Your Phone Knows If You’re Depressed

Photo: Getty Images

Most of us are pretty attached to our phones, and researchers are starting to figure out what that connection can tell us about our health, including our mood. In fact, your phone may be able to tell if you’re depressed even better than a self-assessment of your own depression can, according to a small new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

“We found that the more time people spend on their phones, the more likely they are to be more depressed,” says David Mohr, one of the authors of the study and director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The researchers also found that spending lots of time at home was linked to depression—and that phone data like this could predict with 87% accuracy whether someone had symptoms of depression.

Northwestern researchers recruited 28 people ages 19-58 from Craigslist and souped up their smartphones with location-and-usage monitoring software. At the start of the study, they took a standardized questionnaire that measures depressive symptoms; half of the subjects had symptoms of depression, and half did not. For two weeks, the phones tracked GPS location information every five minutes and pinged the users with questions about their mood several times a day.

The phone data the researchers collected were rich: how many places the participants visited each day, how much time they spent in each of those places and how frequently they used their phones, says Sohrob Saeb, one of the study’s authors and a postdoctoral fellow and computer scientist in preventive medicine at Feinberg. The researchers then correlated this objective data with their depression test scores.

What they hoped to find was a connection between the objective markers of behavior—such as where the people were and how often they changed locations—and their depression test results. That way, the data derived from phones could become a useful way to track depression without the user having to report how they were feeling, which is often a barrier to depression treatment, says Mohr, who has studied depression for about 20 years. “One of the things that we find over and over again is that people don’t answer questions,” he says. “In apps, they’ll respond to questions for a few days and then get tired of it.”

Mohr and his team indeed found a strong correlation between these objective markers and depression. Phone data were even better than the daily questions the users answered to predict depression test results. “People who tend to spend more time in just one or two places—like people who stay at home or go to work and go back home—are more likely to have higher depression scores,” says Mohr. When a person moved around was important, too; people who stuck to a regular pattern of movement tended to be less depressed, they found. “This fits into a larger body of clinical research showing that people with mental health problems in general, their circadian rhythms get thrown off,” Mohr says. “Usually it’s looked at with sleep and activity, but here we’re seeing it also in terms of their movement through geographic space.” When people get depressed, he says, their mood may pull them off their routine.

Depressed people, too, spent an average of 68 minutes using their phones each day, while people without depression only spent about 17 minutes on their phones. The software didn’t track what people did on their phones—just whether or not they were using it. But the authors have some ideas about why they saw phone activity rise with depression. “One of the things we see when people are depressed is that people tend to start avoiding tasks or things they have to do, particularly when they’re uncomfortable,” Mohr explains. “Using the phone, going in and using an app, is kind of a distraction.”

It’s preliminary research, but Mohr hopes to add to the number of smartphone sensors and use these to subtly help manage depression and spot it more quickly, without requiring any work on behalf of the user. “Being able to get people timely treatment for depression is a critical failure point in public health right now,” Mohr says. An app that people download on their phones—without having to answer any questions—may help pinpoint their depressive states more effectively and help them get treatment.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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Lung Cancer Patients Who Quit Smoking Live Longer

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Lung cancer patients live longer if they quit smoking around the time of their cancer diagnosis, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at 250 lung cancer patients who were smokers and were referred to a program to help them stop smoking. Fifty had recently quit smoking, and 71 had quit smoking soon after being referred to the tobacco cessation program.

Those who quit smoking shortly before or after they learned they had lung cancer lived an average of 28 months. Those who continued to smoke lived an average of 18 months, the study found.

Even patients with advanced lung cancer gained extra survival time if they quit smoking, the study in the July issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology showed.

The researchers also found that patients who didn’t quit smoking but continued their attempts to quit may also live longer. However, death rates for those who quit and then started smoking again were similar to those who didn’t quit.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to examine the impact of tobacco cessation on survival among lung cancer patients who participated in a mandatory assessment and automatic referral to a tobacco cessation service,” study senior author Mary Reid, director of cancer screening and survivorship, at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., said in an institute news release.

“Establishing services to accurately screen for tobacco use and easily accessible cessation programs are essential in the cancer care setting to further improve the survival time and quality of life of patients,” Reid said.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about lung cancer.

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5 Research-Backed Habits of People Who Never Skip a Workout

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The first few weeks of a new fitness routine, you couldn’t be more stoked. You practically pop out of bed to hit the gym—rain or shine, snow or sleet! And then life happens. A colleague calls an early-morning meeting. A nasty cold strikes. You start to feel deflated, and your willpower fades.

Sound familiar? It’s a “vicious cycle of failure,” according to Michelle Segar, PhD, director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan. For 20 years, she’s been studying motivation to figure out why so many of us struggle to keep it—especially when it comes to healthy habits.

RELATED: 5 Women Share Their Fitness Motivation Tips

Her new book, No Sweat ($17, amazon.com), reveals how to make one of those key habits, exercise, a part of your life—for good. (Hint: It involves banishing “should” thoughts!) Here, Segar, who also coaches clients, shares five simple tips that make perfect sense:

Count everything—and add it up

Physical activity doesn’t have to be time-consuming or intense to count as exercise. “Many of the things you’re already doing qualify as healthy movement,” says Segar. So give yourself credit for crossing the parking lot (2 minutes), walking the dog (10 minutes), playing tag with your kids (15 minutes), gardening (20 minutes), even pushing a cart around the grocery store (25 minutes). “Virtually all of my clients have told me that the notion that ‘everything counts’ has been transformative for them,” Segar adds. “It makes them feel successful every time they move, which leads to higher energy levels all day long.”

RELATED: 17 Ways to Lose Weight When You Have No Time

Focus on the now

Once you start counting all the physical activity in your day, you realize it’s possible to squeeze in a little more (without changing into workout clothes). “Rather than thinking, I don’t have time, you start thinking, I can fit this in!” Segar explains. Whenever you have a small pocket of time—even if its just five minutes—ask yourself, What can I do right now? You might end up jogging the stairs 10 times, or knocking out a series of ab moves on the floor.

Do what feels good

“Our brains are hardwired to respond to immediate gratification, and to do what makes us feel good,” says Segar. This is one of the reasons we tend to give up on chore-like workouts. Segar’s advice: Choose a type of movement that feels good to you, and you will want to choose it again and again—whether it’s as simple as hiking or as trendy as Buti yoga (think power yoga fused with tribal dance and plyometrics!). Research backs up this advice: A Portuguese study from 2011 found that enjoying exercise was among the strongest predictors of whether a person continued exercising and maintained weight loss for the next three years.

RELATED: 10 Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym

Take ownership of your fitness

There are a lot of voices proclaiming that you “should” exercise—from your friends and family to your doctor and the media. But the most important voice is your own, says Segar: “Research suggests that a behavior change is more likely to ensue when you’ve identified what you really want from it.” You may be seeking better moods or stress relief, or maybe you just want to catch up with your workout buddy—it doesn’t matter, as long as you know what you’re after. (Not sure? Segar’s book can help you identify goals that will really work for you.)

Make one change at a time

Many of us feel so excited about “getting healthy” that we try to do multiple things at once, Segar says. “We decide to simultaneously work out more, learn to meditate, and start a new diet—and that’s a recipe for burnout.” Try focusing on just exercise first, Segar says. And above all else, remember to keep it fun, because that is the true secret to lasting motivation. As Segar puts it, “Do the physical movement you want to do, when you want to do it, for the amount of time your life allows.” That’s the best way to keep from lapsing altogether.

RELATED: Small Changes, Big Results

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Health Care Workers Harbor Biases About Sexual Orientation: Study

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Your doctor, nurse or other health care worker may be biased when it comes to the sexual orientation of patients, a new study suggests.

Researchers surveyed more than 200,000 health care providers in the United States about their attitudes towards heterosexual, gay and lesbian people between 2006 and 2012.

The results: Heterosexual health care providers tend to have moderate to strong preferences for straight people over lesbian and gay people.

Conversely, gay and lesbian health care providers favored gay and lesbian people over straight people, the survey showed.

The take-home message, according to lead researcher Janice Sabin, is that “training for health care providers about treating sexual minority patients is an area in great need of attention.”

“We want all providers to be proficient in treating diverse populations, including the LGBT population,” said Sabin, who is a research associate professor in biomedical informatics and medical education at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Among the different types of health care workers surveyed, mental health professionals seemed to have the least bias for straight people over lesbian and gay people. On the other hand, nurses had the strongest bias for straight people over lesbian and gay people, the researchers said.

Sabin’s group believes the findings are reflective of American society as a whole: Health care providers are similar to all Americans in that they tend to favor those who share their sexual orientation.

According to the investigators, future research should focus on the effect any of these biases might have on the care of LGBT patients.

The study was published July 16 in the American Journal of Public Health.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more about LGBT health.

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Most Obese People Will Never Reach Normal Weight: Study

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Weight loss is considered a major health goal for people who are obese, but the reality is that few reach a normal weight or keep any lost pounds off, a new study shows.

In any given year, obese men had a 1-in-210 chance of dropping to a normal weight, according to the study, which tracked over 176,000 obese British adults.

Women fared a bit better: Their odds were 1 in 124, the study found.

On the brighter side, people were far more likely to shed 5 percent of their body weight — which is considered enough to bring health benefits like lower blood pressure and blood sugar.

Unfortunately, more than three-quarters gained the weight back within five years, the researchers reported online July 16 in the American Journal of Public Health.

It all paints a bleak picture, the study authors acknowledged. And the findings underscore the importance of preventing obesity in the first place, said lead researcher Alison Fildes, a research psychologist at University College London.

However, the study does not suggest that weight-loss efforts are futile, stressed Dr. Caroline Apovian, a spokeswoman for the Obesity Society who was not involved in the research.

“We already realize that it’s almost impossible for an obese person to attain a normal body weight,” said Apovian, who directs the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center.

She said the “stark” numbers in this study give a clearer idea of just how difficult it is.

However, she added, the study was based on medical records, and there is no information on how people tried to lose weight. They might have tried a formal weight-loss program, or they might have tried a fad diet.

“So this has no relevance to how effective weight-loss programs are,” Apovian said.

Fildes agreed. On the other hand, she said, the results do reflect the real-world experience of obese people who are trying to shed weight.

“What our findings suggest is that current strategies used to tackle obesity are not helping the majority of obese patients to lose weight and maintain that weight loss,” Fildes said. “This might be because people are unable to access weight-loss interventions or because the interventions being offered are ineffective — or both.”

For the study, Fildes and her team used electronic medical records to track weight changes among more than 176,000 obese adults between 2004 and 2014. The researchers excluded people who underwent weight-loss surgery, which is an option for severely obese people.

Overall, obese men and women had a low annual probability of achieving a normal weight — especially if they were severely obese. The odds were as high as 1 in 1,290 for morbidly obese men.

People did stand a much better chance of losing 5 percent of their body weight: The yearly odds were 1 in 12 for men and 1 in 10 for women.

The success, however, was usually short-lived: 78 percent gained that weight back within five years.

Apovian said that because dramatic weight loss is so difficult, obesity specialists do generally advise patients to set a goal of losing 5 percent to 10 percent of their starting weight.

But as the current findings show, even that can be tough to maintain, she added.

Part of the problem, according to Apovian, is that few obese Americans who are eligible for weight-loss medications or surgery actually do get those therapies.

In the United Kingdom, the study authors said, people trying to tackle obesity usually get a referral from their doctor to a weight-management program, which would typically focus on calorie-cutting and exercise.

The new findings suggest that’s insufficient, according to Fildes and her team.

For people who are already substantially overweight, Fildes said, staving off further weight gain is vital.

“We would recommend obesity treatment programs prioritize preventing further weight gain and maintaining weight loss when it is achieved,” she said.

But given the battle most obese people face, Fildes said, public health efforts to prevent obesity will be even more important.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice on healthy weight loss.

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Insured Americans Up to 3 Times Likelier to Get Preventive Care: CDC

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Americans are up to three times more likely to receive preventive care for potentially fatal chronic diseases if they have health insurance, federal officials reported Thursday.

Insurance provided across-the-board improvement in the number of people receiving any one of nine important clinical preventive services, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

The type of health insurance doesn’t matter. People paying for private insurance received the same preventive care as people on Medicaid or Medicare, according to the findings published in the CDC’s July 17 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“Having insurance was the most important factor, whether it was private or public insurance,” said lead author Jared Fox, a CDC health scientist.

Preventive care is available for nine of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States, the study authors said in background information. These include heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, suicide, and communicable diseases such as influenza, pneumonia and hepatitis.

These services can help prolong lives by preventing potentially fatal illnesses or catching them early, according to the researchers.

“Preventive screening helps detect diseases at an earlier stage when treatments may not need to be so aggressive for cure,” said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

The Affordable Care Act, sometimes called “Obamacare,” has made it easier for people to receive preventive care, both by making sure people have health coverage and by requiring insurers to provide recommended preventive services free of charge, Fox said.

In this study, the researchers used 2011 and 2012 data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey to track who had received nine types of preventive care during the previous year. The survey involved more than 67,500 people drawn from a national sample.

The preventive services examined by researchers included blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol checks; screening for breast, cervical and colon cancer; diet counseling; and vaccination for either hepatitis A or B.

Insurance proved the major factor in determining whether a person had received any of these services. For example, women were 2.5 times more likely to have had a mammogram to detect breast cancer if they were insured. People with health coverage were at least twice as likely to have received diet counseling or a cholesterol and diabetes check.

It also appears that the Affordable Care Act provision that eliminates out-of-pocket costs for preventive care may boost people’s participation in services that are more expensive, Fox said.

For example, people with insurance were three times more likely to have received colon cancer screening than people without coverage.

“Colorectal cancer screening is one of the more expensive services available, so it could be the case that for services like that, it could be that more people will take advantage if they no longer have a co-pay,” Fox said.

Household income also appeared to play a role in whether someone received the preventive care they need, the researchers found.

People making more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level were slightly more likely to have received preventive services. That’s $23,540 or more a year for a single person in 2015, and $48,500 for a family of four.

In the strongest example, women were 43 percent more likely to have received breast cancer screening if they had a higher income.

And higher-income people were about 25 percent more likely to have received cervical or colon cancer screening, or a diabetes or cholesterol check, the findings showed.

Fox expects that as more people receive insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the number who receive the proper preventive services will continue to increase.

“In other insurance expansion situations, people previously uninsured who received insurance coverage were more likely to receive recommended preventive care,” he said.

Fox and Bernik said it’s important for health experts to get the word out to people about which services they should receive.

“Access to health care is an important part of getting people screened, but it is not enough because even people with insurance often fail to undergo recommended screening,” Bernik said. “Education needs to play a large part in ensuring patients are going for screening.”

To that end, the CDC has created an online interactive tool that can help people figure out the preventive services they should receive, based on their age, gender and other factors, Fox said.

“Part of the motivation behind creating this resource is there are so many services that are recommended for people, and sometimes people don’t know to ask for them,” he said.

More information

For more on preventive health services, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Magic marble chocolate cake

 

We love this high-protein chocolate cake recipe from fitness model Rita Catolino. All you need are a few ingredients, a coffee mug or jar and a microwave!

“This has been one of my go-tos for the past eight years, since I started competing. It’s perfect for the late-night kitchen raid when you want something sweet, moist and ‘cakey’ without having to bake up a storm or throwing your macro balance out."

Ingredients
•    ¼ cup egg whites
•    1 tbsp coconut flour

•    ¼ tsp each baking soda and baking powder
•    2 tbsp vanilla protein powder

•    2 tbsp melted organic 75% or higher chocolate

What you’ll do:
1. Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl by hand with a whisk or in a mini blender.

2. Spray a mug or jar lightly with oil.

3. Pour the mixture into the mug and pour the chocolate on top.
4. Use a butter knife and swirl through the chocolate so it swirls and filters through the cake mixture deep in the cup or jar. You are creating a marbling effect.
5. Microwave the mug or jar on high for two minutes, 30 seconds (you might need an extra minute depending on your microwave’s power).
6. Remove from microwave and turn upside down on plate to remove from mug or leave in jar or mug to serve. Eat as is or sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Bon appet-fit!

5 fitness tips from Rita Catolino>>

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3 Easy Peach Recipes That Will Make You Look Like a Gourmet Chef

 

Summer is the perfect time for peaches—a classic farmers’ market staple that is not only juicy and refreshing, but also packed with essential nutrients, like vitamins C and E, calcium, and iron.

Here are three creative recipes from Peaches ($14, shortstackededitions.com), a new cookbook from Health‘s food director, Beth Lipton, to help you make the most of this healthy and versatile seasonal treat.

RELATED: 5 Fabulous Fresh Fruit Recipes

Photo: Courtesy of Beth Lipton

Peach upside-down cake

“Take a tarte Tatin, mate it with a buttery cake, and the resulting love child is this fancy-looking but simple dessert,” Lipton writes. “The strong butter flavor and a little hint of ginger are a delicious setting for the slightly boozy, very brown sugary sauteed peaches.”

Serves: 8

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided, plus more for the pan
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon plus a pinch salt
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 to 3 medium-ripe peaches (8 to 12 ounces)—peeled, pitted, and sliced
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Butter a 9-inch-round cake pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk until well mixed and set aside.

Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into slices and place in a large skillet. Add the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, bourbon, and a pinch of salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined. Add the peach slices and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and their liquid thickens, 7 to 9 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the peach slices and arrange them in circles in the bottom of the cake pan, beginning on the outside and moving into the middle of the pan, overlapping if necessary (you may not use all of the slices; save any extras for snacking or another use). Pour the remaining juices from the skillet over the peaches, taking care not to move them.

RELATED: 8 Avocado Recipes (Besides Guacamole)

In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and remaining teaspoon of vanilla, then the remaining flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Using an offset spatula, gently spread the batter over the peaches, taking care not to move them too much. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden and bounces back when lightly pressed in the center. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the outer edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving dish. If any peach slices are stuck in the baking pan, carefully place them on top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

RELATED: 17 Refreshing Blueberry Recipes

Photo: Courtesy of Beth Lipton

Halibut & shrimp ceviche

Best thing about ceviche in the summer: You don’t have to go near a stove, Lipton writes.  “Peaches set this ceviche apart from others I’ve tried; the fruit’s sweetness balances the salty fish and spicy jalapeño and makes the whole thing just scream ‘summer.’ Plus, the peaches add a burst of color that plays well with the pink in the shrimp and the green of the chile.” You can also try serving it in small paper cups at a party.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
1 large peach (or 2 small ones)—peeled, pitted and sliced or cut into ½-inch chunks
1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
8 ounces halibut, cut into small chunks
8 ounces medium peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into 4 or 5 pieces each
⅓ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lime, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Place the onion, peach, jalapeño, halibut, and shrimp in a nonreactive bowl. Stir in the lime and lemon juices and a large pinch of salt. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

Drain the fish mixture and return to the bowl. Stir in the oil. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the cilantro. Spoon the ceviche into glasses, garnish with the lime zest, if desired, and serve.

Photo: Courtesy of Beth Lipton

RELATED: 14 Fast and Fresh Farmers Market Recipes

Peach preserves

As Lipton explains in Peaches, this recipe adopts the techniques of French jam maker Christine Ferber, who macerates the fruit overnight, cooks the resulting syrup first, and then returns the fruit to the cooked syrup. The result: jam that just screams fruit. This is especially important with peach preserves. Using this method, the fruit itself isn’t cooked as much, so it retains its essential peachiness.

Makes: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients

1½ pounds ripe peaches (about 5 medium)—peeled, pitted and chopped
¾ cup sugar
Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Generous pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large saucepan. Pour the peach mixture into the sieve and let the fruit’s juices collect in the pan. Reserve the solids, place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until the liquid is syrupy and reduced by half, about 8 minutes.

RELATED: 26 Quick, Healthy Juice and Smoothie Recipes

Add the peach mixture to the pan and bring back to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Crush the peaches with the back of a wooden spoon as they cook (for a smoother preserve, use an immersion blender). Transfer the preserves to a large bowl to cool.

Spoon the peach preserves into a pint-size jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. The preserves will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks. Or seal the preserves in sterilized jars using the boiling water method and store at room temperature.

For more cool summer recipes celebrating all things peach, be sure to check out the rest of Lipton’s cookbook!

Photo: Courtesy of Beth Lipton

RELATED: Try This Easy Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe

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Vitamin B12 Supplements May Not Help Some Seniors

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Vitamin B12 supplements are known to benefit seniors with severe B12 deficiency, but they may not help those who are just moderately deficient, a new study suggests.

“Many people may be taking vitamin B12 supplements on a regular basis, and it has been thought they would enhance function in older people,” said study author Dr. Alan Dangour, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “Our study found no evidence of benefit for nervous system or cognitive function from 12 months of supplementation among older people with moderate vitamin B12 deficiency.”

B12 is found in fish, meat, chicken and dairy products.

“We advise older people concerned about their health and [mental] function to eat a diverse and healthy diet, keep [mentally] active and when possible take regular physical activity,” Dangour said in a school news release.

The study was published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In elderly people with severe B12 deficiency, supplementation reduces their risk for related muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, memory and movement impairment, and general thinking difficulties, the researchers say.

The study team focused on more than 200 people, all over 75 years old, with moderate B12 deficiency. For a year, all received either a B12 supplement or a dummy pill.

Although the researchers could identify no mental or neurological improvements attributable to B12 supplementation, they acknowledged the dose of B12 might have been too low to affect function. They said it’s also possible the study period was too short to detect any impact.

More information

For more about vitamin B12, see the U.S. National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

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Aspirin Use Common Among Americans With Heart Trouble

THURSDAY, July 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About seven in 10 Americans who’ve had heart disease or a stroke regularly take aspirin, U.S. health officials report.

Low-dose aspirin is promoted as an inexpensive, effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to know who takes it regularly (daily or every other day) and why.

“Overall, 70.8 percent of adult respondents with existing [cardiovascular disease] reported using aspirin regularly (every day or every other day),” the researchers found.

Nearly 94 percent of regular low-dose aspirin (or baby aspirin) users with a history of heart problems said they take it for heart attack prevention.

Four out of five said they take it for stroke prevention, and 76 percent for both heart attack and stroke prevention, the study authors reported Thursday. The study was based on an analysis of data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Twenty states and the District of Columbia were included in the annual telephone survey.

Very few — just 4 percent — of these heart patients said they took aspirin for pain relief only, reported Dr. Jing Fang and colleagues at the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

By state, aspirin use ranged from 72 percent of people with a history of heart problems in Mississippi to 44 percent in Missouri, the report showed.

Men, people aged 65 and older, whites and those with at least two heart-risk factors are more likely to use aspirin than other groups, according to the report, published in the July 17 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

To improve adherence to recommended heart-health guidelines, the researchers said doctors and community health-care providers should target groups reporting lower aspirin use. These include Hispanics, blacks and those without a high school diploma.

More than 17,900 adults participated in the survey, with almost 13 percent reporting a history of heart disease, stroke or both.

Besides low-dose aspirin, guidelines for managing heart risks generally recommend controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels and not smoking.

Doctors note, however, that aspirin therapy isn’t for everyone because it can upset the stomach in some people.

Low-dose aspirin is 81 milligrams.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more about aspirin for a healthy heart.

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