Podcasts about bmc medicine

As plant-based diets continue to gain traction for their health and environmental benefits, an important question is emerging: could going vegetarian be silently compromising your thyroid health?In this hot health topic episode of Accelerated Health with Sara Banta, I explore the groundbreaking study published in BMC Medicine that analyzed data from over 466,000 participants in the UK Biobank. The research explored the connection between dietary patterns—particularly those low in animal-based foods—and the risk of developing hypothyroidism.Hypothyroidism can lead to fatigue, weight gain, depression, brain fog, and a weakened immune system. Could your well-intentioned vegetarian or vegan diet be setting the stage for these symptoms?Tune in to discover the surprising findings of the study, the key nutrients your thyroid needs to thrive, and what you can do to protect your metabolism and energy levels—without compromising your dietary values. If you follow a plant-based diet or are considering one, this episode is essential listening.Supplements Featured In This Episode:• Acceleradine® Iodine https://www.acceleratedhealthproducts.com/products/acceleradine-iodine-supplement • Accelerated AMINOS™ https://www.acceleratedhealthproducts.com/products/accelerated-aminos Not sure what food to eat and avoid? This guide is for you.⬇️

Was man teilweise über Vitamin D hört, klingt fast zu schön, um wahr zu sein. Andererseits deuten hunderte verschiedener Forschungsarbeiten darauf hin, dass Vitamin D zur Vorbeugung einer Reihe von Krankheiten beitragen kann – darunter Osteoporose, Depression, Autoimmun- und Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. Ärzte empfehlen es. Gesundheits- und Fitnesspodcaster sprechen darüber. Vielleicht geht Dir sogar Deine Lieblingstante damit auf die Nerven. Bei all dem Hype ist die Frage berechtigt: "Solltest Du Vitamin D einnehmen?" Hier sind die Antworten – und die neuesten Fakten über ein faszinierendes Vitamin, das ein wahrer Verwandlungskünstler ist. ____________ *WERBUNG: KoRoDrogerie.de: 5% Ermäßigung auf alles mit dem Code „FMM“ beim Checkout. ____________ Ressourcen zur Folge: Literatur: Ratgeber Nahrungsergänzung – Mark Maslow (kostenlos auf MarathonFitness) Blut: Die Geheimnisse unseres flüssigen Organs* – Ulrich Strunz (Heyne) Vitamin D* – Uwe Gröber, Michael F. Holick (Wissenschaftl. Verlagsgesellschaft) Blutuntersuchung (Selbsttest): Vitamin D Test* von Medivere Präparate: D-Form 2.000 K2+* von FormMed D-Form 2.000 K2+ vegan* von FormMed ____________

Pressione alta: le verdure crucifere, come broccoli, cavoli e cavolfiori aiuterebbero ad abbassarne i valori. Questo è quanto sottolinea uno studio pubblicato sulla rivista Bmc Medicine che commentiamo a Obiettivo Salute con il prof. Enzo Spisni, direttore del laboratorio di Fisiologia traslazionale e nutrizione all'Università di Bologna.

Components of social connection are associated with mortality, but research examining their independent and combined effects in the same dataset is lacking. That has now changed thanks to a recent study published in BMC Medicine. We're joined by the primary author of that study to discuss the results and to get his perspective on social connectivity, loneliness and isolation and the impact on mortality. Discussed:Subjective and objective types of social connectionAnalysis of more than 458,000 participants with full data from the UK Biobank cohort linked to mortality registersWhat types of loneliness and social isolation are linked to a higher risk of death Potential implications for screeningGuest: study author and Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow Dr. Hamish Foster References: Study: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-03055-7 Surgeon General Advisory: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdfSurgeon General Report on Social Connection: www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-social-connection-general.pdf

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Die winzigen Charles-Darwin-Frösche paaren sich über Kopf +++ So groß könnte der größte T-Rex gewesen sein +++ Wie wird der Kaffee-Anbau robuster? +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:The 'upside-down' sex life of a rare Indian frog revealed, BBC, 28.7.2024Why Do Only Some Cohort Studies Find Health Benefits From Low-Volume Alcohol Use? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Study Characteristics That May Bias Mortality Risk Estimates, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Juli 2024Ecology and Evolution, Estimation of maximum body size in fossil species: A case study using Tyrannosaurus rex, 24.7.2024Robust and smart: Inference on phenotypic plasticity of Coffea canephora reveals adaptation to alternative environments. Crop Science, 09.07.2024Unveiling the epigenetic impact of vegan vs. omnivorous diets on aging: insights from the Twins Nutrition Study (TwiNS). BMC Medicine, 29.7.2024Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.

Never being visited by friends or family is associated with an increased risk of dying, according to a study published in BMC Medicine.

Episode 6 invites Ragen Chastain, activist and author, and Joel Lexchin MD of York University, to discuss myths about weight and health, the hype around Ozempic and Wegovy, and the unclear connection between weight loss and health.  Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing. To learn more about Ragen Chastain and her work, please visit her website: https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/ Additional Resources Dances With Fat Monthly Workshop – September: Navigating Weight Stigma at the Doctor's Office date changed from September 27 to October 11 to avoid overlap with ASDAH's annual meeting. Link: https://danceswithfat.org/monthly-online-workshops/  Books “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” by Sabrina Strings. Link: https://nyupress.org/9781479886753/fearing-the-black-body/ “Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness” by Da'Shaun L. Harrison. Link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670607/belly-of-the-beast-by-dashaun-harrison/ Articles "Semaglutide: a new drug for the treatment of obesity" by Joel Lexchin and Barbara Mintzes. Drug Ther Bull. 2023 Oct 25:dtb-2023-000007. doi: 10.1136/dtb.2023.000007. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37879878/ “How the ‘It's Bigger Than Me' Campaign Is Harming Fat People for Profit" by Ragen Chastain. Link: https://themighty.com/topic/eating-disorders/its-bigger-than-me-campaign-harms-fat-people-for-profit/  “Weighing the Consequences of Weight-Loss Drugs” by Judy Butler and Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman. Link: https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/104482 Igho J. Onakpoya, Carl J. Heneghan and Jeffrey K. Aronson. Post-marketing withdrawal of anti-obesity medicinal products because of adverse drug reactions: a systematic review. BMC Medicine 2016;14:191. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27894343/ Prescrire's "Semaglutide (Wegovy°) for excess body weight" Prescrire International 2023; 32 (245): 36-38. Link: https://english.prescrire.org/en/81/168/66102/0/NewsDetails.aspx Please note: the full article is available for subscribers only. PharmedOut is supported primarily by individual donations. To donate, please visit: https://sites.google/com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/donate

Bicarbonate did not slow the loss of GFR in this well done Swiss, single-blind study of transplant patients.The Filtrate:Joel TopfNayan AroraSwapnil HiremathPirya YenebereWith Special Guest:Nav Tangri nephrologist and epidemiology at the University of ManitobaEditor:Nayan AroraShow Notes:Arsenal FCThe London study that kicked it all off!de Brito-Ashurst, I., Varagunam, M., Raftery, M. J., & Yaqoob, M. M. (2009). Bicarbonate supplementation slows progression of CKD and improves nutritional status. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN, 20(9), 2075–2084.The multi center (but unblinded) UBI Study with mortality benefit!Di Iorio, B. R., Bellasi, A., Raphael, K. L., Santoro, D., Aucella, F., Garofano, L., Ceccarelli, M., Di Lullo, L., Capolongo, G., Di Iorio, M., Guastaferro, P., Capasso, G., & UBI Study Group. (2019). Treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate delays progression of chronic kidney disease: the UBI Study. Journal of Nephrology, 32(6), 989–1001.The BiCARB Study: Double blinded and negativeBiCARB study group. (2020). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of oral sodium bicarbonate therapy for older patients with chronic kidney disease and low-grade acidosis (BiCARB): a pragmatic randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Medicine, 18(1), 91.The initial Veverimer StudyWesson, D. E., Mathur, V., Tangri, N., Stasiv, Y., Parsell, D., Li, E., Klaerner, G., & Bushinsky, D. A. (2019). Long-term safety and efficacy of veverimer in patients with metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease: a multicentre, randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled, 40-week extension. In The Lancet (Vol. 394, Issue 10196, pp. 396–406). doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)31388-1The Valor CKD trial is still unpublished. But here is the press release. VALOR-CKD design manuscriptThe study of the night: Sodium bicarbonate for kidney transplant recipients with metabolic acidosis in Switzerland: a multicentre, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trialNephJC | PubMed | LancetAlkali with normal bicarb? Sure, take a look at: Goraya, N., Simoni, J., Jo, C., & Wesson, D. E. (2012). Dietary acid reduction with fruits and vegetables or bicarbonate attenuates kidney injury in patients with a moderately reduced glomerular filtration rate due to hypertensive nephropathy. Kidney International, 81(1), 86–93.Metforminator!The BASE Trial: Raphael, K. L., Isakova, T., Ix, J. H., Raj, D. S., Wolf, M., Fried, L. F., Gassman, J. J., Kendrick, C., Larive, B., Flessner, M. F., Mendley, S. R., Hostetter, T. H., Block, G. A., Li, P., Middleton, J. P., Sprague, S. M., Wesson, D. E., & Cheung, A. K. (2020). A Randomized Trial Comparing the Safety, Adherence, and Pharmacodynamics Profiles of Two Doses of Sodium Bicarbonate in CKD: the BASE Pilot Trial. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN, 31(1), 161–174.Tubular SecretionsSwap The Three-Body Problem (novel) | NetflixNayan Women's World CupTangri English Premier Soccer and InflationPriya Silo on Apple TVJoel Live Podcast recording at ASN Kidney

The Filtrate:Joel TopfNayan AroraSwapnil HiremathPirya YenebereWith Special Guest:Nav Tangri nephrologist and epidemiology at the University of ManitobaEditor:Nayan AroraShow Notes:Arsenal FCThe London study that kicked it all off!de Brito-Ashurst, I., Varagunam, M., Raftery, M. J., & Yaqoob, M. M. (2009). Bicarbonate supplementation slows progression of CKD and improves nutritional status. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN, 20(9), 2075–2084.The multi center (but unblinded) UBI Study with mortality benefit!Di Iorio, B. R., Bellasi, A., Raphael, K. L., Santoro, D., Aucella, F., Garofano, L., Ceccarelli, M., Di Lullo, L., Capolongo, G., Di Iorio, M., Guastaferro, P., Capasso, G., & UBI Study Group. (2019). Treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate delays progression of chronic kidney disease: the UBI Study. Journal of Nephrology, 32(6), 989–1001.The BiCARB Study: Double blinded and negativeBiCARB study group. (2020). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of oral sodium bicarbonate therapy for older patients with chronic kidney disease and low-grade acidosis (BiCARB): a pragmatic randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Medicine, 18(1), 91.The initial Veverimer StudyWesson, D. E., Mathur, V., Tangri, N., Stasiv, Y., Parsell, D., Li, E., Klaerner, G., & Bushinsky, D. A. (2019). Long-term safety and efficacy of veverimer in patients with metabolic acidosis in chronic kidney disease: a multicentre, randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled, 40-week extension. In The Lancet (Vol. 394, Issue 10196, pp. 396–406). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)31388-1The Valor CKD trial is still unpublished. But here is the press release. VALOR-CKD design manuscript The study of the night: Sodium bicarbonate for kidney transplant recipients with metabolic acidosis in Switzerland: a multicentre, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trialNephJC | PubMed | Lancet Alkali with normal bicarb? Sure, take a look at: Goraya, N., Simoni, J., Jo, C., & Wesson, D. E. (2012). Dietary acid reduction with fruits and vegetables or bicarbonate attenuates kidney injury in patients with a moderately reduced glomerular filtration rate due to hypertensive nephropathy. Kidney International, 81(1), 86–93.Metforminator!The BASE Trial: Raphael, K. L., Isakova, T., Ix, J. H., Raj, D. S., Wolf, M., Fried, L. F., Gassman, J. J., Kendrick, C., Larive, B., Flessner, M. F., Mendley, S. R., Hostetter, T. H., Block, G. A., Li, P., Middleton, J. P., Sprague, S. M., Wesson, D. E., & Cheung, A. K. (2020). A Randomized Trial Comparing the Safety, Adherence, and Pharmacodynamics Profiles of Two Doses of Sodium Bicarbonate in CKD: the BASE Pilot Trial. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN, 31(1), 161–174.Tubular SecretionsSwap The Three-Body Problem (novel) | Netflix Nayan Women's World CupTangri English Premier Soccer and InflationPriya Silo on Apple TVJoel Live Podcast recording at ASN Kidney

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Fleischallergie nach Zeckenstichen +++ Neuer Energiespeicher aus Zement +++ Entwicklung eines Gefrierstrahls +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Antworten auf häufig gestellte Fragen zu Zecken, Zeckenstich, Infektion, RKI, 26.05.2023Alpha-gal allergy after a tick bite in Austria, Springer, 13.05.2019A lack of ecological diversity in forest nurseries limits the achievement of tree-planting objectives in response to global change, Bioscience, 31.07.2023Ultrafast and Nanoscale Energy Transduction Mechanisms and Coupled Thermal Transport across Interfaces, ACS Publications, 17.07.2023Carbon–cement supercapacitors as a scalable bulk energy storage solution, PNAS, 22.06.2023Risk of hip fracture in meat-eaters, pescatarians, and vegetarians: a prospective cohort study of 413,914 UK Biobank participants, BMC Medicine, 27.07.2023LandCruiser 'Mudcrab' driven 7km under water across Darwin Harbour, ABC news, 31.07.2023**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.**********Weitere Wissensnachrichten zum Nachlesen: https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten

The Best Christian Podcast in the Metaverse Canary Cry News Talk #646 - 07.17.2023 - Recorded Live to Tape KAMALA KILLA KLIMATE | 12 Apostles of xAI, Tree Eugenics, Janet Shroomin Deconstructing Corporate Mainstream Media News from a Biblical Worldview We Operate Value 4 Value: http://CanaryCry.Support Join Supply Drop: http://CanaryCrySupplyDrop.com Submit Articles: http://CanaryCry.Report Join the Tee Shirt Council: http://CanaryCryTShirtCouncil.com Resource: Index of MSM Ownership (Harvard.edu) Resource: Aliens Demons Doc (feat. Dr. Heiser, Unseen Realm) All the links: http://CanaryCry.Party   This Episode was Produced By: Executive Producers Dustin H****** Eric B**   Producers Elias and Jordan Spears Desert Sir Marti K Knight of the Wrong Timeline Malik W Blake C Sir LX Protocol V2 Knight of the Berrean Protocol Veronica D Sir Casey the Shield Knight Sir Scott Knight of Truth Sir Morv Knight of the Burning Chariots   CanaryCry.ART Submissions JonathanF LittleOwen Elias Sir Dove Knight of Rusbeltia   CLIP PRODUCER Emsworth, FaeLivrin, Joelms, Laura   TIMESTAPERS Jade Bouncerson, Christine C, Pocojo, Morgan E   CanaryCry.Report Submissions JAM, Lily of the Valley   REMINDERS Clankoniphius   SHOW NOTES/TIMESTAMPS Podcast T- 2:07  from D-Live by Morgan E HELLO, RUN DOWN  4:24 V / 2:17 P ELON/AI 6:15 V / 4:08 P Elon Wants to Master the Universe With xAI (Wapo) → AI-supercharged Neurotech Threatens Mental Privacy: UNESCO (Barron's) → Elon is now following CERN on Twitter (Twitter) KAMALA/EUGENICS 19:01 V / 16:54 P Clip: Kamala wants to reduce population Clip: Kamala on rainbows   EXECS. 24:56 V / 22:49 P   FLIPPY 32:58 V / 30:51 P 'World's first mass-produced' humanoid robot tackles labor shortages amid aging pop (EuroNews)   CRISPR/BIBLICAL 44:38 V / 42:31 P CRISPR gene editing offers solution to reduce environmental impact of paper industry (WION)   COVID 1:02:37 V / 1:00:30 P RFK Jr. says COVID may have been ‘ethnically targeted' to spare Jews (NY Post)  → Source: New insights into genetic susceptibility of COVID-19: an ACE2 and TMPRSS2 polymorphism analysis (BMC Medicine)   TREASURE/SPEAKPIPE/TALENT 1:13:11 V / 1:11:04 P   PHARMEKEIA 1:46:42 V / 1:44:35 P Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen dined on psychedelic mushrooms in China: report (NY Post)    V4V/TIME 1:55:26 V / 1:53:19 P END

According to new research a mediterranean diet could lower the risk of dementia by a quarter regardless of a person's genetic risk. “The findings from this large population-based study underscore the long-term brain health benefits of consuming a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats," said Joint lead author of the study, Dr Janice Ranson, a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter, for the Guardian newspaper.  The researchers measured people, who did and did not follow a Mediterranean diet, and took into account each individual's genetic risk for dementia. Over nearly a decade, there were 882 cases of dementia, but those who followed a strict Mediterranean diet had a 23% lower risk of developing the condition. Their findings, which were published in the journal BMC Medicine, are based on data from more than 60,000 individuals from the UK Biobank, an online database of medical and lifestyle records from more than half a million Britons. What did the researchers find? What foods are included? Is diet the only factor? To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How to make the most out of hybrid working? What is kinkeeping, the invisible workload often done by women? Why do we forget our dreams? A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Amber Minogue. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neste segundo episódio da terceira temporada, vou apresentar um estudo publicado no BMC Medicine em outubro de 2020, sobre a relação entre níveis séricos de vitamina B12 e eventos desfavoráveis. Aproveitando o delineamento deste artigo, vou fazer alguns comentários sobre uma medida de efeito muito utilizada em epidemiologia, a taxa de risco, ou hazard ratio. Confere aí! Artigo disponível em https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7545540/

Click here to access our new membership portal and the FREE 5 hour mini -series OUTSMART OBESITY, HEART DISEASE & CANCER EVENTSClick here to get the OUTSMART BOOKClick here to get the OUTSMART HEALTH LABClick here to get the OUTSMART CLASSROOMClick here if you are a teacherClick here if you are a Cardiology practice or allied health professionalClick here to learn about Shane.In today's episode, I have a phenomenal treat that I've never done before. You are going to meet Professor Alta Schutte. In addition to this, you were going to get access to the full video episode with animation overlay describing what Dr Schutte and I talk about in the interview.Here is the background of todays' guest. Alta (Aletta E.) Schutte PhD FESC FRRSAf ISHF is SHARP Professor and Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW Sydney, Australia; with a joint appointment as Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. She is a NHMRC Investigator Grant Leadership Fellow.She has extensive experience in working in clinical and population-based studies with a focus on raised blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. She has been the Chief Investigator of several multidisciplinary studies, published >400 papers in the field of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, and supervised over 85 postgraduate students. She is involved in numerous international consortia, such as the Global Burden of Disease study (Washington DC), the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (London), May Measurement Month initiative of the International Society of Hypertension, and was one of 20 invited authors to join the Lancet Commission of Hypertension. She is the senior author of the 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Guidelines.She has been acknowledged for her work as winner of the Distinguished Woman Scientist in the Natural, Engineering and Life Sciences award, presented by the South African Department of Science and Technology; the NSTF South 32 TW Kambule Award; the British Association Medal from the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, the Meiring Naude Medal from the Royal Society of South Africa, the AU-TWAS (African Union & The World Academy of Sciences) Award, the 2019 African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Award for Scientific Excellence, 2020 KIFRA Prize in Science and 2022 Harriet Dustan Award of the American Heart Association's Hypertension Council.She serves as Associate Editor of Hypertension and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and is on the Editorial Board of cardiovascular journals, such as the Journal of Hypertension, Hypertension Research, Journal of Clinical Hypertension, Journal of Human Hypertension, Current Hypertension Reports and BMC Medicine. She is a Board Member of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology, the International Society of Hypertension and the Royal Society of South Africa; the Past President of the Southern African Hypertension Society (SAHS); and Past President of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH).

Click here to access our new membership portal and the FREE 5 hour mini -series OUTSMART OBESITY, HEART DISEASE & CANCER EVENTSClick here to get the OUTSMART BOOKClick here to get the OUTSMART HEALTH LABClick here to get the OUTSMART CLASSROOMClick here if you are a teacherClick here if you are a Cardiology practice or allied health professionalClick here to learn about Shane.In today's episode, I have a phenomenal treat that I've never done before. You are going to meet Professor Alta Schutte. In addition to this, you were going to get access to the full video episode with animation overlay describing what Dr Schutte and I talk about in the interview.Here is the background of todays' guest. Alta (Aletta E.) Schutte PhD FESC FRRSAf ISHF is SHARP Professor and Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW Sydney, Australia; with a joint appointment as Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. She is a NHMRC Investigator Grant Leadership Fellow.She has extensive experience in working in clinical and population-based studies with a focus on raised blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. She has been the Chief Investigator of several multidisciplinary studies, published >400 papers in the field of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, and supervised over 85 postgraduate students. She is involved in numerous international consortia, such as the Global Burden of Disease study (Washington DC), the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (London), May Measurement Month initiative of the International Society of Hypertension, and was one of 20 invited authors to join the Lancet Commission of Hypertension. She is the senior author of the 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Guidelines.She has been acknowledged for her work as winner of the Distinguished Woman Scientist in the Natural, Engineering and Life Sciences award, presented by the South African Department of Science and Technology; the NSTF South 32 TW Kambule Award; the British Association Medal from the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, the Meiring Naude Medal from the Royal Society of South Africa, the AU-TWAS (African Union & The World Academy of Sciences) Award, the 2019 African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Award for Scientific Excellence, 2020 KIFRA Prize in Science and 2022 Harriet Dustan Award of the American Heart Association's Hypertension Council.She serves as Associate Editor of Hypertension and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and is on the Editorial Board of cardiovascular journals, such as the Journal of Hypertension, Hypertension Research, Journal of Clinical Hypertension, Journal of Human Hypertension, Current Hypertension Reports and BMC Medicine. She is a Board Member of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology, the International Society of Hypertension and the Royal Society of South Africa; the Past President of the Southern African Hypertension Society (SAHS); and Past President of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH).

Click here to access our new membership portal and the FREE 5 hour mini -series OUTSMART OBESITY, HEART DISEASE & CANCER EVENTSClick here to get the OUTSMART BOOKClick here to get the OUTSMART HEALTH LABClick here to get the OUTSMART CLASSROOMClick here if you are a teacherClick here if you are a Cardiology practice or allied health professionalClick here to learn about Shane.In today's episode, I have a phenomenal treat that I've never done before. You are going to meet Professor Alta Schutte. In addition to this, you were going to get access to the full video episode with animation overlay describing what Dr Schutte and I talk about in the interview.Here is the background of todays' guest. Alta (Aletta E.) Schutte PhD FESC FRRSAf ISHF is SHARP Professor and Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW Sydney, Australia; with a joint appointment as Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. She is a NHMRC Investigator Grant Leadership Fellow.She has extensive experience in working in clinical and population-based studies with a focus on raised blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. She has been the Chief Investigator of several multidisciplinary studies, published >400 papers in the field of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, and supervised over 85 postgraduate students. She is involved in numerous international consortia, such as the Global Burden of Disease study (Washington DC), the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (London), May Measurement Month initiative of the International Society of Hypertension, and was one of 20 invited authors to join the Lancet Commission of Hypertension. She is the senior author of the 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Guidelines.She has been acknowledged for her work as winner of the Distinguished Woman Scientist in the Natural, Engineering and Life Sciences award, presented by the South African Department of Science and Technology; the NSTF South 32 TW Kambule Award; the British Association Medal from the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, the Meiring Naude Medal from the Royal Society of South Africa, the AU-TWAS (African Union & The World Academy of Sciences) Award, the 2019 African Union Kwame Nkrumah Regional Award for Scientific Excellence, 2020 KIFRA Prize in Science and 2022 Harriet Dustan Award of the American Heart Association's Hypertension Council.She serves as Associate Editor of Hypertension and the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and is on the Editorial Board of cardiovascular journals, such as the Journal of Hypertension, Hypertension Research, Journal of Clinical Hypertension, Journal of Human Hypertension, Current Hypertension Reports and BMC Medicine. She is a Board Member of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology, the International Society of Hypertension and the Royal Society of South Africa; the Past President of the Southern African Hypertension Society (SAHS); and Past President of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH).

If you want to lose unhealthy and dangerous visceral fat, a green Mediterranean diet might be best. In a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers in Israel studied almost 300 people for 18 months. They compared the effects of a standard healthy diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the green Mediterranean diet with […] The post 338. Green Mediterranean diet reduces visceral fat appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.

Fat Loss and the New Green Med Diet Episode 1113 Fall 2022 The green Mediterranean diet (MED) significantly reduces visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat around internal organs that is much more dangerous than the extra "tire" around your waist. The green Mediterranean diet was pitted against the Mediterranean diet and a healthy diet in a large-scale clinical interventional trial- the DIRECT PLUS. Subsequent analysis found that the green Med diet reduced visceral fat by 14%, the Med diet by 7% and the healthy diet by 4.5%. The study was published in BMC Medicine. #VAT #duckweed #diet Zelicha, H., Kloting, N., Kaplan, A. et al. The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial. BMC Med 20, 327 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02525-8 Urolithin A, duckweed, VAT, visceral fat tissue, Subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, green med diet, Mediterranean diet, waist circumference, polyphenol, Mankai, Wolffia globose, green tea, SAT, green Mediterranean diet, fat loss, heart health --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ralph-turchiano/support

The green Mediterranean diet (MED) significantly reduces visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat around internal organs that is much more dangerous than the extra "tire" around your waist. The green Mediterranean diet was pitted against the Mediterranean diet and a healthy diet in a large-scale clinical interventional trial- the DIRECT PLUS. Subsequent analysis found that the green Med diet reduced visceral fat by 14%, the Med diet by 7% and the healthy diet by 4.5%. The study was published in BMC Medicine. #VAT #duckweed #diet Zelicha, H., Kloting, N., Kaplan, A. et al. The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial. BMC Med 20, 327 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02525-8 Urolithin A, duckweed, VAT, visceral fat tissue, Subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, green med diet, Mediterranean diet, waist circumference, polyphenol, Mankai, Wolffia globose, green tea, SAT, green Mediterranean diet, fat loss, heart health --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ralph-turchiano/support

Fare da 150 a 300 minuti a settimana di attività fisica moderata ridurrebbe il rischio di diventare ansiosi o depressi per il 47 per cento delle persone e se tutti riuscissero a fare almeno 75 minuti a settimana di corsa o nuoto, ciò porterebbe a prevenire quasi il 19% dei casi di depressione e ansia. Questi i numeri di uno studio inglese fatto su un campione di oltre 37.000 persone che è stato pubblicato sulla rivista BMC Medicine. A Obiettivo Salute il commento del prof. Claudio Mencacci, co-presidente della Società italiana di Neuropsicofarmacologia e direttore emerito del Dipartimento di Neuroscienze dell'Ospedale Fatebenefratelli Sacco di Milano

VIDEOS: Video Emerges Where Fauci and Others Planned for a “Universal mRNA Flu Vaccine” Which Became the “COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine” Because People were not Afraid Enough of the Flu Virus (1:51) You're Not Going To Believe This! | Mark Steyn & Eva Vlaardingerbroek (3:03) Neil Oliver – ‘…it's a toxic hell…' (START @ 9:00) Gravitas: Who helped Taliban repair the abandoned American aircraft? (7:25)   Healthy plant-based diets associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in men Kyung Hee University, South Korea, November 28, 2022 Eating a plant-based diet rich in healthy plant foods—such as whole grains, vegetables, and legumes—and low in unhealthy plant foods—including refined grains, fruit juices, and added sugars—is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer in men. The findings are published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.Jihye Kim, the corresponding author, said, “Colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer worldwide, and the risk of developing colorectal cancer over a lifetime is one in 23 for men and one in 25 for women. Although previous research has suggested that plant-based diets may play a role in preventing colorectal cancer, the impact of plant foods' nutritional quality on this association has been unclear. Our findings suggest that eating a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.” Researchers from Kyung Hee University, South Korea found that among a population of 79,952 American men, those who ate the highest average daily amounts of healthy plant-based foods had a 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer, compared to those who ate the lowest amounts of healthy plant foods. However, the authors did not identify any significant associations between the nutritional quality of plant-based diets and colorectal cancer risk among a population of 93,475 American women. Jihye Kim said, “We speculate that the antioxidants found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains could contribute to lowering colorectal cancer risk by suppressing chronic inflammation, which can lead to cancer. As men tend to have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than women, we propose that this could help explain why eating greater amounts of healthy plant-based foods was associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk in men but not women.” The authors found that the association between the nutritional quality of plant-based diets and colorectal cancer risk among men varied by race and ethnicity. Among Japanese American men, colorectal cancer risk was 20% lower for those who ate the highest amount of healthy plant foods per day than for those who ate the lowest amount. Among white men, those who ate the highest amount of highest amount of healthy plant foods had a 24% lower colorectal cancer risk than those who ate the lowest amount. The authors did not identify any significant associations between plant-based diets and colorectal cancer risk among African American, Latino or Native Hawaiian men. (next) Green Mediterranean diet reduces twice as much visceral fat as traditional Mediterranean diet Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), November 28, 2022 Following the green Mediterranean diet significantly reduces visceral adipose tissue, a type of fat around internal organs that is much more dangerous than the extra “tire” around your waist. Recently, researchers compared the green Mediterranean diet to the traditional Mediterranean diet and a non-Mediterranean healthy diet in a large-scale clinical interventional trial—the DIRECT PLUS. Subsequent analysis found that the green Mediterranean diet reduced visceral fat by 14%, the Mediterranean diet by 7% and the non-Mediterranean healthy diet by 4.5%. The study was published in BMC Medicine. Reducing visceral fat is considered the true goal of weight loss, as it is a more important indicator than a person's weight or the circumference of their waist. Visceral fat aggregates over time between organs, and produces hormones and poisons linked to heart disease, diabetes, dementia and premature death. The DIRECT-PLUS trial research team was the first to introduce the concept of the green Mediterranean diet. This modified Mediterranean diet is further enriched with dietary polyphenols and is lower in red/processed meat than the traditional Mediterranean diet. On top of a daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the participants consumed 3-4 cups of green tea/day and 100 grams (frozen cubes) of duckweed green shake/day. The aquatic green plant duckweed is high in bioavailable protein, iron, B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols and substituted meat intake. The team has shown in previous studies that the green Mediterranean diet has a variety of salutary effects ranging from the microbiome to age-related degenerative diseases. A group of 294 participants took part in the 18-month long trial. “A 14% reduction in visceral fat is a dramatic achievement for making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. Weight loss is an important goal only if it is accompanied by impressive results in reducing adipose tissue,” notes Dr. Hila Zelicha. (next) Are older women being over-screened for cervical cancer? University of Illinois at Chicago, November 28, 2022 A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that women over the age of 65 may be undergoing unnecessary cervical cancer screenings and that more public health data is needed on the utilization of cervical cancer screening-associated services among older women to prevent potential harm and unnecessary costs. The study, which is authored by experts from the University of Illinois Chicago, the University of California San Francisco and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at Medicare claims data from 1999 to 2019 for fee-for-service care for women over the age of 65. The analysis showed that in 2019 more than 1.3 million women received cervical cancer screening-associated services, such as a Pap test, colposcopy, and other cervical procedures after age 65. While these services cost more than $83 million, the researchers concluded they were of “unclear clinical appropriateness.” “Cervical cancer screening and other preventive services are among our most important tools for keeping people healthy throughout life, but screenings should also follow evidence-based guidelines to prevent overspending, potential complications and patient discomfort,” said study co-author Dr. Hunter Holt, assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago. According to recommendations and guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, women considered to be of average risk can stop undergoing routine cervical cancer screening once they reach the age of 65 if they have had adequate prior screening. “The decision to end cervical cancer screening for women after age 65 requires review of past screening results and related medical history. This process can promote cervical cancer prevention and prevent harms and costs from unnecessary tests and procedures,” said Jin Qin, study co-author and epidemiologist in CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. The researchers say that the high rates of screening among older women is potentially concerning. “It could be that women are getting screened when they do not need to, or that these women are considered to be at higher-than-average risk, for example, because they have not been adequately screened prior to 65. We do not want to see either of these things and unfortunately, there is not enough public health data to shed light on the causes,” said Holt, who is also affiliated with the University of Illinois Cancer Center at UIC. (next) Chemotherapy could increase disease susceptibility in future generations Washington State University, November 28, 2022 A common chemotherapy drug could carry a toxic inheritance for children and grandchildren of adolescent cancer survivors, Washington State University-led research indicates. The study, published online in iScience, found that male rats who received the drug ifosfamide during adolescence had offspring and grand-offspring with increased incidence of disease. While other research has shown that cancer treatments can increase patients' chance of developing disease later in life, this is one of the first-known studies showing that susceptibility can be passed down to a third generation of unexposed offspring. “The findings suggest that if a patient receives chemotherapy, and then later has children, that their grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, may have an increased disease susceptibility due to their ancestors' chemotherapy exposure,” said Michael Skinner, a WSU biologist and corresponding author on the study. Given this study's implications, the researchers recommend that cancer patients who plan to have children later take precautions, such as using cryopreservation to freeze sperm or ova before having chemotherapy. In the study, researchers exposed a set of young male rats to ifosfamide over three days, mimicking a course of treatment an adolescent human cancer patient might receive. Those rats were later bred with female rats who had not been exposed to the drug. The resulting offspring were bred again with another set of unexposed rats. The first-generation offspring had some exposure to the chemotherapy drug since their fathers' sperm was exposed, but researchers found greater incidence of disease in not only the first- but also the second-generation, who had no direct exposure to the drug. While there were some differences by generation and sex, the associated problems included greater incidence of kidney and testis diseases as well as delayed onset of puberty and abnormally low anxiety, indicating a lowered ability to assess risk. The results of the researchers' analysis showed epigenetic changes in two generations linked to the chemotherapy exposure of the originally exposed rats. The fact that these changes could be seen in the grand-offspring, who had no direct exposure to the chemotherapy drug, indicates that the negative effects were passed down through epigenetic inheritance. (next) Saffron can fight liver cancer, reveal UAE researchers United Arab Emirates University, November 20, 2022 It may be an expensive spice but you cannot put a label or price on health, said Professor Amr Amin who has researched a breakthrough in the properties of saffron in fighting liver cancer. Professor Amin from Cellular & Molecular Biology at United Arab Emirates University said that researchers have investigated and found saffron to have anti-liver cancer properties. “Safranal, a major biomolecule of the golden spice saffron arrests and stops the cancer cell division at two different stages,” he said. The UAE researchers have been working on this project since 2011 when they first published the research in the Hepatology Journal. The study suggests a novel mechanism of anti-proliferative activity of safranal against human liver cancer cells. “This molecule could serve as a novel and/or adjuvant drug to treat liver cancer,” said Dr Amin. The findings are now also published in a Nature journal Scientific Reports. “The ingredient works in two ways; it stops cell division and promotes cell death,” he explained. Prof Amin and colleagues concluded that safranal exerts its anticancer effect in HepG2 cells by inhibiting DNA repair, resulting in increased DNA damage. (next) Japanese researchers say that ultrasound therapy can be used to treat patients with dementia Tohoku University (Japan), November 20, 2022 A new therapy based on ultrasound waves might be able to improve the cognitive powers of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. According to an article on the Tohoku University news page, the approach improved the condition of mice with symptoms similar to human dementia. In their experiment, the Tohoku University research team sent low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) waves through the brain of the mice. They found that the waves improved the creation of blood vessels and the rate of regeneration of nerve cells. Furthermore, the treatment did not cause any notable side effects on the mice. The results led the researchers to believe that they can replicate their experimental success in actual human patients one day. “The LIPUS therapy is a non-invasive physiotherapy that could apply to high-risk elderly patients without the need for surgery or anaesthesia, and could be used repeatedly,” explained TU researcher Hiroaki Shimokawa. The Tohoku researchers applied LIPUS therapy to the whole brain of mice with symptoms that resemble those of Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. They did this three times a day, with each session lasting for 20 minutes. The mice that simulated vascular dementia underwent surgery that reduced the amount of blood that reached the brain. These animals underwent LIPUS treatment on the first, third, and fifth days after that surgery. Meanwhile, the mice that modeled Alzheimer's disease got 11 LIPUS treatments over a three-month-long trial period. By the end of the experiment, the researchers found that LIPUS activated genes involved with the cells that made up the inner lining of blood vessels. Furthermore, an enzyme that promoted blood vessel formation displayed increased activity, as did a protein which helped nerve cells grow. Based on their findings, whole-brain LIPUS therapy can help alleviate the symptoms of certain forms of dementia by encouraging the development of cells that are normally affected by the condition. The technique is currently undergoing initial clinical trials that will determine its efficacy and safety.

Eating a vegetarian diet might increase the risk of hip fracture in women. In a new study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers at the University of Leeds in England followed over 26,000 middle-aged women for approximately 20 years. They compared the risk of hip fracture among vegetarians, pescatarians, or people who eat fish […] The post 256. Vegetarian women have a higher risk of hip fracture appeared first on Dr. David Geier - Feel and Perform Better Than Ever.

This Week In Wellness Steven Newmaster, a researcher and botanist at the University of Guelph is facing charges of using fraudulent research methods. Newmaster found fame in 2013 publishing a study in BMC Medicine using DNA barcoding on herbal products such as echinacea, ginkgo biloba, and St. John's wort and accusing the products of containing Listen In The post TWIW 148: Researcher famed for accusing natural remedies of fraud, accused of fraud appeared first on The Wellness Couch.

Disclaimer: This is two high school students imitating researchers. Citations: Bao, W., Rong, Y., Rong, S., & Liu, L. (2012, October 10). Dietary iron intake, body iron stores, and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medicine. Chen, C., Chaudhary, A., & Mathys, A. (2019, April 16). Dietary Change Scenarios and Implications for Environmental, Nutrition, Human Health and Economic Dimensions of Food Sustainability. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520741/. European Parliament. (2002, January 28). REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL. EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02002R0178-20140630&rid=1. Fanzo, J. (2015, December 2). Ethical issues for human nutrition in the context of global food security and sustainable development. Global Food Security. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912415300158. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Key facts and findings. FAO. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/. Rowe, M. (2019). Beyond the Impossible. BrightGreen.org. https://brightergreen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Beyond-the-Impossible.pdf.

Is COVID more dangerous if you are on benzos? What if you are in withdrawal? What about the vaccine? Will it elevate my symptoms? In today's episode, we explore some questions about COVID, listen to a hopeful story from New England, and discuss prescribing practices for long-term use. Please join us for our weekly discussion of all things benzo. https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/covid-and-benzos-immunity-vaccines-symptoms-bfp080Video ID: BFP080 Chapters 00:00 Introduction10:40 Benzo Story19:58 FEATURE: COVID and Benzos32:15 Closing  Resources The following resource links are provided as a courtesy to our listeners. They do not constitute an endorsement by Easing Anxiety of the resource or any recommendations or advice provided therein. BENZO NEWS Medicating Normal Website — https://www.medicatingnormal.comMedicating Normal YouTube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/medicatingnormalBenzodiazepine Action Work Group (BAWG) — https://corxconsortium.org/work-groups/benzodiazepine FEATURE: COVID and Benzos Ashton, C. Heather. Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw (aka The Ashton Manual). 2002. Accessed April 13, 2016. http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual.NHS Camden and Islington, NHS Foundation Trust. “COVID-19 and Benzodiazepines.” https://www.candi.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20and%20Benzodiazepines%20-%20CI.pdf. Ostuzzi, Giovanni et al. “Safety of psychotropic medications in people with COVID-19: evidence review and practical recommendations.” BMC Medicine 2020; 18:215. July 15, 2020. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12916-020-01685-9.  The PodcastThe Benzo Free Podcast provides information, support, and community to those who struggle with the long-term effects of anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium) and Z-drugs (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata). WEBSITE: https://www.easinganxiety.comMAILING LIST: https://www.easinganxiety.com/subscribe YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@easinganx DISCLAIMERAll content provided by Easing Anxiety is for general informational purposes only and should never be considered medical advice. Any health-related information provided is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems, or to prescribe any medical devices or other remedies. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it. Please visit our website for our complete disclaimer at https://www.easinganxiety.com/disclaimer. CREDITSMusic provided / licensed by Storyblocks Audio — https://www.storyblocks.com Benzo Free Theme — Title: “Walk in the Park” — Artist: Neil Cross PRODUCTIONEasing Anxiety is produced by…Denim Mountain Presshttps://www.denimmountainpress.com ©2022 Denim Mountain Press – All Rights Reserved

Share this post with others: Is COVID more dangerous if you are on benzos? What if you are in withdrawal? What about the vaccine? Will it elevate my symptoms? In today's episode, we explore some questions about COVID, listen to a hopeful story from New England, and discuss prescribing practices for long-term use. Please join us for our weekly discussion of all things benzo.   Welcome to Episode #80 Today's episode is focused more on a few different topics. First off, in our introduction, we recap this week's screening of "Medicating Normal" and post-film discussion panel, which I moderated. We discuss the question of long-term prescribing of benzodiazepines for any reason. We then share a wonderfully insightful benzo story from Boston, Massachusets. For our feature, we take a look at COVID and benzos. We explore the effect of benzos on immunity, how that might affect our protection against the virus, and what side effects vaccines may create. Video ID: BFP080 Chapters 00:00  Introduction10:40  Benzo Story19:58  FEATURE: COVID and Benzos32:15  Closing Episode Resources The following resource links are provided as a courtesy to our listeners. They do not constitute an endorsement by Benzo Free of the resource or any recommendations or advice provided therein. INTRODUCTION Medicating Normal Website — https://www.medicatingnormal.comMedicating Normal YouTube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/medicatingnormalBenzodiazepine Action Work Group (BAWG) — https://corxconsortium.org/work-groups/benzodiazepine FEATURE: COVID and Benzos Ashton, C. Heather. Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw (aka The Ashton Manual). 2002. Accessed April 13, 2016. http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual.NHS Camden and Islington, NHS Foundation Trust. “COVID-19 and Benzodiazepines.” https://www.candi.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20and%20Benzodiazepines%20-%20CI.pdf. Ostuzzi, Giovanni et al. “Safety of psychotropic medications in people with COVID-19: evidence review and practical recommendations.” BMC Medicine 2020; 18:215. July 15, 2020. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12916-020-01685-9. Site Links VISIT US ONLINE— WEBSITE: https://www.easinganxiety.com— YOUTUBE (Easing Anxiety): https://www.youtube.com/easinganxiety— YOUTUBE (Benzo Free): https://www.youtube.com/benzofree— INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/easinganxiety PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK— COMMENT: On this video in YouTube— COMMENT: On the blog post on our website— FEEDBACK FORM: https://www.easinganxiety.com/feedback— EMAIL: feedback@easinganxiety.com SUPPORT US— Make a Donation: https://www.easinganxiety.com/donate Podcast Summary This podcast is dedicated to those who struggle with side effects, dependence, and withdrawal from benzos, a group of drugs from the benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine classes, better known as anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills, sedatives, and minor tranquilizers. Their common brand names include Ambien, Ativan, Klonopin, Lunesta, Valium, and Xanax. Feedback We'd love to hear from you! The Benzo Free Podcast is a community podcast and we need your input to help it grow and improve. You can tell us what you think in the following ways: Fill out our Feedback Form at https://www.easinganxiety.com/feedbackEmail us at feedback@easinganxiety.com Comment on one of our videos or posts. Disclaimer The Benzo Free Podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. Never dis­regard medical advice or delay in seeking it. Withdrawal, tapering, or any change in dosage of benzodiazepines, nonbenzo­diazepines, thienodiazepines, or any other prescription drugs should only be done under the direct supervision of a licensed physician. Please visit our official disclaimer for more information: https://www.easinganxiety.com/disclaimer. Music Credits Benzo Free Theme— Title: "Walk in the Park"— Artist: Neil Cross— Provided by: Storyblo...

To Lower Cancer Risks, Eat More Mushrooms Eating more mushrooms is associated with lower risk of cancer, according to a new study Penn State University, April 23, 2021 The systematic review and meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition examines 17 cancer studies from 1966 to 2020. Analyzing data from more than 19,500 cancer patients, researchers explore the relationship between mushroom consumption and cancer risk. Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. The team’s findings show that mushrooms may also help guard against cancer. Even though shiitake, oyster, maitake, and king oyster mushrooms have higher amounts of the amino acid ergothioneine than white button, cremini, and portobello mushrooms, the researchers found that people who incorporated any variety of mushrooms into their daily diets had a lower risk of cancer. According to the findings, individuals who ate 18 grams of mushrooms daily had a 45% lower risk of cancer compared to those who did not eat mushrooms. “Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of ergothioneine, which is a unique and potent antioxidant and cellular protector,” says Djibril M. Ba, a graduate student in epidemiology at Penn State College of Medicine. “Replenishing antioxidants in the body may help protect against oxidative stress and lower the risk of cancer.” When specific cancers were examined, the researchers noted the strongest associations for breast cancer as individuals who regularly ate mushrooms had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Ba explains that this could be because most of the studies did not include other forms of cancer. Moving forward, this research could be helpful in further exploring the protective effects that mushrooms have and helping to establish healthier diets that prevent cancer. “Overall, these findings provide important evidence for the protective effects of mushrooms against cancer,” says coauthor John Richie, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and professor of public health sciences and pharmacology. “Future studies are needed to better pinpoint the mechanisms involved and specific cancers that may be impacted.”     Probiotic strain helps pregnant women maintain healthy iron levels Probi AB (Sweden), April 21, 2021 A new study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica found that taking a particular probiotic strain improves iron levels in healthy pregnant women and may therefore help to prevent iron deficiency. A total of 326 healthy women were randomized to receive a placebo or the probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) administered with a low dose of iron, folic acid, and ascorbic acid. They took the placebo or the combination product twice daily during pregnancy.  Compared with taking placebo, taking the probiotic product reduced the prevalence of iron deficiency (78% versus 59%) and iron deficiency anemia (21% versus 7.4%) towards the end of pregnancy. (When a person develops iron deficiency anemia, the body cannot get the amount of oxygen it needs.)  Iron deficiency is common in women of childbearing age and is a global health problem. In a pregnant woman, this can lead to a number of complications for the mother and her child. "We have previously shown that the Lp299v strain together with a low dose of iron increase iron absorption. With this study, we proved that this translates into an improved iron status in pregnant women," said lead author Ulrika Axling, PhD, of Probi AB, in Sweden. "Iron deficiency is especially common during pregnancy and high-dose iron supplements are often recommended. Since these typically come with side effects such as stomach pain and constipation, there is a need for new solutions. This probiotic product could offer a novel and safe approach for improving iron status during pregnancy."     Music improves older adults' sleep quality National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Taiwan), April 21, 2021 Listening to music before going to be can improve sleep quality among older adults, according to an analysis of all relevant published clinical trials. In the analysis, which is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, five randomized trials met the investigators' criteria. Older adults who listened to music experienced significantly better sleep quality than those who did not listen to music. Also, older adults who listened to sedative music experienced a greater improvement in sleep quality than those who listened to more rhythmic music. Furthermore, listening to music for longer than four weeks was especially effective at improving sleep quality.  "Music intervention is an effective strategy and is easy to administer by a caregiver or healthcare worker," the authors wrote. "Music therapy might be the first line of therapy to recommend in older adults with sleep disturbances, which would reduce the need for dependence on sedatives and sleeping medication."   Association low magnesium intake with greater risk of prefrailty in community-dwelling older women Osaka Prefecture University (Japan), April 14, 2021   According to news reporting originating in Osaka, Japan, research stated, “We examined the association between nutrient intake and prefrailty. Data from 815 older people (63% women) who participated in a community-based health check survey (Tarumizu Study) were analyzed.” The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Osaka Prefecture University, “Prefrailty were defined using five parameters (exhaustion, slowness, weakness, low physical activity, and weight loss). Participants with one or more components were considered to belong to the prefrailty group. Nutrition intake was estimated from a validated brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Among the participants, 154 men (52%) and 278 women (54%) were found to be in a status of prefrailty. In men, there were no significant associations between nutrient intake and prefrailty. In women, carbohydrate intake was slightly higher in prefrailty group. Vitamins K, B1, B2, folic acid, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper intake was significantly lower in the prefrailty group. Among the nutrients, magnesium was identified as a significant covariate of prefrailty using a stepwise regression method. In women adjusted ORs (95%CI, p value) for prefrailty in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of magnesium intake were 1.00 (reference), 0.52 (0.29-0.92, 0.024), 0.51 (0.28-0.95, 0.033), and 0.38 (0.19-0.74, 0.005), respectively, by multivariate logistic regression analysis (variates: age, body mass index, energy intake, supplement use, osteoporosis, magnesium, and protein intake). Protein intake did not related to prefrailty. Protein intake might be sufficient to prevent prefrailty in the present study.” According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “We propose magnesium to be an important micronutrient that prevents prefrailty in community-dwelling older Japanese women.” This research has been peer-reviewed.     Gardens and green space linked to better mental health during pandemic, study shows Cardiff University (UK), April 19, 2021 People with green space on their doorstep or access to a private garden reported better health and wellbeing during and after the first lockdown in the UK, according to a new study. Researchers from Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University have shown that people with a garden and a park nearby were more likely to say they were feeling calm, peaceful and had a lot of energy as compared to those with no access to a garden or living further away from a green space. Official figures show that around one in eight households in Great Britain had no access to a private or shared garden during the coronavirus pandemic, and that just a quarter of people in Great Britain live within a five-minute walk of a public park. The researchers say the study is the first to assess the impact of green space during the pandemic, and that it highlights the huge benefits for both physical and mental health and making our communities more resilient. In the study, published in the journal Landscape & Urban Planning, the researchers surveyed 5,556 people about their home and neighborhood, as well as their perceived mental health and wellbeing, at two intervals—the first in March/April 2020 during the first peak of the pandemic and again in June/July 2020 after the first peak had subsided. For the first 2-3 months of the lockdown, individuals were only permitted to leave their home for essential travel, such as food shopping, and for outdoor exercise once a day. The survey formed part of the COVID-19 Public Experiences (COPE) study, with most participants recruited through Health Wise Wales (HWW), an existing national longitudinal study funded by the Welsh Government. Among a wide-range of topics, participants were specifically asked if they felt calm and peaceful and had a lot of energy, or if they felt downhearted and blue, with answers provided on a scale of zero to five. Similarly, the participants were asked how they would rate their health in general from one to five. The participants were also asked about their access to a private garden and how far they lived from the nearest green space, such as a park, woodland or playing field. Subjective wellbeing was shown to be significantly higher in the post-peak period when lockdown restrictions were being eased than in the first peak of the pandemic when lockdown restrictions came into force in the UK. People living a five-to-10-minute walk or more than a 10-minute walk away from public green space had lower levels of subjective wellbeing than those living less than a five-minute walk away, whilst those with access to a private garden had higher levels of subjective wellbeing than those without a private garden. The results further show that, during the first peak of the pandemic, access to green space was particularly important for households without private gardens. Being close to a public green space or private garden had a greater health protective effect for those who did not have access to a private garden. Though a statistically significant link was found between access to a private gardenand the wellbeing of men, no evidence was found for specific groups benefitting more than others. "What this shows is that both gardens and parks have been essential for people's health and wellbeing during the pandemic, especially when the toughest restrictions were in place," said lead author of the study Professor Wouter Poortinga, from Cardiff University's Welsh School of Architecture and School of Psychology. "Public parks and other green spaces have been a lifeline for many in these difficult times." "We have to make sure that everybody has access to such spaces, not only now but also in the future. This can be done by planting more trees and creating new parks, but also by protecting the few green spaces we have left." Co-author of the study Dr. Rhiannon Phillips, from Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: "During the pandemic, green spaces have offered us a place to connect with nature, be physically active, and socialize when regulations allow. This has made spending time in private gardens and public green spaces vital to reducing the impact of the pandemic on people's health and wellbeing. "Taking care of our green spaces is vitally important in enabling us to take care of ourselves. We need to value our green spaces and use them respectfully, making sure we don't damage these environments and take our litter home, so that they are there for all of us to enjoy."     Ashwagandha root extract may improve memory and cognitive functions Institute of Pharmacological Technology (India), April 25, 2021 Compared to a placebo, adults supplemented with ashwagandha root extract had improved memory test scores, researchers in India found. Dietary supplements that address cognitive function are increasingly in the limelight thanks to a growing aging population, as well as the gaming, tech, and fitness culture that’s making nootropics in vogue . Ashwagandha root has been a part of the medicinal traditions of Ayurveda as a memory aid, wrote researchers of a new study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements. In this current study, the researchers conducted what they claimed to be the first trial that looked at “the clinical impact of ashwagandha on the cognitive deficits seen in mild cognitive impairment.”   Participants: Selecting patients of mild cognitive impairment The study was conducted over eight weeks using a random-assignment, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Clinical visits all took place at one center, with participants being selected from different outpatient clinics in the city of Pune, India, who sought treatment for mild cognitive impairment. To be included in the study, participants had to be aged 35 or older, have subjective sumptoms of memory impairment, a previous diagnosis of early dementia or a score a certain amount in a mini-mental state examination, and the ability and willingness to provide informed consent. Excluded from the study are participants with severe memory impairment, known neuropsychiatric conditions, persistent endocrine disorders, and chronic medical conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes mellitus. Throughout the study period, other than ashwagandha root extract for the supplement group, the use of nootropic agents or anticholinesterase drugs were prohibited.   Measuring protocols and outcomes Participants were assessed using standardized tests for several memory types: Immediate memory (the ability to remember a small amount of information over a few seconds), general memory (delayed recall of word lists, geometric designs, text, faces), working memory (capacity to store information received from eyes, ears, and other sense organs in the immediate term). They were also assessed for visuospatial processing and response, executive function, attention, and speed of information processing. Study outcomes revealed that the ashwagandha group fared significantly better than baseline and the placebo group participants in terms of immediate and general memory test scores. There was also a great uptick in executive function, sustained attention, and information-processing speed. According to the researchers, this may be from ashwagandha’s sedative properties, which “may be indirectly involved in improving memory and cognition in human subjects, as stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders can affect normal cognitive function,” they wrote. The small sample size was one drawback of the study, and the researchers recommend a follow-up that is longer and with a larger sample to “confirm the promising results of this study.”   Foods associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-age Oxford University, April 23, 2021 Two common dietary patterns identified in British adults, which include high intakes of chocolate and confectionary, may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine. Carmen Piernas, the corresponding author said: "Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK and poor diet is a major contributor to this. The most common dietary guidelines are based on the nutrients found in foods rather than foods themselves and this can be confusing for the public. Our findings help identify specific foods and beverages that are commonly eaten in Britain and that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality." Researchers from the University of Oxford, UK identified two diets that were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-age in Britain. The first was high in chocolate, confectionary, butter and white bread and low in fresh fruit and vegetables. The second was high in sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, chocolate, confectionary, table sugar and preserves and low in butter and higher-fat cheese. The researchers found that those whose diet included higher amounts of chocolate, confectionary, butter and white bread, were more likely to be male, younger, experiencing economic deprivation, current smokers, less physically active, living with obesity or have hypertension compared to those whose diet did not include high amounts of these foods. In this group, individuals who were younger than 60 years old or living with overweight or obesity had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than individuals who were older than 60 years or not living with overweight or obesity. Those whose diet was high in sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice and preserves were found to have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality, even though they also tended to be physically active and less likely to be current smokers or living with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol, than those who did not eat this diet. Women, individuals who were younger than 60 years old or who lived with obesity in particular had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, if they consumed a diet high in these foods. To examine the effects of diet on the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, the authors analysed data collected from 116,806 adults from England, Scotland and Wales who were recruited to the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010. Participants were aged between 37 and 73 years old, with an average age of 56 years old. Participants reported the food they ate during the previous 24 hours on between two and five occasions. The researchers then identified the nutrients and food groups eaten by participants. The incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality was calculated using hospital admission and death registry records until 2017 and 2020, respectively. The authors caution that the observational nature of the study does not allow for conclusions about a causal relationship between diet, cardiovascular disease and mortality. Additionally, as dietary data was taken from individual 24 hour assessments rather than a continuous period of time, it may not be representative of participants' lifetime diets. Future research could investigate the potential reasons for the associations between the two diets investigated in this study and cardiovascular disease and mortality. Carmen Piernas said: "Our research suggests that eating less chocolate, confectionery, butter, low-fibre bread, sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, table sugar and preserves could be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease or death during middle-age. This is consistent with previous research which has suggested that eating foods that contain less sugar and fewer calories may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings of this study could be used to create food-based dietary advice that could help people eat more healthily and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease."

近日，牛津大学等研究人员发表在BMC Medicine上一项研究首次发现：未经加工的红肉和加工肉摄入总量较多会与25种疾病（癌症除外）的高风险相关，比如缺血性心脏病（IHD）、肺炎、憩室疾病、结肠息肉、糖尿病、出血性卒中。

近日，牛津大学等研究人员发表在BMC Medicine上一项研究首次发现：未经加工的红肉和加工肉摄入总量较多会与25种疾病（癌症除外）的高风险相关，比如缺血性心脏病（IHD）、肺炎、憩室疾病、结肠息肉、糖尿病、出血性卒中。

近日，牛津大学等研究人员发表在BMC Medicine上一项研究首次发现：未经加工的红肉和加工肉摄入总量较多会与25种疾病（癌症除外）的高风险相关，比如缺血性心脏病（IHD）、肺炎、憩室疾病、结肠息肉、糖尿病、出血性卒中。

近日，牛津大学等研究人员发表在BMC Medicine上一项研究首次发现：未经加工的红肉和加工肉摄入总量较多会与25种疾病（癌症除外）的高风险相关，比如缺血性心脏病（IHD）、肺炎、憩室疾病、结肠息肉、糖尿病、出血性卒中。

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition:The Westminster administration relies on its experiences of managing last year’s lockdowns to enforce a ban on takeaway alcohol in England Researchers find that an app designed to help people drink less received a celebrity boost 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵Pandemic makes this year’s Dry January the toughest yetIrish shoppers are no longer allowed to buy discounted alcoholNew PACTS report finds that a lower drink drive limit ‘would have a totemic impact’ on UK road safetyMember of Parliament for Bury South, Christian Wakeford is to become the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol HarmRegulator clears racy alcohol television ad of wrongdoingWe hope you enjoy our roundup of stories below: please feel free to share. Thank you.Lockdown 3: Westminster uses 2020 vision to enforce alcohol takeaway ban in EnglandThe new year began with a now-familiar focus towards lockdown-induced restrictions on alcohol sales during the pandemic, with the government banning alcohol takeaways from licensed premises (The Independent, 05 Jan):Alcohol takeaways are to be banned… until mid-February in England as Boris Johnson clamps down on socialising under the new lockdown regime. All restaurants, pubs and other hospitality settings must close their doors to customers… under the new rules announced by the prime minister… venues will no longer be able to serve takeaway or click-and-collect alcohol.The other Home Nations tightened their rules too, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland still permitting alcohol takeaways, but under more stringent conditions and while licensed premises (throughout Northern Ireland, and in tier level 4 in Scotland and Wales) remained closed to normal custom (BBC News Business, 13 Jan).Alcohol industry players claim that the uncertain trading environment faced by the hospitality sector had a significant impact on alcohol sales last year. The Morning Advertiser reported that 37 pubs a month ‘vanished’ in 2020, not because of a shift in operations from wet- to dry-led sales, or the rise of venues such as micropubs replacing traditional outlets, but simply because they had received insufficient support to remain a financially viable concern while shut (11 Jan). Chair of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Nik Antona claimed that the new lockdown restrictions ‘could tip hundreds of pubs over the edge into insolvency in the coming months’, and called on the government to allow pubs to act as off-licences during the lockdown by selling pints in ‘sealed containers’ (Evening Standard, 07 Jan).However, there were also suggestions that appeals for support should instead focus on compensating venue owners for enforced closures of their premises.According to The Independent, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) annual market report estimated 5%, 10%, and 15% declines in beer, wine and gin sales respectively in the year to October 2020, despite retailers enjoying ‘a boom in alcohol sales during the pandemic’ (07 Jan).Based on these industry data, the WSTA chief executive claimed ‘it’s a myth that people are drinking more during lockdown’, a statement which runs contrary to evidence from Public Health England and several independent research groups which have reported increased rates of heavy drinking during the pandemic. Two studies published this month reported that a significant minority of people’s alcohol intake had increased. The first examined vulnerable populations, tracking health behaviours during the early days the lockdown: of the 1,044 participants involved, 30% had a ‘COVID-19 at risk health condition’, 37% were classed as deprived and 6% self‐reported a mental health condition, yet relative to pre‐pandemic levels, participants’ drank more alcohol on average and did so more often (British Journal of Health Psychology, 06 Jan).The second, a much bigger study (of more than 30,000 adults, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal) found that roughly the same proportion of drinkers admitted to drinking more as those who reported drinking less (26·9% versus 25·7%) than usual during the first lockdown (The Independent, 14 Jan).The one in four who were more likely to report upping their intake were younger women with post-16 educational qualifications and a household income over £30,000. The University College London research team also found that having an anxiety disorder, being stressed about finances or about catching or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 were factors associated with drinking more. The authors noted that it is possible that people with anxiety disorders are changing their drinking behaviour to self-medicate or as an unhelpful coping mechanism during a period of increased anxiety. Lead author Dr Claire Garnett said:Women might be more likely to drink more than usual during lockdown because they have been more negatively affected by the pandemic through increased gender inequalities as women are more likely to lose their jobs and carry the burdens of increased childcare and housework.Co-author Dr Melissa Oldham stressed the importance of ‘targeted approaches to provide support for certain groups who are more likely to drink more is needed, particularly with the start of this third lockdown.’Meanwhile, some health experts had some sobering advice for those in line for the COVID-19 vaccine. On BBC Panorama, emergency medicine specialist Dr Ronx Ikharia demonstrated how three glasses of prosecco (4·5 units) was enough to reduce the levels of white lymphocyte cells – crucial for warding off viruses and other pathogens – in the blood by up to 50%, therefore weakening the body’s immune response to the vaccine (06 Jan). However, the message was somewhat undermined by BrewDog’s stunt to offer its closed outlets across the United Kingdom as COVID-19 vaccination centres where those vaccinated could walk away with a ‘special commemorative beer’ (Lonely Planet, 20 Jan).The craft beer brewer is one of many alcohol industry actors looking to exploit the pandemic, according to a report commissioned by Movendi International that provides ‘a comprehensive picture of the individual, societal and policy dimensions of the interaction between alcohol and the coronavirus crisis’.‘Alcohol and the coronavirus pandemic: individual, societal and policy perspectives’ offers the following solutions for governments to reduce the alcohol burden and mitigate the pandemic (26 Jan):Maintain and improve alcohol policy measures;Limit alcohol availability and affordability and make use of evidence-based alcohol pricing policies;Ensure effective public health messaging on alcohol and COVID-19 from health authorities;Make clinical and treatment provisions for people experiencing all types of alcohol-related problems; andIncrease access to mental health services, including online services.In the UK, given the difficulty of accessing treatment services and of maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol for many adults in 2020 due to the threat of COVID-19, the British Liver Trust fear that the pandemic could lead to tens of thousands more liver disease cases in 2021. They call ‘for every person in the UK to consider their liver health and take a simple quiz to assess their risk’ (04 Jan).Vanessa Hebditch, director of policy and communications said: In early 2020, our Love Your Liver health screening roadshow was ready to tour the nation, offering free liver health checks to the general public at high streets up and down the country.Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced us to postpone the roadshow. That meant that around 4,000 people will have missed out on a free liver health check. If we look at the statistics from previous Roadshows, around 650 of those would have shown signs of possible liver damage.We are very concerned that while thousands will have missed out on valuable liver health advice, some of those people will already have undiagnosed liver disease which won’t show symptoms until the very late stages when treatment options are limited.2020 was a really stressful year for everyone. We know from our research that a lot of people drank more alcohol and ate unhealthier food last year – two major risk factors for liver disease. We also know that some people have missed out on appointments and treatment while healthcare resources have been diverted elsewhere as a result of the pandemic.The Adrian Chiles effect – a natural experiment🎵 Podcast feature 🎵The celebrity influence of broadcaster Adrian Chiles on the Drink Less app caused a spike in middle-aged men engaging with the app, according to a study published in BMC Public Health (06 Jan).Researchers at University College London found that the weekly average of 179 downloads between May 2017 and mid-August 2018 rose to 14,866 total downloads in the week commencing 20 August 2018, when Chiles’s show Drinkers Like Me was first broadcast. He also advised: ‘I encourage anyone, don’t judge yourself, don’t panic you’re not going to drop dead, but go on an app like “Drink Less” and measure what you’re drinking, be honest with yourself for three weeks.’The study reported a ‘step-level increase in app engagement – number of sessions and number of days used – which continued to increase over time’. No effect of media coverage was detected on employment type or on the percentage of at-risk drinkers, though the mean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score was lower after the media coverage.In our podcast interview, lead researcher Dr Claire Garnett said of the findings:It shows that celebrity influence and the subsequent national media coverage that comes with it can clearly have a really substantial impact on who uses an app or additional intervention and how they engage with it.In other researchHigher smoking frequency at admission is associated with higher illicit opioid and alcohol use frequency after six months of specialist addiction treatment, according to research released in Drug and Alcohol Dependence (01 Jan).Two cross-lagged panel models* estimated (separately for opioid and alcohol use disorder patients) the relationships between smoking at admission and change in main drug over six months, and between main drug use at admission and change in smoking over six months. Within the alcohol use disorder cohort, alcohol use frequency fell from 21·2 days to 14·4 days while smoking tobacco reduced from 12·6 days to 11·5 days. Higher smoking frequency at admission was associated with a relative increase in alcohol use at six months (0·03 days), and each additional day of alcohol use at admission increased on average the tobacco use reported at six months by an estimated 0·04 days.A study of over 309,000 regular drinkers from the UK Biobank UK has found that different patterns of alcohol consumption could be associated with a lesser risk of alcohol-related negative health outcomes (BMC Medicine, 12 Jan).Researchers from the University of Glasgow found that regular spirits and beer/cider drinkers had a higher adjusted risk of death, major cardiovascular events, liver cirrhosis and accidents/self-harm when compared to those who drank red and white wine, after adjusting for alcohol amount consumed overall. Similarly, drinking alcohol without food was associated with a 10% higher adjusted relative mortality and cardiovascular risk when compared to alcohol consumed with food.The results also showed that spreading alcohol consumption over three to four days in a week was associated with lower adjusted relative mortality, cardiovascular and cirrhosis risk than consuming alcohol daily; and lower mortality and cardiovascular risk than binge drinking similar amounts of alcohol.Commenting on the study’s findings, Dr Bhautesh Jani, clinical senior lecturer in general practice at the university's Institute of Health and Wellbeing, also warned of the health risks of regular alcohol consumption above the low risk guidelines: Of the regular alcohol drinkers we studied, less than half reported consuming the recommended amount for low risk alcohol consumption, so our first suggestion would be for regular drinkers to follow the recommended government guidelines. Other ways to further lower the alcohol consumption related health risks, based on our findings, might be to spread consumption over the course of three or four days – whilst being careful not to increase their overall intake – and consider… drinking with meals where possible.People with epilepsy are at increased risk of dying from alcohol misuse, according to a study published in Frontiers in Neurology journal (21 Jan).An analysis of the relative risk of alcohol-specific mortality in people with epilepsy, and the extent to which problematic alcohol use was previously identified in the patients' medical records, identified a five-fold increased risk of alcohol-specific mortality in people with epilepsy vs. those without the condition.The research team delineated cohort studies in two population-based datasets, the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD GOLD) in England and the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank in Wales between 2001 and 2015, linked to alcohol-related hospitalisation and alcohol-specific mortality records. They concluded that the causality between alcohol misuse and epilepsy could run either way, and stressed the importance of accurately quantifying the risk of death among epilepsy sufferers.England and Scotland have topped the international rankings for drunkenness again (25 Jan). The Global Drugs Survey (GDS) for 2020 suggests the UK’s drink problem is far more dangerous than any other country: more than 5% of people under 25 years of age reported having sought hospital treatment after getting drunk, compared with the international average of 2%.The survey questioned more than 110,000 people from more than 25 countries between November 2019 and February 2020.It repeated last year’s finding that UK drinkers get drunk most often of all countries’ individuals: people in Scotland and England said they had got drunk on average more than 33 times in the last year, more than twice the rate of several European countries, including Poland, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Romania, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Only 7% of Scottish and English people surveyed reported not having been drunk at all in the past 12 months. Only Danes and Australians had a lower proportion, at 5%.Professor Adam Winstock, the chief executive and founder of the GDS, said: ‘We don’t have a culture that is honest about the impact of intoxication. Drinking is a lousy coping strategy and it is putting a higher burden on the NHS. British people have never really embraced moderation when it comes to drinking. While many other cultures regard alcohol as an accompaniment to a social event and frown upon public drunkenness, we’ve often embraced it as a cultural identity. The challenge is making people realise drinking a bit less does not make you boring. In fact, you’ll probably have a better night. It’s like as a country we need to leave our adolescence behind.’Professor Winstock urged the government to stand up to the alcohol lobby and introduce mandatory health warning labels and minimum pricing, and lowering the drink-drive limit, remarking that they were all ‘incredibly sensible things that have been recommended by several commissions, but have been ignored in the face of resistance from the alcohol lobby.’* a cross-lagged panel model is a type of structural equation model that measures two different variables (smoking vs alcohol use disorder) at two points in time (admission vs six months later).Dry January 2021 – attempts at abstinence come under pandemic’s influenceOrganisers of the country’s biggest alcohol abstinence campaign, Alcohol Change UK, rang in the new year with a record number of participants ready to ‘forego booze’ for the first month of 2021, according to The Guardian (31 Dec 2020):The charity Alcohol Change UK said its polling shows more than 6·5 million adults intend to participate in Dry January – up from 3·9 million last year. That is the equivalent of one in five of people who drink alcohol.However, some media coverage cast doubt on the impact of the nationwide initiative. Trade mag Drinks Business quoted a snap poll from ‘creative insight agency’ KAM Media claiming that 2·7 million out of 10.8 million participants who began the challenge on the first of January gave up by the end of the first week (06 Jan).And writing in Prospect Magazine, philosopher Julian Baggini suggested that Dry January would do little to stop the problematic consumption patterns inherent in British drinking culture (13 Jan):Dry January merely replicates the source of the problem it is supposed to be solving. It reinforces the idea that we need to go through a period of complete abstention to make up for our festive excesses. It perpetuates the binge-purge cycle rather than short-circuits it… if you want to change your habits, it is better to start a routine you can sustain, such as limiting drinking days and quantities, rather than going through a one-off challenge in which no new habits are learned.  Away from notions of ‘falling off the wagon’ and purges doing more harm than good, Alcohol Change UK’s chief executive Richard Piper took to social media to explain that the true message of Dry January is less about pursuing an unattainable mode of perfection in abstinence and more about drinkers becoming more aware of their alcohol habits in order to help control them, acknowledging that reducing your drinking is a process, not an event.No more alcohol multibuys and discounts for Irish shoppers The days of discounted alcohol sales by supermarket voucher schemes and multibuy deals in Ireland are over, as the government brings into force another element of its Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 (Irish Times, 08 Jan).Popular deals such as ‘buy six bottles for €50’ or ‘buy six and get 25% off’ will no longer be permitted. Offering loyalty points on alcohol sales will also be prohibited, while short-term promotions, of three days or less, can no longer take place. Discounts on the price of individual bottles of alcohol will still be allowed.Commenting on the development, Eunan McKinney, Alcohol Action Ireland’s head of communications, said: We welcome this latest step on what is a very long journey to implementing the Public Health Alcohol Act; the operation of these regulations now ensures that people are not further incentivised, or rewarded, for using alcohol.The fundamental action that is required next is the immediate implementation of minimum pricing of alcohol products, which has been interminably delayed by government inertia, yielding to the concerns of the alcohol producers.The country’s chief medical officer Dr Tom O’Connell also welcomed the move, as he considered limiting off-licence opening hours to help stop the spread of COVID-19.Other newsNo more stalling on the drink drive limit: A lower drink drive limit ‘would have a totemic impact’ on UK road safety, according to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) in a new report, ‘Drink Driving: Taking Stock, Moving Forward’ (25 Jan).In their comprehensive review of UK drink-driving, PACTS analysed casualty and crime drink drive data, and conducted interviews with 30 drink drivers, concluding that with no progress made in several drink drive policy areas – such as the annual number of drink drive deaths stalling at roughly 240 for the last decade – the UK’s drink-driving legislative framework is no longer adequate, recommending several interventions to save lives in future.Commenting on the report, David Davies, executive director of PACTS, said: Drink-driving is often cited as a road safety success story, yet it remains a major killer and progress has ground to a halt since 2010. Not only is better enforcement important but also the problems of mental health and alcohol dependency need to be recognised.Scotland introduced a reduced drink drive limit in 2014, in line with most other countries in Europe. It has been accepted by the public; it has not significantly impacted pubs and restaurants or overloaded the police or the courts. Northern Ireland plans to go further, with a zero limit for novice and professional drivers.A lower limit is not a magic bullet but government polices to reduce drink driving will lack credibility as long as they avoid this change.New Year, New APPG chair: Member of Parliament for Bury South, Christian Wakeford, will become the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm (20 Jan). The next public event will take place on 10 March and will be sponsored by Alcohol Change UK.Racy alcohol ad cleared by watchdog: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have rejected calls to ban a television advert said to link alcohol with sex (06 Jan).The complainant challenged whether the ad for Laphroaig whisky was irresponsible because: it linked alcohol to sexual activity; and it portrayed alcohol as indispensable.The ASA ‘considered that the ad clearly showed people’s reactions to tasting Laphroaig whisky, which was well known for its unusual taste'‘ and ‘noted the reference to “You’ll always remember your first” alongside the facial expressions, which showed various reactions after tasting the whisky’.However, despite acknowledging that one could interpret the advert’s catchphrase as a reference to losing one’s virginity, the regulator decided that the ad actually gave an illustration of the different reactions people had encountering a distinctive taste for the first time, and so ‘did not imply any link between drinking Laphroaig whisky and sexual activity, sexual success or seduction’. They also considered that the ad did not portray alcohol as being indispensable, based on the fact that a key scene appeared to be more of ‘a light-hearted expression of [the actor’s] enjoyment of the whisky’s flavour’.The ad watchdog found that the ad was not in breach of its newly updated alcohol rules of the CAP (rule 18·9) and BCAP (rule 19·10) Codes, which now include minor amendments to ‘clarify the language used to describe the ABV [Alcohol By Volume] thresholds at which drinks are subject to the alcohol rules and what strength a “low alcohol” drink is considered to be’.The UK Alcohol Alert (incorporating Alliance News) is designed and produced by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. Please click the image below to visit our website and find out more about us and what we do, or the ‘Contact us’ button. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit instalcstud.substack.com

Professor Felice Jacka is Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University and an international leader in the transformative field of Nutritional Psychiatry research. She is also founder and president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) and immediate past president of the Australian Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders. She has been responsible for the development of a highly innovative field of research establishing diet and nutrition as of importance to common mental disorders. These include the first studies to document a role for diet in adolescent depression, the first study to identify both maternal and early life nutrition as important predictors of children's mental health, and the first trial to show that dietary improvement can address depression. The results of the studies she has conducted have been highly influential Professor Jacka's current research focuses closely on the links between diet, gut health, and mental and brain health. Professor Jacka has published >160 peer-reviewed scientific papers, the majority in high-impact journals in the mental health field including the American Journal of Psychiatry, BMC Medicine and Lancet Psychiatry. She is listed in the top ten most highly-cited researchers in mood disorders in Australia (Scopus). She has written a book for the lay public called ‘Brain Changer', which we HIGHLY recommend. She is also passionate about prompting changes by policy-makers to improve the global food environment.

我原本今天早上六点就更新了这期节目，但是节目播出后，有一些听众指出本期节目存在很多不严谨的地方，希望我能重新查实后再播出。于是我删除了节目，马上和我的文献助理一起重新做功课，对原先的文稿做了比较大的修改，现重新播出。如果你刚好是今天早上听过我这期节目的第一版，那么请您务必重听一遍，我修正了很多地方。不久前，有一位国际上知名的华裔物理学家在美国去世，根据公开的报道，他是因为抑郁症自杀的。这个消息让很多人都想起了很多年前著名的影星张国荣也是由于同样的原因，用差不多的方式结束了自己的生命。抑郁症这个词被中国人所熟知，在我的印象中，与两个人有很大的关系，一个就是我刚才说的影星张国荣，2003他自杀的新闻震撼了整个华人社会，一夜之间抑郁症这个词传遍了中国的大街小巷，我就是从那个时候开始知道抑郁症的。还有另外一个人就是大家都熟悉的崔永元先生，他曾经公开宣布自己患有严重的抑郁症，不过我们有时候会经常听到某些人拿崔永元先生的抑郁症调侃，甚至在相声里面也经常可以听到“哎呦，听说你最近抑郁了”这样的调侃。实际上，这种对待抑郁症的态度是不对的，之所以会调侃，还在从心里面不认为这是一种像感冒、肝炎、甚至癌症一样的疾病，严重的甚至能致命。大多数人还是把抑郁症当做是一种人的心理问题，不觉得是一种需要去医院治疗的疾病。今天我想来给大家谈谈抑郁症到底是一种什么样的疾病。首先，大家必须明白一点，人人都会偶尔有的心情抑郁和得了抑郁症，是完完全全的两码事。最重要的区别在于“程度”和“时长”。谁都有心情的低潮，但如果三五天内就能自己恢复过来，看个电影、吃顿大餐、跑个几公里，心情就豁然开朗了，这肯定就不算是抑郁症。按照NHS的定义，抑郁的时间超过两周[1]，当中持续低潮，且没有办法自行缓解，就要考虑抑郁症的可能了。那抑郁症的临床表现到底有哪些呢？我手头有一本书，陕西科学技术出版社2012年出版的《愁断肝肠:解读抑郁症》，里面有一段对抑郁症症状的临床表现通俗化的解释，抑郁症有三大主要症状：一、情绪低落，二、思维迟缓，三、言语行为减少。我们逐一来说。情绪低落就是无论如何也高兴不起来，总是苦恼忧伤，觉得了无生趣。时间的每一分每一秒都感觉痛苦难熬，度日如年，甚至是生不如死。典型的特征是早上起来时这些感觉特别严重，晚上会减轻。思维迟缓就是自己觉得脑袋不好使了，记不住事情，思考问题也困难，好像自己一下子变笨了。以往能轻松应对的学习和工作上的任务，现在却像极了珠穆朗玛，要攀登上去，自己实在是有心无力了。可以说，比起情绪上的波动，自己能力上的滑铁卢更让人心焦。言语行为减少，就是变得不爱活动、不和人说话，觉得浑身懒洋洋的，连走路都很费力，对于一些有意思的活动也不愿意参与了，生活上很懒散，有时候甚至连个人卫生也懒得搞。但是，三大症状同时具备的人其实并不是很多，有些人只是具备了其中的一条。其他不那么典型的症状还包括焦虑、丧失兴趣和自我评价过低等。丧失兴趣也很常见，有这一条表现的人没有了以往的热忱，体会不到生活的乐趣，对任何事情都兴趣索然，发展到后来，可能一个人闭门独居，疏远亲友，回避社交。可以说“情感上麻木了”。在抑郁症的诊断上，有一个比较常见的认知误区，在这里要特别强调一下，这也是我写这期问答时犯的一个错误，请大家务必听仔细：如果你或者你的亲友正在经历下面这些一些体验。例如，一会整日昏昏欲睡，眼皮都睁不开，一会又彻夜难眠，一天睡不到2小时。一会吃得很少，感觉一点都不饿，以前觉得好吃的现在都味同嚼蜡；一会又会吃得很多，希望靠吃得多来振奋心情，虽然大多数情况下然并卵。因此，你的体重一会大涨，一会又可能大跌。那么要小心，这不是抑郁症，而是躁郁症，不过“躁郁症”这个词现在不常用了，专有名词是“双相情感障碍”，简称“双相”。双相的典型症状就是时而躁狂，时而抑郁。根据2010年美国德州大学健康卫生中心查尔斯波顿领导的一项研究[2]，大约三分之一最初被诊断为抑郁症的患者实际上得的是双相情感障碍。误诊的原因是因为轻度躁狂的患者会感到精力旺盛，这对正常人来说是蛮开心的，所以不会觉得是什么大问题，而当双相转到了抑郁的那一面，和自己 high 的时候相比，完全跌入了低谷，这时候患者才觉得出了问题，所以找医生主诉的病情肯定也是以抑郁的症状为主。还有一个原因，躁狂可能只是偶尔出现，而抑郁是更常见的症状，这也可能造成误诊。为了避免误诊，要把自己过往与病情有关的情绪上的症状要仔细报告给医生。我们继续谈抑郁症，可以说这是一种常见病，2001年浙江省15岁及以上人群精神疾病流行病学调查的结果是，抑郁症的发病率大约为6%[3]，另外我能查到的2011年的一个数据是6.5%，这个数据发表在自然集团下属电子期刊BMC Medicine 上[4]，看来发病率有增高的迹象。6%什么概念，也就是说，我国至少有8400万人患有不同程度的抑郁症，差不多就是一个德国的总人口了。抑郁症还可以细分为四类：重度抑郁症、持续性抑郁症、季节性抑郁症和非典型抑郁症。重度抑郁症的患者超过两周的时间一直处于极其抑郁的状态，凡事一般都只看到消极的一面，被空虚感、无力感和无价值感包围，进食和睡眠都有障碍，头痛，反复想到死或有自杀企图。根据澳大利亚和新西兰精神病学杂志上的一篇论文提供的数据[5]，男性重度抑郁症患者的自杀风险远远高于女性，男性接近7%，而女性只有1%，如果你对不同性别患者的自杀率问题感兴趣，可以参考本期文稿中附的论文网址。持续性抑郁症与重度抑郁症的症状相似，但程度要轻一些，不过持续的时间更长。持续性抑郁症一般要持续2年才能确诊，总的病程可以持续10年甚至是一生。季节性抑郁症的症状与重度抑郁症相似或减轻。这种抑郁症的特点是在寒冷季节发病，多晒太阳可以减轻病情。对这种抑郁症的诊断需要确认患者只在特定的季节发病，而在其他季节从未发病。对于患者来说，光照疗法似乎特别有效。还有一些患者在一些特殊情况下表现出了明显的抑郁症状，但不符合具体病症的诊断标准，医生可以做出非典型抑郁症的诊断。听了那么多，如果你觉得自己完全符合抑郁症的典型症状，那么，我给你的强烈建议就是，把这个当做是得了肝炎一样的疾病，必须去正规医院看病了。如果是去普通的医院就诊，首选精神科，次选心理科，但如果是医院这两个科都没有的话，有些医院也可以挂神经内科。当然，最好是去专门的精神卫生中心，现在国内每个城市基本上都有精神卫生中心了，只是大多数人可能都没有留意到，你稍微查一下就知道了。抑郁症也与大多数疾病一样，越早治疗，效果越好。如果你依然不当做是一种疾病的话，那么，很可能后果是相当严重的，影响学习、生活、工作不说，还会因为吃不好、睡不好而并发很多其他疾病。因为我自己没有得过抑郁症，也从来没有去过精神卫生中心看病。但为了今天这期问答，我特意详细询问了一位精神疾病的患者，请她详细述说一下看病的经历。下面我把她在上海市宛平南路600号的上海市精神卫生中心看病的过程简述如下，供你做一个参考和心理准备：在精神卫生中心，医生会详细询问你的各种症状，也会安排你进行问卷测试，并根据相应的情况，对你做出病情的诊断，一般来说，都会开药给你吃的。说到这里就不得不提，有些人对精神疾病的药物存在着一些抵触心理，担心副作用大，并且认为自己一吃药就彻底变成了一个精神病人，这顶帽子太大了。也有不少人觉得，精神病是否可以只通过和医生聊聊天，谈着谈着，甚至来个催眠，解开一些小时候的心结，病就不药自愈了。很遗憾，这些影视剧或者小说中的情节，在现实生活中发生的概率很低。现在确实有收费很高的类似聊天、催眠这样的心理疏导治疗，但这些也依然是辅助治疗，不能取代药物治疗，而且真的很贵，也不进医保，老百姓是很难享受的，当然，在我看来并不是什么享受，任何疾病的治疗过程都不是享受。精神疾病药物是纳入医保的，重性精神病则纳入大病医保。一般医生接待你的时间最多为半小时，如果要进行一小时以上的长谈，需要选择特定的提前预约好的专业类的咨询服务，咨询费肯定是需要付的，名额也不多。一般医生的就诊以开药为主。你有具体的问题，医生通常也会解答。但医生不会和你闲聊，毕竟就诊的人很多。精神类疾病的药物也有西药和中成药这两种，所谓的西药，我觉得更好的名称应该是现代医学药，而中成药更好的名称是传统医学药。因此，只要是正规上市的西药，都经过大样本、双盲、随机、对照实验，副作用在说明书上会列举得很详细，你可以自行判断这些副作用风险是否可以接受。不过说句实话，如果你仔细看各种精神类药物的说明书，就会发现它基本影响了你身体的各个器官和方方面面，副作用是明确的。但是，治病就是这样，只能是两害相权取其轻。也有一些宣称能治疗精神类疾病的中成药，例如逍遥丸、解郁安神颗粒等，如果你看说明书，会发现它们在不良反应这一栏无一例外写的都是尚不明确。是不是真的有治疗效果这个我不好评判。但有一点我必须要提醒大家，尚不明确的含义是不知道有没有副作用，不是没有发现的意思。有些人可能以为中药成分都是天然无副作用的，这个认知是极为错误的，天然与无副作用是不等价的，大自然中的各种毒素实在太多了，今天不展开了。所以，精神类药物我是强烈建议大家不要服用中成药。精神类药物其实还有另外一项没有写明的副作用，就是戒断反应。如果你一下子猛地断药，可能之前各种噩梦般的体验又重新回来找你了，所以医生一般对减药和断药都会非常谨慎。绝大多数人的抑郁症都是轻度或中度的，经过药物治疗后，症状都能得到缓解，但能否断药后不再复发，就说不准了。抑郁症第一次发病后，有两种情况很常见，一是变成了慢性抑郁（需要长期服药、症状存在但不剧烈），二是停药后隔一段时间又复发。一般复发的病人，症状会一次比一次更严重，最后有可能成为重度抑郁症患者。最后我想提醒大家一点，你千万不要因为自以为掌握了一些抑郁症的皮毛知识就去指导别人吃什么药，这也是我在节目中一个西药名称也不提的原因，所有精神类疾病的药物都要严格遵医嘱。作为普通人，对精神病患者既不要歧视，也不要过度关怀。我们能做到的最大的善意，就是把他们当做普通人对待。请大家记住：抑郁症也是病，严重起来会要命。[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/low-mood-and-depression/ [2] https://www.verywellmind.com/can-depression-turn-into-bipolar-disorder-1066738 [3] http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/details/detail.do?_type=perio&id=zhyfyx200504003 [4] https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-9-90 [5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00895.x?journalCode=anpa

我原本今天早上六点就更新了这期节目，但是节目播出后，有一些听众指出本期节目存在很多不严谨的地方，希望我能重新查实后再播出。于是我删除了节目，马上和我的文献助理一起重新做功课，对原先的文稿做了比较大的修改，现重新播出。如果你刚好是今天早上听过我这期节目的第一版，那么请您务必重听一遍，我修正了很多地方。不久前，有一位国际上知名的华裔物理学家在美国去世，根据公开的报道，他是因为抑郁症自杀的。这个消息让很多人都想起了很多年前著名的影星张国荣也是由于同样的原因，用差不多的方式结束了自己的生命。抑郁症这个词被中国人所熟知，在我的印象中，与两个人有很大的关系，一个就是我刚才说的影星张国荣，2003他自杀的新闻震撼了整个华人社会，一夜之间抑郁症这个词传遍了中国的大街小巷，我就是从那个时候开始知道抑郁症的。还有另外一个人就是大家都熟悉的崔永元先生，他曾经公开宣布自己患有严重的抑郁症，不过我们有时候会经常听到某些人拿崔永元先生的抑郁症调侃，甚至在相声里面也经常可以听到“哎呦，听说你最近抑郁了”这样的调侃。实际上，这种对待抑郁症的态度是不对的，之所以会调侃，还在从心里面不认为这是一种像感冒、肝炎、甚至癌症一样的疾病，严重的甚至能致命。大多数人还是把抑郁症当做是一种人的心理问题，不觉得是一种需要去医院治疗的疾病。今天我想来给大家谈谈抑郁症到底是一种什么样的疾病。首先，大家必须明白一点，人人都会偶尔有的心情抑郁和得了抑郁症，是完完全全的两码事。最重要的区别在于“程度”和“时长”。谁都有心情的低潮，但如果三五天内就能自己恢复过来，看个电影、吃顿大餐、跑个几公里，心情就豁然开朗了，这肯定就不算是抑郁症。按照NHS的定义，抑郁的时间超过两周[1]，当中持续低潮，且没有办法自行缓解，就要考虑抑郁症的可能了。那抑郁症的临床表现到底有哪些呢？我手头有一本书，陕西科学技术出版社2012年出版的《愁断肝肠:解读抑郁症》，里面有一段对抑郁症症状的临床表现通俗化的解释，抑郁症有三大主要症状：一、情绪低落，二、思维迟缓，三、言语行为减少。我们逐一来说。情绪低落就是无论如何也高兴不起来，总是苦恼忧伤，觉得了无生趣。时间的每一分每一秒都感觉痛苦难熬，度日如年，甚至是生不如死。典型的特征是早上起来时这些感觉特别严重，晚上会减轻。思维迟缓就是自己觉得脑袋不好使了，记不住事情，思考问题也困难，好像自己一下子变笨了。以往能轻松应对的学习和工作上的任务，现在却像极了珠穆朗玛，要攀登上去，自己实在是有心无力了。可以说，比起情绪上的波动，自己能力上的滑铁卢更让人心焦。言语行为减少，就是变得不爱活动、不和人说话，觉得浑身懒洋洋的，连走路都很费力，对于一些有意思的活动也不愿意参与了，生活上很懒散，有时候甚至连个人卫生也懒得搞。但是，三大症状同时具备的人其实并不是很多，有些人只是具备了其中的一条。其他不那么典型的症状还包括焦虑、丧失兴趣和自我评价过低等。丧失兴趣也很常见，有这一条表现的人没有了以往的热忱，体会不到生活的乐趣，对任何事情都兴趣索然，发展到后来，可能一个人闭门独居，疏远亲友，回避社交。可以说“情感上麻木了”。在抑郁症的诊断上，有一个比较常见的认知误区，在这里要特别强调一下，这也是我写这期问答时犯的一个错误，请大家务必听仔细：如果你或者你的亲友正在经历下面这些一些体验。例如，一会整日昏昏欲睡，眼皮都睁不开，一会又彻夜难眠，一天睡不到2小时。一会吃得很少，感觉一点都不饿，以前觉得好吃的现在都味同嚼蜡；一会又会吃得很多，希望靠吃得多来振奋心情，虽然大多数情况下然并卵。因此，你的体重一会大涨，一会又可能大跌。那么要小心，这不是抑郁症，而是躁郁症，不过“躁郁症”这个词现在不常用了，专有名词是“双相情感障碍”，简称“双相”。双相的典型症状就是时而躁狂，时而抑郁。根据2010年美国德州大学健康卫生中心查尔斯波顿领导的一项研究[2]，大约三分之一最初被诊断为抑郁症的患者实际上得的是双相情感障碍。误诊的原因是因为轻度躁狂的患者会感到精力旺盛，这对正常人来说是蛮开心的，所以不会觉得是什么大问题，而当双相转到了抑郁的那一面，和自己 high 的时候相比，完全跌入了低谷，这时候患者才觉得出了问题，所以找医生主诉的病情肯定也是以抑郁的症状为主。还有一个原因，躁狂可能只是偶尔出现，而抑郁是更常见的症状，这也可能造成误诊。为了避免误诊，要把自己过往与病情有关的情绪上的症状要仔细报告给医生。我们继续谈抑郁症，可以说这是一种常见病，2001年浙江省15岁及以上人群精神疾病流行病学调查的结果是，抑郁症的发病率大约为6%[3]，另外我能查到的2011年的一个数据是6.5%，这个数据发表在自然集团下属电子期刊BMC Medicine 上[4]，看来发病率有增高的迹象。6%什么概念，也就是说，我国至少有8400万人患有不同程度的抑郁症，差不多就是一个德国的总人口了。抑郁症还可以细分为四类：重度抑郁症、持续性抑郁症、季节性抑郁症和非典型抑郁症。重度抑郁症的患者超过两周的时间一直处于极其抑郁的状态，凡事一般都只看到消极的一面，被空虚感、无力感和无价值感包围，进食和睡眠都有障碍，头痛，反复想到死或有自杀企图。根据澳大利亚和新西兰精神病学杂志上的一篇论文提供的数据[5]，男性重度抑郁症患者的自杀风险远远高于女性，男性接近7%，而女性只有1%，如果你对不同性别患者的自杀率问题感兴趣，可以参考本期文稿中附的论文网址。持续性抑郁症与重度抑郁症的症状相似，但程度要轻一些，不过持续的时间更长。持续性抑郁症一般要持续2年才能确诊，总的病程可以持续10年甚至是一生。季节性抑郁症的症状与重度抑郁症相似或减轻。这种抑郁症的特点是在寒冷季节发病，多晒太阳可以减轻病情。对这种抑郁症的诊断需要确认患者只在特定的季节发病，而在其他季节从未发病。对于患者来说，光照疗法似乎特别有效。还有一些患者在一些特殊情况下表现出了明显的抑郁症状，但不符合具体病症的诊断标准，医生可以做出非典型抑郁症的诊断。听了那么多，如果你觉得自己完全符合抑郁症的典型症状，那么，我给你的强烈建议就是，把这个当做是得了肝炎一样的疾病，必须去正规医院看病了。如果是去普通的医院就诊，首选精神科，次选心理科，但如果是医院这两个科都没有的话，有些医院也可以挂神经内科。当然，最好是去专门的精神卫生中心，现在国内每个城市基本上都有精神卫生中心了，只是大多数人可能都没有留意到，你稍微查一下就知道了。抑郁症也与大多数疾病一样，越早治疗，效果越好。如果你依然不当做是一种疾病的话，那么，很可能后果是相当严重的，影响学习、生活、工作不说，还会因为吃不好、睡不好而并发很多其他疾病。因为我自己没有得过抑郁症，也从来没有去过精神卫生中心看病。但为了今天这期问答，我特意详细询问了一位精神疾病的患者，请她详细述说一下看病的经历。下面我把她在上海市宛平南路600号的上海市精神卫生中心看病的过程简述如下，供你做一个参考和心理准备：在精神卫生中心，医生会详细询问你的各种症状，也会安排你进行问卷测试，并根据相应的情况，对你做出病情的诊断，一般来说，都会开药给你吃的。说到这里就不得不提，有些人对精神疾病的药物存在着一些抵触心理，担心副作用大，并且认为自己一吃药就彻底变成了一个精神病人，这顶帽子太大了。也有不少人觉得，精神病是否可以只通过和医生聊聊天，谈着谈着，甚至来个催眠，解开一些小时候的心结，病就不药自愈了。很遗憾，这些影视剧或者小说中的情节，在现实生活中发生的概率很低。现在确实有收费很高的类似聊天、催眠这样的心理疏导治疗，但这些也依然是辅助治疗，不能取代药物治疗，而且真的很贵，也不进医保，老百姓是很难享受的，当然，在我看来并不是什么享受，任何疾病的治疗过程都不是享受。精神疾病药物是纳入医保的，重性精神病则纳入大病医保。一般医生接待你的时间最多为半小时，如果要进行一小时以上的长谈，需要选择特定的提前预约好的专业类的咨询服务，咨询费肯定是需要付的，名额也不多。一般医生的就诊以开药为主。你有具体的问题，医生通常也会解答。但医生不会和你闲聊，毕竟就诊的人很多。精神类疾病的药物也有西药和中成药这两种，所谓的西药，我觉得更好的名称应该是现代医学药，而中成药更好的名称是传统医学药。因此，只要是正规上市的西药，都经过大样本、双盲、随机、对照实验，副作用在说明书上会列举得很详细，你可以自行判断这些副作用风险是否可以接受。不过说句实话，如果你仔细看各种精神类药物的说明书，就会发现它基本影响了你身体的各个器官和方方面面，副作用是明确的。但是，治病就是这样，只能是两害相权取其轻。也有一些宣称能治疗精神类疾病的中成药，例如逍遥丸、解郁安神颗粒等，如果你看说明书，会发现它们在不良反应这一栏无一例外写的都是尚不明确。是不是真的有治疗效果这个我不好评判。但有一点我必须要提醒大家，尚不明确的含义是不知道有没有副作用，不是没有发现的意思。有些人可能以为中药成分都是天然无副作用的，这个认知是极为错误的，天然与无副作用是不等价的，大自然中的各种毒素实在太多了，今天不展开了。所以，精神类药物我是强烈建议大家不要服用中成药。精神类药物其实还有另外一项没有写明的副作用，就是戒断反应。如果你一下子猛地断药，可能之前各种噩梦般的体验又重新回来找你了，所以医生一般对减药和断药都会非常谨慎。绝大多数人的抑郁症都是轻度或中度的，经过药物治疗后，症状都能得到缓解，但能否断药后不再复发，就说不准了。抑郁症第一次发病后，有两种情况很常见，一是变成了慢性抑郁（需要长期服药、症状存在但不剧烈），二是停药后隔一段时间又复发。一般复发的病人，症状会一次比一次更严重，最后有可能成为重度抑郁症患者。最后我想提醒大家一点，你千万不要因为自以为掌握了一些抑郁症的皮毛知识就去指导别人吃什么药，这也是我在节目中一个西药名称也不提的原因，所有精神类疾病的药物都要严格遵医嘱。作为普通人，对精神病患者既不要歧视，也不要过度关怀。我们能做到的最大的善意，就是把他们当做普通人对待。请大家记住：抑郁症也是病，严重起来会要命。[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/low-mood-and-depression/ [2] https://www.verywellmind.com/can-depression-turn-into-bipolar-disorder-1066738 [3] http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/details/detail.do?_type=perio&id=zhyfyx200504003 [4] https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-9-90 [5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00895.x?journalCode=anpa

我原本今天早上六点就更新了这期节目，但是节目播出后，有一些听众指出本期节目存在很多不严谨的地方，希望我能重新查实后再播出。于是我删除了节目，马上和我的文献助理一起重新做功课，对原先的文稿做了比较大的修改，现重新播出。如果你刚好是今天早上听过我这期节目的第一版，那么请您务必重听一遍，我修正了很多地方。不久前，有一位国际上知名的华裔物理学家在美国去世，根据公开的报道，他是因为抑郁症自杀的。这个消息让很多人都想起了很多年前著名的影星张国荣也是由于同样的原因，用差不多的方式结束了自己的生命。抑郁症这个词被中国人所熟知，在我的印象中，与两个人有很大的关系，一个就是我刚才说的影星张国荣，2003他自杀的新闻震撼了整个华人社会，一夜之间抑郁症这个词传遍了中国的大街小巷，我就是从那个时候开始知道抑郁症的。还有另外一个人就是大家都熟悉的崔永元先生，他曾经公开宣布自己患有严重的抑郁症，不过我们有时候会经常听到某些人拿崔永元先生的抑郁症调侃，甚至在相声里面也经常可以听到“哎呦，听说你最近抑郁了”这样的调侃。实际上，这种对待抑郁症的态度是不对的，之所以会调侃，还在从心里面不认为这是一种像感冒、肝炎、甚至癌症一样的疾病，严重的甚至能致命。大多数人还是把抑郁症当做是一种人的心理问题，不觉得是一种需要去医院治疗的疾病。今天我想来给大家谈谈抑郁症到底是一种什么样的疾病。首先，大家必须明白一点，人人都会偶尔有的心情抑郁和得了抑郁症，是完完全全的两码事。最重要的区别在于“程度”和“时长”。谁都有心情的低潮，但如果三五天内就能自己恢复过来，看个电影、吃顿大餐、跑个几公里，心情就豁然开朗了，这肯定就不算是抑郁症。按照NHS的定义，抑郁的时间超过两周[1]，当中持续低潮，且没有办法自行缓解，就要考虑抑郁症的可能了。那抑郁症的临床表现到底有哪些呢？我手头有一本书，陕西科学技术出版社2012年出版的《愁断肝肠:解读抑郁症》，里面有一段对抑郁症症状的临床表现通俗化的解释，抑郁症有三大主要症状：一、情绪低落，二、思维迟缓，三、言语行为减少。我们逐一来说。情绪低落就是无论如何也高兴不起来，总是苦恼忧伤，觉得了无生趣。时间的每一分每一秒都感觉痛苦难熬，度日如年，甚至是生不如死。典型的特征是早上起来时这些感觉特别严重，晚上会减轻。思维迟缓就是自己觉得脑袋不好使了，记不住事情，思考问题也困难，好像自己一下子变笨了。以往能轻松应对的学习和工作上的任务，现在却像极了珠穆朗玛，要攀登上去，自己实在是有心无力了。可以说，比起情绪上的波动，自己能力上的滑铁卢更让人心焦。言语行为减少，就是变得不爱活动、不和人说话，觉得浑身懒洋洋的，连走路都很费力，对于一些有意思的活动也不愿意参与了，生活上很懒散，有时候甚至连个人卫生也懒得搞。但是，三大症状同时具备的人其实并不是很多，有些人只是具备了其中的一条。其他不那么典型的症状还包括焦虑、丧失兴趣和自我评价过低等。丧失兴趣也很常见，有这一条表现的人没有了以往的热忱，体会不到生活的乐趣，对任何事情都兴趣索然，发展到后来，可能一个人闭门独居，疏远亲友，回避社交。可以说“情感上麻木了”。在抑郁症的诊断上，有一个比较常见的认知误区，在这里要特别强调一下，这也是我写这期问答时犯的一个错误，请大家务必听仔细：如果你或者你的亲友正在经历下面这些一些体验。例如，一会整日昏昏欲睡，眼皮都睁不开，一会又彻夜难眠，一天睡不到2小时。一会吃得很少，感觉一点都不饿，以前觉得好吃的现在都味同嚼蜡；一会又会吃得很多，希望靠吃得多来振奋心情，虽然大多数情况下然并卵。因此，你的体重一会大涨，一会又可能大跌。那么要小心，这不是抑郁症，而是躁郁症，不过“躁郁症”这个词现在不常用了，专有名词是“双相情感障碍”，简称“双相”。双相的典型症状就是时而躁狂，时而抑郁。根据2010年美国德州大学健康卫生中心查尔斯波顿领导的一项研究[2]，大约三分之一最初被诊断为抑郁症的患者实际上得的是双相情感障碍。误诊的原因是因为轻度躁狂的患者会感到精力旺盛，这对正常人来说是蛮开心的，所以不会觉得是什么大问题，而当双相转到了抑郁的那一面，和自己 high 的时候相比，完全跌入了低谷，这时候患者才觉得出了问题，所以找医生主诉的病情肯定也是以抑郁的症状为主。还有一个原因，躁狂可能只是偶尔出现，而抑郁是更常见的症状，这也可能造成误诊。为了避免误诊，要把自己过往与病情有关的情绪上的症状要仔细报告给医生。我们继续谈抑郁症，可以说这是一种常见病，2001年浙江省15岁及以上人群精神疾病流行病学调查的结果是，抑郁症的发病率大约为6%[3]，另外我能查到的2011年的一个数据是6.5%，这个数据发表在自然集团下属电子期刊BMC Medicine 上[4]，看来发病率有增高的迹象。6%什么概念，也就是说，我国至少有8400万人患有不同程度的抑郁症，差不多就是一个德国的总人口了。抑郁症还可以细分为四类：重度抑郁症、持续性抑郁症、季节性抑郁症和非典型抑郁症。重度抑郁症的患者超过两周的时间一直处于极其抑郁的状态，凡事一般都只看到消极的一面，被空虚感、无力感和无价值感包围，进食和睡眠都有障碍，头痛，反复想到死或有自杀企图。根据澳大利亚和新西兰精神病学杂志上的一篇论文提供的数据[5]，男性重度抑郁症患者的自杀风险远远高于女性，男性接近7%，而女性只有1%，如果你对不同性别患者的自杀率问题感兴趣，可以参考本期文稿中附的论文网址。持续性抑郁症与重度抑郁症的症状相似，但程度要轻一些，不过持续的时间更长。持续性抑郁症一般要持续2年才能确诊，总的病程可以持续10年甚至是一生。季节性抑郁症的症状与重度抑郁症相似或减轻。这种抑郁症的特点是在寒冷季节发病，多晒太阳可以减轻病情。对这种抑郁症的诊断需要确认患者只在特定的季节发病，而在其他季节从未发病。对于患者来说，光照疗法似乎特别有效。还有一些患者在一些特殊情况下表现出了明显的抑郁症状，但不符合具体病症的诊断标准，医生可以做出非典型抑郁症的诊断。听了那么多，如果你觉得自己完全符合抑郁症的典型症状，那么，我给你的强烈建议就是，把这个当做是得了肝炎一样的疾病，必须去正规医院看病了。如果是去普通的医院就诊，首选精神科，次选心理科，但如果是医院这两个科都没有的话，有些医院也可以挂神经内科。当然，最好是去专门的精神卫生中心，现在国内每个城市基本上都有精神卫生中心了，只是大多数人可能都没有留意到，你稍微查一下就知道了。抑郁症也与大多数疾病一样，越早治疗，效果越好。如果你依然不当做是一种疾病的话，那么，很可能后果是相当严重的，影响学习、生活、工作不说，还会因为吃不好、睡不好而并发很多其他疾病。因为我自己没有得过抑郁症，也从来没有去过精神卫生中心看病。但为了今天这期问答，我特意详细询问了一位精神疾病的患者，请她详细述说一下看病的经历。下面我把她在上海市宛平南路600号的上海市精神卫生中心看病的过程简述如下，供你做一个参考和心理准备：在精神卫生中心，医生会详细询问你的各种症状，也会安排你进行问卷测试，并根据相应的情况，对你做出病情的诊断，一般来说，都会开药给你吃的。说到这里就不得不提，有些人对精神疾病的药物存在着一些抵触心理，担心副作用大，并且认为自己一吃药就彻底变成了一个精神病人，这顶帽子太大了。也有不少人觉得，精神病是否可以只通过和医生聊聊天，谈着谈着，甚至来个催眠，解开一些小时候的心结，病就不药自愈了。很遗憾，这些影视剧或者小说中的情节，在现实生活中发生的概率很低。现在确实有收费很高的类似聊天、催眠这样的心理疏导治疗，但这些也依然是辅助治疗，不能取代药物治疗，而且真的很贵，也不进医保，老百姓是很难享受的，当然，在我看来并不是什么享受，任何疾病的治疗过程都不是享受。精神疾病药物是纳入医保的，重性精神病则纳入大病医保。一般医生接待你的时间最多为半小时，如果要进行一小时以上的长谈，需要选择特定的提前预约好的专业类的咨询服务，咨询费肯定是需要付的，名额也不多。一般医生的就诊以开药为主。你有具体的问题，医生通常也会解答。但医生不会和你闲聊，毕竟就诊的人很多。精神类疾病的药物也有西药和中成药这两种，所谓的西药，我觉得更好的名称应该是现代医学药，而中成药更好的名称是传统医学药。因此，只要是正规上市的西药，都经过大样本、双盲、随机、对照实验，副作用在说明书上会列举得很详细，你可以自行判断这些副作用风险是否可以接受。不过说句实话，如果你仔细看各种精神类药物的说明书，就会发现它基本影响了你身体的各个器官和方方面面，副作用是明确的。但是，治病就是这样，只能是两害相权取其轻。也有一些宣称能治疗精神类疾病的中成药，例如逍遥丸、解郁安神颗粒等，如果你看说明书，会发现它们在不良反应这一栏无一例外写的都是尚不明确。是不是真的有治疗效果这个我不好评判。但有一点我必须要提醒大家，尚不明确的含义是不知道有没有副作用，不是没有发现的意思。有些人可能以为中药成分都是天然无副作用的，这个认知是极为错误的，天然与无副作用是不等价的，大自然中的各种毒素实在太多了，今天不展开了。所以，精神类药物我是强烈建议大家不要服用中成药。精神类药物其实还有另外一项没有写明的副作用，就是戒断反应。如果你一下子猛地断药，可能之前各种噩梦般的体验又重新回来找你了，所以医生一般对减药和断药都会非常谨慎。绝大多数人的抑郁症都是轻度或中度的，经过药物治疗后，症状都能得到缓解，但能否断药后不再复发，就说不准了。抑郁症第一次发病后，有两种情况很常见，一是变成了慢性抑郁（需要长期服药、症状存在但不剧烈），二是停药后隔一段时间又复发。一般复发的病人，症状会一次比一次更严重，最后有可能成为重度抑郁症患者。最后我想提醒大家一点，你千万不要因为自以为掌握了一些抑郁症的皮毛知识就去指导别人吃什么药，这也是我在节目中一个西药名称也不提的原因，所有精神类疾病的药物都要严格遵医嘱。作为普通人，对精神病患者既不要歧视，也不要过度关怀。我们能做到的最大的善意，就是把他们当做普通人对待。请大家记住：抑郁症也是病，严重起来会要命。[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/low-mood-and-depression/ [2] https://www.verywellmind.com/can-depression-turn-into-bipolar-disorder-1066738 [3] http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/details/detail.do?_type=perio&id=zhyfyx200504003 [4] https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-9-90 [5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00895.x?journalCode=anpa

我原本今天早上六点就更新了这期节目，但是节目播出后，有一些听众指出本期节目存在很多不严谨的地方，希望我能重新查实后再播出。于是我删除了节目，马上和我的文献助理一起重新做功课，对原先的文稿做了比较大的修改，现重新播出。如果你刚好是今天早上听过我这期节目的第一版，那么请您务必重听一遍，我修正了很多地方。不久前，有一位国际上知名的华裔物理学家在美国去世，根据公开的报道，他是因为抑郁症自杀的。这个消息让很多人都想起了很多年前著名的影星张国荣也是由于同样的原因，用差不多的方式结束了自己的生命。抑郁症这个词被中国人所熟知，在我的印象中，与两个人有很大的关系，一个就是我刚才说的影星张国荣，2003他自杀的新闻震撼了整个华人社会，一夜之间抑郁症这个词传遍了中国的大街小巷，我就是从那个时候开始知道抑郁症的。还有另外一个人就是大家都熟悉的崔永元先生，他曾经公开宣布自己患有严重的抑郁症，不过我们有时候会经常听到某些人拿崔永元先生的抑郁症调侃，甚至在相声里面也经常可以听到“哎呦，听说你最近抑郁了”这样的调侃。实际上，这种对待抑郁症的态度是不对的，之所以会调侃，还在从心里面不认为这是一种像感冒、肝炎、甚至癌症一样的疾病，严重的甚至能致命。大多数人还是把抑郁症当做是一种人的心理问题，不觉得是一种需要去医院治疗的疾病。今天我想来给大家谈谈抑郁症到底是一种什么样的疾病。首先，大家必须明白一点，人人都会偶尔有的心情抑郁和得了抑郁症，是完完全全的两码事。最重要的区别在于“程度”和“时长”。谁都有心情的低潮，但如果三五天内就能自己恢复过来，看个电影、吃顿大餐、跑个几公里，心情就豁然开朗了，这肯定就不算是抑郁症。按照NHS的定义，抑郁的时间超过两周[1]，当中持续低潮，且没有办法自行缓解，就要考虑抑郁症的可能了。那抑郁症的临床表现到底有哪些呢？我手头有一本书，陕西科学技术出版社2012年出版的《愁断肝肠:解读抑郁症》，里面有一段对抑郁症症状的临床表现通俗化的解释，抑郁症有三大主要症状：一、情绪低落，二、思维迟缓，三、言语行为减少。我们逐一来说。情绪低落就是无论如何也高兴不起来，总是苦恼忧伤，觉得了无生趣。时间的每一分每一秒都感觉痛苦难熬，度日如年，甚至是生不如死。典型的特征是早上起来时这些感觉特别严重，晚上会减轻。思维迟缓就是自己觉得脑袋不好使了，记不住事情，思考问题也困难，好像自己一下子变笨了。以往能轻松应对的学习和工作上的任务，现在却像极了珠穆朗玛，要攀登上去，自己实在是有心无力了。可以说，比起情绪上的波动，自己能力上的滑铁卢更让人心焦。言语行为减少，就是变得不爱活动、不和人说话，觉得浑身懒洋洋的，连走路都很费力，对于一些有意思的活动也不愿意参与了，生活上很懒散，有时候甚至连个人卫生也懒得搞。但是，三大症状同时具备的人其实并不是很多，有些人只是具备了其中的一条。其他不那么典型的症状还包括焦虑、丧失兴趣和自我评价过低等。丧失兴趣也很常见，有这一条表现的人没有了以往的热忱，体会不到生活的乐趣，对任何事情都兴趣索然，发展到后来，可能一个人闭门独居，疏远亲友，回避社交。可以说“情感上麻木了”。在抑郁症的诊断上，有一个比较常见的认知误区，在这里要特别强调一下，这也是我写这期问答时犯的一个错误，请大家务必听仔细：如果你或者你的亲友正在经历下面这些一些体验。例如，一会整日昏昏欲睡，眼皮都睁不开，一会又彻夜难眠，一天睡不到2小时。一会吃得很少，感觉一点都不饿，以前觉得好吃的现在都味同嚼蜡；一会又会吃得很多，希望靠吃得多来振奋心情，虽然大多数情况下然并卵。因此，你的体重一会大涨，一会又可能大跌。那么要小心，这不是抑郁症，而是躁郁症，不过“躁郁症”这个词现在不常用了，专有名词是“双相情感障碍”，简称“双相”。双相的典型症状就是时而躁狂，时而抑郁。根据2010年美国德州大学健康卫生中心查尔斯波顿领导的一项研究[2]，大约三分之一最初被诊断为抑郁症的患者实际上得的是双相情感障碍。误诊的原因是因为轻度躁狂的患者会感到精力旺盛，这对正常人来说是蛮开心的，所以不会觉得是什么大问题，而当双相转到了抑郁的那一面，和自己 high 的时候相比，完全跌入了低谷，这时候患者才觉得出了问题，所以找医生主诉的病情肯定也是以抑郁的症状为主。还有一个原因，躁狂可能只是偶尔出现，而抑郁是更常见的症状，这也可能造成误诊。为了避免误诊，要把自己过往与病情有关的情绪上的症状要仔细报告给医生。我们继续谈抑郁症，可以说这是一种常见病，2001年浙江省15岁及以上人群精神疾病流行病学调查的结果是，抑郁症的发病率大约为6%[3]，另外我能查到的2011年的一个数据是6.5%，这个数据发表在自然集团下属电子期刊BMC Medicine 上[4]，看来发病率有增高的迹象。6%什么概念，也就是说，我国至少有8400万人患有不同程度的抑郁症，差不多就是一个德国的总人口了。抑郁症还可以细分为四类：重度抑郁症、持续性抑郁症、季节性抑郁症和非典型抑郁症。重度抑郁症的患者超过两周的时间一直处于极其抑郁的状态，凡事一般都只看到消极的一面，被空虚感、无力感和无价值感包围，进食和睡眠都有障碍，头痛，反复想到死或有自杀企图。根据澳大利亚和新西兰精神病学杂志上的一篇论文提供的数据[5]，男性重度抑郁症患者的自杀风险远远高于女性，男性接近7%，而女性只有1%，如果你对不同性别患者的自杀率问题感兴趣，可以参考本期文稿中附的论文网址。持续性抑郁症与重度抑郁症的症状相似，但程度要轻一些，不过持续的时间更长。持续性抑郁症一般要持续2年才能确诊，总的病程可以持续10年甚至是一生。季节性抑郁症的症状与重度抑郁症相似或减轻。这种抑郁症的特点是在寒冷季节发病，多晒太阳可以减轻病情。对这种抑郁症的诊断需要确认患者只在特定的季节发病，而在其他季节从未发病。对于患者来说，光照疗法似乎特别有效。还有一些患者在一些特殊情况下表现出了明显的抑郁症状，但不符合具体病症的诊断标准，医生可以做出非典型抑郁症的诊断。听了那么多，如果你觉得自己完全符合抑郁症的典型症状，那么，我给你的强烈建议就是，把这个当做是得了肝炎一样的疾病，必须去正规医院看病了。如果是去普通的医院就诊，首选精神科，次选心理科，但如果是医院这两个科都没有的话，有些医院也可以挂神经内科。当然，最好是去专门的精神卫生中心，现在国内每个城市基本上都有精神卫生中心了，只是大多数人可能都没有留意到，你稍微查一下就知道了。抑郁症也与大多数疾病一样，越早治疗，效果越好。如果你依然不当做是一种疾病的话，那么，很可能后果是相当严重的，影响学习、生活、工作不说，还会因为吃不好、睡不好而并发很多其他疾病。因为我自己没有得过抑郁症，也从来没有去过精神卫生中心看病。但为了今天这期问答，我特意详细询问了一位精神疾病的患者，请她详细述说一下看病的经历。下面我把她在上海市宛平南路600号的上海市精神卫生中心看病的过程简述如下，供你做一个参考和心理准备：在精神卫生中心，医生会详细询问你的各种症状，也会安排你进行问卷测试，并根据相应的情况，对你做出病情的诊断，一般来说，都会开药给你吃的。说到这里就不得不提，有些人对精神疾病的药物存在着一些抵触心理，担心副作用大，并且认为自己一吃药就彻底变成了一个精神病人，这顶帽子太大了。也有不少人觉得，精神病是否可以只通过和医生聊聊天，谈着谈着，甚至来个催眠，解开一些小时候的心结，病就不药自愈了。很遗憾，这些影视剧或者小说中的情节，在现实生活中发生的概率很低。现在确实有收费很高的类似聊天、催眠这样的心理疏导治疗，但这些也依然是辅助治疗，不能取代药物治疗，而且真的很贵，也不进医保，老百姓是很难享受的，当然，在我看来并不是什么享受，任何疾病的治疗过程都不是享受。精神疾病药物是纳入医保的，重性精神病则纳入大病医保。一般医生接待你的时间最多为半小时，如果要进行一小时以上的长谈，需要选择特定的提前预约好的专业类的咨询服务，咨询费肯定是需要付的，名额也不多。一般医生的就诊以开药为主。你有具体的问题，医生通常也会解答。但医生不会和你闲聊，毕竟就诊的人很多。精神类疾病的药物也有西药和中成药这两种，所谓的西药，我觉得更好的名称应该是现代医学药，而中成药更好的名称是传统医学药。因此，只要是正规上市的西药，都经过大样本、双盲、随机、对照实验，副作用在说明书上会列举得很详细，你可以自行判断这些副作用风险是否可以接受。不过说句实话，如果你仔细看各种精神类药物的说明书，就会发现它基本影响了你身体的各个器官和方方面面，副作用是明确的。但是，治病就是这样，只能是两害相权取其轻。也有一些宣称能治疗精神类疾病的中成药，例如逍遥丸、解郁安神颗粒等，如果你看说明书，会发现它们在不良反应这一栏无一例外写的都是尚不明确。是不是真的有治疗效果这个我不好评判。但有一点我必须要提醒大家，尚不明确的含义是不知道有没有副作用，不是没有发现的意思。有些人可能以为中药成分都是天然无副作用的，这个认知是极为错误的，天然与无副作用是不等价的，大自然中的各种毒素实在太多了，今天不展开了。所以，精神类药物我是强烈建议大家不要服用中成药。精神类药物其实还有另外一项没有写明的副作用，就是戒断反应。如果你一下子猛地断药，可能之前各种噩梦般的体验又重新回来找你了，所以医生一般对减药和断药都会非常谨慎。绝大多数人的抑郁症都是轻度或中度的，经过药物治疗后，症状都能得到缓解，但能否断药后不再复发，就说不准了。抑郁症第一次发病后，有两种情况很常见，一是变成了慢性抑郁（需要长期服药、症状存在但不剧烈），二是停药后隔一段时间又复发。一般复发的病人，症状会一次比一次更严重，最后有可能成为重度抑郁症患者。最后我想提醒大家一点，你千万不要因为自以为掌握了一些抑郁症的皮毛知识就去指导别人吃什么药，这也是我在节目中一个西药名称也不提的原因，所有精神类疾病的药物都要严格遵医嘱。作为普通人，对精神病患者既不要歧视，也不要过度关怀。我们能做到的最大的善意，就是把他们当做普通人对待。请大家记住：抑郁症也是病，严重起来会要命。[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/low-mood-and-depression/ [2] https://www.verywellmind.com/can-depression-turn-into-bipolar-disorder-1066738 [3] http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/details/detail.do?_type=perio&id=zhyfyx200504003 [4] https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-9-90 [5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00895.x?journalCode=anpa

Show Topic: Playing With Your Kids Increases Your Lifespan Co-Hosts:  Judy Gaman, Mark Anderson, Walter Gaman Guest: Ken Seiter    Segment 1 Intro Discussion    Today is all about the importance of play, did you know that playing with your kids and grandkids will increase your lifespan – it's true. (Connect) Reminisce about the things our parents did with us (or not) and the things we have enjoyed doing with our own kids.  (Inspire)  challenge the people listening right now to plan some play time each week MUSIC FOR DOC SHOCK  Study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, looked at over 15,000 people and found that eating a diet high in fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes, such as the Mediterranean can prevent the onset of depression. Basically, the study results show that depression is most likely linked to nutrient deficits, something that we have seen in our practice as well. Read the Study Here!   Follow us on Facebook! Tweet us on Twitter! Download the Show on iTunes! Visit our Website! Call us at 844-well 100   Segment 2   Intro Coming up – we are going to our special guest Ken Seiter, a VP at the Toy Association and an expert on the importance of play. ANDERSON - Immortal minute “This Immortal Minute is brought to you by - Solis mammography – exceptional experience and exceptionally accurate results”    Today's show is all about the importance of play and we are visiting with Ken Seiter who holds a Master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. He is the VP of Marketing Communications at the Toy Association where he oversees the development, implementation and oversight of the Association's communications strategies, key messaging and brand integrity programs.   Discuss Tell us about the Genius of Play Movement The Toy Industry Association recently conducted a survey on how and when parents play with their kids. Tell us about the findings of that survey Research points to direct correlation between play and stress reduction – this is true for kids as well as adults. A group of researchers at the Kansas State University studied single mothers, who often experience higher levels of parental stress. According to their findings, the mothers who engaged daily in playful activities with their kids, such as reading stories or playing games, had lower levels of stress. Today's highly scheduled children have less time for free play, and some react to the associated pressures with anxiety and increased stress. According to the clinical report “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, depression and anxiety in kids appear to be linked to lack of unstructured playtime. Play has a proven therapeutic power. According to Dr. Cindy Dell Clark of Rutgers University, play – particularly pretend play - allows children to “act out” their feelings and dilemmas. Given enough time to engage in pretense, children playfully confront difficult meanings on their own terms. Play is fun and, similar to physical activity and sports, can trigger release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. In addition, the social interaction of playing with others can help ward off stress and depression. A study of over 800 public school students showed that the highest levels of happiness in children occurred when they were playing or conversing with friends. When stressful situations do arise, play helps people of all ages remain resilient through tough times. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up, break the ice with strangers, make new friends, and form new business and personal relationships.   Segment 3 Intro  Upcoming Dementia Defender 844-WELL100   We are talking about the importance of play. Sure, play is important to our kids development, but it also will help you as an adult live longer   Discuss   It's important to your stress level and your happiness quotient that you have at least one activity that you do regularly just for fun. According to Dr. Stuart Brown, Founder of the National Institute of Play who has conducted over 6,000 play studies during his 40-year career, “Denying our need to play can have negative effect on our emotional well-being. The opposite of play is not work, its depression”. Play empowers people to be flexible thinkers, creative, young-at-heart and free-spirited. Successful companies like Google recognize this by integrating opportunities to take a break into their workspaces. Others, including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Toyota and even NASA, have used “Lego Serious Play” method, which utilizes building bricks to unlock employee's problem-solving abilities and encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Play is also a great way for parents and other adult caregivers to strengthen the bond with the kids. In a survey of 500 US parents recently conducted by the Genius of Play, 93% said play helps them bond with their child. Engaging our Kids to Play with us Play board games – a great way for kids to learn following the rules and compromising, while developing problem-solving and strategy skills. Engage in arts and crafts. These activities help young children develop fine motor skills, while fostering creativity and self-expression.   Coming up Medical Mania Trivia and then at the end of the show -  Dementia Defender Riddle of the day – your chance to win a free copy of the book Age to Perfection.   Segment 4   Intro    MEDICAL TRIVIA  - Donna    Which is stronger, once for ounce – A human bone or steel (Human Bone) How many pounds of bacteria are in the average human body at one time? (4 lbs.) During the average lifespan, how many barrels of blood does your heart pump? A. 15,000 B. 250,000 C. 1.5 Million (5 Million, enough to fill 200 train tank cars!) True of false. Your heart can beat when temporarily detached from the body (True – it has its own electrical impulse) At what age does your brain stop developing (Late 40s)   DEMENTIA DEFENDER Question: A man in New York City has $10. He spends $6.50 on flowers, and $3 on lunch (hot coffee and a hot dog). He then gets on the subway which will take him 7 stops for 50 cents. But he is forced to get off of the subway just 5 stops away from where he began. Why is this? End of Show   Thank you for listening to the Staying Young Show! With all the mixed messages on health, you need information that you can use and that you can trust. Listen in as the experts discuss all topics health related. It's time to STAY YOUNG and stay healthy! Each week we tackle a topic and often with leading scientists, best-selling authors, and even your favorite celebrities! As a listener of our show, your input is important to us. Please take a moment to fill out this quick survey so we can serve you better - Survey For more information on The Staying Young Show, please visit our website, and subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. You can also reach out to our host, Judy Gaman, here for book purchasing, and speaking opportunities in your area!