without CAD," Ripplinger said. Mice were exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke in a chamber specifically designed to test health effects associated with inhaled toxins. The smoke levels were set to be similar to those found in public areas where smokers are present. Following four, eight and 12 weeks of exposure for six hours a day, five days a week, the animals' hearts were tested using high-speed imaging and electrocardiograms for changes in electrical activity. To test susceptibility to arrhythmias, hearts were paced at fast heart rates. They also were tested for levels of calcium, which regulates heart contraction and contributes to abnormal rhythms. The results were compared to hearts of mice exposed only to filtered air. The researchers found that hearts from mice exposed to filtered air responded normally, but the hearts from mice exposed to secondhand smoke could not tolerate fast rates, especially at 12 weeks of exposure. They also found that calcium levels in these hearts did not respond quickly enough, causing beat-to-beat instability, or cardiac alternans. "The high incidence of cardiac alternans is particularly concerning because we know that patients with this condition are at significantly higher risk for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death," Ripplinger said. "We were able to look at some of the ways in which depression in fathers might have affected children. It appears that depression in fathers is linked with an increased level of stress in the whole family, and that this might be one way in which the offspring may be affected," said Paul Ramchandani, Professor from the University of Cambridge. Whilst many children will not be affected by parental depression in this way, the findings of this study highlight the importance of providing appropriate help to fathers, as well as mothers, who may experience depression, according to Ramchandani. "Fathers' post-natal depression impacts the whole family when unsupported, often resulting in fathers using negative coping skills, avoiding situations and often feeling anger," noted Mark Williams, a paternal depression campaigner. The study was based on the experiences of 3,176 fathers. Sugar-sweetened beverages linked to kidney disease risk : Study New York, A pattern of higher collective consumption of sweetened fruit drinks, soda and water was associated with a higher likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), researchers warned. It was surprising for the researchers to see water as a component of this beverage pattern that was linked to a higher risk of CKD. They noted that study participants may have reported their consumption of a wide variety of types of water, including flavoured and sweetened water. “There is a lack of comprehensive information on the health implications of the wide range of beverage options that are available in the food supply,” said Casey Rebholz, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US. “In particular, there is limited information on which types of beverages and patterns of beverages are associated with kidney disease risk in particular.” For the study, the researchers studied 3,003 men and women with normal kidney function. Findings, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, showed that among the participants, 185 (6 per cent) developed CKD. In addition, participants in the top tertile (any of the two points that divide an ordered distribution into three parts) for consumption of this beverage pattern were 61 per cent more likely to develop CKD than those in the bottom tertile. Reduced alcohol intake could help to quit smoking : Study New York : If quitting smoking is one of your New Year’s resolutions, you might want to consider cutting back on your drinking too, a study has found. The study found that heavy alcohol drinkers who are trying to stop smoking may find that reducing their alcohol intake can also help them quit their daily smoking habit. In addition, heavy drinkers’ nicotine metabolite ratio — a biomarker that indicates how quickly a person’s body metabolises nicotine — reduced as they cut back on their drinking. Slowing a person’s nicotine metabolism rate through reduced drinking could provide an edge when trying to stop smoking, which is known to be a difficult task, said lead researcher Sarah Dermody, Assistant Professor at the Oregon State University in the US. “It takes a lot of determination to quit smoking, often several attempts,” Dermody said. For the study, the researchers considered a small group of daily smokers to study the nicotine metabolite ratio, the medical term for severe problem drinking. The findings, published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, showed that as the men in the study group reduced their drinking — from an average of 29 drinks per week to seven — their nicotine metabolite rate also dropped. The women, however, did not see reductions in their nicotine metabolite ratio. Anxiety linked to kicking, yelling during sleep : Study New York : Taking anti-depressants or having post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety are risk factors for a disruptive and sometimes violent sleep disorder called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder, says a study. REM sleep is the dream state of sleep. A person may act out violent by yelling, flailing their arms, punching or kicking, to the point of harming themselves or a sleep partner. During normal REM sleep, your brain sends signals to prevent your muscles from moving. However, for people with REM sleep behavior disorder, those signals are disrupted. “While much is still unknown about REM sleep behaviour disorder, it can be caused by medications or it may be an early sign of another neurologic condition like Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies or multiple system atrophy,” said study author Ronald Postuma at the McGill University in Canada. For the study, the researchers looked at 30,097 people with an average age of 63. They identified 958 people, or 3.2 per cent with possible REM sleep behaviour disorder, after excluding participants with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or sleep apnea. In addition, findings, published in journal Neurology showed that 13 per cent of those with the disorder taking anti-depressants to treat depression compared to 6 per cent without the disorder. People with the disorder were also twoand-a-half times as likely to have posttraumatic stress disorder and twice as likely to have mental illness, findings showed. Other findings were that men were twice as likely as women to have possible REM sleep behaviour disorder. People with possible REM sleep behaviour disorder were 25 per cent more likely to be moderate to heavy drinkers than those without the disorder. “Our hope is that our findings will help guide future research, especially because REM sleep behaviour disorder is such a strong sign of future neuro-degenerative disease,” said Postuma. Identifying lifestyle and personal risk factors linked to this sleep disorder may lead to finding ways to reduce the chances of developing it, the team noted.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk HEALTH January 2019 15 Diabetes drugs linked to heart disease risk: Study New York, Intake of two commonly used drugs to treat Type-2 diabetes carry a high risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure or amputation, warns a new study. The two drugs — sulfonylureas and basal insulin — are the second-line medication after metformin, a widely accepted initial Type-2 diabetes treatment. The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, showed that patients who take one of these two drugs are 36 per cent more likely and twice as likely to experience cardiovascular harm. “People should know if the medications they are taking to treat their diabetes could lead to serious cardiovascular harm. This calls for a paradigm shift in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Matthew O’Brien, Assistant Professor from the Northwestern University in the US. Physicians should consider prescribing newer classes of antidiabetic medications, such as GLP-1 agonists (liraglutide), SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin)or DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin), more routinely after metformin, rather than sulfonylureas or basal insulin, suggest the researchers. These drugs, however, are more expensive than the sulfonylureas, which is the main reason they are not as commonly prescribed. The study should force medical providers to think about cardiovascular effects of these drugs early in the course of diabetes treatment, and shift prescribing patterns to newer drugs that have more favourable cardiovascular profiles,the team noted. This was an observational study using data from 132,737 patients with Type-2 diabetes who were starting second-line treatment. Novel drug to fight Alzheimer’s, PARKINSON’S DEVELOPED London, Scientists have developed a drug with potential to stop the breakdown of nerves and brain cells that may lead to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, which includes memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. The drug is made up of “supercharged” vitamin A, which is found in vegetables like sprouts and carrots and miniature cabbages, the Daily Mail reported. The study showed that vitamin A turns into a chemical called retinoic acid when broken down by the body, which is crucial for the development of the nervous system. Higher levels of retinoic acid in the body could halt nerve damage and boost the number of nerve cells. “We are moving forward with a new therapeutic which could be used to help people with Alzheimer’s disease,” Peter McCaffery, lead author and Professor from the Aberdeen University in Scotland, was quoted as saying. “Our work is still at an early stage but we believe this is a positive development and the new drugs seem to protect nerve cells” he added. With vitamin A making a difference, it is important to find ways of tackling neurological conditions, McCaffery said. In addition, the drug may also benefit ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects the muscles of the arms, legs, mouth and respiratory system. ‘Super drug’ for pediatric blood cancer may soon be reality New York, A “super drug” that helps slow down the progression of blood cancer in children could soon become a reality, say researchers. Patients with leukemia have a very low percentage of red blood cells, making them anemic, and have approximately 80 times more white blood cells than people without cancer. However, the survival rate is only 30 per cent for children diagnosed with MLLtranslocation leukemia, a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. “These white blood cells infiltrate many of the tissues and organs of the affected individuals and is a major cause of death in leukemia patients,” said Ali Shilatifard, Professor at the Northwestern University in the US. “This is a monster cancer that we’ve been dealing with for many years in children. “We’re finally at a point where in five to 10 years, we can get a drug in kids that can be effective. If we can bring that survival rate up to 85 per cent, that’s a major accomplishment,” Shilatifard said. In the study, detailed in the journal Genes and Development, the team demonstrated that when a key protein responsible for leukemia, MLL, is stabilised, it slows the progression of the leukemia. This MLL stabilisation process could potentially work in cancers with solid tumours, such as breast or prostate cancer. The next step will be to combine the treatments from the past two years of research into a pediatric leukemia “super drug” to test on humans in a clinical trial, the researchers said. “This opens up a new therapeutic approach not only for leukemia, which is so important for the many children who are diagnosed with this terrible cancer, but also for other types of cancers that plague the population,” the study showed. The team also identified compounds that could slow cancer growth by interrupting a gene transcription process known as “Super Elongation Complex” (SEC). Mindfulness strategies may help shed excess weight LONDON : Mindfulness training could be the key to support weight loss in individuals with obesity, thereby facilitating healthier eating behaviours, as per a new study. Mindfulness is a mind-body practice where individuals learn to achieve heightened awareness of their current state of mind and immediate environment in the present moment. The study showed that individuals who participated in mindfulness training as part of an intensive weight management programme lost three kilograms of weight in six months than others who participated in obesity management programme. "This research is significant as we have shown that problematic eating behaviour can be improved with mindfulness application," said Petra Hansona, lead researcher and postdoctoral student from the University of Warwickshire in the UK. "Mindfulness has huge potential as a strategy for achieving and maintaining good health and wellbeing," said Thomas M. Barber, Associate Professor at the varsity. Focus should be on enabling the populace to make appropriate lifestyle decisions and empowering subsequent salutary behaviour change, said Barber. For the study, the team examined weight loss among a small group of people who were attending the multidisciplinary tier 3 weight management programme. Findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, showed that individuals who attended only one or two courses lost, on average, 0.9 kilograms (2 pounds) during the same period. Conversely, those who did not complete the course tended to weigh more than those who finished the group mindfulness course. "Individuals who completed the course said they were better able to plan meals in advance and felt more confident in self-management of weight loss moving forward," said Hanson. Obesity worldwide has nearly tripled since 1975, according to the World Health Organisation. As of 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide met the criteria for overweight or obesity. Women with slim hips may develop diabetes, heart attacks London : While putting on weight is dangerous for health, women who have slim hips could be at risk of diabetes and heart attacks, finds a new research. The study showed that putting on weight around the hips is actually safer than accumulation around the belly or around other major organs such as the liver or pancreas. The reason could be because some women are genetically less able to store fat at the hips, which puts them at risk of Type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Also, putting on fat is more likely to circulate in the blood. “This means that individuals with this genetic make-up preferentially store their excess fat in the liver, muscles or pancreas, or in their blood in the form of circulating fats and sugar, any of which can lead to a higher disease risk,” said Luca Lotta, lead researcher from the University of Cambridge. “It may seem counter-intuitive to think that some people with less fat around their hips are at higher risk of diabetes or heart disease,” said Lotta. For the study, the researchers studied the genetic profiles of more than 600,000 women. They identified two specific groups of genetic variants — one that lowers fat around the hips and another increasing fat around the waist and belly. Findings, published in the JAMA medical journal, showed that both of the genetic variants identified were associated with higher risk of Type-2 diabetes and heart attacks. Genetics which specifically change fat distribution by lowering fat storage around the hips increase risk of disease independent of, and in addition to, mechanisms that affect abdominal fat storage, the study noted.
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