Day: August 26, 2022

Categories : COVID Mental HealthTags :

Distressed Individuals were Strong on COVID Vaccination but Lax on Social Distancing

On By ModernMedia
COVID heat map. Photo by Giacomo Carra on Unsplash

During the COVID pandemic, individuals who were distressed, showing signs of anxiety or depression, were less likely to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet they were more likely to get vaccinated than non-distressed peers.

The authors refer to this as differential distress: when people act safely in one aspect while disregarding safety in another, both in response to the same psychological distress. This creates a conundrum for those trying to determine how best to communicate risks and best practices to the public.

Their study of 810 people revealed that distress was less likely to affect older people either way, despite their higher risk for severe outcomes if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Reported in Frontiers in Psychology, the findings suggest that fear messaging, which is intended to scare people and can increase their levels of distress, may not be the most effective way to encourage people to change behaviours.

“These findings do not point to a straightforward public health messaging campaign,” said Professor Joel Myerson, study leader. “Instead, officials may have to consider more finely tailored messages for different populations in order to achieve best outcomes: more attention to CDC recommendations as well as more people getting vaccinated.”

In a previous study, the researchers looked at social distancing and hygiene behaviours across a range of demographics. The results suggested that distress was closely tied to the way people responded to recommendations about social distancing. People who were more distressed were less likely to observe social distancing recommendations, perhaps as a way to maintain social connections that can ease anxiety and depression.

In the latest work, researchers again asked people about their adherence to the latest CDC recommendations, including newer recommendations outlining when to wear a mask and suggesting that people avoid spending lots of time inside with others. The results showed similar correlations to the previous study among age, distress and behaviour changes.

In terms of public health and effective messaging, one of the most pressing issues to arise after publication of the first study was the introduction of vaccines and the perceptions around them. Looking at four categories, fully vaccinated; partially vaccinated; unvaccinated but likely to get one; unvaccinated and unlikely to get one, researchers found:

  • People who had been fully vaccinated were more likely than those who were partially vaccinated to have close interactions with others following their shots.
  • Relative to those who said they were unlikely to get vaccinated, those who said they were likely to do so thought their chance of infection was higher.
  • Depending on the person’s age, they responded differently to the same level of stress. Overall, for example, the higher level of distress someone had, the less likely they were to social distance, but the more likely they were to get vaccinated. Both of these correlations became weaker, however, as people aged.

Fear messaging that tries to scare people into following guidelines tends to be useful only for a one-time event, Green said. “Ostensibly, getting vaccinated should count as such an event.” But as breakthrough cases increase and boosters add up, vaccinations are no longer one and done; they are instead a series of events, spread out over more than a year.

Although fear-based messaging may encourage younger people to get vaccinated, it also weakens their resolve to mitigation behaviours like social distancing. Not doing both poses a greater breakthrough infection risk.

Messaging also becomes less effective as people age, just as they become more vulnerable to severe illness.

“Part of the solution to the problem of differential distress may be to avoid the distress altogether,” said Professor Leonard Green, study co-lead. This would entail forgoing the fear campaign. Instead, a gentler approach may be warranted. “Our previous work suggests that what really motivates many people to change behaviours for the better is considering how their actions can benefit, or harm, other people.”

Source: Washington University in St. Louis

Categories : Ageing GeneticsTags :

When it Comes to Longevity, Physical Activity Beats Genes

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Adam Birkett on Unsplash

Although low physical activity and greater time spent sitting are well known to be linked to a higher risk of death, a study published in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity showed that a genetic predisposition to longevity was not a substitute for sitting less and greater physical activity, which can benefit even those not gifted with such genes.

“The goal of this research was to understand whether associations between physical activity and sedentary time with death varied based on different levels of genetic predisposition for longevity,” said doctoral student Alexander Posis, lead author of the study.

In 2012, as part of the Women’s Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health study (OPACH), researchers began measuring the physical activity of 5446 women aged 63 and older, following them through 2020 to determine mortality. Participants wore a research-grade accelerometer for up to seven days to measure how much time they spent moving, the intensity of physical activity, and sedentary time.

Higher levels of light physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were found to be associated with lower risk of death. Higher sedentary time was associated with higher risk of mortality. These associations were consistent among women who had different levels of genetic predisposition for longevity.

“Our study showed that, even if you aren’t likely to live long based on your genes, you can still extend your lifespan by engaging in positive lifestyle behaviours such as regular exercise and sitting less,” said Assistant Professor Aladdin H. Shadyab, PhD, senior author. “Conversely, even if your genes predispose you to a long life, remaining physically active is still important to achieve longevity.”

Given the ageing adult population in the United States, and longer time spent engaging in lower intensity activities, the study findings support recommendations that older women should participate in physical activity of any intensity to reduce the risk of disease and premature death, wrote the authors.

Source: University of California – San Diego

Categories : Mental HealthTags :

Psychedelic Experiences and Near-death Experiences Reduce Fear

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Bruce Christianson on Unsplash

Researchers comparing psychedelic experiences with near-death experiences that were not drug related found notable similarities in people’s attitudes toward death. In a survey-based study published in the journal PLOS ONE, participants in both groups reported having less fear of death and dying after the experience. They also reported that the experience had a lasting positive effect, providing personal meaning, spiritual significance and psychological insight.

The results are in line with a number of previous trials showing that a single treatment with the psychedelic psilocybin produced sustained decreases in anxiety and depression among patients with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. The largest of these trials was conducted at Johns Hopkins Medicine by the researchers, and involved 51 patients with cancer with anxiety or depressive symptoms. It demonstrated that psilocybin with supportive psychotherapy resulted in significant increases in ratings of death acceptance, as well as decreases in anxiety about death.

For the present study, the researchers analysed data gathered from 3192 people who answered an online survey between December 2015 and April 2018. Of these, 933 individuals had non-drug near-death experiences, and the rest of the participants had psychedelic experiences due to either lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) (904), psilocybin (766), ayahuasca (282) or N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) (307). Compared with the non-drug group, there were more men in the psychedelic group (78% versus 32%), and they tended to be younger (32 versus 55 years of age) at the time of the experience.

Similarities between the groups include:

  • About 90% of participants in both groups reported a decrease in fear of death when considering changes in their views from before to after the experience.
  • Most participants in both groups (non-drug group, 85%; psychedelics group, 75%) rated the experience to be among the top five most personally meaningful and spiritually significant of their life.
  • Participants in both groups reported moderate to strong persisting positive changes in personal well-being and life purpose and meaning.

Differences between the groups include:

  • The non-drug group was more likely to report that their life was in danger (47% versus the psychedelics group, 3%), being medically unconscious (36% versus the psychedelics group, 10%), or being clinically dead (21% versus the psychedelics group, less than 1%).
  • The non-drug group was more likely to report that their experience was very brief, lasting five minutes or less (40% versus the psychedelics group, 7%).

The researchers say that future studies are needed to better understand the potential clinical use of psychedelics in alleviating suffering related to fear of death.

Source: John Hopkins Medicine

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions Environmental EffectsTags :

Wealth Divide, not Vitamin D, Explains Differing MS Rates

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Differences in vitamin D exposure have been thought to explain why people who live farther from the equator are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS). But countries farther from the equator are also more likely to be wealthier. A new analysis published in Neurology shows that the amount a country spends on health care may help explain this relationship between MS and latitude.

According to study author Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, the results suggest that MS rates may be greatly underestimated in low-income countries with lower health care spending, which means that people have less access to neurologists who have the expertise to diagnose MS and MRI scanners that are needed to make the diagnosis.

Researchers analysed data from scientific studies and databases to determine current rates of MS in 203 countries and territories. Countries were then grouped into world regions and by income levels.

Rates of MS varied by region and income level. For example, in high-income countries an average of 46 of every 100 000 people had MS, compared to 10 people per 100 000 in low-income countries. Health care spending per capita was $2805 for high-income countries, compared to $45 in low-income countries.

For each location, researchers examined gross domestic product per capita, current health expenditure per capita, income levels, the availability of brain scans to diagnose MS, the number of neurologists per capita and universal health care. They also reviewed lifestyle factors such as obesity and tobacco use.

Once the researchers adjusted the data for other factors that could affect the risk of MS, such as age and sex, they found that health care spending and latitude were strongly associated with MS rates. The research showed that, with every increase of one standard deviation in health expenditure per capita, a country’s MS prevalence increased by 0.49. Alternatively, with every increase of one standard deviation in latitude, a country’s MS prevalence increased by 0.65.

Researchers also found that health care spending explained some, but not all, of the link between latitude and MS. After adjusting for other factors, the link between latitude and MS decreased by more than 20% when health care expenditure per capita was considered.

The availability of universal health care was associated with rates of MS in all world regions, except Southeast Asia, with universal health care tied to higher rates of MS.

In high-income countries, rates of MS were linked to most factors, including gross domestic product per capita, current health expenditure per capita, and the number of neurologists, but not tobacco use and obesity or the number of MRI units per capita. However, in low-income countries, there were no associations with any of these factors, which may be explained by a lack of significant variation in data from these countries, Saylor said.

According to Dr Saylor, the finding that current health expenditure per capita was very strongly linked with national rates of MS further supports the hypothesis that greater investment in health care leads to more robust reporting of rates of MS. She also said the minimal links between rates of MS and lifestyle factors such as tobacco use and obesity run counter to prior assumptions that lifestyle and consumption behaviours explain the large portions of regional differences in reported rates of MS.

Dr Saylor said strategies are urgently needed for the accurate assessment of the burden of MS in low-income countries, and these lower reported MS can obscure the need for training and funding regarding MS.

A limitation of the study is that different data sources may have collected information during different time periods or used different methods, which could affect the accuracy of estimates.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Categories : Lab Tests and ImagingTags :

What’s Really in that Tattoo Ink?

On By ModernMedia
Photo by benjamin lehman on Unsplash

After testing nearly 100 tattoo inks, researchers reported that, even when the ink bottles had ingredient labels, those ingredients listed on them were often inaccurate. The team also detected small particles that could be harmful to cells.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration regulates tattoo ink, but in South Africa, tattoo ink [PDF] is imported largely unregulated.

The researchers presented their findings at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). 

“The idea for this project initially came about because I was interested in what happens when laser light is used to remove tattoos,” said lead researcher John Swierk, PhD. “But then I realised that very little is actually known about the composition of tattoo inks, so we started analysing popular brands.”

Tattoo artists interviewed to see what they knew about the inks they use on their customers could quickly identify a brand they preferred, but they didn’t know much about its contents. “Surprisingly, no dye shop makes pigment specific for tattoo ink,” Dr Swierk explained. “Big companies manufacture pigments for everything, such as paint and textiles. These same pigments are used in tattoo inks.” He also notes that tattoo artists must be licensed in the locales where they operate for safety reasons, yet no federal or local agency regulates the contents of the inks themselves.

Tattoo inks are made up of a pigment and a carrier solution. The pigment could be a molecular compound such as a blue pigment; a solid compound such as titanium dioxide, which is white; or a combination of the two compound types such as light blue ink, which contains both the molecular blue pigment and titanium dioxide. The carrier solution transports the pigment to the middle layer of skin and typically helps make the pigment more soluble, sometimes controlling the viscosity of the ink solution and perhaps containing an anti-inflammatory ingredient.

Dr Swierk’s team has been studying the particle size and molecular composition of tattoo pigments. From these analyses, they have confirmed the presence of ingredients that aren’t listed on some labels. For example, in one case ethanol was not listed, but the chemical analysis showed it was present in the ink. The team has also been able to identify what specific pigments are present in some inks.

“Every time we looked at one of the inks, we found something that gave me pause,” Dr Swierk said. “For example, 23 of 56 different inks analysed to date suggest an azo-containing dye is present.” Although many azo pigments are not health concerns when they are chemically intact, bacteria or UV light can degrade them into another nitrogen-based compound that is a potential carcinogen, according to the Joint Research Centre, which provides independent scientific advice to the European Union.

In addition, the team has analysed 16 inks using electron microscopy, and about half contained particles under 100nm. “That’s a concerning size range,” said Dr Swierk. “Particles of this size can get through the cell membrane and potentially cause harm.”

After the researchers run a few more tests and have the data peer reviewed, they will add the information to their website “What’s in My Ink?” “With these data, we want consumers and artists to make informed decisions and understand how accurate the provided information is,” said Dr Swierk.

Source: American Chemical Society