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U.S. Internet Searches Highlight E-cig’s Surging Popularity

FRIDAY, Feb. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Online searches for information about electronic cigarettes are on the rise. But, most people want to know how and where to get the products rather than the health effects of “vaping” or how to quit smoking, a new study shows.

In 2014, online users in the United States conducted about 8.5 million searches for e-cigarette information on Google, and that number may have increased 62 percent in 2015, according to the researchers.

Between 2009 and 2015, online searches for e-cigarette information became more common nationwide, far exceeding searches for other alternatives to traditional cigarettes, such as smokeless tobacco or nicotine gum and patches.

Searches about safety concerns accounted for less than 1 percent of e-cigarette searches during the study period, and that percentage has declined over the past two years.

“One of the most surprising findings of this study was that searches for where to buy e-cigarettes outpaced searches about health concerns or smoking cessation,” study co-leader Rebecca Williams said. Williams is a tobacco control expert at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

“Despite what the media and e-cigarette industry might have you believe, there is little research evidence to support the notion that e-cigarettes are safe or an effective tool to help smokers quit,” she said. “Given that, we think it’s revealing that there were fewer searches about safety and cessation topics than about shopping.”

The researchers also noted that the term “vaping” has become more common than “e-cigarettes,” which may help boost companies’ marketing of the products.

“Labels do matter,” study co-author John Ayers, an Internet health expert at San Diego State University, said in a university news release.

“When you call it ‘vaping,’ you’re using a brand new word that doesn’t have the same historical baggage as ‘smoking’ or ‘cigarette.’ They [e-cigarette manufacturers] have relabeled it. Health campaigns need to recognize this so they can keep up,” he explained.

The study was published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more about e-cigarettes.

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Sufficient Sleep, Exercise May Help Keep Stroke at Bay

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People who regularly exercise and get a full night’s sleep may have a relatively lower risk of suffering a stroke, a large study suggests.

Researchers found that among almost 300,000 U.S. adults, those who routinely slept seven to eight hours a night were 25 percent less likely to have a stroke, compared to people who got either less or more sleep.

The highest stroke risk was seen among “long sleepers,” who spent at least eight hours in bed each night. But short sleepers — those who slept less than seven hours each night — also showed an elevated risk.

However, the findings don’t prove that sufficient sleep can actually prevent strokes, only that there’s a link between getting the right amount of sleep and stroke risk.

Still, the researchers said the findings do highlight the potential importance of sleep in stroke risk — something that has not gotten much attention.

“Some of us look at sleep as the enemy. It gets in our way of doing things,” said lead researcher Azizi Seixas, of the Center for Healthful Behavior Change at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

But, Seixas said, there is growing evidence that when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices, sufficient sleep is the “third pillar,” along with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

The research team found that the combination of good sleep habits and regular exercise was related to a substantial drop in stroke risk.

Seixas was scheduled to present the findings Thursday at the American Stroke Association’s (ASA) annual meeting, in Los Angeles. Findings presented at meetings are generally viewed as preliminary until they’ve been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Daniel Lackland, a spokesman for the ASA, said the study backs up the importance of exercise in maintaining good cardiovascular health — but also reminds us that sleep matters.

“It seems like sufficient sleep and exercise may have a synergistic effect on stroke risk,” said Lackland.

“If you get regular exercise, that’s good — and we’ve known that for a long time,” he said. But there are also reasons that sleep may directly affect stroke risk, added Lackland, who’s also a professor of neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston.

“I think there may be an important role for blood pressure here,” Lackland said. He explained that without sustained, deep sleep — meaning you’re not waking up during the night — your blood pressure does not have the opportunity to drop to its natural low.

“The kidneys, heart and brain work less during sleep,” Lackland said. “If you’re not sleeping well, that decrease in workload doesn’t happen.”

Seixas agreed that a lack of sleep can have direct cardiovascular effects. But what about the fact that “long sleepers” showed an elevated stroke risk?

That may reflect an “indirect” effect, Seixas said. “For example, if you’re sleeping a lot, you’re probably less active during the day,” he noted.

The study findings are based on nearly 289,000 U.S. adults who took part in a government health survey. Seixas and his team used a computer model to estimate the impact of sleep, exercise and other health and lifestyle factors on stroke risk.

Overall, “long sleepers” were 146 percent more likely to have suffered a stroke, versus all other study participants. Short sleepers, meanwhile, showed a 22 percent higher risk, compared with the rest of the group.

Seixas said there was a significantly lower stroke risk among people who got both a healthy amount of sleep and regular vigorous exercise — meaning 30 to 60 minutes of high-intensity exercise, such as jogging, three to six times a week. In that group, less than 1.2 percent had ever suffered a stroke, versus about 3.1 percent of other adults, Seixas said.

In reality, though, many people may not be able to sustain that level of exercise. Not to worry, both Seixas and Lackland said.

“Focus on what you can do,” Lackland advised. “If you’re sedentary, start with walking. A walk around the block is better than remaining sedentary.”

By the same token, Seixas said, if you cannot regularly get a full night’s sleep — because you’re a shift-worker, for instance — focus on fitting in that daily walk.

If poor sleep plagues you, Lackland suggested talking to your doctor: There may be a treatable disorder, such as sleep apnea, underlying the issue.

More information

The National Sleep Foundation has more on sleep and cardiovascular health.

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Risk of Preemie Birth May Rise for Depressed Parents-to-Be

By Don Rauf
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — It’s known that an expectant mother’s mental and emotional health can affect her baby. New research, however, finds that depression in either the father or the mother may be linked to an increased likelihood of preterm birth.

Screening for and treating mental health problems in both parents may help reduce the odds of a preterm delivery, according to study author Dr. Anders Hjern and his colleagues.

“Depressive fathers influence the stress hormone balance in the mother, and depression may also — but this is more speculative — have an effect on sperm quality,” said Hjern, professor of pediatric epidemiology with the Centre for Health Equity Studies in Stockholm, Sweden.

Hjern and his colleagues analyzed more than 360,000 births in Sweden between 2007 and 2012. They determined parental depression by prescriptions for antidepressants that the expectant parents were taking. The researchers also looked at the parents’ outpatient and hospital care. All this information was from 12 months before conception until six months after conception.

Mothers who had either a first bout with depression or recurring depression appeared to have a 30 percent to 40 percent higher risk of delivering a baby moderately preterm — at 32 to 36 weeks. Full term is 39 to 40 weeks, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

For expectant fathers, only those who had “new” depression were linked to a greater risk of a preterm child. (People with new depression had no depression 12 months prior to their diagnosis.) These fathers had a 38 percent higher risk of a very preterm baby, defined as 22 to 31 weeks, the study authors said.

However, the study authors only found an association, and not cause-and-effect proof, that parental depression may affect a child’s birth outcome.

Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant death. Preemies that survive often face long-term health consequences.

Janet Currie, director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, said stress can certainly be a culprit in causing early delivery.

“There is quite a bit of literature suggesting that stress could trigger labor,” said Currie, who was not involved with the new research. “Possibly paternal depression could also have that effect on the mother, for example, if she is stressed out by a father’s health problem, or if a father’s depression leads to other stresses like loss of employment or income.”

Hjern theorized that the effects of antidepressants and unhealthy factors such as obesity and smoking also may contribute to a greater likelihood of preterm labor.

Some experts recommend that couples planning a family or expecting a child seek advice if they are experiencing irritability, anxiety or a change in mood.

Hjern expressed concern that men are less likely to seek professional help for any mental health problems, suggesting a proactive approach toward targeting the well-being of expectant fathers may be beneficial.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — a panel of independent health experts — recently recommended screening all adults, including pregnant and postpartum women, for depression.

ACOG applauded the recommendation, saying “routine screening by physicians is important for ensuring appropriate follow-up and treatment.” Treatment might include lifestyle changes, therapy and/or medication, the association said.

“Perinatal depression or depression that occurs during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery is estimated to affect one in seven women, making it one of the most common medical complications associated with pregnancy,” ACOG said in a statement.

The new study was published online recently in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health details the signs of depression.

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Obesity Can Send Kids’ Blood Pressure Soaring: Study

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Children and teens who become or stay obese may quickly face up to three times the risk of developing high blood pressure compared to their slimmer peers, a new study says.

These findings are of particular concern because the high blood pressure in kids who went from overweight to obese, or those who stayed obese, developed in a short time — the study only lasted three years.

“These findings underscore the importance of developing and implementing early and effective clinical and public health strategies for obesity prevention,” said lead researcher Emily Parker. She is a research investigator at the HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research in Bloomington, Minn.

For the study, Parker and her colleagues collected data on more than 100,000 children and teens listed in the records of three major health systems in California, Colorado and Minnesota between 2007 and 2011. The children ranged in age from 3 and 17 years old.

During the three-year study, 0.3 percent of the children and teens developed high blood pressure.

“Having high blood pressure in children and adolescents is pretty rare, and we still need to know more about whether or not high blood pressure leads to greater risk of cardiovascular events later in life for these kids,” Parker said.

The researchers found that kids between 3 and 11 years old who went from overweight to obese had more than twice the odds of developing high blood pressure during the short study period. For older kids — those from 12 to 17 — the odds of high blood pressure were more than tripled, the research revealed.

When the researchers looked at the difference between children who were obese and severely obese throughout the study period, they found that the risk of high blood pressure was doubled for those who were obese. But for those who were severely obese, the risk more than quadrupled.

Children who were severely obese fell into the 99th percentile for higher body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) for their age and gender. Obese kids were those whose BMI fell in the 95th to 98th percentile for their age and gender, the study said.

The report was published online Feb. 19 in the journal Pediatrics.

Dr. William Muinos, a pediatric gastroenterologist and director of the weight management program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, said he sees these findings in his own clinic. “We see this in children as young as 8,” he said.

High blood pressure in children can damage their kidney function, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and fatty liver disease, which can damage the liver, he said.

“The beauty of high blood pressure in children is that it goes down as soon as they start losing weight,” Muinos said. In addition, all the other problems associated with high blood pressure also clear up, he said.

However, if kids don’t lose the weight, high blood pressure remains and increases as they gain more weight, he said.

“The risk of these problems is higher in children who gain weight and develop high blood pressure,” Muinos said. Parents have to make lifestyle changes for their children with the help of a doctor or a weight loss clinic, he said.

Changes include eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and being physically active regularly, Muinos said.

“These problems really exist and they are not going to go away when children reach their teens — that doesn’t happen anymore. They just become overweight or obese adolescents,” he said.

More information

For more on childhood obesity, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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This Is How Stress Dreams Affect Your Sleep

Photo: Getty Images

Do stress dreams interfere with the quality of my sleep?

There are still lots of unknowns when it comes to the science of dreaming, so the answer remains unclear. We do know that most people spend about two hours a night dreaming, and most dreams happen during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when your brain is more active than it is during the deeper, more restorative stages that occur during NREM (nonrapid eye movement) sleep. Having frequent anxiety dreams is usually a sign of real-life stress, but the dreams themselves probably don’t disturb the brain’s sleep patters, research suggests.

However, trauma or severe stress can affect how easily you fall asleep and your ability to stay asleep, which can have an impact on your functioning during the day. Try to decompress before hitting the pillow. You know the drill: Turn off screens (phone, laptop, tablet, TV) an hour before bed, move through a few yoga poses, maybe take a relaxing bath. If, despite these techniques, the mix of stress and poor sleep is still making you feel constantly tired or irritable, you may want to consider discussing the roots of your worries with a therapist.

RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Sleep

Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

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Find Out What’s Really Causing Your Headache

Got a throbbing pain? Help is on the way! Find out if you’re suffering from a migraine, tension headache, or something else with this guide.

If you bonked your noggin skiing or went overboard at happy hour, it’s clear why your skull is pounding. But diagnosing head pain isn’t always such an easy call. A headache can be primary, meaning the headache itself is the problem, or secondary, meaning it must be a sign of an underlying illness, from a sinus infection to scary (and rare) stuff like a brain tumor.

“A secondary headache must be recognized, as it can be dangerous,” says neurologist Jack Schim, MD, co-director of the Headache Center of Southern California. Follow your symptoms to decode your pain.

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Add Neck Problems to Reasons Not to Smoke

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Here’s yet another reason to snuff out that cigarette: Smoking can damage the cervical discs in your neck, a new study contends.

The discs, located between your vertebrae, absorb shock to the spine. They become dehydrated and shrink with age, and this degeneration can lead to neck pain.

This new study found that smoking seems to worsen this natural wear and tear.

The researchers analyzed CT scans of 182 people. Current smokers had more advanced cervical degenerative disc disease than nonsmokers, according to the study.

The findings were to be presented Thursday at the Association of Academic Physiatrists’ annual meeting, in Sacramento, Calif.

“This is another example of the detrimental effects of smoking. Tobacco abuse is associated with a variety of diseases and death, and there are lifestyle factors associated with chronic neck pain,” said lead investigator Dr. Mitchel Leavitt. He is a resident at Emory University’s physical medicine and rehabilitation department, in Atlanta.

“Pain and spine clinics are filled with patients who suffer chronic neck and back pain, and this study provides the physician with more ammunition to use when educating them about their need to quit smoking,” he added in an association news release.

Previous research has linked smoking with disc degeneration in the lower spine, but this is the first to do so in the neck, the researchers said.

Smoking damages blood vessels that the spinal discs need for nourishment, according to Leavitt.

“There are more and more high-quality studies coming out that show an association between healthy lifestyle and improved quality and quantity of life as well as better disease management. Spine health is no different, and this study adds to existing studies that have looked at blood vessel health as it relates to chronic back pain,” he said.

Further research is needed to assess how other lifestyle factors such as diet, alcohol use and obesity affect chronic back and neck pain, Leavitt said.

Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until it has appeared in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

The North American Spine Society has more about degenerative spinal conditions.

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Sufficient Sleep, Exercise Linked to Lower Stroke Risk