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Added on the 05/10/2020 17:16:54 - Copyright : Wochit
A commonly prescribed treatment for people suffering from chronic back pain may not be providing any relief. A new review suggests that antidepressants when prescribed for chronic pain, provide little to no back pain relief. The review did find that the medications could however offer a modest benefit for osteoarthritis and sciatica. Their review looked at data from 33 clinical trials studying the use of antidepressants for chronic pain. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed by doctors to help chronic pain sufferers with their mental distress.
UPI reports new research shows it's a very good idea to insist that healthcare workers get an annual flu shot. That's according to researchers from the University of Georgia, Montana State University and Monash University in Australia. They found that states with mandatory flu shots for hospital workers saw statewide reductions in deaths from influenza and pneumonia. They estimate that during the 2016-17 season alone, nearly 2,000 deaths were averted in the 15 U.S. states that had mandatory vaccination laws at that time. The findings suggest that health-worker vaccination laws may be a good way to protect the country's most vulnerable populations. The researchers say it's possible that similar benefits could also be seen with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination of hospital workers.
Scientists have identified the brain's 'signature' for major depression. According to UPI, Japanese researchers used machine learning to ID distinct patterns of coordinated brain activity in people with major depressive disorder. Major depression is fairly easy to diagnose. However, the researchers say a better understanding of the brain networks associated with the disease could improve treatment. The new brain network signature could serve as a foundation for discovering brain network patterns associated with different types of depression. It could also reveal relationships between depression and other disorders.
A new study has identified a link between stress hormones and the recurrence of cancer. UPI reports the findings may explain why cancers can return long after seemingly being cured with chemotherapy or surgery. The study showed stress hormones and immune cells called neutrophils may awaken dormant cancer cells and cause tumors to regrow -- even after treatment -- according to a study published Wednesday by Science Translational Medicine. Tumor recurrence may be facilitated by common stress. Study co-author Dr. Dmitry Gabrilovich Chief Scientist, AstraZeneca Stress hormones such as cortisol have been linked with an increased risk for a number of health problems. Elevated levels of these hormones can increase a person's heart rate and lead to rises in blood pressure. Because of this, it can lead to insomnia, robbing the body of needed sleep, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
So far, just under 215,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. But according to UPI, a new study says deaths of Americans that were linked to COVID-19 may have gone underreported by nearly 75,000. That's because either people delayed seeking treatment, or were too afraid to seek medical help during the pandemic. As a result, COVID-19 could have indirectly contributed to deaths from other illnesses like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and heart disease. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond examined death certificates for their tabulation. The found that of 225,530 excess deaths, 150,541, or 67%, were attributed to COVID-19 from March to July.
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